Lucy Connelly is quickly becomming one of my favorite cozy mystery writers. I love her Scottish Isle series and now I get to love this new series as well! This was such a great series debut! 📚

This was a great first book in a cozy mystery series. I loved the setting of Ireland and I look forward to reading more about these characters in the future.

Newly arrived in an idyllic Irish village, Mercy and her sister become embroiled in a murder mystery when their dying neighbor points an accusing finger at Mercy. She sets out to clear her name and uncover the secrets lurking beneath the town’s charming facade before she becomes the next victim.

This fast-paced mystery is well-written and kept me guessing. I prefer a little more humor and emotion than this book offered. Also, the character backgrounds are a little darker than I expect for a cozy mystery, including a child death. I enjoyed the side characters and the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Mercy may write mysteries, but she’s never been a murder suspect herself before. But when she and Lizzie inherit her grandfather‘s cottage in Ireland, the second thing they do when they arrive after settling in, it’s become murder suspects.

Can the sisters leverage Mercy’s background in writing mysteries to figure out who actually killed their neighbor? Or will Mercy be spending the rest of her time in Ireland in prison?

I really enjoyed this series. It’s great to have the background on the sisters and why and how they got to Ireland before delving into the overall story. That’s a great foundation for future entries in the series. I can’t wait to see what’s next for not only the sisters, But also Shamrock Cove.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is book 1 in Lucy Connelly's Mercy McCarthy Mystery series and it is a great start to a new series.

Mercy and her sister, Lizzie, have moved to Shamrock cove, a small town in Ireland, from their respective homes in New York and Texas, after inheriting a cottage and a bookshop from the grandfather they never knew. On the day of their arrival, a cantankerous neighbour ends up dead and Mercy and Lizzie come under suspicion due to the timeliness of their arrival.

An Irish Bookshop Murder has all the typical elements of a cozy mystery; small town, quirky neighbours, secrets to uncover, and a handsome officer of the law to challenge the protagonist.

An Irish Bookshop Murder was an entertaining read. The descriptions of Shamrock Cove, and the court where the cottage was located made the setting seem idyllic, if not for the murders that were occurring there. I enjoyed the obviously caring relationship between Mercy and Lizzie. They each had personal issues from their old lives that they were trying to deal with along with learning about their long lost family, and then trying to clear their names from accusations of murder.

I really enjoyed this book, the mystery kept me guessing right to the very end, which doesn’t happen often. I look forward to reading more books in the series, and will look for other books by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early read in exchange for an honest review!*

I absolutely loved this book! From the get go, I connected with Macey and Lizzie, their characters were so well written I felt like I was talking to them myself. I loved how fast paced the book was from the beginning too, especially with the murder and the accusations starting immediately. The whole time I was reading I could picture the scenes vividly and it was like I was in Shamrock Cove, and all of the plot twists had me so shocked and eager to continue reading.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series that follows Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie as they move to a small Irish village. While they receive a warm welcome from most of their new neighbors, one local seems to have it out for them. Then, that neighbor is discovered murdered on his front porch and Mercy and Lizzie find themselves as the prime suspects. It doesn't help that Mercy is constantly in conflict with the handsome but extremely irritating local detective. What was supposed to be a fresh start for the sisters may result in a prison sentence. Determined to solve the case and clear their names, Mercy begins investigating The Judge and his long list of enemies.

An Irish Bookshop Murder does a good job introducing Mercy and Lizzie and explaining why they want a fresh start in the Irish countryside. As they are new to the area, they are meeting all the locals (the cast of characters for this series) for the first time. I do enjoy when the reader gets to know everyone right along with the main characters. While I liked the banter between Mercy and the detective, I found most of the dialogue to be unnatural and forced. I also did not find the mystery overly interesting. However, overall, I think the series has a lot of promise, and I will definitely be giving the next book a try.

Wow! I really enjoy Ms Connelly's Scottish Isle Mystery series, so I was delighted to see that she has started another series, this one set in Ireland. We meet Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy, twin sisters, as they are arriving in Shamrock Cove after they have had their lives upended. As they were each dealing with personal tragedies, they discovered that a grandfather they never knew, they never knew their dad, had left them a cottage and bookstore in Ireland. Looking for a fresh start, the sisters take a leap of faith and move to Ireland. Greeted by a wonderful group of their grandfather's neighbors and friends and hoping to learn more about him, they attend a party welcoming them to town. Everyone is friendly and welcoming except for an elderly judge who was a friend and neighbor to their grandfather he doesn't believe they belong in this neighborhood. When the sisters find him calling for help on his doorstep,on their way home from the party, Mercy tries to administer first aid, but the judge passes. When it is found that the judge was murdered much craziness ensues. Are the sisters safe here? Was it someone in the neighborhood who murdered the judge? Who can be trusted? This is a wonderful tale, almost impossible to put down, with an amazing setting, colorful characters, and a very interesting mystery. I am so looking forward to visiting Shamrock Cove again soon!! Thanks to #Netgally, #Bookouture, and the author for the opportunity to read!! #AnIrishBookshopMurder #LucyConnelly #TheMercyMcCarghyMysteries #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Mercy and Lizzie are twins who have inherited a home and bookstore in Ireland. After many traumas in their personal lives, they decide to move from Texas to Ireland. They find themselves embraced by the people of the neighborhood and town. After a welcome event for them, one of the neighbors dies in front of them and they become prime suspects.
This is the introduction to a new series and it really grabs you from the beginning. The characters are well developed and feel like friends immediately. The interaction between characters is well written and very believable. I am very interested in what comes next for these characters!
Thank you to Net galley for an Arc of this book in exchange for a review.

An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly is the 1st book in the "Mercy McCarthy Mystery" series; and the first book I’ve read by this author, although I am going to change that very soon as I already have the first book in her Scottish Isle mystery series in my kindle.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is set in a small coastal village in Ireland. Twin women, Mercy and Lizzie, arrive from Texas to take over a cottage and a bookshop bequeathed to them by their paternal grandfather they’d never met, or even knew about. The sisters had just been through a traumatic period in their lives. Lizzie’s fiancé and his young daughter had been killed in a car accident, their mother had just died of cancer and Mercy, a world famous mystery writer, had been dealing with a persistent stalker. The inheritance has given them the chance for a new start away from their sad memories.

Less than 24 hours after their arrival they attend a welcome to the neighbourhood party when one of their neighbours, a retired Judge, dies and it turns out to be murder! All the neighbours are suspects but they all seem so nice, and all have a reason to kill the Judge. The local detective rules the twins out, but Mercy can’t help get herself involved in working out who the killer is. Her line of work is murder after all. Trouble is the detective is less than happy at her ‘interference.’ It does become obvious that he likes her and it is the danger she is opening up herself to that he is less than happy about.

The characters are a mixed bunch and so real to life that I felt that I could go to the pub and actually chat to any of them. The sisters have the most amazing bond, they care for each other, protective of each other but not adverse to squabbling either. The neighbours welcome the twins into their little community which makes it hard to work out which one is a murderer. There were a lot of red herrings, and my mind changed several times, I didn’t know who it was until the climax and all was revealed.

I would really love to live in Shamrock Cove. It is the most wonderful setting the cottage is located in a very exclusive gated community called the court. There are secret passages, secret doors and people secrets. Loved the bookshop, the other businesses, the pub and the sea. Yes, this is a fictional place that I wished was real.

Looking forwards to the next book to see what Mercy and Lizzie do next.

A delightful cozy mystery! Twin sisters inherit a cottage and a bookstore in Ireland, and upon arrival are right away thrust into a murder investigation. Only, this search for the murder often happens over a cuppa tea (or coffee from a high end machine). The POV is from Mercy, who is a detective book writer and has some slick skills to help solve crimes. She has a sweet comforting relationship with her sister, and a combative playful one with the police detective Kieran. While I guessed the murderer early on, I don't feel like it was obvious. I found myself more interested in the feeling of being transported to Ireland via these lovely ex-pats who are learning to be social again after being isolated in the U.S. We all need a little Shamrock Cove, and its simplicity and community, in our lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

I don't really like cozy mysteries . This one set in an Irish town did appeal but it did not really live up to my expectations. Twins move from the US into their estranged grandfathers home which was left to them in his will . He also left them a bookshop. Almost as soon as they arrived, some one was found dead, presumed murdered. One of the twins is a crime writer, so tried to become involved in the investigation. The other sister had had a very traumatic period with the death of their mother and shortly after her fiance and his daughter. Mercy (the writer) is over protective but Lizzie does blossom in the bookshop.
So the twins roll up and are almost immediately welcomed with open arms by everyone in the small town. I`m afraid the descriptions of the town and the people did not hit the right note for me. It could really have been anywhere and not particularly in Ireland. I also found Mercy's meddling in the investigation irritating (and in places perhaps illegal) . The crimes were OK, the motive dubious. So this book was not for me, I didn't take to the characters nor the writing style and won't be doing cozy crime thrillers in the near future.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

It's a mixed read. It was nice but nothing more.

We have the main characters, Mercy, a famous mystery writer and her sister who both move in Ireland after inheriting a house and a bookstore from their unknown grand-father. I had loved the environnement, the descriptions of the small town, of the gardens. I felt like I was in Ireland.

I like the Court vibes where everybody thinks to know everybody but not, where everybody spies everybody and where there are a lot of secrets.

But, because there is a but...I was not convinced by the character of Mercy. Because she writes mystery novels, she believed she was capable of solving the crime committed. OK... First of all, I thought it was a good idea. But in fact, it missed something. She had the skills but she couldn't really use it.

Moreover, she didn't find the killer. He "found her". Why?... everything was here, she could found him (the killer).

She takes more care of her sister than herself, so we don't really know her. And that is the reason why I would like to read the next opus. Because I want to know more about her and about her and Kieran. What will happen between them?

This was such an easy read. The words just flowed and I actually forgot my surroundings, imagining myself in Shamrock Cove. The cottages were beautiful and the bookstore a dream.

I liked the writing style, the characters and the mystery. Though the story is from Mercy's POV, Lizzie is equally great. I also liked that the author included LGBTQ characters and characters from different ethnicities.

Definitely a great start to the series.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.75

If you read this book (or even a few chapters) and haven’t looked up Airbnb’s in small Irish towns or perused the Ireland’s immigration requirements, you are either dead inside or already live in Ireland.

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series about twin sisters who have had a rough time lately and move to Ireland for a fresh start after inheriting a house and bookshop from a grandfather they never knew. It’s a cute story and I enjoyed the twins and their dynamic. I can’t say that it was the best mystery I’ve ever read and it really does go back-and-forth a lot with the murder suspects, but the setting, supporting characters, and twins’ back story and relationship are good distractions.

I haven’t read any of Lucie Connolly‘s other books, but I do know that the first in a series is usually rated lower and reviewed less positively than the ensuing books. We already know that there will be at least another adventure for Mercy and Lizzie and I plan to read it. I’ve also already downloaded the first book in her Scottish mystery series!

Thank you to the author Lucy Connelly, NetGalley, and Bookouture for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Love this you can never go wrong with a cozy mystery it had me hooked from the very first chapter. So happy I got to read this book.

What a delightful cozy! I've read one of Lucy Connelly's American in Scotland stories and requested an ARC of her newest series, taking place in Ireland as soon as I saw it! Connelly's stories ooze coziness and create such a vivid picture for the the reader. Mercy and her sister have inherited a small bookshop in Shamrock Cove from a grandfather they had no idea about. Needing a change, the women move from the US to Ireland, but murder finds them quickly. The mystery had lots of red herrings and twists and turns. I also loved getting to know their neighbors and the town. Highly recommend for all cozy readers and I look forward to more in this series and from Lucy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

An Irish Bookshop Murder
Lucy Connelly
August 22, 1014

Mercy McCarthy and her twin sister, Lizzy have moved to the small town of Shamrock Cove in Ireland. After the long trip they stand in front of a lovely brick home with a large navy door. It has been a long time since either had felt secure in their home. Their mother died of cancer a year ago and then Lizzy’s husband and stepdaughter were killed in an auto accident. She became frightened and overwhelmingly distressed. Mercy is an author working out of New York City. To help her sister moved back to Lizzy’s home and had just spent 6 months helping her get to counseling and managing homelife. They received word from an attorney in Ireland that their grandfather had died. The two had never known he existed. Both felt it would be good to travel and explore their new fortune.
An Irish Bookshop Murder will be published on August 22, 2024 by Bookouture. I was able to read Lucy Connelly’s latest novel via NetGalley. It is a delightful, cozy mystery that readers will be pleased to read. It is the first in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series. The small town was filled with people who took pleasure in knowing what was going on in their friend’s and neighbor’s lives. It was decided that Lizzy would take over her grandfather’s bookshop. Mercy would continue writing suspense novels from the lovely office she discovered in their new home. I look forward to reading more in the series. Enjoy this one!

This was the cutest cozy mystery. I am generally a thriller reader and it was a refreshing change of pace. I enjoyed the small town and the cast of characters that were found. I think the author did a great job at developing each character and their potential involvement or lack thereof in the murder. I did find the ending to feel a bit rushed after such great development in the beginning. The solving of the mystery seemed to go really quick for me. All in all I was surprised at who the murder was by the end, which is always hard to do with me.

Oooh, I love this new series! I'm a sucker for an Irish setting, first off, and this book contains a bookshop, a writer, sisters, a sort of "locked room" neighborhood, a cast of memorable characters, humor, and a heartbreaking tragic backstory (but not one that's melodramatic and overdone). Those are some of my favorite cozy elements, and the author uses them to great effect.

Mercy and Lizzie's relationship is one of the best things about this book. It feels deep and abiding and real. I also like how Mercy is introspective, but not in a long-passages-all-about-me-me-me way. But she thinks about things.

The only thing I don't love is the resolution. I'm not quite convinced by the reasoning for the second murder and how drastically the murderer becomes a totally different person. Usually that ruins a book for me, but I'm juuussst convinced enough that it doesn't, in this case. I'd give this book 4-1/2 out of 5 stars, and I'm excited to read the next one.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.