Here we are again with a trio of delectable goodies disguised as murder mysteries. I previously enjoyed the three novellas on the theme of milkshake murder, and now it’s the turn of IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER. The title story by Carlene O'Connor features Tara Meehan who has come from America to live in Galway. A special day held to celebrate local psychics, featuring freshly baked goods, is underway at Tara’s Uncle Johnny’s salvage warehouse, a former mill with the upper floor converted to accommodation. The entertaining psychics, who are friends, rivals and frenemies, are also suspects when one of them dies after eating some soda bread. A podcaster who tries to expose phony fortune tellers is on hand, but it seems unlikely he would doctor somebody’s baking.
AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by Peggy Ehrhart contains more mentions of foods and knitting than crime, so you won’t be on the edge of your seat. A soda bread bakeoff is being held in Arborville, New Jersey, on St. Patrick’s Day. Once more, most unfortunately, a taste of a contaminated loaf is all that’s required to cause a calamity. Bettina Fraser from the knitting club is determined to solve the mystery. There are a few recipes and a pattern in this story.
MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by Liz Ireland completes the set. I previously remarked how a mystery set in a wintry Santa land full of elves was fun, but not the expected fare. This book inverts the situation as April Claus, an American who married Santa, arrives home in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon. She is accompanied by three elf friends, who find everything novel, from the ocean to supermarkets. Their names are Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean. I found it hard to keep track of which were male or female, as they adopted new names for the locals. April has an old inn that she manages during summer, and the closed inn has spouted leaking pipes over winter. She’s here to sort the problems. St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, and the cute little people are in demand to dress as leprechauns for floats. In between hearing suspicious noises and baking soda bread, the elves and April discover a murder has occurred.
With bread recipes included, you may try some baking. I usually make a big loaf and freeze half of it. Soda bread can be brown or white, and may have currants, and is best enjoyed with real Irish butter. IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER is confined to fiction, fortunately, and this set of mysteries should keep you entertained while the bread bakes.
It’s almost time for the delicious warmth of Irish soda bread, but be careful where you bite–some of these recipes call for murder in this delicious collection of cozy mystery novellas featuring the popular St. Paddy’s Day treat.
IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR There’s very little time left before her wedding, but nonetheless Tara Meehan is helping out at her Uncle Johnny’s salvage mill for the day. Aunt Rose set up a convention for local psychics, including a bake sale to raise money for charity, but now she’s sick and available only via an iPad Johnny is carrying. The event promises to deliver a real pot of gold until Rose’s biggest rival shows up. Before Tara can utter a simple “top o’ the morning” to the man, he drops dead—with Johnny’s soda bread in his hands. It’s up to Tara to identify the deadly baker before another victim ends up chasing the rainbow straight into a grave . . .
AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, the Arborville, New Jersey, Advocate is sponsoring a soda bread–baking competition. Bettina Fraser is excited—her bake-off idea was the one to get the green light! But when a town councilman acting as a judge keels over after sampling an entry, the party atmosphere dies just as quickly. Now it’s up to Bettina and her Knit and Nibble knitting club bestie, Pamela Paterson, to find the killer responsible for the murderous morsel.
MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND When April Claus arrives in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon, to check on her flooded inn, her biggest worry is to keep everyone from realizing her three companions—Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean—are elves. But soon enough she has more serious worries—it looks like her hapless caretaker Ernie has been storing stolen goods at the inn! Then one of Ernie’s shady pals is found dead, and the murder weapon turns up in a decorative loaf of soda bread at April’s craft fair booth. It’s up to April to uncover the killer before she spends St. Patrick’s Day in the county jail!
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