This trio of tales is enough to turn readers green, in a good way. St. Patrick’s Day is the theme. Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland team up to provide three novellas in IRISH MILKSHAKE MURDER. The first story, which is actually set in Ireland, is the most convincing as we get a howling gale on the Atlantic’s jewels, the Aran Islands.
IRISH MILKSHAKE MURDER by Carlene O'Connor brings us a murder mystery during a hen party and stag party, as Tara Meehan, Danny O’Donnell, and friends are booked on the ferry to Inis Mór, the largest Aran Island. They intend to wed during the St. Patrick’s Day festival and yes, spring is often blustery in Ireland. Irish-dancing twin brothers Dave and Noel Carrigan join the party on the ferry trip as the island pub’s entertainment. Captain Mickey seems fine with the group drinking alcoholic milkshakes, but before they reach shore, one of the passengers is dead. The rest of the visitors then attempt to resolve the death, if it was a crime, without electricity, hot food, or dry clothes. This was quite addictive.
MURDER MOST IRISH by Peggy Ehrhart, by contrast, is much more civilised in nature. Set in Arborville, New Jersey, the wildest bunch in town is a flock of sheep about to be fleeced. Shearing sheep is highly interesting to knitter Pamela Paterson and her friend Bettina Fraser, who find fibers fascinating. The St. Patrick’s Day festival also includes tasty recipes for the kind of good solid food needed on a farm. So tragic, then, that an early death halts some of the festivities. Is it a coincidence that the deceased was drinking a green milkshake? Or was poison added in full view of a crowd? Pamela gets to work, although there’s nothing personal at stake for her so it’s quite a mild mystery.
MRS. CLAUS AND THE LUCKLESS LEPRECHAUN by Liz Ireland just didn’t do it for me, I’m afraid. I could see this setup providing a standalone novella to read around Christmas, but the characters in Santaland now enjoy festivities for St. Patrick’s Day. Nothing Irish really comes into this. Mrs. Claus is our main character and she drives a talking reindeer around town. There’s an ice cream shop called Santaland Scoop and the Santa’s Workshop elves meet other elf players in an iceball match, something like ice hockey. Again there’s a problem involving milkshakes and it seems that tensions between wild elves and locals may have reached an impasse. I’m sure other readers may enjoy this one more.
IRISH MILKSHAKE MURDER by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland will keep you entertained.
An Irish holiday anthology of cozy mysteries featuring a trio of today’s top cozy mystery authors that will make other cozy anthologies green with envy.
IRISH MILKSHAKE MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR In advance of their St. Patrick’s Day wedding, Tara Meehan and Danny O’Donnell are off to the Aran Islands with their bridesmaids and groomsmen for a joint hen and stag party. The weekend kicks off with the ferry trip to Inis Mór, as the passengers enjoy boozy milkshakes on board and entertainment from a pair of famous Irish-dancing twin brothers. But faster than Tara can say “Oh, Danny Boy,” a murder shamrocks the boat as someone’s spiked shake turns out to be their final round. Stuck in a rural island cottage, while a storm rages outside, Tara must find the Celtic killer before her luck runs out . . .
MURDER MOST IRISH by PEGGY EHRHART St. Patrick’s Day is drawing near in Arborville, New Jersey and the folks at Hyler's Luncheonette are getting into the holiday spirit with a new, limited-time, Irish-themed menu item--a festive green milkshake appropriately named, “The Leprechaun.” It’s a hit, until a patron is felled by one of the frothy concoctions during a sheep parade through the town. Now, it’s up to Pamela Paterson and her Knit & Nibble knitting club pal, Bettina Fraser, to catch a murderer and put a stop to the shear madness . . .
MRS. CLAUS AND THE LUCKLESS LEPRECHAUN by LIZ IRELAND Spring in Santaland means two things: the elves have more leisure time and iceball season is in full swing! To celebrate, April Claus’s friend, Claire, whips up some minty milkshakes for her bustling ice cream shop, Santaland Scoop. But when the St. Paddy’s promotion makes one elf the target of a decidedly unlucky strike, Mrs. Claus and her friends must figure out if the attack was a failed hit job, a crime of passion, or an extremely unfortunate accident . . .
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