This month, for my continuing look at the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series, I’ll be looking at Sheila Connolly‘s County Cork Mystery Series, a good example of a modern Cozy series. Usually I look at an author’s oldest (and usually longest-running) series, but in this case, I’m looking at this one instead of Connolly’s longer running Orchard Mystery Series because I’ve gotten more recommendations for this particular series. The specific entry I read was the first entry in the series, Buried In a Bog.
At the beginning of the novel, Boston-born Maura is visiting her recently-deceased grandmother’s home village of Leap (pronounced Lep) as a result of a deathbed promise. Raised by her grandmother and with relatively little in the way of career prospects in Boston (Maura is a bartender and waitress, a profession she can take up pretty much anywhere), Maura is quickly charmed by the small town. Taking a job at Sullivan’s Pub, Maura decides to spend a bit of time in Ireland getting to know her grandmother’s home town and the people her grandmother had still been corresponding with by mail before returning home to the States.
Naturally, this being a Cozy, it doesn’t take too long before bodies start turning up. Still, the murders in this particular mystery are a bit less central than in many Cozies. Instead, the first corpse discovered in this particular mystery is an older one, a corpse of an unknown individual found in the bog, apparently there for at least fifty years or as much as a century. It isn’t until the halfway point in the novel that another body turns up, and even then the story doesn’t revolve around it as much as in many mysteries, as the protagonist isn’t the person who stumbles upon it.
As a result, much of the novel feels much more relaxed and laid back than many mysteries. This shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise – one of the main things Maura notices about the rural Irish lifestyle she suddenly finds herself in is that the people there seem to take things a lot slower too, being more content to just let things happen than she’s used to as an American city girl. Maura also accrues a surprising amount of things without really needing to ask for them, just off the kindness of locals – a place to live, a car, and a phone all more or less fall into her lap with no obvious effort. Admittedly, this is likely more of a Cozy thing than an Irish thing – it seems like aimless youngish women in Cozies always have good luck finding jobs, residences, and new close friends!
Overall, Buried In a Bog is a very well-written Cozy with a laid back, easygoing atmosphere. If you’re more interested in a relaxing slice of Irish village life than in being dropped immediately into a mystery, this is likely a good Cozy for you.
Sheila Connolly also writes the Orchard Mystery Series, starring an orchard owner in Massachusetts, the Victorian Village Mystery Series, starring a boutique employee in Maryland, the Museum Mystery Series, starring a museum fundraiser in Pennsylvania, and the Relatively Dead Mystery Series, starring a sleuth who can see ghosts. As Sarah Atwell, she also writes the Glassblowing Mystery Series, starring a glass artist in Tucson.
If you’re interested in reading more of these brief revisits of some of the more popular Cozy Mystery Series that I’ve written in the past, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.
J Kneice says
This whole series is enjoyable! Very laid back, and an easy read. Great for a day at the beach when you don’t want to think!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
J, the “laid back” nature of the series certainly seems to be one of its strengths!
Ginger (Bronx) says
I first started reading Sheila Connolly years ago — both the Orchard Mystery series and the Glassblowing series (under the name Sarah Atwell, and didn’t realize they were the same author). It was the Sarah Atwell series that had me avidly watching for news of the next book. Similarly, the Nell Pratt series (aka Museum Mystery Series) is another I follow faithfully. I’ve recently bought the first in the new Victorian Village series and have great hopes for it.
I agree with you totally on Buried in the Bog, Danna. I’ve bought the next two books in the County Cork series, and they’re waiting for me to need to read that kind of quiet novel-like mystery. What’s kept me from reading them? The Scotland-based series you wrote about not long ago. (And, yes, I own too many mysteries!)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, well, it’s certainly a good problem to have too many books you’re interested in reading to get back to any of them specifically!
Novella says
I’m glad you have chosen this one, I did order it but haven’t read it yet and am looking forward to what everyone says about it. ?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Novella, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Jo Ann says
This series quickly became my favorite. I’ve read all the books available and am anticipating Fatal Roots. The stories have a lot if depth, and the development of the relationships are wonderful.
Janice G says
I am very happy to see the County Cork series reviewed here. I was fortunate to be able to talk to Sheila Connolly at a book event soon after the first book was released and let her know how much I enjoyed it. I believe that I have included every book in the series on the monthly recommendations page on the site. As you mentioned, the mystery is not the major premise of the book but instead it is the relationships between the various characters. One thing I especially like is the growth that we see in Maura as the books go along. She starts out as rather cynical young woman who viewed her grandmother’s kindness to strangers as letting herself be taken advantage of by others. She comes to understand her grandmother better as she herself becomes the recipient of kindness from strangers. I look forward to the next book in the series. Sheila Connolly’s Victorian Village series shows great promise based on the first book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Janice, it’s good to hear that the characters continue to grow and become even more enjoyable as the series continues on!
Rita Ingersoll says
This is one of my favorites by Ms. Connolly. Although all of her work is well written. You will surely enjoy these.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rita, I know I certainly did!
Bek says
NO NO NO NOT ANOTHER ONE! ~bangs head on keyboard~ It sound really good. I see these books in my future…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bek, I hope you enjoy them!
Blue Jay says
I discovered Buried in a Bog in one of the Little Free Libraries I stalk. I fell in love with Leap and the inhabitants that Maura meets. I proceeded to hunt down all the books in this series, and recently finished book 4 (A Turn for the Bad). I was a little irritated with Maura for living MY dream life – living in a cottage and running a pub in Ireland- but it’s a very enjoyable series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Blue, it can be a bit frustrating how easily some fictional characters find life, especially in what we would consider our own personal fantasy scenarios!
Lenora says
I want to put my vote in for the Orchard series. It is one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series. Like her Museum series, as well. Tried the Cork series, but much prefer the other two.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lenora, thanks for the recommendation! I’ve also read some of the Orchard series, but I thought I’d try this one out here because it is also highly recommended.
Susy S says
You all have convinced me to start the Sheila Connolly book that has been sitting on my TBR shelves. It will probably end up adding many more books to my wishlist which are the only books I allow myself to buy (it is the only thing that comes close to preventing me from buying the same book more than once).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susy, I hope you enjoy it! I know that this site actually started as my own personal list… my own way of stopping from buying the same book multiple times.
Bek says
TELL me about it! I now have a 3 x 5 card for each author, with ALL of the books I want on it, and I carefully mark through each as I acquire it. Recently, I gave up and downloaded the AllMyBooks software. Took me a good long while, but now EVERY book I have or want is in there, and I can easily find the little shopping cart symbol that indicates my wish list. Should have done this ages ago.
LOL, I say all of the books are on there, and they are…the problem is, it’s hard to tell what format you’re listing, so now I have to check every book, going bookcase by bookcase, and correct formats where necessary.
Susy S says
Bek, I would have to start my inventory all over if I did that. I have books in four rooms plus the hall. I did get rid of some books when I move (and seem to have lost a box, whimper), but I still have more than 2400. I think I am good with excel spreadsheets for now.
Bek says
That’s what I actually wanted, but I’m HOPELESS with Excel, except for the most basic stuff (my check register, for instance). And I like having a synopsis of the book, and the cover, on file. It isn’t for everyone, and had I been better with Excel, I doubt I’d have bothered. I tried to set up a sheet several times, but couldn’t get it to give me the parameters I wanted, nor could I figure out how to put them in the order I wanted. Hopeless. Me, not Excel.
Susy S says
Bek, Since I spent my whole career dealing with numbers, I had to get proficient with Excel. I can pretty much use it in my sleep at this point.
I finished Sheila Connolly’s ‘Fund Raiding the Dead’ last night have added her to my ‘wishlist’. I think I am going to start the Sarah Atwell I have next, to see if I add her alter ego to my list as well.
Bek says
Ah well…perhaps if the world tilts on its axis just right, and the stars line up all in a row, we’ll one day have a lovely visit, and you can TRY to show me the basics! Then we’ll read!
Paula J says
I just started this series last week and have already read the first six books. Great series! The only problem is I tend to drink a lot of tea when reading them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Paula, it’s definitely a good series.
Diane Davis says
Sheila will be missed, a lot. For those of you who haven’t heard, she passed away late April in her beloved Irish cottage from cancer (not COVID-19). I’ve been reading, and very much enjoying, all of her books, series or stand alones. But my favorite series was her County Cork series. They were so much more than mere mysteries.
You will be missed, Sheila.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you Diane, and she will be missed.