Murder at an Irish Wedding (Irish Village Mystery, #2) by Carlene OConnor

Murder at an Irish Wedding (Irish Village Mystery, #2) Reviews

• 
  Thomas

  This is book 2 in the series. I read book 1 and gave it 3.5/5, but this one is only 2.5/5. Siobhan O'Sullivan is a young woman who has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She runs a bistro in the fictional town of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland. She is also the chief caregiver/parent for 5 siblings since both her parents were killed in an accident. She does have an older brother, but he is a recovering alcoholic.
  She is catering a wedding in her small village, when a murder takes place. The best man is found dead.
  Pros: The author, an Irish American, has done well incorporating Irish slang/speech rhythms into the dialogue. The plot does get resolved with all threads completed. I like that Siobhan is a plucky woman who is drawn to be a detective(setting up plot line for book 3).
  Cons: Siobhan is not a police officer(Garda) but still can't help herself investigating the murder. She puts herself in dangerous situations unnecessarily. She is attacked by the killer twice and in real life would probably be dead or at least in hospital. She only has bruises. My wife says this reminds her of Mannix, tv show from the 70s. Mannix would get into knock down fights and end up with not a hair on his head out of place. One of her siblings complains that she promised to take them shopping for new school clothes but now is too involved with finding the killer to keep her promise.
  I may, or may not , continue reading this series. NetGalley invited me to review this book and I thank them.
• 
  Hannah

  2 stars for "it was okay"... I did not personally feel comfortable reading on. It's marketed as a cozy mystery, but it in fact does not conform to the "clean" understanding for the genre. After a few too many details on who's sleeping with who, who might be in the family way, what a "hen party" is, drunkenness and smoking, and quite a bit of taking God's name in vain.
  
  The cultural aspect is fun, and the writing good...I just didn't feel that it fit into the cozy-mystery expectations and thus not into a genre I enjoy reading....there was a trifle too much "soap opera" for me.
  
  I received a free copy from NetGalley for review purposes.
• 
  Susan

  I cannot tell you how much I disliked this book. I disliked the characters particularly the "heroine" Siobhan, the weak plot, the incredibly dumb ending, the weak vocabulary and the use of every Irish cliché the author could find. It was so obvious an American wrote this book because an Irish author would have been run out of the country.
  
  I read the first book of the series and rather liked it so I was glad to get an opportunity to read the second one. Thank you Net Galley for that. I have never been so disappointed. Siobhan O'Sullivan is in her early 20's, running the family bistro and raising her five younger siblings after the untimely death of her parents. A famous fashion model with a billionaire father picks the town of Kilbane for her wedding. Siobhan's garda boyfriend, Macdara knows the groom.
  
  The best man is murdered and Siobhan immediately thrusts herself into the role of lead investigator. She questions suspects who answer her. Why would anyone respond to the young eatery owner? Lawyers, business owners, celebrities all respond to her questions with fear and anxiety. Really? Siobhan misrepresents herself several times as a garda because she's dating one. Close enough. She tramples crime scenes, takes evidence and conceals it from the authorities and envisions herself as the best investigator in town. Why she isn't in jail? Because of her meddling, another person is killed. Oh, well. And, of course, as the best investigator around gets the murderer completely wrong.
  
  The clichés are many and annoying. The author continually switches up the term garda/guard/gardi so you never know what version you're going to get. Every wedding tradition from the Middle Ages on is trotted out until it gets absurd. The bride, a high fashion model, goes down the aisle with a horseshoe in one hand and a bell to ward off evil spirits in the other. Really?
  
  Do yourself a favor and don't read this. It will be the last one I read from this "author".
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Patcee

  Author Carlene O’Connor loves her Irish heritage and is immersed in all things Irish. With her background, she is building a series on murders taking place in Ireland far away from her US home. Putting together a cozy murder mystery with an intimate wedding in a castle should be a winner. But it’s not. How can that be?
  
  Paul and Bree invited a small group to spend a few days of celebration in small town Kilbane. Surprisingly, best man Kevin was found dead from a brutal attack on a hillside. Siobhan runs a cafe, nurtures her five siblings and solves mysteries on the side. At first, she obnoxiously insinuates herself into Kevin’s case. She has good judgment though, so, with permission, she is allowed into the investigation.
  
  Some time ago, I discovered that writers can sometimes be afflicted with a case of ‘TMTM’ disease (my diagnosis) that distracts from a good read. Let me offer O’Connor’s examples.
  Too many
  * annoying characters
  * references to food
  * cliches
  * distractions away from the plot
  
  Too much
  * repetition
  * attitude
  * snark
  * conflict
  * Irish jargon
  * Irish stereotyping
  
  As much as the overall story arc is quite clever, I did quit part way through, but I gave it a second chance. Kevin’s murder line and indeed a second murder, then the subsequent ending are quite good.
  2.5 stars upped to 3 seems pretty fair.
  
  BONUS: Irish tradition
  The newlyweds celebrate by drinking mead, made from fermented honey, shared until the first full moon after the wedding. Thus, the term, honeymoon. It was intended as an auspicious beginning for the couple and an aid in fertility.
• 
  Obsidian

  Something missing
  
  These really don't read as cozy mysteries. This was better than book #1 though. But with Siobhan planning on a next step that will change her life, these are now definitely mystery novels.
  
  Full review: As I said, much better than book #1. Siobhán O’Sullivan is front and center again in this one along with her 5 other siblings. Taking place 6 months after the events in the last book, Siobhán is hired to deliver her famous brown bread to a wedding party and has plans to host the same party later on. When she arrives on scene she finds out people are missing and then people are told there's a dead body about. Siobhán can't sit still and starts interrogating people and goes off to explore the crime scene with her boyfriend, local garda Macdara Flannery. When suspects can't get cleared, and Macdara even being brought up as a potential one, Siobhán is determined to find the real killer.
  
  Siobhán is hard to take in this one. But now with the direction of the other books I get why I wasn't resonating with this character at all. She didn't fit the usual cozy murder female heroine to me.
  
  The other characters don't quite fit either. I think that because there are some really hard topics in this books (still discussion of the O'Sullivan family parents deaths, murders from last book, discussion of alcoholism, stalking, etc.)
  
  The writing was solid and the flow was much better.
  
  The ending was a definite surprise though. And I realized that how Siobhán solved things was pretty simple to Miss Marple. I am wondering if that is why I couldn't get a handle on book #1, I was picking up Miss Marple vibes and not cozy mystery vibes. Either way, going to read book #3 and see how I like it.
• 
  Rachel Aranda

  I have to give this book a 2.5 rating for this sequel in the Irish murder series. This is also the same rating I gave the first book. I will go over my reasons for why the sequel is on par with the first book as there are both flaws and slight improvements from the author.
  
  On a small note, there were misspellings and punctuation errors throughout the book that bothered me. There seemed to be more than the first book in the series and I don't quite understand why that would be since this is a follow up novel. The editor could have done a better job but it wasn't the worst that could have been done.
  
  I still cannot tell if this series is a true murder mystery or cozy murder mystery because the characters are so dumb and incompetent. The main character, Siobahn O'Sullivan, is clumsy, nosy, and not someone I particularly like or would consider someone I'd want to be my PI. When the town is enclosed by a fortified wall you take who you can get I suppose. With the supporting characters she surrounded by it isn't completely surprising that she's considered the smart one as they are just dramatic and self-centered rich people who don't have the minds for figuring things out. So Siobahn is the smart one but she isn't that smart as she makes tons of mistakes. Everytime she gets caught making a mistake she gets reprimanded the Chief Superintendent O'Brien; I was so excited she was being told no, but couldn't take it seriously because he was so focused on fixing this wobbly desk at his temporary head quarters. Also never heard or saw him do any kind of police work except delivering news about who could go to the castle or sitting behind that desk.
  
  This moves on to my next issue: the plot. I admit I was very interested to see who the killer was as there were a plethora of suspects. The only one I knew who didn't do it was Garda Macdara Flannery, Siobahn's love interest throughout the series, because we knew he just wasn't stupid enough to leave a personal item of his behind at a crime scene. Still there were moments that made me think that this man who holds the law so highly wouldn't let his girlfriend go on a stakeout with him when he's supposed to be off the case as he's a murder suspect. Like this is hokey even for a cozy mystery. This seemed like stretch of a murder mystery by any standards.
  
  There was an improvement from the first novel with how I couldn't figure out who the murderer was. There really seemed like a lot of possible motives and suspects. If you read enough mysteries you can figure out who did what and why but this one had me interested and unsure throughout the book. I enjoyed how difficult it was to find the killer, which is the reason I wanted to keep reading. Once the killer was revealed, the reasons for the killings and the ways they killed their victims made complete sense. It still wasn’t enough for me to like this book or count it as super memorable.
• 
  Kate Baxter

  I loved the background story in the book. The heroine is the eldest sibling left in charge of a passel of kids whose parents are no longer living. The dynamics of the family are charming and heartwarming. The heroine is also bright, headstrong and clever as she naturally figures out who did what when. The main plot itself is a bit whimsical but still has it own charm. I found this 2nd book of An Irish Village mystery to be a lighthearted and easy read for the sheer joy of escapism.
• 
  Doreen Petersen

  What a head spinning cozy mystery! Just loved it! I want more from this author!
• 
  Carlymor

  3.5 solid stars. Siobhan's beau Macdara is best man in a wedding after the original best man offends nearly everyone in the wedding party and ends up murdered. When Siobhan decides to investigate, Macdara doesn't mind this time, as he's one of the suspects. It seems his garda cap was found underneath the dead man's body.
  
  The mystery was good and I wasn't able to figure out who the killer was. The only negative was that just about the entire wedding party was a group of the most unlikable people ever.
• 
  Lisa Morin

  Siobhán O’Sullivan is at it again in this second book by Carlene O'Connor.
  It's time for a wedding and nothing says love like a feuding family, drunk wedding attendants and of course, murder!
  
  The bride is horrified at the turn of events and when rumors begin to grow, Siobhan is the one who must solve the mystery. Her new beau, Macdara is a suspect and has no choice but to put his faith in Siobhan.
  
  I was fascinated by all the family drama in this story. I must admit, I was blown away at the end, I was kept guessing all the way through.
  This was an exciting addition to this series, I look forward to more!
  I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
• 
  Teresa

  3.5 stars
  This one took a little bit longer to get into, but towards the midway point, I felt much more invested. I really enjoy the O'Sullivan Six. The family scenes are some of my favorite.
• 
  Anne

  Fun Mystery
  
  Trees books have fun interesting characters. The mystery keeps you guessing alk the way through once again. I never had a clue who the murderer was until it was revealed. Now on to book 3!
• 
  Sherry Sharpnack

  Book #2 in the Irish Village Mystery series picks up a few months after Book #1. Siobhán's boyfriend, Macdara, has a friend marrying a supermodel in their scenic village, Kilbane. The groom's best man, Kevin, apparently went out of his way to offend nearly everyone in the wedding party, and is found murdered the next morning on a hilltop behind the castle in which the wedding party is staying. Unfortunately, Macdara's garda cap is found under the dead man's body, making him a suspect along with everyone else in the wedding party.
  Siobhán jumps into solving the mystery, and apparently Macdara is OK with her doing so, much unlike in Book #1. Again, Siobhán manages to offend nearly everyone w/ her nosiness and keen sense of observation. The English owners of the local castle look guilty when they abandon their property in the midst of the murder investigation. Are they involved? Is it one of the bride's snooty, rich parents? Is it one of the groom's parents? Is it the groom himself? It surely could NOT be Macdara... could it???
  Siobhán's family and their little café are very important to her in Book #1, but all takes a back seat in this book, which I found jarring and inconsistent w/ her history as we have seen it. However, again, I did not figure out the identity of the murderer until told, which is always a mark of a successful dozy mystery for me. I also enjoyed the bits and bobs of old Irish customs and lore to which we are treated in these mysteries. A solid three stars.
• 
  Karen

  This second book in the series did not disappoint!
  The Irish village and its inhabitants are a pleasure to read about.
  The whodunit was well written and kept me guessing right until the reveal.
  The relationship between Siobhan and her siblings and their personalities ring true to life for me.
  I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
  I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
• 
  Anna Bendewald

  I hurried back to the quiet Irish countryside - quiet except for the occasional murder. Enjoyed as much as the first book, but a couple of the characters weren't as likable as the first book, but I can't like them all can I?
• 
  Stormi (StormReads)

  I didn't like this one as much as I did the first one, it seems the MC thinks she is part of the police instead of the owner of a Bistro, when did she change careers?
• 
  Patrizia

  4 stelle e mezza
  In alcuni punti la storia mi sembra che viri un po' al confusionario/assurdo, ma non è male. E non avevo proprio considerato la persona che si è poi rivelata colpevole... L'ambientazione irlandese è davvero carina: mi piacerebbe vivere in un posto simile. Delitti esclusi, ovviamente.
• 
  Aisling

  My second in this series (reading completely out of order) and I am even more impressed. Fantastic plotting, a joy to read, a completely unexpected ending. This author is an excellent cozy mystery writer!
• 
  Christa

  This second Irish Village Mystery was one that I enjoyed. I really like the main character, Siobhan O'Sullivan, who runs her late parents' bistro and takes care of her brothers and sisters. Her boyfriend, Macdara Flannery, a member of the local garda, is also a great character.
  
  In this book, a couple who comes to the village to get married, becomes tangled up in a murder. It is the best man who has been murdered, and Macdara, who is part of the wedding party, is banned from investigating, as he has to be considered a suspect. Siobhan steps up and tries to find the killer.
  
  One of my favorite aspects of this book is the setting of the small Irish village. It makes a great backdrop for the story.
• 
  Kristina

  Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O’Connor is the second book in An Irish Village Mystery series. Siobhan O’Sullivan is called to bring brown bread up to the Kilbane Castle for a wedding party. Her families’ café, Noami’s Bistro is catering the meals for the wedding group. Fashion model Alice Cahill is marrying Paul Donnelly on Saturday. The female members of the wedding party are outside waiting for the guys to show up to take a group picture (they are all in matching blue tracksuits). The men slowly show up, but one member is still at large. Kevin Gallagher, the best man, has not been seen. They soon hear a scream, and Chef Antoine runs out of the woods. He states there is a dead body in the woods. Garda Macdara Flannery is among the wedding guests and he takes off to check out the chef’s story. Siobhan, of course, is not about to be left behind. The dead man is face down so they cannot confirm his identity. Siobhan does notice that Macdara’s garda cap is under the man’s arm. Instead of investigating the crime, Macdara ends up at the top of the suspect list. Siobhan feels compelled to investigate the murder (she feels it is her calling). She starts questioning the wedding guests while they are awaiting for the investigators. The bride’s father, Colm Cahill is glad there is a reason to call off the wedding. Siobhan, though, offers to help Alice find an alternate location. Colm feels Alice is marrying beneath her. Alice is determined to have her wedding day and marry the love of her life. The local garda do not appreciate Siobhan’s assistance with the case, but that does not deter her. When a second victim turns up dead, Siobhan hatches a plan to catch the killer.
  
  I found Murder at an Irish Wedding to be easy to read and has a lovely setting. I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Murder at an Irish Wedding is not my type of cozy mystery. I found it a little far-fetched and over-the-top. Each member of the wedding party is worse than the next (of course). They all have issues. Siobhan is a very unpleasant character. Her idea of an investigation is to run around annoying people with her questions and badgering them for answers. I have no idea why anyone outside of her village would answer her questions. Siobhan steals evidence and withholds it from the police (unless it suits her). She then badgers the investigator in charge with her theories (which they do not appreciate). Many times, Siobhan passes herself off as an officer of the law (she is dating an officer which is close to the truth according to her). Then, all of the sudden, the police allow Siobhan to help (it makes no sense). Siobhan believes herself to be the best investigator in the town (which is mentioned more than once). The book is packed full of action. It is one silly thing after another. I give Murder at an Irish Wedding 2 out of 5 stars (just too ridiculous). The best part of the book is the mystery. If you are an avid mystery reader, you should be able to identify the killer before the reveal (this is why I gave it 2 stars). The author used many clichés in this novel. I also found three different words for garda. We have garda, guard, and gardai (which one is it). At the wedding the author trotted out numerous old Irish wedding traditions (the bride wearing blue, Irish lace, burying a Child of Prague statue, etc.). Can you imagine a bride going down the aisle carrying a horseshoe in one hand and a bell in the other? The romance between Siobhan and Macdara seems forced. There is no chemistry between them. I will not be continuing with An Irish Village Mystery series. It is just not the right type of book for me.
• 
  Carla

  Murder at an Irish Wedding is the second book in the Irish Village Mystery series by author Carlene O'Connor. If you have not read the first one, this book could be read as a stand alone. The only difficulty may be getting familiar with Irish slang and the names which were explained in the first book.
  
  Siobhan O'Sullivan and her five younger siblings run Naomi's Bistro in the small village of Kilbane. They inherited the cafe when both parents were killed in an automobile accident. In this story, Alice, a famous and rich fashion model, is getting married to Paul, a friend of Macdara's (Siobhan's boyfriend). When the best man is murdered the day before the wedding, Macdara is unable to investigate because he was in the wedding party and they are all suspects. He asks Siobahn to help out. There are a lot of suspects from the bride's parents who think Paul is not worthy of their daughter, to the photographer who is always sneaking around, the chef who found the body, the groom's parents who do not like Alice's family and even the groom who hates the brides father. The rest of the O'Sullivan 6 and many of the residents of Kilbane add some meat to the story as well as some humour. The one thing that bothered me about this book was the way Siobhan treated the people she was questioning. She was rather rude and obnoxious and did not seem to have any concern with personal boundaries. Even though she was trying to solve the crime, she is not a gard and therefore really did not have a leg to stand on, yet pretty much everyone answered her questions. It turns out that once again, she proves that she is a good investigator. She asks intelligent questions, she is a good listener and she is very observant. The story was fast-paced, and kept me guessing throughout. Once I got part way into the book, I did not want to put it down until I found out who the murderer was. The ending took me by surprise which always makes a good read for me. I'm looking forward to reading about Siobahn's future adventures. There are a lot of ways that Siobhan's, her siblings' and Macdara's lives could go. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a relatively non-violent mystery. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
• 
  Jay

  The second book in Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village mystery series finds Siobhan O'Sullivan and her family helping to cater for the wedding of a famous fashion model holding her wedding in their hometown of Kilbane, Ireland.
  
  But when the body of the groom's best man shows up, all bets are off. With her "boyfriend" Macdara Flannery a suspect because they found his Garda hat with the body, Siobhan once again begins to look into the murder herself.
  
  But how do you sort through a list of suspects that seems endless. It seems everyone that could be the murderer had a reason for wanting to kill the victim. The groom, the bride's domineering and controlling father, her mother, the maid of honor and yes, even Macdara.
  
  What made this book even better than the first one was that instead of being constantly told to butt out of the investigation, Siobhan actually gets some encouragement. It doesn't last throughout the story, but for a while she's on the inside of the investigation. And that was an improvement over the standard plotline where the series lead is constantly told to stay out of things.
  
  Things with the O'Sullivan family are somewhat normal. The older brother James is now sober and running the family bistro. The rest of the brood are preparing to go back to school. Sister Ann is having some issues, but otherwise Siobhan's family life is at least somewhat stable. This is allowing her the chance to apply for some online colleges. But a nice twist in that plotline sets up book 3 in a rather unusual for a cozy kind of way.
  
  Between the investigation aspect of the tale and the service to the subplots, things dovetailed together nicely. And even better was the fact that I wasn't able to figure out the killer until the very end when said reveal came about.
  
  While I liked the first book in the series, I can say that I LOVED this one and can't wait to see what the author has in store for readers next.
• 
  Maggie

  This is the second book by Carlene O'Connor featuring recurring characters. I enjoyed the first one so was pleased that I got hold of another one as I found the O'Sullivan family to be a great bunch of characters.
  
  This time celebrities have come to Kilbane. A famous model is to be married, but the morning after the wedding party have arrived at the venue the best man is murdered. Siobhan with her love of mysteries cannot help but get involved.
  
  There are red herrings galore, snapshots of type-cast Irish folk which all makes it a bit of a romp. I do find that the frequent peppering of slang jars with the rest of the narrative however, that apart, it is an enjoyable light read.
  
  Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for giving me the chance to read & review it.
• 
  Rebecca

  3.5 STARS
  
  This a cute cozy, with an cheeky and delightful heroine. Some of the antics are a little over the top, but I enjoy the entertainment. Also, the Irish setting is fabulous.
  
  I'll definitely continue with the series.
• 
  Jan

  I really wanted to like this book. Come on, a wedding, a castle, a bistro, set in Ireland? Should be great. It was awful. The main character Siobahn, who is the owner of the bistro, immediately started questioning all the wedding guests about the murder. She was aggressive and totally annoying. She interfered with the crime scene and evidence. At one point the suggested the police (Guards) should have consulted with her before allowing someone to leave. The guards told her to back off but instead she persisted and in the end they deferred to her!! None of the characters were likable in my opinion. The writer tried to cram in as much Irish slang and customs as she could-Siobhan used the term “keep my gob shut” so many times It was annoying. The characters’ names were so difficult to pronounce- surely there is an Irish name other than Grainne’ or Ciara’n she could have used. I struggled to finish the book. There is a slight surprise at the end. I won’t be reading any more books in this series. Disappointing.
• 
  Nicole

  Murder at an Irish Wedding is the second book in the Irish Village Mystery series by author Carlene O'Connor, and I hope it won't be the last! The story was fast-paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing throughout. We return again to Kilbane, where the wedding of a famous model and her fiance (a friend of Macdara) is to take place. The best man is murdered the day before the wedding, Macdara is unable to investigate due to his relationship with the groom and bridal party, and Siobahn is asked to help out. The rest of the O'Sullivan 6 and most of the residents of Kilbane also feature in the book, as well as a host of characters brought in for the wedding. The ending took me by surprise (always a plus!!!), and I'm looking forward to reading about Siobahn's future adventures. Highly recommend! :-)
• 
  PugMom

  This 2nd book in the Irish Village Mystery series was just as engaging and suspenseful as the first! The bride isn't having too much luck with her wedding plans, especially when the best man is murdered! What did he do to deserve such a fate? Siobhan O Sullivan thinks that maybe he wasn't the intended victim. Between matching track suites, several red herrings, and her bistro and brood to take care of, Siobhan almost runs out of Irish luck before she figures out who the culprit is!
  I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
  I received this book via Netgalley.
• 
  Mary

  An excellent follow-up to Murder in an Irish Village. I'm growing very fond of Siobhán and her brood. Siobhán is maturing as a detective. I hope she really does become Garda O'Sullivan. I'd love to see her and Macdara become a sleuthing team that occasionally includes all of Siobhán's brood for warm fuzzies and comic relief.
• 
  Susan Lindemulder

  Thoroughly enjoyed this second book as much as the first. Love mysteries, and when you add in the Irish traditions, descriptions, etc., well, that's a good book!! Kudos Ms. O'Connor.
• 
  Anita Johnson

  This is my kind of mystery. It is suspenseful but made me laugh out loud at times. If you enjoy watching episodes of Father Brown, this is your cup of tea (with a slice of brown bread).