EXCERPT: I stood in front of the navy front door and looked up at our new home. The spring breeze ruffled my hair, and the fresh scent of the sea assailed my senses. I rubbed the shamrock keyring in my hand, hoping for a little of its luck to rub off on me. The house had a beautifully kept, small front garden. I glanced at my twin sister and hoped we had made the right choice in moving to Ireland.

ABOUT 'AN IRISH BOOKSHOP MURDER': After receiving an unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.

Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the judge—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.

Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit, or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

MY THOUGHTS: Set in a small Irish seaside village, Shamrock Cove, An Irish Bookshop Murder is the start of a new cosy series by Lucy Connelly.

The cottage sounds somewhat grander than anything I would call a cottage and the fact that it is in a Close and a desirable residence that people may, quite literally, kill to gain admittance to only reinforces my suspicion that it is more like a grand house, complete with secret doors and passages and a plethora of rooms. Certainly it is large enough that both sisters can live there, seemingly without tripping over one another.

The residents of The Close and the proprietors of the local businesses make up the main characters, and suspects, in this cosy murder mystery. How hard would it be to move somewhere new and then be worried that people you were counting on to be new friends may in fact be murderers?

It seems that no sooner have Mercy and Lizzie arrived - they don't even get time to move in! - than they have their first body on (or should that be in?) their hands. With their fresh sets of eyes and their lack of any preconceptions about the potential suspects, they are able to see things that perhaps the local detective can't (or won't) and that doesn't exactly endear them to him. Mercy and Lucy suspect him, and he suspects them! This leads to some sharp exchanges between these characters and several trips into the interview room of the local station.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read with an entertaining cast of characters. I certainly didn't guess the villain or the motive and it wasn't for lack of trying!

I enjoyed this author's Scottish Isle mystery series and now it seems her Mercy McCarthy series is going to be every bit as good!

I received both a digital and audio ARC and did a read/listen. I enjoyed both formats and could not choose between them. The audio is well narrated by Kimberley Wetherell.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#AnIrishBookshopMurder #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Lucy loves traveling the world, but her favorite place is at home with her dogs and family. That said, she's always up for adventure and is constantly on the lookout for killer inspiration--as in who will be the next killer in her books?
She has a master's degree in humanities and enjoys learning all the things. And she's been published by many other names.

Thank you to Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for providing both a digital and audio ARC of An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. I never wanted to step way from it. Looking forward to more from this author

I have become obsessed with cosy murder mysteries and this ticked all of my boxes, a bookshop, sisters, a writer and a hot detective. I enjoyed the village where the book was set and the eclectic mix of character that live there. I hope there is more books to come from this as it would make such a great series. I loved the clash if worlds of rural Ireland and two women from Texas.

Imagine your grandfather you never knew dies and leaves you and your twin sister an Irish bookshop in the cozy town of Shamrock Cove. How much fun would it be to move across the pond and get settled into this new town!! 🍀📚
It seemed like the fresh start Mercy and Lizzie desperately needed. However, not long after they arrive, the Judge dies right in front of them, saying that Mercy killed him. Everyone in the village knows the Judge was not happy that they were inheriting the bookshop.
As a mystery writer, Mercy is basically an official detective and gets right to work trying to find out who killed the judge. Will she be able to help clear her own name?
This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the premise and getting to know all the villagers of Shamrock Cove. I was right there with them the whole time trying to figure out whodunnit. However, I listened to the audiobook and to me the narration was a little irritating. I am generally not a fan of narrators doing fake accents/voices for other characters and this book was one that really annoyed me. I also kind of disliked Mercy’s character. Creating mysteries doesn’t make you an actual detective. She was so insistent that she was going to solve the murder, which just seemed egotistical and unrealistic to me.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

A charming little murder mystery for all fans of the more cosy mysteries. Ireland was a sweet little setting for this small town, and the narrator did an excellent job switching between all of the accents for the Irish characters and the American ones. The little town sounded so idyllic, the whole cast of characters within it were all charming in their own little ways. Despite the murders, I would love to step into it.

Would recommend to all cosy murder mystery fans.

l thoroughly enjoyed this cozy murder mystery novel. The main characters; Mercy and Lizzie felt very relatable and l was living vicariously through them as they continued operating their grandfathers book shop while Mercy, an author, continued her craft of writing murder mystery novels. Her insight into murder mysteries makes Mercy highly skilled at trying to discover who is murdering the members of the highly sought after homes of the court.

We were given some insight into the past of the girls' grandfather but l am hoping to discover more next book. But the romance blossoming between Mery and the local detective Keiran is swoon worthy.

You get to know many of characters and l was still could not pick who the murderer was until it was finally revealed to us. l had my suspicions but l was way off.

The narrator was amazing and l will definitely be getting the next book in the series.

I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I loved this one. The mention of twins right off the bat grabbed me. Mercy is the star, but I loved Lizzie also. In this first book of the #MercyMcCarthyMysteryseries, I loved the setting in Ireland & the bookshop the twins inherit. What a dream!
I don’t often go for a #cozycrimemurdermystery, but this book opened my eyes!

I enjoyed Kimberly Wetherell’s narration.

Thank you, Lucy Connelly, Bookouture, Bookouture audio & netgalley for my ecopy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

A really enjoyable listen. I enjoyed the plot and the character descriptions. Although it was very cosy it made for a great listen and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story. Will be looking forward to the next in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to a review copy of this audio book.

This was such a great cozy Irish mystery, the audiobook really brought the quaint Irish village to life, with its charming setting and wonderfully narrated characters. The story is a perfect blend of intrigue, warmth and juts the right amount of suspense to keep you hooked from start to finish.

Mercy is a murder mystery writer and an amateur sleuth who finds herself entangled in several murders in the small Irish village she just moved to. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end.

I’m eagerly anticipating more from Lucy Connelly and can’t wait to see what mysteries await in future installments. If you’re a fan of cozy atmospheric murder mysteries, this one is a must-listen!

This was a fun cozy mystery set in a beautiful setting. It has everything I look for in a cozy mystery; it was set in a bookstore in an Irish village filled with interesting, likeable and quirky characters. The main characters, twin sisters, were engaging and I wanted everything to work out for them. The mystery itself kept me guessing. The narrators did a good job bringing the characters and the story to life. I hope that this is the start of a series because I would love to see more of these characters.

This was such a cute, cozy, small town mystery! I loved both sisters and the town seemed so wonderful! Really reminded me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. It is a perfect read for autumn if you enjoy cozy mysteries - it had a great amount of tension throughout and the ending tied everything up perfectly! I’ll definitely be checking out more books by this author in the future.

A fun mystery story in Ireland. We follow two American sisters who move to a small Irish village and instantly get sucked into a mysterious murder case.
I was listening to the audiobook. Although I wasn't a fan of some of the main characters´ voices (the sister in particular) or characteristics (protagonist going out of her way to remind us that she can't possibly be expected to do normal, daily life tasks because she is an author and of course her entire brain space is taken up by that - just not super likeable after the 5th mention) - I still enjoyed the ride and many of the other villager characters and the story itself.

I enjoyed this one! I am looking forward to more in this series. The mystery was solid, and I liked that family, found and blood, was the foundation of the story.

I got this as an audiobook arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. Yeah this was a nice and breezy listen, well written and well narrated too. I loved the characters, the whodunit wasn't unexpected but the why definitely was.

This was a super fun and cozy read. I got to listen to this book when it was raining, and it really went with the vibe. I really enjoyed the 2 main characters, and I really liked that they were twins! Everyone that lives in the cove is interesting and I can’t wait for the next book to come out to get to know everyone better and find out a few of the mysteries that were left unanswered. I did not know who the killer was until the very end which is rare for me. I am excited for the love interest in the book and loved the puppy at the end. I enjoyed finding this new author and look forward to the next one!

The audiobook had me gripped . The story is an about two twin girls coming to Ireland and starting a new life for themselves. They each had their own set of problems they were dealing with to start a new life . With a new place and a grandfather they didn’t know about much and a murder this place becomes a very interesting place for both of them . The characters are spot on and very believe able . The beauty of the place is well captured by the author . I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberly Wetherell. She did a good work with the voices and emotions. Thank you to netgalley and book outure audio for this opportunity. Would like to listen to more audiobook like this .

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is what I call a perfect cosy mystery. Mercy and Lizzy McCarthy are identical twins from Texas who has just moved to Shamrock Cove, a tiny Irish village from Texas after unexpectedly receiving inheritance from their paternal grandfather who they didn't even know existed. The sisters who recently went through a lot of tragedy, took this opportunity to get a change of scenery and help heal their hearts. Their inheritance includes a beautiful mansion in an exclusive gated community and a bookshop that their grandfather treasured.

Hence, Mercy who is a successful mystery/ thriller author and Lizzy a successful entrepreneur is extremely excited for their 'new' life. Little did they know that on the evening of their arrival, after their welcome party, one of their neighbours would drop dead while pointing their finger at Mercy.

I was a bit apprehensive about listening to this book as I have had to suffer through very bad Irish accents in audiobooks before. As Dubliner, who have spent a good bit of time in west of Ireland, I am happy to report that the accents were pretty well done and not too much on the nose. Ireland in itself is a very cosy place, so there was no reason for this book to be not. Another thing I was surprised was how genuinely gripped I was, in spite of the fact that I guessed the culprit pretty early on in the book. The rapport between all the characters were well built up, so was the places and settings. Overall, a solid 4 star mystery.

"An Irish Bookshop Murder" is book 1 of A Mercy McCarthy Mystery Book series by Lucy Connelly. It's a cozy mystery set in a small village in Ireland.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are believable. The setting is beautiful and interesting. The murders are challenging to figure out. The dialogue feels authentic.

Mercy McCarthy and her twin sister, Lizzy McCarthy, have moved from the US to Ireland following tragedy in their lives. Mercy is a mystery book writer. Lizzy was a lavender farmer. They inherited a house in Ireland from their unknown grandfather.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberly Wetherell. She did a wonderful job with the voices, emotions, and cadence.

I enjoyed these characters and the settings so well that
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series! I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy cozy mysteries!!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 38/8 = 4 6/8 rounded up to 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Lucy Connelly for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good start to a new mystery series following twin sisters who move to Ireland after inheriting their grandfather's home and bookstore. It has all of the elements of a successful cozy mystery series - quirky characters, amateur sleuth at odds with (and sometimes working with) the local detective, small town that is its own character, etc. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

The narration was great as well.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for a free copy of #AnIrishBookshopMurder by Lucy Connelly. All opinions are my own.

"An Irish Bookshop Murder" had the makings of an engaging cozy mystery but unfortunately fell flat on numerous fronts. The book promised a charming murder mystery set in an Irish bookshop, yet it failed to deliver on its potential, leaving much to be desired.

The initial setup seemed promising, but the execution of the murder was lackluster. The characters felt contrived and did not evoke the warmth or intrigue typically associated with cozy mysteries. The protagonist, in particular, was grating and seemed to be more of a distraction than a compelling lead. Her constant internal monologues about her stalker and obsession with wearing black clothes became repetitive and tiresome, overshadowing any sense of genuine engagement with the story.

The protagonist’s frequent tangents, including an odd detour about why she doesn’t run, felt out of place and irrelevant to the narrative. Additionally, her sudden expertise in lockpicking and hacking, following a brief lesson from a locksmith, was far-fetched and lacked any real context.

The recurring references to her “mystery writer brain” only served to highlight the disconnect between the character and the reader. The actual sleuthing in the book was minimal, relying instead on the protagonist’s unfounded assumptions about who could or couldn’t be the murderer based on their niceness. The ending, which should have tied together the story’s threads, felt disjointed and the motive came off as forced

Ultimately, "An Irish Bookshop Murder" did not resonate with me. The lack of engaging characters, a coherent plot, and genuine mystery elements rendered it an unsatisfactory read. This book fell short of its cozy mystery aspirations, leaving much to be desired.