Member Review

Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan is the debut of An Irish Castle Mysteries. I had trouble getting interested in Murder at an Irish Castle. The story became easier to read as Rayne settled into Ireland. I was not a fan of Rayne and her hostile cousin, Ciare Smith. Rayne comes across as spoiled while Ciare is resentful and cruel. Ciare’s nastiness quickly becomes tiring. She seems to be irritable all the time even with her fiancé who works on the estate. We get to meet the staff at the castle and some of the villagers. I do feel that the author could have done a better job at capturing the beauty of Ireland. The whodunit had several suspects, a red herring or two, and obvious clues. The mystery can be solved early in the book. Certain details are reiterated to make sure we did not miss them (I could envision a giant neon arrow with the words “killer” pointing at the guilty party). Rayne who was just ditched by her duplicitous boyfriend begins admiring estate employee, Amos. I could understand Rayne finding him attractive, but it seemed too soon to think about dating (considering she is still dealing with the aftermath of the two-timers underhanded actions). She admired Amos’ physical attributes many times (I cringed every time she mentioned his long locks—I am not a fan of men with long hair). My favorite character is the adorable Blarney. I loved his antics especially when he took off with one of Rayne’s expensive shoes. I could envision the trail of crystals around the castle. I am on the fence about reading the next An Irish Castle Mystery. Murder at an Irish Castle is a sásúil story with a blackguard beau, an unimagined inheritance, a churlish cousin, a playful pup, spotty internet service, designer duds, a cold castle, and a course of crystals.