Reverend Mother Aquinas is the head of a religious school in Cork, Ireland.  As such, she is invited to a retreat each year along with the leaders of the other religious schools in the area.  The retreat is typically a silent retreat of prayer and meditation that serves to refreshen her spirit and renew her energy.  This year’s retreat is slatted to be different.  Instead of the usual silent retreat, the Bishop has suspended the silent component and has invited the five candidates that are seeking the position of Alderman on Cork’s City Council. As predicted, the retreat proves to be anything but relaxing and refreshing, especially when one of the invited candidates is found dead in the Orchard Cemetery at the convent.

MURDER IN ORCHARD CEMETERY by Cora Harrison is a cozy mystery with a lot of political undercurrents.  Set in 1920s Ireland, this story is filled with references to the exploits of the IRA.  In fact, the IRA is the main suspect in the murder that occurs.  The author does a really good job of blending the historical and mystery aspects of the story.

This book is the eighth in a series.  I have not read any of the previous books in this series, but I did not feel as though I were missing any key components necessary for following the story.  Therefore, I would consider it a stand-alone novel.      

MURDER IN ORCHARD CEMETERY does not have any sex scenes or vulgar language. There is some violence, as one would expect in a murder mystery, but it is not overly graphic.

I recommend MURDER IN ORCHARD CEMETERY by Cora Harrison to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery or anyone who enjoys historical novels.