The village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, is excited to host the International Poker Tournament, particularly since the timing coincides with their annual Arts and Music Festival. The whole town is eager to meet the top three card sharks, Eamon "The Octopus" Foley, Shane Ross, and Clementine Hart. Siobhán O'Sullivan, still fairly new to her job as one of the Garda, is assigned to assist with crowd control. No one expected what happened, however, and now Siobhán and her supervisor (who is also her secret lover), Macdara Flannery, have a locked room mystery to solve. Was the death of the Octopus murder or suicide?

MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB is the fourth book in the Irish Village  series and what an intriguing mystery it is! Carlene O'Connor provides enough back history of the characters and town that MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB can be read easily as a standalone, particularly with all the visitors in town for the International Poker Tournament. Fans of the series will notice that the series is shifting more towards a detective story than a pure cozy mystery, but many of the cozy mystery elements are still there.

MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB is a fascinating detective story and I have to admit I'm enjoying Siobhán's transition into her role as one the Garda far more than I enjoyed her as the owner of the bistro. Siobhán's inner reflections about motherhood, relationships, and the job itself help shape her character and add depth to the storyline. Carlene O'Connor does a great job at capturing Siobhán's worries as she fills in as the mother for her large family and it's easy to relate to her when one of her siblings slips out at night without her awareness.

Carlene O'Connor treats readers to a glimpse of life in Ireland. From the quaint village atmosphere to the warm baked bread and yes, the sometimes family friendly (and other times raucous) Irish pubs, MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB captivates the readers. I've traveled to Ireland once before, but Carlene O'Connor has whetted my appetite for another Irish adventure! MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB is highly recommended!