Murder at an Irish Bakery, Carlene O’Connor
5 *****

I read this over the course of 24 hours and I will definitely seek more from this author. The plot progressed naturally, as the mysteries developed in layers. Every revelation was well founded and natural. The characters were well drawn with telling details. Despite a goodly number of characters, I never got confused among them.

I enjoyed the bits of Irish terminology, both those I recognized and those that were new to me – one I figured out from context and the other was beautifully and subtly explained in the next sentence by the character’s response to the statement. (I think it was the only time I sort of stepped out for a minute to admire the writing craft rather than just being caught up in the story.)

I see this is the author’s 9th Irish Village mystery and I see why they’re so popular. Highly recommend!

Suspects abound in the latest Irish Village mystery from Carlene O’Connor. #MurderatanIrishBakery centers on a national baking contest being held in a local Kilbane bakery—a beloved institution that the owner is hoping will be revived by hosting this competition. Top Irish bakers will be competing for prize money, including Aoife McBride, the most well known of the participants.

Siobhan O’Sullivan Flannery is one of the garda assigned to the competition. While hoping for delicious free samples from the bakers, Siobhan soon finds herself dealing with a dead contestant (Aoife) and a deceased protestor, as well as a missing solicitor. Siobhan and her colleagues-- husband, DI Macdara Flannery, and Aretta Dabiri, the newest Kilbane garda—pursue various threads to unravel the mystery and determine who the killer is.

As usual, it’s interesting to see the team work through different theories as more evidence comes to light. Although the mystery itself can be understood if read as a stand-alone, the book is even more enjoyable if the reader understands how Siobhan and her brothers and sisters (known as the O’Sullivan Six) have grown and changed while remaining remained close since the death of their parents; and how the relationship between Macdara and Siobhan has developed.

To get the most enjoyment out of the series, I’d recommend reading these in order. The latest installment is the series is as charming and entertaining as its predecessors.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC!

Sugar sure does kill in this latest in a terrific series series in Kilbane, Ireland and featuring Siobhan and her husband Mac, both Gardai. A baking competition has come to down bringing cameras, contestants, and one protestor, who dies early on. And then Aoife is murdered as well. Siobhan (and everyone else) thought this competition would be good for the town and the local bakery but it turns out that they have to identify the villain. It's a fun classic cozy, with multiple suspects and a couple of red herrings. Siobhan has a new Gardai- Aretta-with her and freshening things up a bit. I've been a fan of this series for the setting, the characters (Siobhan's family!) and think that this latest will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read.

What a joy discovering this series and realizing I have eight previous books in the backlist to go back and read! I really enjoyed this book a lot and have already been recommending it to others. In fact a friend of mine just started book one based on my recommendation! I had no problem following the story and figuring out the relationships even though I jumped in at book 9. Do yourself a favor and grab this book!

Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Murder at an Irish Bakery is the 9th book in the Irish Village series. I have read this series from the beginning. It takes place in the town of KIlbane, Ireland. Gardai Siobhan O'Sullivan is the main character in this story. She has been hired to oversee a baking event. All the top Irish bakers were coming to show off their baking. Fia O'Farrell is the owner of Pie-Pie Love bakery in her family's old mill which has been in her family for generations. Macdara Flannery is also a policeman and Siobhan's husband. He is away at a conference. Gardi Aretta Debiri is the newest member to the Kullane Gardai is there to help Siobhan oversee the event. Aoife McBride is the author of many books on baking was going to participate in the contest. She is there to also reveal a secret in her memoir which she is writing. The other contestants are: Ethan Brown, Trisha Mayflower, Martin Murphy, Barry Ryan, Sophia Hughes. The judges are Ronan O'Keefe and Philomena Lemon. The contest will be televised.by Charlie Holiday, camera man and Ruth Barnes the director. The contest is sponsored by an anonymous benefactor. A solicitor William Bains has set it up with Fia O' Farrell.

The story opens with a young man yelling into a bullhorn that sugar kills and making a scene. He leaves and comes back with a sign. Aoife comes out of the mill and powders the man's face with powder on a brush to calm him. A short while later he collapses on the ground and later pronounced dead. Gardia Dabiri goes into the mill to find Aoife where she got the powder compact which they bagged. She said she got it from a chemist in town buy one get one free. Before the contests starts Ruth tells everyone that she saw something in the Green Room. It is a wooden sign carved into a large circle and mounted on top of the barrels. The sign read 3,650 days since the last accident.

The contestants are at 6 different stations. The first day all goes well. After filming a limo arrives with a William Bains in a tux carrying red envelopes and a trolley with wrapped gifts on it. He gives the red envelopes to each contestant to be put at their station but not opened or seen by others until the morning. When they arrive the next day they find red velvet curtains around each station. They open their envelopes and are shocked to find what they say.

This is where the story takes off and leads the reader on an adventure. There is so much that happens it is hard to put all on paper. I will leave it to the reader to enjoy.. The death of Aoife just adds to the story. Siobhan, Macdara and Gardia Dabiri are lead on a journey with all kinds of twists and turns to find who is the murderer to the exciting climax.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.

This is the 9th book in this cozy mystery series. I have read a few but I haven’t read them all, but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of this mystery at all. I thought this was a particularly twisty mystery with good twists and turns and tricks. I liked that it took place during a baking competition show, it was fun to see the “behind the scenes.” Garda Siobhan thought that guard duty on set of the new baking completion show would be great and she was certain there would be free samples. Taking place in a struggles bakery in town there are celebrity chefs invited to compete. When mysterious things begin to happen and bodies are discovered Siobhan realizes that this isn’t going to be the cake walk she envisioned. The writing is great and the characters are fun. I also love the little glimpse into Irish culture which is always fun.

This book has three of my favorite things: cozy mystery vibes, strong female MC, and a baking contest show! A total win!

The story is fun to read, the mystery is plausible without being overly predictable, and the setting is absolutely spot on!

Also, for those into obscure unsolved mysteries, there's a quick nod to DB Cooper here that's delightful.

Best of all, the book ends with a recipe, as all cooking show stories must!

The ninth book in the "An Irish Village Mystery" series takes us back to Kilbane, County Cork in Ireland. The arrival of a reality TV baking contest brings excitement to the town, but things take a dark turn when one of the contestants is murdered. Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, must solve the case before the killer strikes again.

This cozy mystery is filled with wit, humor, and love between the characters. The main characters, Siobhan and Macdara, are well-developed and continue to evolve throughout the series. The contestants and suspects are somewhat one-dimensional, serving the purpose of moving the mystery plot along, but are still entertaining. The resolution is well-paced, with a twist that comes early enough to give the reader a chance to solve the mystery with the detectives.

"Murder at an Irish Bakery" is an enjoyable mystery that is a must-read for fans of the series and cozy mystery lovers alike.

2.5 stars

I am a big fan of this series, but this one felt like a letdown to me. Irish police office (Garda) Siobhan O'Sullivan, now married to her fellow officer Macdara Flannery is on duty at a special bakeoff competition which is being televised. Her 5 brothers and sisters weren't much in evidence here.

There seem to have been a bunch of baking show cozy mysteries lately. It wasn't exactly clear what the cops were doing on scene in the beginning except maybe crowd control. But almost immediately a bystander dies under strange circumstances so O'Sullivan switches to investigative mode. She and Macdara spend an awful lot of time yearning after the baked goods.

There is another murder, several plot twists, mistaken identity, and the usually ego-driven TV complications. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This series is always guaranteed to please.
With vivid descriptions of Ireland and characters you will enjoy reading about, the whodunits are always well written.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This book had potential, but it truly could have used another round or two of edits. The pacing and the timeline had sever issues. Conflicting information was given in the span of a single page, and events that happened in the same day were referred to as happening days apart. I understand that in some ways it was meant to be lighthearted, but the technical details derailed it for me.

Murder in an Irish Bakery, book 9 in this series, was just as fun as all the previous stories. We’re back Kilbane, Ireland with Siobhan and Macdara, one of my favorite team of detectives who are now a married couple. A baking contest will take place at Pie Pie Love Bakery with quite a cast characters (bakers and the judges) all vying for the prize. But there’s more than the usual drama in this contest filled with murder and some pretty interesting secrets. It was a fun and not completely cozy mystery you’ll definitely enjoy reading. It helps to have read earlier books for all the character background.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

An excellent cozy murder mystery.

Every time I get to go to Kilbane it is a joy, and 'Murder at an Irish Bakery' is no exception. There is a complex case of murder to solve and no two better than Siobhan and Macdara to solve it. As always the warm and loving family relationships between the O'Sullivans is woven throughout the story and make it a delight to re-visit County Cork. I hope this series continues to flourish as it is one of my all-time favorites.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Another hit in a great series. Siobhan and her husband Macdara are working together to solve several murders at a bake off competition. Enjoyed this one, although at times the names (Irish of course) threw me a bit. Glad of the recipes too, and want to give them a try. Would highly recommend.

Murder at an Irish Bakery
Carlene O’Connor
February 21, 2023

We are back in Kilbane, Ireland to read about the latest in An Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. The town is excited about the latest sensation coming to the Pie Pie Love bakery for filming the next contest to be shown on the reality baking series. Pie Pie Love is a flour mill operated by the O’Flannery family. They originally used the flour for all the baked products sold upstairs in the pastry shop. When the wheel stopped turning at least thirty years ago, Fia O’Flannery was forced to buy her flour elsewhere. It is costly now and she hoped the aftermath of the contest would boost her sales.
The township is gathered round to greet the participants. Gardai Siobha’n O’Sullivan and Aretta Dabiri were inside to keep control of the crowd as well as to make certain there were no problems occurring during the contest production. Lovely odors flowed through the bakery walls, they knew that once the ovens were full those delicious pastries would make everyone’s sweet tooth crave the treats. Of course readers who have read the Irish Village series know that gardai will be investigating something unusual happening. Not being a spoiler I will not let you know what the local guardians of the peace will be investigating.
Murder at an Irish Bakery will be published by Kensington Publishing on February 21, 2023. I appreciate their allowing me to read O’Connor’s novel. I have enjoyed each book in the series. This latest, number nine is a real gem. It was fun and let us know more about the recent changes in the O’Sullivan clan’s lives as well as the duo of Siobhan and Macdara Flannery’s marriage at the end of their first year. Do enjoy O’Connor’s telling of the current news of County Cork.

I've recently read Carlene's work in by Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day and Peggy Ehrhart. I found her story great. So, when I heard about this book I just had to read it.

Carlene O'Connor is called “queen of the cozy police procedural” for good reason. I truly recommend checking out this book! The characters, story, and bakery/village setting was wonderful to read. I couldn't stop reading from start to finish. The plot involving a baking show and bakery was a great choice for this book.


My thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review. I'm looking forward to reading the next book by Carlene O'Connor!

Book 9 (our subtheme for the day! LOL) picks up after the happenings of the previous book- Siobhan and Mcdara have adjusted to being married and living at their new house, with their brood working on a new restaurant, so guarding a cooking show seems more than apt and time appropriate! Little do they know how crazy it will get- for a small Irish village, there's a lot of murder here! LOL! It's a fun look at behind the scenes of a different type of judges cooking show, and how past issues can come back to haunt us, when we try to make amends for them. Fun read that will make you want to read the previous books if you haven't read them!

MURDER AT AN IRISH BAKERY is the ninth book in the Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. The author includes so many wonderful elements in this newest release: an over-the-top theatrical reality baking show; a historical flour mill setting; mouthwatering delectable treats; and twisty-turvey murder mysteries to solve. Added to the mix are the delightful Irish Garda, Siobhan, and her husband, Macdara. Newly married, their personal and working relationship is both tender and filled with witty repartee. I couldn’t help but chuckle over both their cravings for sweet treats which almost, but not quite, overshadows their investigation. Ms. O’Connor’s attention to detail made the setting and the theatrics of the contestants come to life. It made me feel like I was right there drooling over the baked goods or cringing at the rivalry between the contestants and their misdeeds.

When a protestor against the baking show dies, Siobhan and Macdara are horrified to find out he was poisoned. Was the protestor the target or just a hapless bystander? Then a contestant is killed in what looks like a tragic accident on set. Could the deaths be related or just a coincidence, or is someone trying to sabotage the show? Ms. O’Connor pens a cunning, multi-faceted mystery that kept me glued to the pages and highly entertained. With all the twists and turns, I decided to sit back and let the story unfold instead of trying to figure out whodunit. In the end, the clever plot and resolution left me quite satisfied and eager to read the next book in this charming series!

With a baking show as the premise of the book, there are so many desserts and treats mentioned throughout the book. Be prepared to drool right alongside with Siobhan and Macdara as you read. Ms. O’Connor includes an Irish cake recipe at the back of the book to tempt the home baker.

This is a cozy mystery set at an Irish Bakery. It has an interesting cast of characters with a few twists and turns in the story. This book is part of a series and would probably be more enjoyable if I had read some of the previous books. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers,copy.