A Body at the Irish Book Club
(Mercy McCarthy Mystery #5)
by Lucy Connelly
The Shamrock Cove Autumn Festival is filling the town with the delicious aroma of cinnamon-filled pastries, the cheerful sight of jaunty jack o’lanterns, and… a body at the local book club
Mercy McCarthy is delighted to see old neighbors and new friends come to the bookstore to support her sister’s autumn book club. But as Mercy closes the chapter on the evening, she stumbles across local grandmother Eva, lifelessly slumped in a squashy armchair at the back of the store.
She recognizes Eva as one of the festival’s main organizers, and though Eva appears at peace, the plot thickens when Mercy notices a suspicious mark on her neck. She knows this was no accident. With so many people in the store that night, any one of them could be the killer.
Just as Mercy reads a suspicious-sounding entry for the festival’s fiction-writing contest, another body turns up on the beach. Is someone in Shamrock Cove dying for a bestseller?
It’s up to Mercy and her crime-solving canine companion, Mr. Poe, to sniff out the suspects before another victim is taken. Could the murderer be the garden center owner who dabbles in chemistry? Eva’s ne’er-do-well grandson-in-law? Or the local busybody who has an opinion about everybody?
Mercy has to hit the books—and the streets of Shamrock Cove—to solve the mystery before the killer has the last word.
An utterly addictive Irish cozy mystery in a small town full of quirky neighbors, charming festivals, and one unstoppable amateur detective. Fans of Agatha Christie, Carlene O’Connor, and Faith Martin will love meeting Mercy McCarthy!
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My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
That was your sister’s idea. She’s always looking out for people in this town. You both are, just in different ways. You find murderers and she emanates kindness.
I learned long ago that a man who sits idle dies from it.
Everyone had brought a bit of something; they were always trying to outdo one another. The Irish knew how to throw a party, even a casual one that was supposed to be a meeting.
This is one of those times where I feel like I’ve seen the answer, but I haven’t quite put all the puzzle pieces together.
It’s a small town and that sometimes feels like a soap opera when you find out people’s secrets.
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My Review:
I find Mercy and her Scooby Gang to be a relaxing and fun team to peruse as they solve odd and unpredictable murders in a quirky Irish village. Americans in Ireland is a unique twist, so is running a successful bookshop nowadays. Cleverly penned with a brazenly spoiled yet rather brilliant Mr. Poe, their crime-solving canine assistant, the storylines are wryly amusing, unfailingly entertaining, well-plotted, and comfortably engaging. I eagerly await Mr. Poe’s next find.
About the Author
Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards, and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists, having interviewed numerous celebrities, including George Clooney and Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for over 2,000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes.
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