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!
When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O'Sullivan’s
quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of
Hangman . . .
In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa
tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi’s Bistro,
managed by the many siblings of the lively O'Sullivan brood.
For a pint or a game of darts—or for the poker tournament
that's just come to town—it’s the pub you want.
One player’s reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker
out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has
eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the
end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub,
it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own
hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple
suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked.
But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very
pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley’s fellow finalists just
raised the stakes to life and death.
With conflicting theories on the crime—not to mention the
possibility of a proposal—tensions are running high between
Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a
killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she
may be the next one taken out of the game . . .