Murder at an Irish Christmas (Irish Village Mystery, #6) by Carlene OConnor

Murder at an Irish Christmas (Irish Village Mystery, #6) Reviews

• 
  Tina

  This is a cozy mystery, and it is the 7th book in the Irish Village Mystery series. I really enjoyed this book, and it pulled me for the beginning. There is a lot about music. I really enjoyed the mystery part of this book, but I really enjoyed the characters. The characters where fun and felt real to me. This is a fast-paced cozy mystery with wonderful characters. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Carlene O'Connor) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
• 
  Monica (is working the heck out of

  Let me begin by stating for the record that Murder at an Irish Christmas was about what I'd expect .
  
  You get a twisty, fast paced cozy mystery with some humor, warm family fuzzies and a little tension to keep you invested.
  
  You also get a nice surprise at the end, one I don't mind sharing, as it's more Christmas gift than plot spoiler.
  
  Long-time fans of this series know all about the village's obsession with Siobhán's brown bread.
  
  I've included the recipe here for anyone who hasn't yet gotten to this one but still wants to enjoy a bit of holiday cheer, O'Sullivan style.
  
  
  
  "Ingredients:
  
  2 and ½ cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour.
  
  1 and ½ cups white flour (King Arthur).
  
  ½ cup rolled oats.
  
  1 and ½ tsp salt.
  
  1 tsp baking soda.
  
  1 and ¾ cup buttermilk.
  
  2 tbsps. molasses.
  
  Instructions:
  
  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
  In a separate bowl, Wisk together buttermilk and molasses.
  
  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pore in buttermilk mixture.
  Add a drop of Guinness for luck.
  
  Stir mixture with a fork until combined.
  Cover your hands with flour and knead the dough into a ball.
  
  Place the dough ball on a lined cookie sheet, pressing it flat until it is a few inches thick.
  
  Carve a cross into the center.
  
  Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
  
  Reduce oven temp to 400 and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
  
  Note:
  
  For a soft bread, try baking at 180 degrees for one hour."
  
  My Note:
  
  Tried this one and found it to be a complete bust.
  
  Either I'm a crap baker or something with the recipe is off.
  
  In any case, bake at your own risk.
  
• 
  NAT.orious reads ☾

  2.5 STARS ★★✬✩✩
  

  This book is … neither particularily mysterious nor does it carry a lot of Christmas vibes. I cannot recommend this without breaking the inofficial oath reviewers take: always speak your heartfelt truth.

  
  ⤐ Overall.
  I keep saying the same thing when I review crime novels: I am easily bored by crime novels and thus have set a high bar for crime novels to convince me. Now to the fun part; How much convincing do you think happened in this book? I reckon you guessed right:
  
  
  Not even reviews of trusted fellow Goodreaders can help; I tend to be disappointed most of the time and regret having even spent time on the book.
  
  Less than a week since I finished Murder at an Irish Christmas and I've already forgotten most of the characters and the plot. That honestly says it all. I was initially rating this 3 stars simply because I liked the Irish part of the book but in the end not even my favourite dialect in the whole wide world could fix my feelings towards this book.
  
  The mystery was boring, I did not connect to any of the characters and couldn't care less for the investigation. 'Nuff said, right?
  
  ⤐ What’s happening.
  Two families meet on a secluded island to celebrate Christmas together. Not a lot of celebrating will be going on with the infamous head of the hosting family, a conductor, crushed by a ninety-pound harp. And murders are never fun.
  _____________________
  3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some things irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.
  
  2 STARS. Definitely a disappointment. It might not even have been worth finishing for a variety of reasons.
• 
  exploraDora

  Rtc.
• 
  Kate Baxter

  This sixth book in Carlene O'Connor's, "An Irish Village Mystery" series, is as charming a mystery as they get. Ms. O'Connor weaves the old Irish folk ways into her current day Irish tales. This time it's an extended-family holiday gathering and the O'Sullivan clan is making a holiday of it. That is until one of the family members winds up dead under an orchestral harp. Even on vacation, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan can't seem to help herself and has soon insinuated into helping on the investigation.
  
  What adds to the fun of this book are all the blatant holiday puns sprinkled throughout. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing humorous about murder or death, but poke fun at the human condition, add a few puns and you have a few hours of delightful escapism.
  
  The writing is good. The scene settings are rich with generous description. The dialogue among O'Sullivan siblings is spirited yet full of love. There's a long list of potential murder suspects which eventually gets whittled down and the perpetrator unveiled just at the peak of tension. All in all, this was a most enjoyable cozy mystery and a perfect holiday read.
• 
  Anne

  Great Series
  
  I love this series of books. I love them being set in Ireland where my great great Grandfather is from. The O'Sullivan six are awesome and fun characters. I picture Siobhan as Maureen O'Hara from the movie The Quiet Man. Then there's always a cast of great characters who are associated with the movie and best of all Macdara., Siobhan's love interest. This book was set at Christmas where you learn some Irish Christmas traditions and solve a murder.
• 
  Micky Cox

  The O'Sullivan Clan are back in action and this time they've taken the mystery on the road for Christmas! It's hard enough to meet future in-laws, but finding them over a dead body and then having to suspect one of them as the murderer definitely takes things to a new level. Especially when you already have a strained relationship with your brother's future wife to be! This is an intriguing mystery as it takes the locked room type mystery and puts into a real life scenario. It's fun to attempt to unwind the mystery along with the guarda! As always the characters are at once loveable, frustrating, funny and annoying just as they are written to be! I absolutely have fallen in love with this series and look forward to reading more in the future!
• 
  Alan

  A murder investigation in a posh Irish home in the middle of a raging snowstorm.
  
  O'Connor weaves an entertaining holiday mystery with a charming protagonist and plenty of twists.
  
  A well-conceived 'locked room' mystery.
• 
  Carlymor

  4.5 stars. This is a really well written mystery. I read the first book in this series but none of the others in between that and this one (#6). But, I had no trouble getting caught up. Siobhan and her brood head to a family Christmas celebration with brother James' fiance Elise, and her family. When Elise's grandfather is found dead, Garda Siobhan steps in to help in the investigation, even though it's not her jurisdiction. It's a good thing since the local authorities seem to want to rush the investigation and possibly arrest the wrong person. The mystery is intriguing and kept me guessing to the end.
  
  I like Siobhan very much. Her family and fiance Macdara are also wonderful characters. The future inlaws will take some getting used to- if James does marry Elise in a future book. I'm looking forward to finding out. I'm also going to read the books that I missed in this-so far- very enjoyable series.
• 
  Peggy R

  Over the years, this series has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I look forward to each new book. I love the O'Sullivan siblings and it has been so entertaining watching them each grow into who they will be as an adult. Siobhan has taken on a lot of responsibility in raising her siblings after her parent's death, but she is starting to make a life separate for herself. I wasn't sure at first if I would like her becoming a member of the Garda, but I think she has a strong sense of deductive reasoning and she sees things that others miss or may disregard. I think her relationship with Macdara Flannery is progressing nicely and that he treats her as an equal when they are on the case, valuing her thoughts and input.
  
  This mystery is centered around the murder of Elise's grandfather at Christmas time. There is a lot going on in this book and the author does a good job of trying to convince the reader that the killer is a specific character. However, readers need to look beyond the red herrings laid down in the story to the clues sprinkled throughout. I was surprised by the reveal but thought it was well done and made a lot of sense.
  
  I will definitely be returning for more books in the future. I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
• 
  Barbara

  I am only giving this 2 stars because I finished it. I had to finish because the author named so many suspects - just about everyone except the murder victim, the Garda/Guards or police, and the actual murderer. This was so annoying. It is set in Ireland but the only details that the novel includes is that the whiskey mill makes a horrible Irish Cream alcoholic drink, and people gossip a lot. I had to google "whiskey mill" because I'd never heard the phrase. I've visited whiskey distilleries but whiskey mill??? I looked up the phrase and only found a restaurant in North Carolina.
  
  I am a reader who dislikes almost all novels written by Americans that are set in Ireland. Although this author doesn't share her nationality on her Goodreads profile (this is typical of American writers posing as Irish), googling her shows that she lives in Chicago. I read novels set in Ireland in order to soak up genuine cultural details, speech patterns, history and all of the kinds of flavor that so many readers hope to get when reading a book set in a foreign place. There are loads of Americans looking for a piece of the Emerald Isle, though this book offers almost none. I borrowed this from Hoopla through my library so my only investment was time. Thank goodness or I'd be really grumpy about spending money on it.
  p.s. I listened at 1.5 speed just to get through it
• 
  Fatima A. Alsaif

  This was an ok book .. But it was a bit challenging for me to keep up with all of the characters that I wasn't able to have any suspicions about anyone. And I wish the book had more holiday vibes into it. However, this book could be a good movie or a mini series.
• 
  Bridget

  Murder at an Irish Christmas is the 6th book in the Irish Village Mystery series.
  
  This was my 1st in this series. Although it was book six, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. Protagonist Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan was a great character who I liked immensely from the first chapters. She was smart and fiery and had sound reasoning for her thoughts and actions which not all main characters of cosy mysteries possess!
  
  The seaside setting in West Cork, Ireland was beautifully described by Carlene O'Connor with the craggy beach, gusting winds, and freezing snow and I could picture the homely Christmassy scene as a tree was decorated with sea glass, shells and driftwood. There was no shortage of engaging chapters so I was thoroughly invested in finding out what would happen next. The great cast of characters, especially the O'Sullivan clan, helped to zhoosh up this festive cozy. The author really impressed me with her fluid writing; the details of the plot were very well-executed, and the story was amusing and easy to follow. I was kept guessing until the very end and really enjoyed this Yuletide yarn. I am looking forward to reading book 7, Murder in an Irish Bookshop as well as the others from the series. If you adore a great Crimbo cozy mystery, locked room style, don't miss out on Murder at an Irish Christmas!
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
  
• 
  Rachel

  Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O’Connor is the 6th book in the amazing Irish Village Mystery series (not including a novella included in the equally amazing book containing a trio of novellas, Christmas Cocoa Murder 2019).
  
  I have to admit that this is one of my favorite series, and I have read every book by Ms. O’Connor, so I was so delighted to know that I could visit the wonderful O’Sullivan six (but really is it six anymore with the wonderful additions to the family?) again in County Cork.
  
  This time instead of the story being placed in their quaint, quirky, and endearing small village of Kilbane, this festive novel takes the family to the far west of Ireland to a remote, coastal villiage that is where Elise (James’s betrothed) and her family live. And boy does she have a family. Of course, it cannot be a simple Christmas gathering, family introductions, and a symphony of epic proportions, but a fabulous murder/mystery of Elise’s grandfather, a famous composer, and the whole complicated family is ensnared. There are suspects galore, everywhere a new twist pops up, everyone has a secret to hide, and it is up to Siobhan and her wonderful soon to be other half Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery to infiltrate this mayhem and web of mystique to find who has been naughty and who has been nice.
  
  I loved the new location, the entire character cter cast, the intricate and entertaining plot, the mysteries kept me guessing clear until the end, and I love, love, love Sionhan and Dara. They are great people and make a great team.
  
  This is a great addition to one of my favorite series. I cannot wait to read what happens next.
  
  5/5 stars
  
  Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
  
  I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.
• 
  Carla

  The O'Sullivan Clan are back in the sixth edition of an Irish Village Mystery. This time they've left Kilbane and headed off to West Cork for Christmas with James' fiancée's family. Of course, murder seems to follow them, and shortly after arriving, they find the patriarch of the Elliot family, dead on the floor of the Old Mill where a Christmas Eve Concert is supposed to take place. At first it is ruled an accident, but as clues and facts are uncovered, it is obvious, that it was a murder. Siobhán puts on her Garda cap and offers to help in the investigation.
  
  I really like the O'Sullivans. The younger siblings are lovable, but frustrating. They are bored and just want to celebrate Christmas. Siobhán is amazing. Not only did she take on guardianship of her siblings when her parents were killed, but she is an excellent Garda with a great set of skills needed for her job. Her observation, intuition and ability to read people comes in handy. There was a glut of suspects in this one. Throw in an ex-wife who is in a wheelchair from an accident where Enda was driving, a son who is about to be cut off, a grandson who wants money for an endeavour that his grandfather doesn't support and a granddaughter who's access to tuition is going to end and there are numerous suspects just in the family alone. It was fun to try and solve this one along with Siobhán and the local Garda, who thought they had it all figured out. This is a well written mystery with some red herrings and great characters. I had no idea who the murderer was and was quite surprised and pleased with the reveal and the motive. I love this series and will continue to follow it. I was gifted a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
• 
  Brooke

  Honestly I just don’t think this was for me. Like I got all the characters confused and I had no idea how they were related/connected. I also just found this really boring because like nothing happened. I just don’t think cozy mysteries are for me. I did listen to the audiobook and I loved the Irish accents.
• 
  Karen Hollins-Stallman

  "Murder at an Irish Christmas" is the 6th instalment in the Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. I love this series and was excited to be able to read an arc of it.
  
  I really enjoyed this story, and it has made me want to catch up on the series. I have several of the earlier books in my TBR pile. I loved visiting West Cork and the remote coastal village where Elise grew up.
  
  The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. Getting to know Elise’s family was a challenge as everyone had secrets but in the end you grow to like them.
  
  I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
  
  I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
• 
  Karelle

  Un très décent whodunit de Noël, vraiment meilleur que ce à quoi je m’attendais. Une belle découverte, et je lirai assurément les autres de la série.
• 
  Mayke ☕️

  Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for a review.
  
  A cozy Christmas murder mystery set in Ireland. For some reason I didn't seem to get really into it. I struggled with the many characters, all intertwined in some way. The plot itself picked up over halfway into the book. Before that it was a little slow for me.
• 
  Jean

  This is the perfect holiday read. Wonderful character development, just enough red herrings, and great pacing.
• 
  Kelly

  The O'Sullivans are meeting the future in-laws for Christmas but a murder may put a damper on their plans as they try and solve the crime. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and if like ones set in Ireland you will enjoy this book.
• 
  Lisa Morin

  As a fan of this series, Murder at an Irish Christmas is by far my favorite book!
  Siobhan and her family are spending the holidays with her older brother James and his girlfriend’s family.
  Since they are a musical family, Siobhan is excited to meet the prestigious family.
  Unfortunately, things go awry and what seems an accidental death sets Siobhan on her on investigation, revealing deep secrets and family skeletons.
  
  I’m excited to see what happens next to one of my favorite fictional families.
• 
  Mindy

  I didn’t care for this book. Nearly all the characters were introduced all at once and there were far too many to keep straight. And there was barely any character development for any of them, so they all felt two-dimensional. I didn’t realize until I was halfway through that this is the sixth in a series, so perhaps there has been some character development for a few characters in the previous five novels. As someone who didn’t read them, this definitely wasn’t a stand-alone for me. And because I really didn’t care for the writing style, I’m not interested in going back to read the first five.
• 
  Leah

  December/West Cork, Ireland
  
  This story is about an unwell man and his final performance. The story focuses the investigation on each family member and how they connect to the deceased and the orchestra. There are rumors of infidelity and dementia and demotions and lack of inheritance. The ending wasn't a complete surprise. I figured out the why, but I hadn't figured out the who. It had to be one of two people, but I wasn't sure which one did it.
• 
  PugMom

  A great Christmas cozy set in Ireland. I love the characters and setting!
• 
  The Cozy Review

  Murder at an Irish Christmas is a wonderfully creative holiday cozy. Siobhán is a magnificent character. Having taken care of her siblings since their parents died has been an undertaking and altered her life. Sometimes she harkens back to the days when she had dreams of going off, attending university, and building her own life. All of that came to an end with her parent's sudden passing. At times, she regrets the choices she had to make, but she wouldn't change a thing most of the time. This year, many things have or are about to change, but the love she has for her family isn't one of them. Christmas time reminds her of everything and everyone she loves, and she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and happy.
  
  While visiting James' fiances family during the Christmas holiday, a brutal murder takes place. It's difficult for Siobhán to sit back and keep her nose out of the investigation. Before long, however, she realizes that if she doesn't do something, an innocent man may go to prison for a murder he didn't commit. Very quickly, suspects are uncovered; the killer could be anyone in the victim's family, including an ex-wife, a current wife, several children, an entire orchestra, or anyone living in the Irish countryside near Elise's grandfather's home. It takes Siobhán a while to start eliminating suspects and track down evidence. While she is doing all of this, she tries to keep the local garda from arresting someone who may be innocent but whom everyone thinks is guilty.
  
  There are plenty of red herrings for readers to figure out, more twists and turns than expected, and a few surprises thrown in that make Siobhán grateful and worried at the same time. Murder at an Irish Christmas flows nicely, is a quick read, and has readers savoring the descriptions and pictures of the lovely Irish countryside during the Christmas holidays. This is a cozy book readers will want to spend time with and enjoy every moment.
  
• 
  Brenda

  Another adventure with the O'Sullivan Six. Book 6 has the family gathered to celebrate Christmas with James' fiancée Elise's family at a symphony concert.
  
  Leaving her garda job doesn't seem to be possible for Siobhan when Elise's grandfather Enda is found murdered at the concert venue, a mill. Enda had three wives and any one of them could have wanted him dead? Macdara finds himself arriving early, with his mother to help Siobhan investigate the murder and finds himself in charge of the investigation.
  
  A very complex family kept the list of characters large but easy to follow.
  
  The famous brown bread recipe is included at the end of the book.
  
  Book 7 is all ready for release now.
• 
  Mary

  3.5 stars. This latest installment has the O'Sullivan clan celebrating Christmas in a village in West Cork. They will be meeting the family of Elise Elliot, their brother James's fiancee. The highlight of the celebration will be an orchestra concert, led by Elise's grandfather, Enda Elliot.
  
  The families and orchestra members are waiting outside the mill where the concert is to take place, so they can decorate and set up for the event. When the doors are finally open, they find Enda's body, apparently the result of an accidental fall from the balcony. Of course, this is a murder mystery, so we know it was no accident.
  
  The frustration for Siobhan is that, even though she is a member of the Garda, she is out of her jurisdiction, and isn't allowed to be part of the investigation.
  
  While I enjoyed this latest book in the series, I had the feeling that some of the clues or red herrings weren't cleared up, at least not to my satisfaction, so my rating is a little lower than usual for the series. A few typos, or word errors here, too, but I don't think publishers bother with proofreading anymore.
• 
  Patrizia

  Mezza stella in più perché ho sospettato di tutti per gran parte del libro fuorché del colpevole giusto, anche se poi alla fine il suo movente era ovvio. Mi piace il rapporto della protagonista con il suo fidanzato e con i fratelli, ma come lei non sopporto molto la futura cognata... Bella l'ambientazione natalizia e l'idea di come addobbare l'abete.
• 
  Sam Sigelakis-Minski

  Full review at
  Sam's Beach Reads.
  
  What I Loved:
  
  The Murder Mystery. I have a tremendous amount of love for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series, particularly the installations that feature country house mysteries. Here, while Irish Christmas did not take place literally in the country house, it had the same closed circle, dead patriarch setup. This is a favorite of mine because it dives deep into each family members’ psyche, motives, and desires, and exposes all sorts of secrets both related and unrelated to the murder. O’Connor set this book up much the same way, where each family member of the paternalistic and domineering patriarch has a motive and a web of lies. Siobhán is just the woman to sort through everything as both an outsider and professional policewoman. I love it when she makes people squirm.
  
  The Setting. Ah, Ireland. While most of the Irish Village Mystery books take place in Siobhán’s village of Kilbane (central Co. Clare), this installation took place in West Cork on the seaside. Here, there is beautifully rugged beaches and high winds, snow on Christmas, and peat fires. I love scenes of decorating the Christmas tree with seashells and driftwood, and cliffside drama. Poor Kilbane didn’t stand a chance. Even Siobhán wants to move after her vacation.
  
  The O’Sullivan Six. While in prior books, Siobhán and her pack of siblings have been a bit annoying, in this book, the family is endearing. It is Christmas time and they are in unfamiliar territory with a group of people that look down on them slightly, and the O’Sullivan clan come out swinging. It makes the reader want a lot of siblings to celebrate and mourn with at the holidays; people who will have your back no matter what.
  
  What Didn’t Work as Well:
  
  Elise and James. James is Siobhan’s older brother, the only sibling older than her, and he is a bit of a sod. His fiancée Elise is the one whose grandfather is killed, and she acts defiant and hardheaded throughout the entire investigation. Elise tries to make James lie for her as an alibi and expects him to break his own family traditions (such as buying presents among just the siblings) to only follow her own family’s. Siobhán doesn’t get their relationship, and frankly neither do I. James can do better, and while he does stand up to Elise once or twice, it is at the expense of his happiness.
  
  Some Loose Plot Points. This may be an ARC problem, so I am not too concerned, but there were one or two points that kind of dissipated as unimportant but remained unsolved. Why did Enda buy the beautiful harp that contributed to his demise? Was he actually going senile, or was he just tying up loose ends? There are others that I cannot reveal due to spoilers, but needless to say, there are questions at the end of Irish Christmas that I wish were solved.