Murder at an Irish Christmas

The OSullivan family is spending Christmas with their soon to be sister-on-law’s family. Being a musical family headed by a famous conductor, the Elliott clan is bringing a holiday orchestra to town for a classical concert and it’s a big deal. But when the Elliott patriarch is found dead in the old mill where the concert was to be held, Siobhan’s vow to enjoy the holidays with her siblings is put to the test as her inquisitive nature and guard training has her looking for clues.

Soon Macdara and his mother join the group and are in full on detecting mode. Who would kill the beloved Enda Elliott and why? That’s exactly what Siobhan and Macdara intend to find out while avoiding being the second chorus in the killer’s symphony.

A wonderful series from a talented writer, you don’t want to miss any of the goings on with the O’Sullivan Six. Every single book makes you want to grab a pint and enjoy the craic!

Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O’Connor is the 6th book in the amazing Irish Village Mystery series (not including a novella included in the equally amazing book containing a trio of novellas, Christmas Cocoa Murder 2019).

I have to admit that this is one of my favorite series, and I have read every book by Ms. O’Connor, so I was so delighted to know that I could visit the wonderful O’Sullivan six (but really is it six anymore with the wonderful additions to the family?) again in County Cork.

This time instead of the story being placed in their quaint, quirky, and endearing small village of Kilbane, this festive novel takes the family to the far west of Ireland to a remote, coastal villiage that is where Elise (James’s betrothed) and her family live. And boy does she have a family. Of course, it cannot be a simple Christmas gathering, family introductions, and a symphony of epic proportions, but a fabulous murder/mystery of Elise’s grandfather, a famous composer, and the whole complicated family is ensnared. There are suspects galore, everywhere a new twist pops up, everyone has a secret to hide, and it is up to Siobhan and her wonderful soon to be other half Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery to infiltrate this mayhem and web of mystique to find who has been naughty and who has been nice.

I loved the new location, the entire character cter cast, the intricate and entertaining plot, the mysteries kept me guessing clear until the end, and I love, love, love Sionhan and Dara. They are great people and make a great team.

This is a great addition to one of my favorite series. I cannot wait to read what happens next.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. Although the sixth book in this series, it’s easily read as a stand-alone and I recommend it. Siobhan, also known as Garda O’Sullivan, and her five siblings travel to West Cork for the Christmas holidays. They’re taking the trip to join James’ fiancée’s family for a special Christmas concert honoring her grandfather and famous conductor, Enda Elliot. Things get off to a rocky start with their accommodations being rather sparse and the familial reception being rather cold. Siobhan is also unhappy that her fiancée, fellow Garda Macdara Flannery, isn’t with her although she understands that he’s spending Christmas with his mother. When a family death occurs in the concert hall, the Elliot family recriminations begin to fly and the O’Sullivans learn far more about their new sister-in-law’s family than they’d ever expected. Balancing holiday expectations, winter weather and murder is tough on anyone but Siobhan is more than up to the task.
This is a lovely series. Siobhan took on raising her siblings when her parents died young. While she left college because of the responsibility, she did qualify as a Garda and is fortunate to live with her family. They, when at home, operate Naomi’s Bistro. This new story does a fun transplant to another part of County Cork, Ireland and introduces new characters, like James’ fiancée, Elise. Looking forward to the next in this series; maybe their respective weddings?

As a fan of this series, Murder at an Irish Christmas is by far my favorite book!
Siobhan and her family are spending the holidays with her older brother James and his girlfriend’s family.
Since they are a musical family, Siobhan is excited to meet the prestigious family.
Unfortunately, things go awry and what seems an accidental death sets Siobhan on her on investigation, revealing deep secrets and family skeletons.

I’m excited to see what happens next to one of my favorite fictional families.

Meets the high standards of the other books in the series. A change of location adds a freshness as does more involvement of secondary characters.