We are back with the McCarthy sisters and this time in an adventure in an OLD CASTLE! You can't imagine how much I was looking forward to this book and it gave me everything I got from the previous ones. From the mystery to our Mercy trying to solve it, come on, where she goes, trouble goes. This time the murder of a "father" in the castle in the middle of a storm makes our protagonist take matters into her own hands until the authorities arrive. This book I feel was a little more graphic (so to speak) than the previous one, I feel there was more mystery and a little more of the tone I'm used to in these books and I liked it, the writing has evolved as we go deeper into the story that by the looks of it (and the little mystery at the end) will be for many more books (and I'm here for it).

I can't imagine what else is in store for us in the adventures of these sisters.

This is only book three in a new series from Lucy Connelly, but I’m quickly becoming invested. These are short and sweet and hold the perfect amount of intrigue. This addition takes place in a castle during a rain storm and has all the fun of a locked room mystery, complete with hidden passageways!

Favorite Quotes:

I’d say I will never do it again, but you’ve met me. I tend to be impulsively curious when things like this happen.

Mr. Poe yawned so big he almost fell over. It was way past his bedtime. He would sometimes try to drag Lizzie by her pajama legs upstairs if she stayed up late watching television. He was a dog with a schedule.

In Shamrock Cove, everyone knew your business, sometimes before you did. It was one of the town’s many quirks.

We didn’t hesitate to run toward the scream, which probably says so much about Lizzie and me regarding danger. We would most definitely be killed early on in any horror movie.


My Review:

This has been such a fun series, and each installment just gets better. The mysteries are well-plotted and expertly paced, the writing is smart, highly amusing, unfailingly engaging, and easy to follow, while the characters are quirky and well-fleshed out. And I absolutely adore Mr. Poe, the smartest crime-solving dog in the world. He deserves his very own superhero cape!

Author is a favorite because she consistently combines interesting characters, settings and plots. This is another excellent example. Thanks to #NetGalley and #DeathAtInishmoreCastle for advanced digital copy.

Another exciting Mercy and Co adventure! This is a wonderful murder mystery set in a secluded, isolated castle with a murderer on the loose. It’s been great to catch up with known characters (especially Mr Poe) and meet new ones. I did suspect who was the culprit but wasn’t sure until the big reveal. This is definitely a book to easily lose yourself in.

Thank you Netgalley

Reading in Between the Wines book review #36/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Death at Inishmore Castle (A Mercy McCarthy Mystery Book 3)
Author: Lucy Connelly
AVAILABLE NOW!!!

Sipping thoughts: I love Mercy and her relationship with her sisters, friends, and Inspector Kiernan. I am glad to see the dog, Poe, return as well. The twins are solving another murder case, but this time in a castle. I am so glad Mercy does not keep her nose where it’s supposed to be. Albeit Kiernan would rather she stay in her lane. I am ready for that relationship to blossom into a romantic one. I am excited to read Book 4 whenever it is released, and I hope the twin’s long lost (missing) dad makes an appearance…or maybe he already has?!

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @DeathAtInishmoreCastle.

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

Death at Inishmore Castle is a delightful Irish cozy mystery that delivers charm, intrigue, and a touch of mischief. Lucy Connelly crafts a gripping whodunit set in a grand castle, where whiskey tasting and soda bread baking take a backseat to murder and hidden secrets.
Pros:
• The setting is pure magic: an atmospheric Irish castle with secret passages and stormy nights. It’s the kind of place I’d love to spend days exploring
• Mercy McCarthy, the FMC, is a sharp, lovable sleuth, and her reluctant sidekick (plus her dog, Mr. Poe) adds humor and warmth. They are well-developed characters, and it was a joy to follow them again
• The mystery is layered with red herrings, keeping readers guessing until the very end and being surprised by the twists.
Cons:
• Some characters could use more depth, as a few suspects feel more like caricatures and a bit flat.
• The pacing slows slightly in the middle and there’s some less suspense, but the final twists make up for it.
A mystery that will surely be appreciate by whodunnit fans a cozy, Irish twist. Grab a blanket, pour yourself a cup of tea (or whiskey), and prepare to be thoroughly entertained!
Many thanks to Bookouture for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

Mercy and Lizzie are headed to a castle for a weekend retreat. It sounds like great fun with classes and there is a whisky distillery. However it soon turns into a locked room mystery when a priest is found murdered in the library during heavy rainstorms that cut them off from the rest of the world.
Mercy cannot help herself, she investigates. The crew from Shamrock Cove do manage to get word to
Detective Inspector Kiernan and he arrives to investigate.
The castle with classes about all sorts of subjects sounds like such a fun idea for a getaway.
There is plenty of mystery. I suspected the guilty party, but there were plenty of suspects.
I highly recommend this series. I love the main characters Mercy, a thriller writer, and her twin Lizzie who loves books, cooking and gardening. Their little dog Mr. Poe is such a great addition to the stories.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read Death at Inishmore Castle.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review.

This is such a fun cozy mystery, I have read the 1st book in the series and this is book 3... I think you should read them in order as you get more out of the story, but its not a must.

Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly is Mercy McCarthy Mystery. I love this series. Mercy and her sister, Lizzie, have inherited a cottage and a bookshop from their grandfather; a grandfather of whose existence they had been unaware. They had some recovering to do: their mother had died of cancer; then, six months later, Lizzie’s fiance and his daughter had died in a car accident; Mercy was still reeling from having a stalker in New York City. It was a lot. They loved it here. Their cottage was one of six in the bailey of an old castle. They were a tight-knit little community: Rob and Scott, a lovely couple; Lolly, everyone’s grandmother; and lately, Kieran, Lolly’s grandson and the local police investigator. Lizzie ran the bookstore, gardened, and cooked. Mercy was working on her latest, now very overdue, novel. They had come to the opening weekend at Inishmore Castle, a brewery of some note, now opening as a destination, with classes and other adventures. So far, it was great. Then, Mr. Poe, their dog, discovered the dead body of the priest in the study. It was storming so there was no cell service and the land line as out also so Mercy did her best to preserve the crime scene and keep the other guests unaware. Eventually Kieran and his team arrived. But then, Mr. Poe Discovered the body of the nun, as well. This was getting out of hand.

Excellent mystery: all the necessary components. No getting off the property, they were rained in. Hidden passages in the walls. People were not who they appeared to be. Mercy was not there to investigate, Kieran was, but she was curious. She couldn’t help herself. Of course that got her in trouble, both literally and figuratively. They kept re-looking at everyone and they all seemed to check out. She did discover some minor theft and some major embezzlement, but no murderer. Then things started to break. The person had killed for the best of reasons and the people he killed were not worth much, but still. It was a good mystery and this characters are terrific. The food was good and the whiskey was better. There is even a cliffhanger. Good read.

I was invited to read Death at Inishmore Castle by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #LucyConnelly #DeathAtInishmoreCastle

A well-deserved break is in order for sisters Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy. When they are offered a chance to attend whisky tasting and soda break making weekend at Inishmore Castle they jump at the chance. But when one of the other guests is found death in strange circumstances, Mercy feels compelled investigate. As the group become cut off due to floods, the situation escalates and makes finding the killer even more urgent. Can Mercy catch the culprit before it is too late?

The story hits all the right notes, with suspense, danger and peril in equal measures. A murder mystery set in a cutoff castle is delicious, and reminiscent of a golden age type mystery. Mercy puts herself in dangerous situations in her quest for the truth. She’s unafraid to get involved, and has proven herself to be a skilled investigator.

I love the camaraderie between the sisters, and their various friends and neighbours. It works really well and adds an extra element to the mystery. I enjoy the growing attraction between Mercy and the handsome detective Kieran. The slow burn relationship is an ideal addition. A great read.

This is an enjoyable series filled with likable characters.. Mercy, Lizzie and their friends are spending a few days at Inishmore Castle and of course they stumble over another dead body or two. A storm has caused the bridge to the castle to flood, leaving them trapped with a killer. Mercy’s ‘curiosity’ (others would call it being nosy), prompts her to ‘help’ the police investigate. The mystery was interesting and keeps you guessing. This is a very good series that suffers a bit from a main character who justifies some of her questionable actions, such as snooping through police files, because she’s curious. She also repeatedly puts herself in potential danger, after promising she’ll be careful, when she goes off by herself to investigate. This amateur sleuth behavior can be somewhat common in cozy mysteries, but it can also be annoying and detract from the story, which it did a bit for me. Ultimately, I do think this is a very entertaining, well written series.

In the third book in the Mercy McCarthy cozy mystery series, we visit a castle outside the village of Shamrock Cove, in Ireland. The O’Sullivans have been fixing up their estate in preparation for welcoming visitors and this is the first official weekend. Mercy and her sister Lizzie have been invited, along with some of their friends and neighbors from their “court” in Shamrock Cove. The weekend’s schedule is filled with classes and demonstrations, cooking and lacemaking, as well as tastings of Gordon O’Sullivan’s custom distilled Irish Whiskey. The guests are an interesting and diverse bunch, including a young birdwatcher, an American couple, a priest and a nun. Of course, something goes amiss fairly quickly and someone is murdered. And then someone else is murdered too!

This is a terrific example of a locked-room style of mystery, because there’s a major storm and the old wooden bridge to the property is underwater. The police have to come by boat! And of course, no one can leave because of the storm.

Mercy is a well-known author of mysteries and her author’s brain comes into play in this book a lot, as she tries to “help” the local detective, Kieran, figure out the case. it looks like Mercy and Kieran may have a budding romance in their future.

The mystery took a few good twists and turns and the solution was satisfying. Descriptions of the castle and its grounds were wonderful. I have to say, though, that I kind of missed Shamrock Cove! I was glad that some of their neighbors were also at the castle - we need more of Rob and Scott! Lizzie and Mercy’s pup, Mr. Poe, is adorable and his alertness becomes important to the story once again.

The very end of the book is written so that it looks like there will be at least one more book in this series - which is a very good thing.

NOTE: I think you would be fine reading this as a standalone, but you’d miss the fun of meeting all the series regular in books one and two.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

While I love following Mercy and Lizzie in their small town, I had a lot of fun with them at the castle. A kind of locked-door murder mystery. A storm has blown in, flooding the only way out, and Mercy and their dog have yet again found another body. Of course, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she can't help but investigate before and after the police arrive.
I love seeing how Mercy's mind works while investigating cases. The cases always keep me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what's going to happen next, and I'm constantly surprised by who the killers end up being.

This series is a ton of fun, and I'm excited to see what's going to happen next!!

his is book 3 in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery book series, and it’s another fantastic one! This can be read as a standalone, but why read it as one when the first two books are equally as fantastic. For this book, we’re set at a castle in Ireland and bad storms make the castle secluded. We have our usual cast of characters from the neighborhood with a few extras here via the guests at the castle, the castle owners, and the castle workers. Of course my favorites were Mercy and Kieran.

With this cozy mystery series, it’s a true whodunnit. There are moments where I sometimes giggle, the dog Mr. Poe is absolutely fantastic and such an asset to Kieran. I can’t wait for him to officially join the force! I also love how even though Kieran seems “annoyed” that Mercy keeps inserting herself into the investigation, he secretly enjoys her help.

As for the whodunit aspect, I didn’t guess at all. I was guessing and going through the investigation right along side Mercy and Kieran. Connelly expertly writes these cozy mysteries and I absolutely cannot wait until the next one in this series!

The latest entry in this Ireland-set cozy series has the same clever plotting, appealing setting, and strong characters of the first two. It also has what is to me one of the drawbacks, although this is likely a matter of personal preference and does not outweigh all the positives. In this outing mystery writer Mercy and her sister, bookshop owner Lizzie, are staying at a local castle that has recently opened as a hotel. While enjoying the planned activities, they discover the dead body of one of the other guests. Things escalate quickly from there as local DI and Mercy’s potential love interest Kieran investigates and Mercy looks into things on her own. The latter point is my main issue with the plot, as Mercy cites her curiosity as a reason to do things that I just struggle to believe are justified by curiosity alone, including snooping into Kieran’s records. Again, I fully recognize that’s a personal judgement, and I still consider this a well-written, engaging mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

Since this is the third book in the series, it’s time for a bit of a change of scenery. Instead of the usual cozy village of Shamrock Cove, Mercy and Lizzie, and all their neighbours, are staying for a weekend at nearby Inishmore Castle. And what a place! I was in love with the castle (which isn’t that hard as I am a sucker for a good castle) – everything was so detailed and well described that it was easy to picture it all.

But it wasn’t just the castle that made this mystery great fun – the characters made this story come alive as they tried to deal with being stuck in a castle in the middle of a storm (there’s always a storm) with a killer on the loose.

As with the previous two books in this series, I absolutely adored Mercy and Lizzie – the two sisters are a great team and balance each other out very well. While their Shamrock Cove neighbours were all there, some, like Rob and Scott, were more prominent than others in the mystery-solving. It’s nice to get to know some of the supporting cast as well, and I hope they all continue to feature in future stories. There’s not always room for everyone, especially as this book introduced several other characters – the couple who run the castle, as well as several other castle guests.

Mercy works well with Detective Inspector Kieran and his team to figure out who the mysterious guests were and why they were hiding their real identities. It’s an interesting mystery that had me guessing and the story never really slowed down at all so I kept turning the pages – I can never put books in this series down!

This is already the third book in the series but I’m hoping for sooooo many more to come!

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

Death at Inishmore Castle is sisters, Merc’s’ and Lizzy’s third story in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery Series. What should have been a restful vacation turns into a murder investigation when a fellow guest at the historic Inishmore Castle is found dead. Then another drowns. It sounds like they need to return home but instead stay to find the truth and the guilty party.

By Lucy Connelly, I loved the castle setting with the hidden or secret passages. The reluctant sister with Mercy gives this story the perfect character dynamic. Brilliant cozy mystery that grabbed me and transported me to the Inishmore Castle. The kind of story that Agatha Christie fans will love.

An Irish castle, a suspicious death or two, an engaging amateur sleuth and a raging storm which keeps everyone from leaving…what more could a reader want? This installment in the series has all that and more to keep readers speedily turning pages. This is a solid mystery rife with plausible red herrings and interesting characters. Highly recommended.

A big thank you to Sarah Hardy and the publisher for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part on the blog tour.

Death at Inishmore Castle is the third in the cosy crime series featuring sisters Mercy and Lizzie, who in-between running a bookshop and being a successful author, also solve crimes that seem to crop up near their home in Ireland!

When Mercy and Lizzie, along with their neighbours in Shamrock Cove are invited to an opening weekend at Inishmore Catle, they are looking forward to having a relaxing time following the tough times they have had recently, little do they know that they will all be in the middle of another murder and become cut off with a storm heading their way.

Lucy Connelly is doing a wonderful job with this series and it is definitely one of my favourite ones so far. The characters are well written and we learn more and more about them as the series carries on. Although Mercy and Lizzie are twins, throughout the series we learn how different they can be - Lizzie definitely wants to more quiet life whereas Mercy throws herself into investigations! Mr Poe as their dog is always a joy to have around (I feel as though he is a real dog!) and I love how astute he is becoming - clearly having Lizzie and Mercy as his owners is rubbing off on him.

The almost locked room setting in the cut off castle is always a favourite of mine and very reminiscent of the old style of mysteries I have read, complete with hidden passage ways and rooms and this was incorporated well into the story. As is usual, I try not to get too deep into solving the crime as I find I usually end up suspecting everyone and there is quite a full compliment of characters in this story with some more suspicious than others.

I thought everything linked up particularly well and I didn't really guess the ending which was a bit of a surprise to me!

Another really enjoyable addition in the series - looking forward to book 4!