by Sandra Murphy

This week we are reviewing 2 mystery novels, and a book with 3 mystery novellas that all have an Irish twist in honor of St. Patrick’s Day–Murder at an Irish Chipper by Carlene O’Connor, Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy, and Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 3 books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.

Murder at an Irish Chipper by Carlene O’Connor
Review by Sandra Murphy

It’s not every bride who would be willing to take her honeymoon a year after the wedding and take her whole family along. Siobhan is the oldest of the family and loves nothing more than to be surrounded by her brothers and sisters while spending quality time with her husband, Macdara. Both are Garda, so it’s rare to have time off duty.

Sadly, the honeymoon isn’t one of those times as a dead body is found soon after they arrive. Siobhan is the one who finds it. Mrs. Chipper, purveyor of Siobhan’s favorite meal, fish and curried chips, hasn’t opened her shop on time. When Siobhan investigates, she finds the woman’s body at the foot of a ladder after what looks to most people to be an accidental fall. To Siobhan’s Garda eyes, it was murder.
It’s one thing to solve crimes when you know most of the people but to solve one where it’s not your jurisdiction and you know none of the players, is much harder. Most people would leave it to the local Garda and enjoy their honeymoon.

The local Garda looks to be over his head and Siobhan and Macdara are asked to assist. There are plenty of suspects—Mrs. Chipper’s husband divorced her, took up with her best friend (with rumors their ‘friendship’ started before the divorce was final), and opened a bigger, better chipper right across the street. Mrs. Chipper had gone a bit around the bend to keep her customers so maybe one of them decided to keep a secret, secret. A second, very public death implicates one of Siobhan’s brothers.

Siobhan and her family may squabble but are a tight knit group. She and Macdara work well together and have a strong sense of right and wrong. This is a series I always enjoy. This is book 10, with two Christmas novellas, two Home to Ireland books, also with two holiday novellas, and two County Kerry mysteries. If you’d like to take a holiday but can’t get away, these books will take you there, at least for a little while.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy
Review by Sandra Murphy

Megan Malone is a U.S. citizen working in Ireland as a limo driver. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she’s known as the ‘murder driver’. Not that she murders people, it’s just that she’s got a knack for finding the bodies, figuring out it was murder, and who did it. She doesn’t put herself at risk although risk sometimes finds her. However, her passion for the puzzle of it all has put her love life at considerable risk.

The Dublin Whiskey Festival is a competition for the best whiskey in Ireland. All the whiskey makers know each other but each wants to be the winner. Megan and her girlfriend are at the festival to root for their team which includes her uncle Rabbie. Of course, such an event will draw the ‘names’ to the challenge. One of the ‘names’ is Niamh, Megan’s friend who happens to be a film star. Another is a former boxer, Angus McConal. There are blind tastings to vote for the best whiskey and samples readily available.

As usual, not everyone in the group gets along. McConal has a way with the ladies, quite a list of ladies for someone so young. It takes years to refine a recipe, keep the project funded, and to produce a quality product that will leave customers clamoring for more and that brings stress and ill will.
When McConal dies at the whiskey tasting, it’s due to an allergic reaction. He did have a food allergy but nothing so common as peanuts. Who would know about it, be in the right place, at the right time, and not endanger others? It’s a puzzle that eats away at Megan until she finds the answers—but at what cost?

This is book five in the series. I like the way the story stays authentically Irish while explaining unfamiliar phrases or words to Megan (and the reader). Because Megan drives high priced clients, readers get to tag along on drives through the countryside or to attend events like the whiskey tastings.

Information about making whiskey is scattered throughout the book, never interfering with the story. To make a good book even better, Megan has two Jack Russell terriers.

Take a trip to Ireland without leaving your chair and don’t worry, Megan will be happy to drive you wherever you want to go. Just watch out for dead bodies along the way.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, PeggyEhrhart, and Liz Ireland
Review by Sandra Murphy

Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O’Connor

Tara Meehan relocated from New York to Ireland. She now runs a successful salvage shop, full of doors and doorknobs, pottery and jewelry, wrought iron gates and fountains. Tara is to be married to Danny on St. Pat’s Day. Since priests don’t perform marriage ceremonies on holidays, there will be a second wedding to make it extra-legal.

Tara was surprised by a hen party which is the Irish version of a bridal shower. This one involves a ferry trip to the Aran islands with the groom and groomsmen tagging along. As a surprise, two hunky guys, the Irish Dancing Twins, destined to be on Dancing with the Stars are aboard too. In somewhat of an error, Breanna, the maid of honor and organizer of the party, also invites Rachel, who she thinks is Tara’s best friend from the States.

Despite storm warnings the ferry heads for the islands with Tara thinking of the famous ‘three-hour tour’—except on that boat ride there wasn’t a dead body, a missing captain, or mysterious clues left behind.

Murder Most Irish by Peggy Ehrhart

Pamela and her best friend and neighbor, Bettina, are at their favorite lunch spot. It’s getting close to St. Pat’s Day but both turn down The Leprechaun, a minty green milkshake. While waiting for their food to arrive, they see a small herd of six sheep parade through town. As part of the sustainable living’s effort to raise awareness in slow fashion, the wool-heavy sheep are to be sheared while the public can watch, ask questions, and meet the sheep.

Of course, that was before the man a few booths over from Pamela and Bettina drank his milkshake and promptly fell over dead onto his hamburger and fries.

Bettina has to know what happened and how. After all, she’s a reporter for the weekly newspaper. Pamela is her accomplice and finder of clues.

Bettina’s husband Wilfred has taken over cooking duties since his retirement. The description of colcannon, how it’s made, corned beef, steamed turnips, Irish soda bread hot from the oven and coffee mallow will make anyone hungry. The recipe for coffee mallow is included as is a pattern for a knitted Irish potholder. Pamela is an avid knitter.

Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun by Liz Ireland

April met and fell in love with Nick before finding out he’s the real Santa Claus. Now she’s been living at the North Pole for three years and bringing holidays from the States to the elves. There are talking reindeer, living snowmen who shelter in place in ice houses in the warmer months, and elves who take the game of iceball seriously. The Twinklers are the home team with the Ice Bears favored to win. They almost always win. This year, Cruncher, the Twinklers star player is on the injured list, making the odds of winning even more dismal.

The Twinklers coach brought in two Wild Elves from the north to take Cruncher’s place and now the odds have improved. When the game is over and everyone (almost) is celebrating at the pub, it’s a shock to hear there’s been a fatal accident. Or was it? As Mrs. Claus, April has clout and knows the local police department (two people) is unlikely to solve the crime. Elves love sugar so enjoy their talk of ice cream, milkshakes in St. Pat’s flavors, fizzy sodas, and most especially, bright green velvet cakes. Sadly, no recipe included.

Collections like this one, where three authors pick a common theme and each write a 100-page story, offer readers widely varying characters, crimes, and clues. Perfect for a quick read, go for one at a time or settle in for all three—preferably with shamrock shortbread cookies, a minty milkshake, and slice of green velvet cake (or two).

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of all 3 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Irish” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 16, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.