An Irish Bookshop Murder
(Mercy McCarthy Mystery #1)
by Lucy Connelly
Amazon / B&N / BB
An utterly gripping cozy crime murder mystery
Meet Ireland’s newest daring she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!
After receiving unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!
Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.
Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the judge—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?
Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.
Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
I’d offered to try to learn while we were here, but my sister had tried food I’d prepared and preferred to handle that chore herself. Her exact words had been Mercy, if there is nothing left to eat on the planet, then I’ll be grateful for your cooking. Until then, well, you have many other wonderful qualities.
I snorted. “As if.” “Oh, you if. You if all the time,” she said.
Now, if you’re going to arrest me for stealing evidence, I ask that you give me the courtesy of lunch first. No one wants me hangry in jail.
My Review:
This was a fun and lively read that was wryly humorous, engaging, and easy to follow. I’ve never made a trip to the old sod, but I would love to go if I could stay in a quaint little village such as this one. The murder mysteries were well-plotted, well-paced, and unpredictable. I enjoyed getting to know the quirky residents of the exclusive court and look forward to more of their adventures.
