Pro:
* Literary festival
* Writing about the writing process
* The court community
* Mr. Poe
* The sisterly connection

Con:
* What is up with this police asking the amateur for help with the case thing lately? It is ridiculous.
* Heavy-handed with the rhetorical, leading questions about the investigation.
* Not nearly enough additional plot surrounding the mystery.
* Feels labored and redundant in quite a few places, making the read a chore. I will probably give this series one more book to catch my interest.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful book. I enjoyed it very much.
Mercy & Lizzy inherited an Irish home from their previously unknown grandfather. The home came with a bookshop, which Lizzie runs since Mercy, is busy being a famous mystery author.
In this book Mercy & Lizzy are busy with a local book fair. One of the guest authors is murdered and Mercy is trying to find out who did it, well, Lizzie just wants her to be safe.
I love reading books where Americans either move to or visit Ireland or Scotland. The difference in cultures is so interesting.

Death by the Book is #2 in Lucy Connelly's series set in Ireland - Mercy McCarthy mystery series.

As it happens Mercy is a mystery writer and she seems to have a penchant for walking in on dead bodies and getting totally involved in the inquiry, much to the horror of her book loving sister Lizzie. They live in the house they inherited from their grandfather and Lizzie runs the bookshop that they also inherited from him.

They have a darling little dog Mr Poe. He seems to sense danger and is able to alert them to anything that might be dangerous. Since he is not always around, Mercy does manage at times to walk into danger and find herself in life or death situations. The local detective inspector Kieran seems to have taken a bit of a liking to Mercy and even allows her to be part of some of the investigation.

There are a couple of dead bodies and while there seemed to be a few really suspicious characters I didn't know which one it was until all was revealed. As well as the body count there is an ongoing mystery about the girls' father. What happened to him? Is he still alive? Maybe one day they will find out. In the meantime they are learning all they can about their grandfather.

And enjoyable read that seemed to go by in a flash.

This mystery had all the elements it needed: a head-scratching case, an interesting main character, a cute setting, quirky characters, and a variety of suspects. Where it loses me is the main character, Mercy; I just can’t connect to her. She’s a little annoying. And I am a little concerned about her breathing: she is constantly letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding (at least 3 times!). There are so many clichés like this and the quirky characters, as I mentioned after the first book, really seem like caricatures of what is expected of quirky characters. Despite the cute setting, I think this series is just not for me.

Second in this series featuring Mercy and her sister. Trouble seems to find them. A great cast of likeable characters.

I enjoyed the first book in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series. This second one I just may have liked more! I love bookish, sleuthing twins, Mercy & Lizzie in this cozy murder crime novel set in Ireland!

Thank you, Lucy Connelly/Candace Havens, Bookouture, & netgalley for my early gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Death By The Book' by Lucy Connelly

OMG Lucy, Where On Earth have you been hiding all of my life?!?! How have I never read any of your books so far when you are this blooming amazing?!! Well, I am just so glad I have resolved that problem, and that now while I am waiting for your next book, which is guaranteed to be amazing even if it is just a quarter as good as this book, I can read your previous books while I am waiting especially the first book in this series which is called 'An Irish Bookshop Murder'! I mean SERIOUSLY!?!? A murder mystery where our protagonist is an AUTHOR, her sister owns a BOOK SHOP, there is a DOG involved AND it is set in IRELAND and if that isn't enough there is also a LITERARY FESTIVAL going on!! I mean HELLO if you haven't just grabbed your copy after just reading those then why not??? What more could a book lover ask for than a book surrounded by books, authors and more books!! This book is the second book in Lucy's 'Mercy McCarthy Mysteries' series but can be read as a standalone.

OMG!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! WHAT HAVE I JUST READ!?!?!? Lucy Connelly you lady are an absolute crime writing legend!!!

Wow!!! Well fair play the first thing I must say is congratulations to Lucy on an absolutely HUGE success!! Absolutely blooming fantastic!! I never did work out who was behind what and that is quite a feat considering it is quite hard to shock me now that I have read so many suspense, mystery and thrillers yet I never did see any of those mind blowing twists coming!! Anyway on with my review....

This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all smelling the new and old books, feeling the fresh Irish air and falling in love with Shamrock Cove. The cover is absolutely stunning and if that doesn't make you want to get absorbed into this page turner the synopsis definitely will!!!

I am not usually a fan of reading books out of order but once I seen this I could not help but read it!! There is a positive side to reading books out of order though and that is I can now go back and read the first book in this series and get to know Mercy and, Lizzie, Mr Poe and the rest of the characters from the start!! I will also be getting stuck in to Lucy's other mystery series which is called 'A Scottish Isle Mystery' series. An absolutely fantastic page turner by this brilliant new author to me and I am so glad I have discovered her so I can get stuck into her previous books!! This book has got to be one of the most epic books I've read in a long time!!! It had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this one afternoon and finished it a few hours later after I read it in one sitting!!! In this incredible novel we meet Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie as well as their dog Mr Poe!!! Mercy is a famous author and her sister runs a bookshop called 'Leobhair agus seaniarsmai'. They both live in the court in a bailey of a castle where there are 6 thatched cottages and whose residences are either given the property by the previous owner or they are picked from a lottery of selected people. This Court is in Shamrock Cove and Mercy and Lizzie live together with Mr Poe the puppy. Lizzie is organising 'the Shamrock Cove Literary Festival' which Mercy is attending as an author as well as helping her sister where she can. They have problems immediately when Mercy is on a panel of authors including James Brandt when James and his agent Sebrena Walker are both down right rude and obnoxious!! If that wasnt bad enough when James is late turning up to his signing and Sebrena demands Mercy and Lizzie go get him they find him but in no state to sign anything as he is no longer living!! At first it looks like an accident but Mercy suspects it may be more than that and explains her concerns to Detective Kieran and his second in command Sheila. Mercy is determined to find out what happened to clear her own name and her sisters when rumours start going around that Mercy may have killed him. Can Mercy clear her name before the killer strikes again? When she starts digging around will she put her own life at risk? Grab your copy of this absolutely fantastic cosy crime mystery to find out for yourself and I promise that you will not regret it!! With an addictive storyline ram packed with books, authors, a literary festival, a cute dog, stunning settings, mystery, murder, community, family, friendship and so, so, SO MUCH MORE What on Earth are you waiting for?!?!? A true page turner, this book is absolutely compelling with an addictive storyline that kept me guessing throughout. I was continuously questioning who was doing what!! Lucy's vivid and evocative writing talents ensures the reader is sucked deep into the storyline and seeing everything and everyone coming to life in front of their eyes! I just could not put my kindle down!! Filled with mystery, twists, amazing characters and beautiful settings this book is one must read cosy crime!! Congratulations Lucy on an absolutely brilliant and unique storyline that I just could not put down!! I cannot wait to get stuck in to your previous and future books!!

Clear your schedules and get ready to get sucked into an intriguing, page turning cosy crim mystery by an extremely talented author!!!

Although this is the second book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without reading the first book 'An Irish Bookshop Murder'. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters were very realistic, multi layered and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. I absolutely LOVE the fact that our protagonist is an AUTHOR and that her sister owns a BOOKSHOP!! i LOVE the fact that they own the gorgeous Mr Poe and that they live in an amazing community in Ireland!! I LOVED the community and their neighbours and I really just cannot wait to get stuck into the previous and all future books by this incredible author!!! Lucy's exceptional descriptions gave a really good in depth view of how the characters were feeling and what they were thinking. Several of the characters were complex and each seemed to be hiding their own secrets which leaves you questioning who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. Every character had their own unique personalities with individual flaws, quirks, secrets, strengths and weaknesses!! They were all very well developed, unique and thanks to Lucy's fantastic evocative writing skills they all came to life before my eyes. That is all I will say as I don't want to run the risk of dropping any hints or spoilers. However, whether you love or hate these characters, they all have their own strong unique personalities and they all bring the story to life playing their roles perfectly.

An absolutely HUGE SUCCESS by this extremely talented author. This is EXACTLY why I would like to welcome you to my top 3 favourite cosy crime authors club Lucy Connelly and here is to your next guaranteed success 🥂!!

Overall a page turning addictive cosy crime mystery filled with books, Ireland, community, a literacy festival, authors, a cute pup!! Just what more could you EVER ask for??

#DeathByTheBook #AMercyMcCarthyMystery #LucyConnelly #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous

@LucyConnelly @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFZ2XZBSFHIHXBXGZLBQ666XVK4A?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_mb_l_prf

We are back with the McCarthy sisters and it feels like coming home, these sisters had a bit of a hard time in the first book with all the mystery but here I feel like they have been given a break, yes there is a mystery but it doesn't directly involve them.

There is a literary festival in town and a famous writer is found dead by the sisters, Mercy can't stay quiet so her mystery writer streak leads her to investigate his death which leads her to many more mysteries with the residents of Shamrock Cove.

I liked the story, I felt like a detective which is what I like most about this series, the mystery was solved in a way that I was satisfied with and I like that although each book has its own theme, the sub-theme of the sisters' grandfather and father is talked about throughout the books giving us some little hints which makes me look forward to the next book to see what more little bits and pieces we get.

📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “Death By The Book” by Lucy Connelly.
I loved the first book in the series and this book was just as good. Mercy and Lizzie are back! Lizzie is organizing a book festival when one of the authors winds up dead. When another body is found in Mercy’s store, all suspicion falls on her! Mercy has to work hard to clear her name before the murdered cones after her.
You can read this as a stand alone, but the first was delightful and you will enjoy it! I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#DeathByTheBook #LucyConnelly #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInIreland

Reading in Between the Wines book review #115/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Death by the Book (A Mercy McCarthy Book 2)
Author: Lucy Connelly
Available now!!!

Sipping thoughts: Mercy and Lizzie are back in action, and just because Shamrock Cove is small does not spare it from lies, suspense, and murder. I liked the storyline and the characters and did not figure out the killer. I don’t know how I did not figure it out as it was right there in my face. I cannot wait to read the 3rd installment that releases in April of 2025.

Cheers and thank you, @Bookouture and @Netgalley, for an advanced copy of @DeathByTheBook.

#DeathByTheBook #LucyConnelly #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Favorite Quotes:

Not that I would ever say that out loud. But I could think it loudly.

What a toad.

It is impossible to negotiate with a narcissist. You’ll just end up with both of you upset.

Like many politicians, he was a smooth talker... The ones on this side of the pond weren’t that different than their American counterparts. He reminded me of those sports guys who peaked in high school or college and kept telling the same stories over and over.

Sometimes, my thoughts came out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. I talked to myself while I worked. Who was I kidding? I talked to myself all the time. I always had characters in my head chatting. Talking out loud was how I stayed sane. Though, I wasn’t always aware I was doing it.

My Review:

Ms. Connelly has conjured another well-contrived and amusing mystery that kept the little pea in my brain pinging in various directions. This talented scribe is gifted in misdirection and has a writing style that is well-honed, engaging, and easy to follow. I continued to enjoy the odd ensemble of characters and reveled in the addition of the clever antics of the little pup named Poe.

After a fantastic start to the series, I was so excited to get my hands on the next book – and it didn’t disappoint!

Mercy and her twin Lizzie continue to be a great pair. While Mercy does the bulk of the investigation and Lizzie continually warns her to stop, you can see that Lizzie is often just as curious. The two balance each other out in a very warm and sisterly way that I love.

There has been a small time jump between the two books and Mercy has started helping the local police detective, Kieran, with some cases. I still see him as a solid potential love interest for Mercy but there wasn’t much on the romance front this time around.

There were some subplots carried on from the first book which still don’t get resolved (which means there are more books to come!), including Mercy’s stalker from back home and more information about the father and grandfather that Mercy and Lizzie never knew.

The McCarthy sisters’ neighbours in their little closed street are still all very supportive, but played a smaller role in this book than the last one. It was a treat though whenever they popped up as I liked seeing their familiar faces. It would be so wonderful to have neighbours like that! There were a several new characters introduced who took up more of the story.

The murder victim(s) were not generally liked but there were so many differing motives and suspects that it was difficult to figure out who the killer was. There were several threads that I knew were connected but couldn’t figure out how and it was so satisfying to see them all come together in the end. The resolution was really satisfying and much more believable than many other mysteries where the heroine just magically saves the day.

** Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review purposes

I absolutely love this cozy series. I read this over the weekend when it was cold and rainy – the perfect way to read a cozy mystery. Mercy is such a great character. She’s a writer and super funny. She uses her sleuthing skills, which she covers by using the excuse that she’s researching for a book, in order to help Kieran help solve the murders! The full cast of characters is back from the first book, and I fell in love with all of them even more!

I love how the mystery branched out here, and the background information that we got on the suspects. Everything tied together so well. It really get the mystery whodunnit going throughout the whole entire book. Even though they had a few suspects in the book, I had no idea which of the suspects was really behind all the happenings and why! I love that Mr. Poe (the dog) is so helpful and protective. I just want to give him all the hugs and love. I can’t wait for another mystery in Shamrock Cove, to be surrounded by these characters, in another cozy setting, with Mercy being Mercy, and figuring out another whodunnit!

With a book festival in Shamrock Cove, both Lizzie and Mercy find themselves busy with activities. When one of the authors is found dead in his lodging, Mercy just can’t help herself.

As a mystery author herself, Mercy cannot stop looking at what happened then trying to figure out who killed the man. While Mercy may be murderer on the page, she’s not the only one in town who knows a thing or two about killing. can she figure out who did it before they do away with with her?

Series, even better than the first…and the first she was really good! The author continues to develop the characters as she moves their personal lives forward along with a new mystery. I will be back for more in this series for as long as the author will write them.

Excellent second book in the A Mercy McCarthy Mystery series. The mystery is interesting with plenty of possible suspects, the characters are fun and engaging (even though Mercy keeps finding those pesky dead bodies), and the author's descriptions of the town make me feel as though I'm really visiting Mercy's and Lizzie's cottage, their bookstore, and even the local pub.
I'm already looking forward to reading whatever trouble Mercy gets into next. Luckily, she'll have her sister and their dog, Mr. Poe, and their neighbors to help her out.

Many thanks to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This next in series is a delight to read. Mercy and Lizzie are twin sisters living in Ireland and own a bookstore . Their business and home were left to them by their Grandfather who they did not know. Their adventure in the first book was a exciting fun cozy of a great sleuth, Irish culture and their embracing their new home. In this next addition Mercy has found another body and is once agian on the case as she is a famous mystery writer. The author has perfectly done all the right cozy elements for this promising series. The sleuth was well crafted with many red herrings and suspects.. The atmospheric setting of a small friendly Irish village is delightful. The characters all richly drawn to the series. Its a wonderful exciting read. i look forward to the next in series. A growing romance for Mercy is not overdone but just right for the second book. You will adore the small village life and dream of living in their village in Ireland as you read this wonderful series.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. My review opinions are my own.

Death by the Book by Lucy Connelly is a Marcy McCarthy cozy mystery. After a series of deaths in their family, Mercy and her sister, Lizzie had inherited a home and a bookstore from a grandfather they hadn’t realized they’d had. It turned out to be in Shamrock Cove, Ireland, as far away from Texas as one could get. They were settling in nicely, loving their neighbors and their house. Lizzie loved running the bookstore and Mercy was supposed to be writing. Lizzie’s panic attacks were happening less often and Mercy was seeing the end of the tunnel. In fact, they were both participating in the literary festival happening now: Marcy as an author, mostly, and Lizzie as a member of the committee and host to authors. It was a lot of work and they were stone-tired each night, but they were both loving it, even introverted Mercy. Then, when an author failed to appear for his signing, his agent sent Lizzie and Mercy to find him. Find him they did, under a bookcase. Murdered. Then, in the secret room at the bookstore that they used for storage, his agent, also dead. This was so not good. The police, in the form of Liam, who was becoming Mercy’s friend, asked Mercy to stay out of it. We all know the answer to that.

I love this series. This is only the second book yet I am hooked. There is a plethora of different and enticing characters in this small Irish town; not all Irish. These deaths appear to be deeply rooted in the past, but figuring out how is going to be the challenge. And of course, there are the lingering questions about their grandfather as well as the father they had never known. It is a good life and interesting to read. Sad about the murders, but between Mercy and Liam they managed to solve those, too. It was a good mystery, and this should not enter into it, but the persons murdered were not the nicest. Mercy is a great protagonist, full of pep and creativity. Lizzie is quieter but omni-present. Well worth the read.

I was invited to read Death by the Book by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #LucyConnelly #DeathByTheBook

Twin sisters Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy inherited a beautiful house and bookshop from their grandfather, in the idyllic Irish village of Shamrock Cove. Lizzie helps organise a book festival, where Mercy, a mystery writer, will be one of the guests. The star guest, James Brandt,dies in unexpected circumstances and Mercy finds herself helping the police investigate. When suspicion falls on the sisters, they must work fast to find out who is behind the death. Once again Mercy takes far too many risks, but this time she has no choice.

This delightful cosy mystery takes us back to the seaside and the beauty of Ireland. I love the descriptions of the area and of the people of the village. The sisters have become part of the community and find that their neighbours are only too happy to help. I enjoy finding out about the history of the village too, as it gives a wider understanding of the people living there now.

The story was engaging and kept me reading when I really should have turned out the light. I couldn’t get enough of the twists and turns. I can’t wait to spend more time in Shamrock Cove.

Death by the Book by Lucy Connelly

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are settling in to the charming seaside village of Shamrock Cove on the west coast of Ireland. Lizzie throws herself into organizing a book festival and mystery writer Mercy even agrees to come out of her bookish hidey-hole to do get involved. But then the star author for the event is found dead. James Brandt was killed by a falling bookshelf in his own cottage…

The local detective is not convinced by Mercy’s suspicion of murder but when someone else turns up dead, the police cannot ignore it. There’s just one Mercy and Lizzie’s beloved dog Mr. Poe sniffs out the second body in the storeroom of their own bookstore. And now all of the gossips seem determined to pin the murder on Mercy!

Convinced the police are focusing on a red herring in this real-life case, Mercy needs to act fast to clear her name. A meddling mayor, a cheerful chef and a bashful botanist make her suspect list, but it’s not until Mercy discovers a tatty old photograph in the local library archive that she is onto the killer’s trail.

With the police keen to shut her out of the murder investigation, can Mercy play this case by the book, or will she be the next to fall off the shelf…?

My Opinion

Mercy and her sister, Lizzie are back. This was a great follow up to An Irish Bookshop Murder and it was nice to catch up with the sisters and their bookshop – even if the pair stumble across another dead body. As a crime writer, Mercy is always happy to join in with the investigation. At just over 250 pages this cosy mystery made for a quick read. Lucy Connelly will have you guessing until the very end.

Rating 4/5

Death by the Book finds Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy settling into their new lives in Shamrock Cove, Ireland. The second Mercy McCarthy Mystery Book takes the reader to a literary festival that is organized by Lizzie. One is found dead after a bookcase falls on him, then soon another. By Lucy Connelly, Mercy is soon involved in a mystery that rivals even her storylines.

Such a delightful to read of a mystery writer who is also an amateur sleuth along with her sister. This time the plot is too close to home since some seem to believe Mercy is the guilty party. Faced-paced but also easy to follow, I just had to keep reading to see the guilty caught and Mercy cleared. Death by the Book is even better than the first in the series, so this is an addictive series. Can’t wait until the next.