"Irish Milkshake Murder" is a delightful cozy mystery anthology featuring contributions from Carlene O’Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland. Each author brings their unique flair to the collection, intertwining suspense with charming settings and engaging characters.

Carlene O’Connor kicks off the anthology with a story steeped in Irish culture, setting a captivating tone with rich descriptions and a compelling mystery centered around a local dairy farm. Her knack for creating vivid atmospheres makes the reader feel as though they’re right there in Ireland, navigating the quaint yet treacherous landscape of village life.

Peggy Ehrhart follows with her signature wit and humor, delivering a tale that balances lighthearted moments with a twisty plot. Her characters are endearing and relatable, providing a refreshing take on the classic whodunit structure. The interplay between humor and mystery adds depth, making her contribution a standout in the collection.

Liz Ireland rounds out the anthology with her own brand of charm, crafting a story that combines delicious food with intrigue. The mouthwatering descriptions of milkshakes and treats add an extra layer of appeal, enticing readers while they unravel the mystery alongside the protagonist.

Overall, "Irish Milkshake Murder" is a fun and engaging read perfect for fans of cozy mysteries. Each story complements the others beautifully, creating a delightful tapestry of suspense and charm. This anthology is sure to satisfy mystery lovers looking for a lighthearted escape filled with humor, heart, and a dash of intrigue!

This was the perfect audiobook to listen to over the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day! This collection of cozy mysteries was fun, a little silly, and full of heart. While there was nothing earth-shattering about the stories, it was a reading experience I truly enjoyed.

This was a fun mash up of stories. I enjoyed each story and the writing style of each. I loved the holiday theme throughout! Thank you NetGalley and Tantor audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

I enjoy these holiday anthologies that Kensington puts out during the year, but this one missed the mark for me. I think this one missed as two of the three stories were from series I don't read for different reasons. Each one had an Irish Milkshake as part of the story. It might have been the murder weapon, something the characters like to drink or an offering at the local restaurant, but it is there. I enjoyed the first story: IRISH MILKSHAKE MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR. Tara Meehan and Danny O’Donnell are off to the Aran Islands with their bridesmaids and groomsmen for a joint hen and stag party. On the ferry to Inis Mór, the passengers enjoy boozy milkshakes and entertainment from a pair of famous Irish-dancing twin brothers. Unfortunately, one of the brothers dies while drinking his shake. This is a bit of a closed door mystery as it had to be someone on the boat. When the captain disappears, he is the main suspect. The investigation continues while on the island, with a storm raging and no one able to leave. It was a fun story with a great investigation and a surprising culprit. The second story: MURDER MOST IRISH by PEGGY EHRHART involves the death of a man after drinking "The Leprechaun Shake". Pamela Paterson and her Knit & Nibble knitting club pal, Bettina Fraser are on the case trying to determine who and why the murder occurred. This series is one I stopped reading due to the amount of detail given about food and knitting projects. The mystery was well written and I enjoyed seeing how Pamela and Bettina sorted it out, but it was just okay. One thing I did like was the recipe for the Irish Coffee Mallow Dessert. The final story, MRS. CLAUS AND THE LUCKLESS LEPRECHAUN by LIZ IRELAND, was the one I liked the least, not because of the writing, but the setting of the North Pole and the characters, Mrs. Claus, elves and reindeer, just didn't call to me. The mystery involved an elf being injured thus endangering his team's entrance into a sporting event, the iceball tournament. There are reindeer with confidence issues that help to save the day, minty milkshakes being sold in the local ice-cream shop and jealousy. The solving of the mystery was well done, but I didn't really care by that point. Again, not the fault of the writing, just me. I'm sure those that enjoy this series will enjoy this one. Overall, just an okay read for me. I did a read/listen to Irish Milkshake Murder narrated by Callie Beaulieu. She is a familiar narrator to me and I enjoy her performances.

It was my first taste of reading the cozy Irish mysteries and i really enjoyed it!
My favorite was the one by Peggy Ehrhart tho i enjoyed the other two as well
Also i loved the aspect of these stories where authors chose a theme or an item and add it to their stories
4 stars from me for the creativity, writing, plots, and overall effort!

Irish Milkshake Murder

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5/5 book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 audio

This was three cozy mystery books all in one. Each one revolving around St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland, and milkshakes.

There were times that I laughed out loud during each story each one also had their cheesy moments as well. They were cozy mysteries, so nothing that was overly complicated and definitely not ones that will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense.

The narrator did a great job with the Irish accent, and even did a great job switching between each character.

My Take:

I can imagine the brainstorming session for this set of novellas must have been exciting. I can imagine the publisher saying to the three authors, "We need a quick cozy mystery from each of you, with St. Patrick's Day, milkshakes, and murder as common elements." I believe each of these books is part of a series, although I haven't read any of these authors before. Nevertheless, these little nuggets piqued my interest in checking out some of these series. I didn't feel lost while reading them as stand-alone stories, but I'm sure knowing the characters would have made the experience more impactful.

The first book in this trilogy is "Irish Milkshake Murder" by Carlene O'Connor. It follows a group of friends who are on a combined Hen/Stag Party in Ireland. During their journey, they meet twin Irish Dancers and invite them to join them on their ferry ride, where they enjoy boozy milkshakes. However, things take a dark turn when one of the group members is found dead. The rest of the group comes together to investigate and find out who the killer is. There are many misleading clues and red herrings that don't seem to make sense, but everything falls into place by the end. This book is a bit unconventional, but it is a cute and short read compared to the others in the series. This is probably my favorite one of the three stories.

The second story in the book is called "Murder Most Irish" and it is written by Peggy Ehrhart. The story revolves around two women who witness a death caused by a leprechaun milkshake. Although one of them is a reporter, both women are mainly just speculating about who the culprit could be. They do small investigations and snoop around, but nothing inspiring happens. This is the coziest story among the three novellas, as there is a knitting club involved and we get to see several scenes of the group sitting around knitting and discussing the incident. While this story was the most well-developed, it was also a bit boring.

Our final of the three is "Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun" by Liz Ireland. This story is about Mrs. Claus during the St. Patrick's Day holiday, attending an Ice Ball game, where an ice ball player named Crumble is found unconscious on the ice after the game. The town suspects that his milkshake was poisoned. Mrs. Claus investigates by traveling around Santa Town on her reindeer Wobbler, trying to find out who would want to harm Crumble. Throughout her investigation, she meets several interesting characters, including wild elves, and tries to help an elf with his burgeoning business. Although the story was cute, it had too many characters with silly names. Additionally, the Claus family, other than Santa and the teenager (whose name I forgot), was not likable. Overall, it was cute, less murdery than the other shorts, but a little more bananas.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley for a honest review.

I enjoyed this audio collection of three Saint Patrick's day mysteries. Each around an Irish milkshake.

I found the 3rd to be the most interesting even with no murder. The 2nd was the most creative and the 1st is almost forgettable but still I remember liking it just not the mystery at this point,

Book 014 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟

Being of Irish decent on my maternal side, I am inclined to try out Irish authors. These novellas made me crave milkshakes and start my early countdown for St Paddy's day:)

I wasn't a big fan of the narrator at some parts as it felt a tad draggy. Maybe it is just me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I was excited to review this book but the storyline did not grab me in the way I had hoped. Slightly disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Funny but in a cringeworthy way. Crime for 9-12 year olds maybe

Think the narrator ruined it for me, her stilted voice inserting commas and full stops in all the wrong places

Carlene’s Irish Milkshake Murder Tara and her fiance have a joint hen and stag party in anticipation of their upcoming nuptials. This mystery was thoroughly entertaining and reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie novels where the suspects are forced to stay with each other under the circumstances until the murder was solved. Murder Most Irish by Peggy Ehrhart was enjoyable as I love the supporting cast in this series. And of course, Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun had all the charming elf names one could desire, adorable setting and funny scenarios within the mystery. This mystery’s red herrings were well done and had me guessing right until the end.

The narrator did a superb job with all the different character voices and adapting to the three authors’ writing styles.

I liked the idea of this book but none of the stories really grabbed my attention long enough. Felt lost in some of the stories and that others didn’t have a mystery that I wanted to figure out

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
This is perfect for St. Patties day which is right around the corner.
There are three short murder stories and they are entertaining and easy to read. The authors did a good job.

I have read the first two of Carlene O'Connor's Home to Ireland mysteries, so Irish Milkshake Murder was my primary reason for selecting this anthology. It would up being my least favorite of the three novellas. Callie Beaulieu's voice seemed too old to be talking about penis wands and boozy milkshakes. That's ageist, I know, and I feel bad about it. I also didn't quite like her Irish accents. They never felt authentic; they came across as kind of silly. The good news is, I thought she was wonderful narrating Murder Most Irish. This was my first of Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble mysteries, and, as a crocheter, not only did I appreciate this story but I wouldn't be opposed to picking up more entries in the series. Now, I admit, I didn't think about the narration much at all during Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun. Silly as it may be, I am completely entranced by Liz Ireland's North Pole. This was my first Mrs. Claus mystery, and I do not want it to be my last. As others have commented, April Claus's North Pole isn't quite the world you might expect. It's both sweet and real at the same time. The story itself was well crafted, with a rescue in the end that made my heart swoon! Overall, this was a decent collection, if uneven. Anyone who likes any one of these three series would do well to pick it up. I would like to thank Tantor Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.

nice stories that were intriguing but not exactly what I was expecting! Gentle drama is best - narrator was good!

Super quick read. Three different cozy mysteries all centered around Ireland or St. Patrick's Day. In Carlene O'Connor's novella, a murder takes place on a boat, on the way to a pre-wedding celebration, in Ireland. In Peggy Ehrhart's novella, a St. Pat's milkshake is the delivery system for a murder. Lastly, in Liz Ireland's novella, an attempted murder is committed in the North Pole while elves are celebrating one of Mrs. Claus' favorite holidays.

When I received this audio arc I didn’t realize it was a collection of 3 novellas. I loved the first story and was very invested. This made it difficult to get as engaged with the other 2 stories. Overall I liked all of them but the Irish milkshake murder was my favorite. The narrator was wonderful

I tend to have mixed feelings about these compilations, and this one was no exception. I like getting bite-sized little mysteries with a unifying thread- milkshakes in this case- and all three stories were entertaining. That said, a couple of the stories felt like rushed versions of full stories rather than intentional short stories. The first in particular, which I believe is meant to wrap up a series the author had written two full novels for previously, seemed to gloss over some important developments and changes to the main characters in the interest of finishing the series. Some of the decisions and the status of the main characters seemed several jumps ahead of where the story was left in the last full novel. Again, though, overall enjoyable with very good and effective narration on the audiobook. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Irish Milkshake Murder is a collection of 3 novellas by Carlene O’Connor (Irish Milkshake Murder), Peggy Ehrhart (Murder Most Irish), and Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun). I love mysteries and thought it would be fun to give some “cozy” mysteries a try. I liked the first two stories more than the third-the Mrs. Claus story was just too cheesy for me. For all of three, the writing was okay. I didn’t get very invested in the characters, but that could be the nature of the novellas. I also think that maybe I don’t like cozy mysteries as much as I thought I might. The narrator did a good job, and the stories were easy to follow. If you like slightly cheesy mysteries, these might be great for you. For me these were a bit of a miss. I would give it 2.5 stars, but rounded up for Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.