The story is set in the small Irish village of Kilbane, County Cork. The O’Sullivan clan runs a small bistro that is open for breakfast and lunch. Siobhán has given up (at least temporarily) her dream of moving to Dublin to pursue her higher education because somebody needs to take care of her younger siblings.
Soon after the story begins, there is a body found in the bistro. James is quickly determined to be the main suspect, and the sleuthing begins with Siobhán following every lead in her attempt to discover the murderer and clear her family’s name.
If ever there were a cozy setting for a mystery series, the small village of Kilbane is it. This is a truly small town. Everybody knows everybody else and has done so all their lives. But, as Siobhán discovers in the course of her sleuthing, despite having known just about everyone in the town for her whole life, almost all of them harbor a secret or two that may or may not be relevant to discovering who the real killer is.
In the story, Siobhán is romantically pursued by two handsome young men. One is the local policeman (garda), and the other is a mysterious stranger from America. This element of the book is treated rather lightly — the romance is more potential than real and it never dominates the storyline (which I, at least, appreciated).
Our intrepid sleuth finds herself in quite a few difficult situations since she insists on turning over every rock in the village and discovers so many secrets her fellow townspeople have been keeping. Some of these situations are quite funny — when she is investigating the local undertaker, for example, there is a scene where I just had to laugh out loud.
I really liked Murder in an Irish Village and I can’t recommend it highly enough if you are looking for a modern Cozy set in a picturesque location with a real page-turning and satisfying mystery and with some very likable characters.
I have to warn you all, however, that the book contains a bit of strong language and some (non-graphic) adult situations.
By the way, as I just mentioned in a post the other day, Carlene O’Connor is starting a new series, also set in Ireland, the Home to Ireland Mystery Series.
You can see the other entries I have written about the most popular and recommended series here.
Sylvia Mayfield says
I listened to it on Audible and loved it. The narrator was fabulous and the story was fun. Looking forward to the next book in the series (after I finish The Oxford Tea Room Mysteries)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sylvia, I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I’m looking for audio books! A great narrator definitely makes an audio book more fun.
Ann says
I love love this series and have read all of the books to date. Wonderful author, wonderful story lines.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, it definitely seems like a good beginning to a solid series!
Bek says
You had already tempted me to add this series to my list, and now I’m moving it up!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bek, that’s certainly good to hear!
Pothenie says
I am an Audible member and listened to it with my husband. The narrator brought the characters to life with their Irish brogue and different personalities. We laughed at the humor & human follies. It really is a delightful mystery that will keep you sleuthing along with Siohban!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Pothenie, that’s two suggestions for the audible version! I’m starting to wish I had listened to it that way instead.
KG says
We are on day 2 of “shelter in place”. This book is on my kindle so I think I will be reading it soon. Thanks for your insight.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
KG, you’re welcome! I hope that some reading material will help the quarantine days go by a little bit easier.
Terry Ruane says
I agree. I enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series. The setting is beautiful and the characters fun.
Terry
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Terry, I’m glad to hear from another fan of this series!
Michael says
I took your advise and purchased a copy of this book. I wasn’t expecting a lot. Usually books with Irish characters are filled with stereotypes and a lot of fake “Irish” dialog. You all know what I mean. Thankfully, this one is not. What it is is a well written and very interesting mystery. Carlene managed to pull me in, especially with the confrontation with the killer at the end, which was gripping, to say the least. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Thank you once again, Dana.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Michael, you’re very welcome, and I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Joan says
I’m reading “Murder in an Irish Cottage” now. I am really enjoying it. It is well-written and original. This is my first book by Charlene. O’Conner. I will be reading more. I do recommend it.