Book Review: Murder at an Irish Chipper by Carlene O'Connor

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Kensington Books via #Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

A belated honeymoon turns into a busman’s holiday when gardas Siobhán and Macdara Flannery find themselves investigating a dead body found in a fish and chips shop . . .

SYNOPSIS:

Siobhán’s brother Eoin’s new family restaurant, The O’Sullivan Six, is so close  to opening—but waiting on the necessary permits plus the heat of July in the village of Kilbane in County Cork is driving everyone a bit mad. Macdara Flannery comes to the rescue with a plan—take a holiday by the sea and stuff themselves with fish and chips to support the struggling business of the aptly named Mrs. Chipper.

But when they arrive, a crowd is gathered in front of the closed shop: a local fisherman with a fresh cod delivery, a food critic, Mrs. Chipper’s ex-husband who’s opening a competing fish and chips shop directly across the street, and a repairman to fix the vent for the deep fryer. With Siobhán and Macdara as witnesses, a local handyman gets the locked door open, only to find the proprietor lying dead and covered in flour at the base of a ladder, its rungs coated in slippery fat. Clearly this was not an accidental tragedy . . .

Even as the local garda take over the murder investigation, Siobhán and Macdara can’t help themselves from placing their long-delayed honeymoon on hold—at least until they can help apprehend an elusive killer. Book 10 in the series opens up some new avenues for the family, post honeymoon, and it's a great way to allow the older O'Sullivans to grow up and away from Siobhán, as she and Mac start their new life together.

REVIEW:

Ah the elusive honeymoon! Siobhán and Macdara end up taking a family vacation (was it ever in doubt? LOL), instead of a traditional honeymoon, and they can't get away from not only murder, but solving the crime, in book 10 of the series. But it's one of their own under suspicion, they can't help but to nose in and try to help the obviously overwhelmed local Garda. Add in a few red herrings, and you have a solid little cozy that will have you yearning for fish and chips, so be warned!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Irish Village Mysteries, the County Kerry Novels, and the Home to Ireland Mysteries. Born into a long line of Irish storytellers, her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places she’s wandered across the pond, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork, the setting of her Irish Village Mystery series. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and currently divides her time between Southern California and the Emerald Isle. Please visit her online at CarleneOConnor.net