I’m a huge fan of Carlene O’Connor, so I was thrilled to read this short story of hers while discovering two (new to me) authors as well.

Carlene’s story is everything you’re looking for in one of her books. She moves the plot along quickly with strings of clues for you to piece together. I loved how this story was told from the characters watching security footage of the garda interviews. Very cleverly done!

Peggy’s story was cute and had interesting characters, but it felt like there was a lot of excessive detail not needed in a novella. Particularly the amount of detail that went into the stories she was editing and the food being consumed. I’ve since learned these are characters from a knit and nibble series, so the latter detail makes a lot more sense now! I did solve this one before our protagonists did, but I enjoyed the twist of why it was committed.

Liz’s story was a really unique take. I was definitely not expecting Christmas characters in a St. Patrick’s story, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! Very quirky and unexpected all around. I loved the pacing of the story, it was incredibly fast but very satisfying.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this. It was great to check out different authors while getting a story from one I already love.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love this concept of 3 novellas written with Irish Soda Bread in the story. Carlene O'Connor is an author that I have read and enjoyed many times. Her novella was from one of her Home to Ireland mystery series. I enjoy this series and this novella is a good taste of what the Home to Ireland series is like if you have not had the pleasure of reading them before. This novella also has a recipe for Irish Soda Bread that I will be trying.
The next novella is by Peggy Ehrhart titled An Irish Recipe for Murder. Peggy Ehrhart is a new author for me but I will be checking out her Knit and Nibble series. This novella also included a recipe for Irish Soda Bread as well as Irish Whiskey Bars that sound amazing. Plus the pattern to make a knitted Glasses Case. So much fun to look into plus a great novella.
The final novella in this book is by Liz Ireland also a new author to me but I will be looking into her Mrs. Claus and Santaland series. It's very different from what I usually read but I enjoyed the cuteness and Christmasness of the novella.
So three very different novellas but each was fun and had Irish Soda Bread in them. I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. This review is my opinion and mine alone.

Peggy Ehrhart’s An Irish Recipe for Murder is a short, seasonal (St. Patrick’s Day) cozy mystery. It is part of a collection of three short stories by three authors. I am a huge fan of Peggy Ehrhart’s Knit & Nibble mystery series, which this story fits in as # 11.5 I believe. The main character, Pamela, and her fellow knit club member (and best friend and neighbor), Bettina, carefully follow clues to find out who murdered a man who was judging the town’s Irish Soda Bread competition. I absolutely love the author’s writing style. The books in this series are always interesting and relaxing; I always feel good while I’m reading it and after I’ve finished. This story can be read as a standalone. As for the other two stories in this holiday themed collection, I haven’t read them yet as I’m not familiar with those series. As soon as I read them, I’ll update this review. Carlene O'Connor's Irish Soda Bread Murder and Liz Ireland's Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books - Kensington Cozies for this wonderful ARC. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I have posted this review to my Goodreads and Bookbub accounts, and will post to my Amazon account on the publication date, 12/24/24.

This is an anthology of short novellas by three authors who are fairly well-known in the cozy world. (And if you don't, you should pick up on of their other books!) Of course, we all have our favorites, but I do love anthologies as you can finish them very quickly and they are interesting. That is, if they are done well, which these three certainly are.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Irish Soda Bread Murder: When Tara Meehan moved from the states to Ireland to scatter her mother's ashes, she discovered her Uncle Johnny, who owns a salvage mill and welcomed her into his life. Since then, she's been running a successful business and has acquired a fiancé as well. On this day, though, there is going to be a psychic fair that will benefit charity. There is also a bake sale, and since her Aunt Rose is ill, it was up to Johnny to bake the soda bread. But all is not well when the first person to try the bread -- another psychic, Ronan Stone, eats it and is found dead. Now everyone present is a suspect, and it's up to Tara to find the killer, as the police are stumped.

This is a very good mystery. With all the psychics as suspect, and all seem to have motives, including Rose, Tara needs to find out who hated Ronan enough to kill him. She listens in to the police interviews to gather clues, and then has a chance to figure it out later in the night, with everyone present. The murderer was well hidden, and I didn't figure it out until Tara did. A worthy read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐An Irish Recipe For Murder: When Bettina and Pamela are at a soda bread bake-off, it doesn't last long. The man tasting the bread falls over ill from the first bread offered. He later dies, and the woman who baked it is riddled with guilt. But is she a killer? Neither Bettina nor Pamela think so, and they must put their heads together to figure it out.

A good mystery. I have read all the books in the original series, and enjoyed them. This addition is enjoyable as well. I have my own issues with Pamela, but it did not color my enjoyment of this. The clues are hidden well, and the murderer was a complete surprise. This was the best part, as figuring it out wasn't easy, and the reason for the murder was rather sad. Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man: When April Claus is called away early from the North Pole to her inn in Oregon, it's due to a broken pipe that has leaked everywhere. When she arrives with three of her elves, not only is there water everywhere, but a foul smell no one can figure out. Also, her caretaker Ernie seems to be missing. Since her main goal is to keep the elves from being recognized, she's surprised when people liken them to leprechauns and want them to appear in their St. Paddy's day parade. With that solved, there's a new riddle: who sent her a text, and why is there a dead body inside her front door?

Although I'm not big on fantasy, I really enjoyed this story. The elves bring a little laughter to the tale, and April is up to her ears in both getting her inn ready for summer and trying to figure out who killed the man. It doesn't help that her local nemesis is making her life miserable as well. But when the ending comes, it's all that one would desire, with a nice resolution to everything, and another story well worth reading. Recommended.

In the end, I enjoyed all three tales and these are perfect for St. Patrick's Day stories. I would definitely recommend them to others.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Christmas meets St. Patrick’s Day when April has to make an emergency visit to her inn in Oregon in March. She brings along some elf friends to assist her. To April’s surprise, the town is holding a huge St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Can April solve the mystery of the events at her inn, while also participating in the soda bread competition and dealing with nosy neighbors?

Cozy readers will delight in another cozy mystery story compilation book lead with Carlene O’Conner. I enjoy how each author creates a great short story that features their characters and general storylines. It’s a must read!

“Who could ever think that such a fun idea - a soda bread contest - could lead to such a tragic ending?”

Three great stories each with credible amateur sleuths, creative problem solving, and set against unique, vibrant, and charming backdrops!

My favourite character was Damaris Sproat and I giggled at the events surrounding the squirrel nest discovery. I loved a chance to learn new things and was soon Googling The Orange Men, Marbled Bengal Cats, and the origins of Irish Soda Bread. I was caught up in great stories with murders, stabbings, missing people, and animal traffickers and was prompted to investigate Ariadne’s Thread for myself and buy a package of Irish Oatcakes after finishing this book. This weekend, I’ll be trying out the unique recipe for Irish Soda Bread and the Irish Whiskey Bars. I don’t think I’ll ever look at my mom’s soda bread with the distinctive cross on top without thinking of this book.

My Irish eyes were both smiling and rolling in this story highlighting Irish Soda Bread. All three were new-to-me authors, and despite not reaching for short stories or cozy mysteries very often, I enjoyed my introduction and a chance to learn more about my heritage.

I was gifted this copy by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

#IrishSodaBreadMurder #NetGalley is the perfect book for cozy mystery lovers.
Irish soda bread gets a bad wrap in each of these short stories.
Each author puts a unique twist on St. Patrick's Day, and I enjoyed each of these stories.
The first story introduced me to new characters that I'm looking forward to getting to know.
The second story reunited me with some of my favorite crafty characters, and I liked this one a lot.
The third and final story had me getting to know this colorful cast of characters, and I'm so glad that I gave this author a chance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.