Sometimes you want a quicker than usual review and this trilogy fits the bill and revolving around St. Patrick's Day is a rarity. Well crafted and enjoyable,

Thank you to Netgalley for the kindle ARC of this fun book. My favorite drink is Irish Coffee so I just had to read this book. The book is really 3 novellas written by Leslie Meier of the Lucy Stone Mysteries, Lee Hollis of the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mysteries, and Barbara Ross of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. I have read each of these authors before and enjoy the characters in each of their series. That said you don't need to have read any of the other books to enjoy this fun St. Patrick's Day treat. Each book is unique and fallow there own story. I loved all 3 but if I had to choose a favorite it would be number 3 by Barbara Ross. I say this because I loved how she wrote a story that takes place in current times but the murder is over 100 years old. Barbara, you outdid yourself with creativity on this one. So make yourself a nice Irish Coffee and settle down with this book and enjoy.

A fun set of three novellas by cozy mystery authors who set there mysteries set in coastal Maine. Good addition to long running series with fun St. Patrick's Day events.

Long live Leslie Meier. I am also a steadfast fan of Lee Hollis's mysteries. I've even started reading Maya and Sandra's mysteries.

Another great holiday themed anthology from everyone's favorite Maine cozy authors - Leslie Meier (Lucy Stone Mysteries), Lee Hollis (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mysteries), and Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries). Irish Coffee Murder takes the reader to Tinker's Cove, Bar Harbor, and Busman's Harbor in 3 individual mysteries, each just the perfect length to enjoy with a cup of tea and a wedge of soda bread! Murders past and present are investigated, and each story is a great either introduction or re-visit to an established cozy series. A+++ and 5 stars!

I loved this collection of cozy mystery short stories centered around St. Patrick's Day and Irish coffees. I am avid fan of Barbara Ross' Maine Clambake series and loved getting small morsel of Busman Harbor to hold me over to next year's installment! I also loved Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis's stories around the theme. While they weren't as in-depth as a normal cozy mystery, this is a great pick for someone wanting to try cozy mysteries out or just want a little more of their favorite series. Meier pulled a great holiday short story group once again and I know I count on these short story collections for a bit of fun, murder, and mayhem!

Irish Coffee Murders is another fun entry in a series of seasonal releases by Leslie Meier, Barbara Ross and Lee Hollis. All three authors have long running series set in Maine, as are these novellas, each featuring the main characters from those series. These are standalone stories and it’s not necessary to have read previous books by the authors. The stories are short, entertaining reads, enjoyable diversions when time is short. Sit back, read and relax! 

Thanks, NetGalley, for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross returns for another holiday trilogy but this time for St. Patrick's Day. Irish Coffee and murder are on the menu in chilly snowy Maine where spring can't seem to get there fast enough.

A big fan of Meier's, having read every book in her Lucy Stone series, it was like coming home to me. However, the predictability of who the culprit is and the abrupt ending kind of threw me off. But overall, still a solid mystery surrounding an Irish dance troupe.

Only familiar with Hollis and Ross from their previous trilogy with Meier's so took a little more time to refamiliarize myself with the characters and background. I loved the red herrings in Hollis' Hailey Power's catering mystery and the setting of Ross' to tell real life ghost stories during a blackout.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. #IrishCoffeeMurder #NetGalley

Short stories from three different series. The mysteries were well-crafted, the settings beautiful and the characters were fun and likable. Would recommend
Thank you to the authors, NetGalley and Kensington Books for the arc of this book.

This was a collection of 3 cozy murder novellas. They all take place on or around St Patrick's Day and all are serving, of course, Irish Coffee's. Can Irish Coffee be deadly? Maybe? They talk about wonderful Irish Stew and other dishes with the recipes. Each author tells their own story but they all include murder, Family, and St. Patrick's Theme. I really enjoyed these cozy mysteries. This comes out just in time for St Patrick's Day. Read and Enjoy!
received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed reading about Lucy Stone and her friends and family again. All three of these stories revolve around St. Patrick’s Day so of course involve coffee, food and drinks. Entertaining reads.

This book is comprised of 3 mysteries that start on St Patrick’s Day. Because there are 3 stories each is short and doesn’t have enough time to develop, in my opinion. However, each story is very good. If you like cozy mysteries I think you will like this book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a collection of three novellas from three established cozy authors’ series. They’ve published other similar holiday-themed collections, so if you liked this one, there are more.
Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier is the first novella. Her amateur detective/reporter Lucy Stone investigates the murder of a teen Irish dance student’s mother. I like Lucy and her friends. This story left clues to follow, but I’m still not sure what the motive was in the murder.
Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker is by Lee Hollis. I love the author’s Hayley Powell series. Hayley and her friends can be quite amusing. I love the easy conversational style in which the stories are told. This one was less complicated than the former novella, but still had me stumped. At least this time I understood the motive. An added bonus were articles from Hayley’s newspaper column that tells amusing stories about Hayley’s past, usually with her friends or family.
Perked Up is by Barbara Ross. She writes about Julia Snowden and her family’s clam bake business in Maine. This novella revolves around a cold case Julia and her friends and family discuss on St Patrick’s Day during a snowy power outage. Julia continues investigating, and eventually she and her two friends solve the mystery. This was an interesting framework in which to tell the old tale.
I recommend this collection of mysteries to cozy mystery fans. Who knows; maybe you find a new favorite series to read.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ for Lucy: I always love how Leslie Meier incorporates current events in her mysteries, and Irish Coffee Murder is no exception. Local sleuth and reporter Lucy Stone dives into the issues of poverty facing small towns with the affordable housing crisis and the need for places like food pantries alongside the fear of reducing a town’s appeal by attracting and assisting those in need. Meier always addresses these issues with class and ease for understanding and I appreciate her need to spread the word. All the details about the Irish dancing competitions were Super interesting as well. Ted was an especially awful boss in this one, though, and we never saw Lucy’s husband, Bill, or any of her friends besides a quick glimpse of Sue. I look forward to Meier’s next full-length Lucy Stone Mystery.
3.5 ⭐️ for Hayley Powell: Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries aren't my favorite. I love Maine- Bar Harbor especially- but I just don't connect with these characters. Probably because I only read them when they're paired in a bundle like this one.
I remember liking Sergio, the police chief, and his interactions were minimal in Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker. I also disliked how horrible of a friend Liddy was throughout- constantly making demands of Hayley who was busy herself. And there were a few too many locals trying to make it big in the catering world to feel like this storyline was realistic at all. I liked that the Criterion Theater was a real place, though. And I didn't predict the murderer at all, so, I guess it wasn't all bad.
5 ⭐️ for the Maine Clambake Mystery:
What an EXCELLENT St. Patrick’s Day mystery incorporating the whole town with a stormy evening in, drinking Irish coffee and telling ghost stories. I haven’t read any in this series either, but this short, cozy mystery really sold me on these characters and this setting. An unsolved, hundred-year-old mystery that everyone has different theories surrounding, the story unfolds as more & more people pop into Julia’s mom’s house during a black-out and volunteer their input. I just loved the way this one was written and I’ll definitely look into more of this series.

IRISH COFFEE MURDER by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross, is the perfect novella trilogy to cozy up with and read while imbibing an Irish coffee concoction and nibbling on corned beef and cabbage with a side of Irish soda bread… or one of the other recipes featured in the book. Each individual novella is a standalone mystery with Irish Coffee as the theme and features the author’s much-loved series characters. If you’re new to the author, this is the perfect opportunity to be introduced to the series. And if you’ve been a long-time fan, you’ll enjoy catching up with your favorite characters while you wait for the authors’ next releases. Despite the shortened length of each story, the authors do a marvelous job of setting the stage, capturing the essence of St. Patrick’s Day, and creating a murder for the heroines to solve. The novellas are well-plotted with a quick pace, yet the stories never feel rushed.

I enjoyed Leslie Meier’s IRISH COFFEE MURDER with the Irish step dancing theme. And, of course, you can always count on Lee Hollis delivering laugh-out-loud humor and their book, DEATH OF AN IRISH COFFEE DRINKER, didn’t disappoint.

And lastly, PERKED UP by Barbara Ross rounds out the trilogy. In this instance, the best story was saved for last. I was completely enthralled from the beginning as protagonist, Julia Snowden, is home with her mother, her friend, and Captain George, when the power goes out. A dark, cold, and snowy St. Patrick’s night seems to call for Irish coffee and a ghost story involving an unsolved 150-year-old murder. As Captain George shares the tale, more family and friends arrive and they each share their take on what actually happened. As Irish coffees are passed around, the group tries to solve the case. The author’s storytelling prowess is on full display and her attention to detail made the tale come to life. I was equally fascinated by Ms. Ross’s afterward and the research she’s done to include some of Maine’s Irish history in her story. When I’d read the very last word, it became clear that friends, drinks, food, and tall tales make for the very best St. Patrick’s Day.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is three short stories combined, all having something to do with coffee. So, get a big mug filled with your favorite coffee and enjoy. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I love Leslie Meier and read these short stories to see what is happening in Lucy's world, but I could really do without. I did read the other two and while I'm not a big reader of those authors, they were good stories and I will probably pick up a few books in their series to read.

Did not care at all for this book. It has three stories in it, written by different authors. Lucy Stone mysteries are a favorite of mine, so I was excited to read that one. It ended extremely abruptly, and we were not given a motive or any explanation for the reason that they arrested the person that they did.

The second story was at least more or less complete, but it was interspersed with recipes between chapters and stupid stories of chasing dogs and then one about missing her husband as they drove back and forth looking for each other. I have never read a book by this author, and never will if this is her thing.

Third story was okay, but way too much repeating. People coping with an electricity outage by drinking Irish Coffee and telling ghost stories. But every time a new person showed up at the house, the whole thing was repeated over and over.

In a nutshell, this was not for me! Thanks anyway, NetGalley and Kensington for the chance to read it.

The luck of the Irish was definitely with me. Not only a collection of mysteries built around the theme of Irish Coffee, but by three of my favorite authors and sets of characters. I definitely felt like I'd found the reader's pot of gold.

I won't detail the plot except to note that each author shines with their own voice and style. Even better, you don't have to be a former reader of that author to thoroughly enjoy the story, all of which include tidbits from past adventures but don't rely on them for the solution. Mysteries include the death of a single mother of a talented young Irish dancer, poisoning of an up-and-coming stand-up comedian, and a very cold case, as in over a century old unsolved crime. The collection provides a great introduction to the various series and characters, including seeming to introduce some newcomers. In other words, a winning combination for both authors and readers. ENJOY! I know I did.

Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me over for some Irish Coffee.

Irish Coffee a murder is a book with three separate novellas. Novella # 1 - Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier is a good short story that features small town sleuth, Lucy Stone, who runs into yet another murder mystery to solve in the oceanside town of Tinker's Cove, Maine. This time around Lucy is following a story of four young ladies who are competing in Irish folk dance competitions in Portland. While the girls are busy learning their steps and practicing for the feis, their mothers are out having a few too many Irish coffees the night before the competition. Tempers flare that night and continue to get stoked even more at the competition itself when one of the dancers suffers a wardrobe malfunction. Things seem to be smoothed over enough for everyone to get on with their lives but, before long, tragedy strikes and someone ends up dead. It's up to Lucy, yet again, to do her best to investigate what happened while she's covering her job as The Courier newspaper reporter. This small town seems to have almost as many murders to solve as it does lobsters to bring in the tourists. Leslie Meier gives us another great Lucy Stone mystery but, as has been the case for the past several years, she interjects her beliefs a bit too heavily for my liking. I prefer to read a cozy that lets you get away from the real world for a while and doesn't feel the need to be preachy with the author's personal views on political or social topics. That being said, this was a nice little read.
Novella #2 - Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker by Lee Hollis is a fairly enjoyable little cozy. I have not read other editions of this series, so I was unfamiliar with the characters. The story was interesting but the characters were a bit unlikable to me. Perhaps I would have a better feel for them had I read other books in this series, but most of the main characters were a bit too stereotypical ... quirky small business owner who must investigate every murder that happens in town, her annoying, somewhat snooty friend, flippant bartender brother, one-dimensional husband, immigrant brother-in-law police chief (who bothered me the most because he was written as if someone from another country who is intelligent and qualified enough to become a police chief wouldn't be intelligent enough to speak understandable English), and the ever present blabbermouth police officer who gives out information far too freely and basically acts the buffoon. The story was interesting but wrapped up a bit too quickly after a couple of red herrings were eliminated. I'm not sure I would read another from this series.
Novella #3 - Perked Up by Barbara Ross is my favorite of the three novellas in this book and might be my favorite of all of the Maine Clambake mystery series! Barbara Ross has brought us a very creatively brought-together story of a 150-year-old murder mystery. The story takes place mainly (or would that be Maine-ly) on St. Patrick's Day in blustery cold Busman's Harbor, Maine where a snowstorm changes the plans that Julia Snowden and her friend Zoey Butterfield have for the evening. A storm brings together family, friends, and neighbors a few at a time who all end up giving their version of what happened to old Hugh O'Hara who was murdered in his home on St. Patrick's night in 1867. Each has a very different theory passed down through their families or heard through grapevines over the years about who killed Hugh O'Hara and why they did so. Each new tale is believable enough but each also seems lacking in some way and the group that ends up together over the current St. Patrick's night holds firm to their own beliefs. Julia, being Julia, isn't content to let a mystery go unsolved, so she, Zoey, and their friend, policeman, Jamie, do a bit of investigating to see if they can find out whodunnit. Just brilliantly done! Cudos to Barbara Ross for bringing us an intriguing story that has its fair share of Irish coffee imbibed throughout!
Overall - The trio of books in Irish Coffee Murder are well worth reading. Fix yourself a nice warm Irish coffee and settle in for a nice read.
*I received an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.