Irish Village Mystery

A little slice of Heaven on the Emerald Isle... In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi's Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O'Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago. It's been a rough year for the O'Sullivans, but it's about to get rougher. One morning, as they're opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest. With the local garda suspecting the O'Sullivans, and their business in danger of being shunned-murder tends to spoil the appetite-it's up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.

For whom the bell tolls . . . The O'Sullivan clan of County Cork, Ireland, are thrilled to be catering the matrimonial affairs of a celebrity couple-until a cunning killer turns an Irish wedding into an Irish wake . . . Any wedding is a big deal in the small village of Kilbane-even more so when the bride is a famous fashion model. Siobhán O'Sullivan and her five siblings have a full plate catering for the three-day affair. But when the best man is found murdered in the woods, his replacement, Siobhán's own beau, local garda Macdara Flannery, is suddenly the best suspect. Like the bride walking down the aisle, Siobhán needs to watch her step. For as she gets closer to unveiling the truth, the murderer is planning a very chilly reception for her . . .

The village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, has a new garda-and her first case is a grave matter indeed . . . The O'Sullivan clan couldn't be prouder of Siobhán, but there's no time to celebrate as she's already on a case, summoned by the local priest to examine the appearance of a dead man in the church graveyard-aboveground. He's a stranger, but the priest has heard talk of an American tourist in town, searching for his Irish ancestor. As Siobhán begins to dig for a motive among the gnarled roots of the victim's family tree, she will need to stay two steps ahead of the killer or end up with more than one foot in the grave . . .

When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O'Sullivan's quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of Hangman . . . In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi's Bistro, managed by the many siblings of the lively O'Sullivan brood. For a pint or a game of darts-or for the poker tournament that's just come to town-it's the pub you want. One player's reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack's pub, it's time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it's a simple suicide-after all, there's a note and the room was locked. But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley's very pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley's fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death. With conflicting theories on the crime-not to mention the possibility of a proposal-tensions are running high between Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it's up to Siobhán to call a killer's bluff, but if she doesn't play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game . . .

In a remote-and superstitious-village in County Cork, Ireland, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan must solve a murder where the prime suspects are fairies ... Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi's Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer. But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Jane frantically calls for his help, Siobhán is at his side as the two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. Unfortunately, tragedy awaits them. They find Jane, who is blind, outside the cottage, in a state. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the mode of death to their trained eyes: the woman has been poisoned and smothered. Someone wanted to make sure she was dead. But who? Devout believers in Irish folklore, the villagers insist the cottage is cursed-built on a fairy path. It turns out Ellen Delaney was not the first to die mysteriously in this cottage. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhán and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too human-but just as evil ...

Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan's holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies ... This December in Kilbane, if you're planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi's Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait-the entire O'Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James's fiancée Elise's family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also, quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow Garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam. When the O'Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern-until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall. With the extended family-including Enda's much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist-suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhán had better pick up the tempo-before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise...

The grand opening of a new bookstore in the County Cork Irish village of Kilbane becomes the closing chapter of an author's life-and a whodunit that tests even Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan's deductive reasoning ... Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán is feeling a bit overwhelmed. She's looking forward to visiting the new bookshop and curling up with an exciting novel-only to discover the shelves contain nothing but Literature with a capital L. The owner not only refuses to stock romances, mysteries, and science fiction, but won't even let customers enter his store unless they can quote James Joyce or Sean Hennessey. Despite the owner deliberately limiting his clientele, he's hosting a reading and autographing event featuring up and coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in Kilbane for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who spends more time complaining about the unfairness of the publishing industry and megastar bestsellers instead of her own creative works, causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb. Then Deirdre's body is found the next day in the back of the store-with pages torn from Nessa's books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane's literary guests took Deirdre's criticisms so personally they'd engage in foul play ...

The wedding of Siobhán O'Sullivan and Macdara Flannery in the village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, comes to an abrupt halt when the skeleton of a groom is unearthed... If only her mother could be here! The entire O'Sullivan brood-not to mention the regulars from Naomi's Bistro-have gathered at St. Mary's Church for the wedding of Siobhán and Macdara. It's not every day you see two garda marrying each other. Only Siobhán's brother James is missing. They can't start without him. But when James finally comes racing in, he's covered in dirt and babbling he's found a human skeleton in the old slurry pit at the farmhouse. What farmhouse? Macdara sheepishly admits he was saving it as a wedding surprise: he purchased an abandoned dairy farm. Duty calls, so the engaged garda decide to put the wedding on hold to investigate. James leads them to a skeleton clothed in rags that resemble a tattered tuxedo. As an elderly neighbor approaches, she cries out that these must be the remains of her one true love who never showed up on their wedding day, fifty years ago. The garda have a cold case on their hands, which heats up the following day, when a fresh corpse appears on top of the bridegroom's bones. With a killer at large, they need to watch their backs- or the nearly wedded couple may be parted by death before they've even taken their vows...

Stocking stuffers like handknit scarves make the coziest of Christmas gifts-unless they're used as accessories for murder! CHRISTMAS SCARF MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR When grinchy thefts steal the good cheer at a local nursing home, Siobhan O'Sullivan manages to identify one missing item before Kilbane, Ireland's Christmas tractor parade-a hideous shamrock scarf wrapped around a very dead body. Now, with her holiday farmhouse bash approaching, Siobhan must dash to stop a deadly Secret Santa from gifting another unwanted surprise. SCARFED DOWN by MADDIE DAY It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas at Pans 'N Pancakes, as twelve days of menu specials dazzle hungry locals. But the festivities go cold the instant a diner dies while knitting a brilliant green scarf. With Aunt Adele tied into a murder investigation, it's all on Robbie Jordan to find out who's really been naughty or nice in South Lick, Indiana. DEATH BY CHRISTMAS SCARF by PEGGY EHRHART Suspects pile up faster than New Jersey snow when frosty-tempered Carys Walnutt is found strangled by a handmade scarf auctioned at Arborville's tree-lighting ceremony. Between a winning bidder hiding behind the alias "S. Claws" and a victim who deserved coal in her stocking, can Pamela Paterson and the crafty Knit and Nibble ladies freeze a killer's merry murder plot?

In a book perfect for fans of Sheila Connolly and Donna Leon, the USA Today bestselling author returns readers to County Cork in Ireland's lush countryside, where locals are simmering with excitement over the reality TV baking contest coming to town -until someone serves up a show-stopping murder that only Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan can solve. "Distinctive, captivating characters match a gripping plot full of surprises. O'Connor reinforces her place among the top rank of cozy writers." – Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW In Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there's one thing everyone does agree on-the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder they're about to be featured on a reality baking show. All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement. Aside from munching on free samples, the locals-including Siobhan-get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors themselves, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that's nothing compared to day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie. The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated-permanently . . . "Plenty of likely prospects and an endless supply of sweet treats brighten the path to the solution." – Kirkus Reviews

Everything's coming up roses for garda Siobhán and the rest of O'Sullivan family in quaint Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland-until a murder investigation blooms out of a deadly gardening competition. While Siobhán studies for her Detective Sargeant exams, her brother, Eoin, prepares for the grand opening of his new restaurant, The O'Sullivan Six, and concocts a plan to enter Kilbane's Top Garden Contest to boost business. But trouble brews when Eoin hires a mercurial landscape designer known for her killer designs. His new partner's unflattering reputation and questionable practices nearly eclipse her talents-and plunge the prestigious competition into chaos. A lush and intricate winning garden emerges from the controversy, with a spectacular golden statue in the center of the display. But in a devastating twist, the work of art leads to the shocking discovery of a bold and brutal work of murder. Everyone in town has an opinion about who committed the crime and planted the evidence, from easily bribed sponsors to green-with-envy gardeners. And with another golden statue found in Eoin's garden display, rumors about his involvement intensify. As local gossip buzzes and a list of suspects grows, it's up to quick-witted Siobhán and her husband, Macdara, to suss out the guilty culprit's identity . . . before the competition buries another victim.

Previously published in Christmas Cocoa Murder Someone is dreaming of a calm and cozy Christmas, but a killer has different plans for the holidays . . . Siobhán O'Sullivan's hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, Siobhán is pursuing a heartless killer . . . It seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics-or worse-that led to his death by chocolate?

'Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . . CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR Siobhán O'Sullivan's hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she's pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics-or worse-that led to his death by chocolate? CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan's country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie's hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . . DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson A Christmas-themed escape game seems like the perfect pre-holiday treat for bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock and her best friend. But when the host is found dead in a pool of hot cocoa, it's up to Krissy and her team to catch the killer-or escape before getting killed. There's nothing like a hot cup of murder to warm up the holiday season!