When Finn Fitzpatrick is invited to a conference at her old alma mater she is a bit surprised. She is busy with her own private problems and her job as a solicitor and she is no academic. But she accepts the invitation. When one of the guests is found dead three days later she is asked to work as a liaison officer between the police and the University. Soon she is deeply involved in the murder case.

When I got the book I was not aware that it is the third one in a series about Finn and her work as a sleuth/solicitor. But you can easily read it as a stand-alone although there is some talk about a case on which Finn worked before and that is the reason she is asked to look into the murder. Finn is a well developed character. She has her flaws and she makes quite a few stupid decisions but this makes her a very reliable and realistic character. The story itself is a classic who-done-it mystery with a lot of red herrings and everyone is a suspect at one point. It is an easy read and it keeps you guessing. For me there was a bit too much detective work on Finn’s side. I am not a fan of descriptions of every move and every cup of coffee in elaborate detail.

This is a well plotted murder mystery which held my interest and put Cork on my list of cities to visit when I am traveling to Ireland.

A good mystery, well plotted and solid. It kept me hooked and guessing, fascinated me with the descriptions of the university and the places.
I enjoyed it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When Finn Fitzpatrick, a solicitor based in Cork, is invited to speak at her alma mater, she is unclear as to why the invitation has been proffered to her. Nevertheless, out of politeness and because she doesn't want to disappoint her friend, she accepts. Much to her subsequent regret.

After an event featuring various senior legal academic types alongside the bewildered Finn, she is even more surprised to be invited for a meal at the President's exclusive dining room.

Sadly, that's where the magic ends. Because when one of their number is found dead a few days later, all those present on that occasion fall under suspicion, including Finn herself.

This is the third outing for the engaging sleuth-cum-solicitor, and I might have to go back and read the other two books. Finn is a delight to keep company with, and her inner monologue simply adds to her charm. I've never been there, but I also like the way the author brings alive Finn's surroundings, making the city itself a character in the book. A highly enjoyable read.

Solicitor Finn Fitzpatrick is surprised to be invited to a day conference & dinner at her old university- UCC. She doesn't really know where she fits in with the other speakers. Her forte has become investigation but as it is an old friend who asks her, she agrees. The various guests are a varied bunch & Finn is glad when it is time to go. When one of the speakers if found dead everyone at the conference is under suspicion- including Finn. Doing what she does best she works to uncover the truth.

I hadn't read any other books by this author but I found this an enjoyable read, I particularly liked how the author made the reader feel they knew the setting intimately even if they'd never been to Cork. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Engaging, Pacy..
When Finn is invited to speak at a dinner and conference at her former university she feels compelled to agree - despite the fact that she cannot fathom why she was asked and despite her own personal reticence. When a body is later discovered at the university, suspects will include all of those in attendance at that dinner. It’s not long before Finn begins to take a much closer look at the guests. A well written, pacy and wholly enjoyable murder mystery with a firm and well described backdrop and an engaging plot peppered with twists and populated with a credible cast. This is the third entry in a series featuring, solicitor, Finn Fitzpatrick although this, as the others, can happily be read as a standalone.

A Lesson in Malice is the third novel featuring solicitor Finn Fitzpatrick by Catherine Kirwan. A Lesson in Malice works as a standalone read and having read it I am looking forward to going back and reading some of Kirwan's previous novels.
In 'A Lesson In Malice' the storyline is in the city of Cork and particularly in the grounds of University College Cork (UCC), Having lived and worked in Cork, I'm familiar with both the city and campus, so I was looking forward ot diving into this novel and revisiting some places that I know well.
The story commences with Finn Fitzpatrick attending a day long conference at UCC to join legal experts and . Finn is a little surprised ot be invited as the other participants discuss legal topics, whereas she is discussing her investigative work (there are some references to the previous novels, but nothing to give away the storylines and out a reader off further reading). After the conference, one of the participants is found dead and Finn is soon back into the middle of the investigation.
Finn frequently makes references to 'coming to regret' a decision and such comments serve to whet the appetite of the reader and to urge you on reading. In fact, this worked so well for me that I raced through the novel in one afternoon.
A fun, pacey read and definitely a novel that I recommend adding to your reading list this summer.

Finn Fitzpatrick, full time lawyer and part time investigator, is invited to speak at an all day event at her alma mater and is expected to attend the exclusive dinner that follows. She is bored, feels out of place and is glad to have the long day behind her. Only it’s not. Days later, the body of one of the speakers is discovered and the university president asks Finn to investigate. Finn begins to interview this very different group, ranging from a PhD student to the president herself. A chance discovery will change this case for her, making it deeply personal.

This series, by the talented Catherine Kirwan, just keeps getting better. Finn Fitzpatrick is a strong character with a detailed backstory that makes her very relatable. The characters in this mystery are well described, especially Lia and Rory. The Cork location is atmospheric and makes you want to plan a trip to Ireland. I can’t wait to see what Finn does next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books Ireland and Catherine Kirwan for this ARC.

I enjoyed this one. This is the first book I have read by this author and while she has written other books with which the main character of this one has featured in , A Lesson in Malice works as a standalone read and having read it I am looking forward to going back and reading some of Kirwan's back catalogue.

A Lesson In Malice is set in Cork, Co Ireland and predominantly on the grounds of University College Cork, I really enjoyed the setting of this one and the vivid academic setting, Kirwan paints Cork in all its glory. The book opens with solicitor Finn Fitzpatrick being invited to give a talk at her own alma mater. After a day of talks from legal academics there is a dinner on campus for the guests. One of them does not survive the event and Finn finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation where everyone who attended the meal is a suspect.

This a quick pacey read, it kept me engaged and kept me guessing and the setting elevated this from a 3 to 4 star read for me. I enjoyed the twists in this one and I liked the characters. A satisfying entertaining read.

4 star.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hachette Books Ireland for an advance copy of A Lesson in Murder, the third novel to feature Cork based lawyer Finn Fitzpatrick.

Finn is invited to give a talk at her old university and she’s puzzled as to why she’s been invited as the other speakers are all top legal academics and even more puzzled to be further invited to an exclusive dinner in the President’s dining room. That puzzlement disappears when one of the dinner guests is found murdered and the rest, including her, fall under suspicion. Soon she is involved in the murder investigation and uncovering all kinds of secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Lesson in Murder, which is a cleverly plotted novel with some unexpected twists and turns, but the novel’s biggest selling point is Finn’s first person narrative. She is an engaging character with a strong voice. She admits to her mistakes and false steps, but she always move forward, albeit with her heart on her sleeve. She undergoes a few trials and tribulations in this novel and as she’s so honest about the way they make her feel the reader roots for her throughout. I don’t think I could have coped as well with all the shocks she gets with such balance. She’s really wonderful and so human.

The plot is very interesting in several ways. I like that there are only a few potential suspects and most of them have secrets and grudges, but no real motive. Uncovering a motive will probably lead to a suspect, at least in Finn’s mind, so I was amazed by the solution, which offers something a little bit different. The plot basically follows Finn’s investigation and observations about the various characters. I found it compulsive reading as she winkles out secrets and puts little bits of information together to paint a bigger picture.

A Lesson in Malice is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I’ve read a previous book by this author and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was excited to receive “A Lesson in Malice” as a review copy, particularly as it features the same character, Finn Fitzpatrick, solicitor and crime investigator.
However this book, although it was an interesting mystery, really didn’t hold my attention in the same way. I’m not quite sure why.
Finn is a guest speaker at a conference at Cork University, her old alma mater, talking about work she did on a previous case when unfortunately one of the other speakers is murdered. Finn is asked to investigate by the Chancellor of the University and in the course of her enquiry finds out some long buried secrets about several of the other attendees , as well as learning some new facts about her own family background
To complicate matters her father is going through a health crisis and she has to be on hand to help out as well as investigating the murder.
There are a lot of characters in the book, right from the very beginning and I found it quite difficult to keep track of them all. The mystery of who the killer was, when it was finally revealed was not particularly earth shattering. The pace of the book was quite slow and the tension not as intense as in the previous novel.
However I do like the Irish setting and the character of Finn. I enjoyed reading more about her family background which was definitely a major part of this book.
I would definitely be keen to read the next book in the series and would recommend the earlier novels to crime mystery fans with a penchant for Irish novels.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance review copy.

Solicitor (and part-time murder solver) Finn Fitzpatrick is invited to her alma mater for a presentation, some swanning about, and a fancy dinner. She doesn’t expect to be a murder suspect when a distinguished guest is killed – she’s not the only one, mind, everyone who attended the President’s dinner is under suspicion. Discreetly asked by the President to investigate, Finn is tasked, once again, to put her professional work on hold and look more closely at her fellow dinner guests, some more high profile than others. What will she discover? Secrets, lies, jealousy and rivalry in an academic setting that many wouldn’t expect. Finn also has some personal issue with which to contend, including a family storyline that is closer to home than she could have predicted. Catherine has once again spun a layered tale that is a pleasure to read.

An ingenious plot with an ending I did not anticipate. Brilliant descriptions of Cork and the University. Overall, a good read. Although the author has written other books, this works very well as a standalone.
Thank you to netgalley and Hachette books for this advance copy.