This is a collection of three Irish Soda Bread themed murder mysteries. I've read all of these authors before in other novella collections and I've read previous entries in the Mrs. Claus series.

The first novella is Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor. There is going to be a convention for local psychics, set up by Aunt Rose. A bake sale to raise money for charity is part of it, but now she’s sick and available only via an iPad Johnny is carrying. Rose’s biggest rival shows up though and then suddenly drops dead after buying Johnny’s soda bread. With multiple suspects Tara and the new detective have their work cut out for them.

There are a lot of characters in this one and I was confused for a while. Not having read a full novel from the series before I wasn't sure if some of the characters are in previous books. The author does a good job of making them stand out. However, it's hard to get a good idea of who the regular characters are or what kind of sleuth the main character Tara usually is.

There is a lot of dialogue and the story plays out differently because of it. I enjoyed that as the novella zipped along thanks to a lot of humor.

4 stars

An Irish Recipe For Murder by Peggy Ehrhart is next. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Arborville is having a soda bread baking competition. When a town councilman acting as a judge keels over after sampling an entry, the party atmosphere dies just as quickly and Pamela and Bettina have to track a killer.

I like that the action starts quickly in this one, maybe too quickly though because I wanted to read some thoughts on the contestants' Irish Soda Bread! We do get some fun food talk later.

I wasn't very excited about the mystery in this one. I also don't have a good idea of Pamela and Bettina as sleuths or characters. Some of the side characters from their knitting group are interesting though.

3 stars

Last but definitely not least is Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man. This is my favorite of the three novellas.

April Claus is from Cloudberry Bay, Oregon, so her appearance in town to check on her flooded inn isn't unusual. Her three companions are, though. Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean are excited and amazed at everything in Cloudberry Bay which is decorated and ready for St. Patrick’s Day. At first April thinks her only worry, besides water damage at her inn, is keeping the eleves' identities a secret. Soon though she discovers more serious things are going on. Her hapless caretaker Ernie has been storing stolen goods at the inn! Then one of his shady pals is found dead, and the murder weapon turns up in a decorative loaf of soda bread at April’s craft fair booth. It’s up to April to uncover the killer before she spends St. Patrick’s Day in the county jail!

The setting might have moved out of Santaland for this novella but it is no less fun, charming, or funny than the rest of the series. The mystery is fun and solved in a satisfying way. For such a quick read the reader doesn't miss out on anything.

Out of the three novellas this one feels the most like St. Patrick’s Day. It also wins for most sinister Irish Soda Bread. Readers will enjoy the plans for baking and what comes after.

5 stars

Irish Soda Bread Murder is a delightful collection of cozy mysteries that brings together three charming stories set around St. Patrick's Day. Each tale weaves Irish culture, delectable food, and intriguing whodunits, making it a treat for fans of light-hearted mysteries and festive cheer.

Irish Soda Bread Murder is a St. Patrick's day cozy murder mystery book, with 3 short stories from 3 wonderful cozy mystery authors.

The first story is Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor: This story is set at a bake sale/psychic fair, where there is quite the group of people, all claiming to be the best psychic. After a mysterious fire, all the vendors have to run out of the mill (where the fair is taking place). While outside, they realize one vendor is missing. When everyone goes back inside, they discover a body, and right next to it, one of the other vendors soda bread. Tara along with her Aunt, Uncle and Fiancé all work together to help the police solve the murder. While I haven't read any other books in this series, I thought the short story was really cute, and I liked that the setting was different, being at a psychic fair. It was also in Ireland, so I bet the Irish soda bread was really good, and it made me want some, even though we can't get it here in the US except around St. Patrick's day.

The second story is An Irish Recipe for Murder by Peggy Ehrhart. There is an Irish Soda Bread contest, and when the judge takes a bite of the first loaf, he ends up dead! The characters then start trying to figure out who murdered him, and why anyone would have murdered such a well liked guy. Bettina and Pamela, while trying to not think about this murder, manage to find unexpected clues, and lure the murderer into their own home to catch them. I thought this story was cute as well, again I hadn't read any of the other books with these characters, but I still enjoyed getting to know them. I really loved the knitting group that the main characters had, and thought it would be so fun to be in a group like that. I also enjoyed Pamela's 3 cats, while not in the story a lot, I loved reading about them.

The third story is Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland: I am possibly biased, but this was my absolute favorite story of the 3. I love Liz Ireland's Mrs. Claus series, and this story fit right along in with the main books. Mrs. Claus goes down to Oregon to visit her inn due to some flooding she is alerted to. She of course brings along 3 elves. While trying to fix up her inn and the flood damage, she manages to get caught up in a theft ring, as well as a mysterious murder. Mrs. Claus is always great at sleuthing, and hopes to find the murderer and clear her inn caretakers name in the process. I loved this story, bringing the elves to Oregon is so fun, they are just delighted by the regular world outside the north pole and think it is so great. Which is funny, because the rest of us would be just absolutely delighted to visit the north pole. They do manage to get drafted into the local St. Patrick's day festivities as leprechauns, but enjoy themselves quite a bit. I love how they get so excited by cereal and pop tarts, and all the sweets and treats they find at the grocery store. And as always, I love how the elves talk, golly doodle I definitely recommend this story!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and the authors for this review copy!

Soda Bread, a staple of St Patrick’s Day celebrations, appears to be quite a dangerous commodity in Cosy Crime land in this latest collaboration!

In Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor Tara Meehan, is excited for her wedding to Danny O'Donnell, but before that she is helping her Uncle and Aunt with a charity event at their salvage yard building. Unfortunately, the soda bread competition leaves one of the stall holders dead, the whole event cancelled, and her Uncle and prime suspect!

Meanwhile in Arborville, New Jersey, the St Patrick’s Day celebrations at the rec centre in An Irish Recipe for Murder by Peggy Ehrhart also ends in tragedy leaving journalist Bettina Fraser guilt stricken as it was her idea in the first place. With best friend, Pamela Paterson, she sets out to discover whose responsible before the wrong person is blamed.

In Mrs Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland, Santaland isn't a hive of activity for St Patrick’s Day and so April Claus, who just happened to be married to Santa himself, has taken the chance to return home to Cloudberry Bay where she owns an inn which has recently been flooded. With her three travelling companions, who just happen to be elves, April needs to get the Inn back up and running before the tourist season starts. With her unpleasant neighbour goading her April also agrees to enter the local soda bread competition, which probably wasn't a very good idea! With stolen goods, missing endangered animals, and a dead body to deal with she knows Christmas in Santaland this year is going to be doddle!

I love the cosy crime collections that are set around different holidays and celebrations, as they are a great way to discover new favourite series and writers. Of the three stories here I was only familiar with Peggy Ehrhart's series but it wasn't a problem. The first two stories also have recipes included which is always fun and another reason to love cozy crime novels!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cozies, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a very enjoyable book which I enjoyed very much.

Grab a cuppa and a little snacky snack and dive into not one but three cozies in one book! With three of our favorite authors. Perfect for cozy days.

First up is Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O’connor.
Tara is getting married but first there is a psychic fair in their wedding space. With Uncle Johnny holding court with his Irish Soda Bread. Which could lead to disaster since his better half normally bakes but is ill. Who knows what will happen?
A lot. A lot will happen and what fun it was!

Next, An Irish Recipe For Murder by Peggy Ehrhart

We are in New Jersey for St. Patrick’s Day and this year they are sponsoring a soda bread bake off. Bettina is excited as her idea received the green light. But will it all come to a burnt end? When one of the judges keels over dead!
But never fear because Bettina and Pamela are on the case and will leave no crumb unturned!

Next, Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland

WE are in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon. Don’t you just adore that name?
April Claus is in town to check on her inn which has flooded. April is trying desperately to keep her “elves” from being discovered when she discovers Ernie has been dealing in stolen goods and one of his fellow thieves turns up dead.

And when the weapon turns up in April’s loaf of bread, well, they may all be in jail soon.


NetGalley/ Kensington December 24, 2024

I liked the stories, they’re fun. It’s interesting to see the different stories about the same theme. #IrishSodaBreadMurder #NetGalley

A great collection of short stories by three great cozy mystery authors. I highly recommend it for any of their fans.

A collection of three mysteries centered around St Patricks Day.

IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR
Tara Meehan's Aunt and Uncle are hosting a psychic fair for charity, but no one foresaw a murder by irish soda bread...except the killer.
This is a quirky story with some interesting elements like Tara's aunt Rose appearing only by iPad.

AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART
A soda bread baking competition for St Paddy's turns deadly when the judge of the competition dies. But who would poison the baked goods and why? Friends Pamela Paterson and Bettina Fraser are determined to unravel the puzzle in between writing, knitting and lots of good food.
This is the kind of story where there is so much good food talked about you may just gain weight reading about it.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND
April Claus is back at her inn in Cloudberry Bay to mop up after it floods. WIth a caretaker who has mysteriously vanished and three elves masquerading as humans, April has plenty on her plate. Throw in so stolen goods, a murder at the inn and a killer soda bread baking competition and April may be wishing they'd never come back to her beloved Cloudberry Bay at all.
Loved seeing the elves out of Santaland. The story ties in really well with Ireland's last book but stands equally well as a standalone.

Thank you to the publisher, the authors and to Net Galley for the ARC for review. My review opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this fun collection of novellas from the three authors. Each has a fun interesting sleuth story that was delightful. to read.
You meet some well known characters from their books and many new characters. A delightful read that is quick reading for cozy fans of all the authors.

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.