by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon and an indie bookstore.

Life in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is changing. For the better? Not everyone thinks so. Lucy and Bill Stone are just back from Florida for his father’s funeral. It’s a sad time, but it was nice their kids were all able to be there and share memories of their granddad.

Back home, they’re stunned to receive a letter from a woman claiming to be Bill’s half-sister. She’s done a DNA kit, and it shows their relationship. Is she telling the truth or running a scam? What will it do to Bill’s mom to find out her recently deceased husband had been unfaithful? There has to be a way to protect mom’s interests without implying she’s gullible enough to fall for a scam.

At the Pennysaver, where Lucy is a part-time reporter, things are equally chaotic. Something’s going on, but Ted, her boss, isn’t giving any hints until the deed is done. Lucy’s afraid Ted’s selling the paper but instead he’s expanding and that means a new hire, Rob. He’s a cocky know-it-all who wants all the juicy assignments.

Rob’s sure there’s corruption just waiting to be exposed. Not used to small town life, he’s sure to upset more than a few people. Sure enough, his prying gets him into trouble he never imagined. As much as Lucy dislikes him and wishes he’d just go away, she knows he’s not as bad as it seems. Learning the truth could be hazardous to her health.

On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish or so the saying goes. However, the huge Irish parade is not as inclusive as the changing times expect—the Vietnam vets, Gay Pride, and other groups are denied permission to join in. Will the townspeople be able to adapt or be determined to remain out of step with the times? And what about Bill’s ‘sister’? Is she or isn’t she? Lucy hardly knows which way to turn.

This is book twenty-seven in the long running series, many reviewed here. Start anywhere, but for the complete picture of Lucy and her family, book one begins when her family isn’t yet complete, when she and Bill are just past newly wed. Irish Parade Murder shows her four children as adults or nearly so, a wonderful way to see the family grow into their personalities.

To enter to win a copy of Irish Parade Murder, 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 20, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

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You can use this link to purchase this book from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

Irish Parade Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery)

You can use this link to purchase these book from Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

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.