Murder At An Irish Chipper by Carlene O’Connor

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day cozy reading:  Murder At An Irish Chipper, An Irish Village Mystery by Carlene O’Connor.

This solid series is set in Ireland and oozes with authentic flair. This setting is in Lahinch, a seaside resort town on the coast of Liscannor Bay.  The mystery’s opening is reminiscent of the 1989 movie, War of the Roses. But in this case, it’s War of the Chippers (Mrs. Chips versus Mr. Chips).

This long-time older married couple ran Mr. Chips – the village’s popular fish and chips joint (also known as a “chipper”). But escalated marital woes turned ugly – especially when Mrs. Chips (Vera) finds out her hubby is stepping out with her best friend!

Their marriage isn’t on the rocks – it’s at the bottom! Mrs. Chips has opened her very own chipper right across from Mr. Chips! Talk about close competition! And things go from bad to worse as both parties try to sabotage each other’s business! Definitely NOT a good move when a high-end food critic is coming to town to do a story on the local chippers!

Also just blowing into town is Garda (police) Siobhán, her clan of 5 other siblings and her new hubby, Macdara Flannery (a police detective). Siobhán and Macdara never really did have a proper honeymoon, so they’ve gathered up the whole family to take a holiday/honeymoon at the Liscannor Bay resort.

Obviously from the title, you already know one of the Chips is going to be knocked off. It’s a rather strange “staged” crime scene at one of the chippers. And much to Macdara’s dismay, he and his wife find themselves entrenched in a very complex and twisted murder. Sargeant Healy, the local detective, is glad for some outside help. And this case certainly needs all the help it can get!

Carlene O’Connor’s characters always spring to life – this time with special focus on the O’Sullivan 6 (Siobhán and her siblings).   Some of them fall in love. Some take up surfing. And one of them unwittingly gets sucked into the murder!

Armchair sleuths will be enticed with plenty of motives: hatred, rage, fear, greed, revenge. Should they follow the money? The ladder? The curry sauce? The fishy fish supplier? The dirty card games? Or something else?

While Siobhán and Macdara still find some time to enjoy their holiday, each day that passes makes the unsolved murder more pressing and more dangerous. Friendly locals start becoming “unfriendly” locals. Is someone protecting a cold-blooded killer?

Murder at an Irish Chipper by Carlene O’Connor will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Ireland. The O’Sullivan 6 add even more flavor and family appeal to this twisty cozy mystery. This series has been out a while, yet Carlene O’Connor always manages to keep it fresh, entertaining and appealing.

A copy of this book and cover photo were provided by Kensington Publishing.