Member Reviews

Meet Ireland’s newest daring detective: she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!”
I enjoyed this mystery. Sisters Mercy and Lizzie did not know they had any grandparent let alone a book selling grandfather but they arrive in his Irish home ready to start afresh.
A settled community and some nasty murders mean that crime writer Mercy needs to help the police solve the mystery.
Clever, not easy to solve.

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Fast paced cozy that's well written. Will keep you guessing. Great setting. Awesome characters. You will devour this read! Thanks#Netgalley and #Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

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I thought this read was great, it was a nice cozy mystery that made you wonder and think, and I was pretty surprised at the end. I've always liked mysteries, and I for sure liked this one it was a wonderful pallet cleanser between all the fantasy I've been reading recently, it was fast-paced, well written, and an unpredictable read
the writing was very intriguing and kept you guessing with the twists and turns throughout.
if you like a cozy and quick murder mystery definitely grab this one

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#netgalley #anirishbookshopmurder #reading #books #bookreview

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Twin sisters Mercy and Lizzie are shocked to learn that their grandfather, who they never met, has left them a bookshop in the village of Shamrock Cove, Ireland. Not long after they arrive, one of their neighbors dies of a heart attack, or does he? As the death becomes more and more suspicious, Mercy, a mystery writer, begins to investigate. But do the police suspect her?

This is a captivating mystery with a great cast of characters and a wonderful setting. The residents of Shamrock Cove are intriguing, and everyone seems to be a suspect. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the town itself is delightful. I feel that the author went a little bit overboard making the victim unlikeable, but this was still an entertaining story. Fans of cozy mysteries will love this one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

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This is a charming debut in the new cozy series "Mercy McCarthy Mystery series" by cozy author Lucy Connelly. This is one of my top five favorite reads of 2024. I was turning page after page reading from start to finish it is so engaging to the reader and the characters so richly created and fun. The author has all the perfect elements of a outstanding cozy series that readers will love.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher and author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Mercy McCarthy is a famous mystery writer who was in need of a life change. When she began to be stalked she knew she needed a change right away. Her twin sister Lizzie also needed a major life change after losing her boyfriend and his daughter in a car crash. Lizzie had suffered through a terrible depression and her sister wished to help her regain her life. The twins find out they have been left a house and business in Ireland in a small village by a relative they never knew. They decide embrace their new life and find they love the village, the people and the bookstore they discovered is now theirs.
When a mysterious murder occurs Mercy is on the case as a mystery writer who is determined to find the clues to solve the crime. The supporting characters are vividly richly written with humor and kindness. The Irish village is perfectly atmospheric. The mystery is multi layered and has a surprising conclusion. I loved everything about this book and look forward to the next in series. Well done to the author.

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Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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A brand new cosy mystery series!! With a cover that screams read me, I was smitten as soon as I saw said cover.

Introducing twins Mercy and Lizzie. Americans who have discovered they had a grandfather. He has left them his home in Ireland along with his bookshop! They decide to make a fresh start and go to Ireland. Lizzie running the book store and Mercy writing her book.

Everything is just what they want, until Mercy find their next-door neighbour dying in the garden and, horror of horror's, becomes the main suspect! Mercy writes mysteries, so she decides she has the skill set to crack on with her own investigation in order to clear her own name!

A cosy mystery novel that incorporates characters who you feel you want to be friends with and a well written plot. Mercy and Lizzie are a set of twins I found so interesting. Then there are the towns' residents, who are all under suspicion at one point or another. I was so engrossed in who it could be and got so carried away with the investigation myself!

The setting is so vivid and described with such depth that I felt welcome myself. I couldn't help but keep turning those pages instead of going to bed. Lucy Connolly has woven an amazing first book of the series, and I am curious to see what Mercy ends up facing next time.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for.the widget to write my review.

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This cute and cozy mystery that takes place in Shamrock Cove, Ireland was a very good book. I wasn't sure what to expect but the description reeled me in and made me want to read it.
Deaths immediately start occurring shortly after 2 Sisters move to town and take over the bookshop that their inherited from their grandfather. No one knows who they are and they are of course immediately suspects. Funny enough one of the sisters is a mystery writer who because she's done so much research, feels that it's up to her to find out who the killer is to clear her name. Many funny attempts at surveillance and sleuthing ensue and while it turns up more questions they do eventually find the killer in plain sight. This book had me laughing and my mouth dropped when it was revealed who the killer was at the end. Soo good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

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An Irish Bookshop Murder is the first in a series that is set in a small village in Ireland. Mercy and Lizzie arrive there after some very stressful previous events, that leave them ready for a new start. They inherit a wonderful cottage from a grandfather they never knew. The cottage - well it sounds like slightly more than the usual cottage, situated in a gated court area which has just a small cluster of houses.

Right on arriving the next door neighbor dies and it looks like a murder. Soon suspects abound, and the local detective seems to have his eye on Mercy and Lizzie. Mercy - mystery writer - can't resist getting involved in trying to solve the mystery, and this leads her into a few compromising situations.  Lizzie meanwhile is finding her way with the bookshop their grandfather has left them.

Mercy believes the murderer must live in the court area so while getting to know her neighbors she is wondering who might it be. Eventually at the climax the murderer comes to light and Mercy is right there.

This has a wonderful setting - a cottage and bookshop with secret doors and passages, two sisters who care about each other - and some varied and interesting neighbors. The local detective might be coming to live in the court - we will have to wait and see as who will move into the Judge's cottage and possibly now one other is up for grabs.

An enjoyable beginning to a new series, I look forward to seeing where this goes next.

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3.75 Stars, rounded up!
A new cozy mystery series set in Shamrock Cove Ireland. Two sisters move there after they have found out they inherited a bookshop from their grandfather. The sisters are then flung into the lives of their new neighbors when something happens at their welcome party!

I thought this was a cute cozy mystery. The characters are well explained & you feel like you are in the story while reading it. I will say, the book had me fooled. About 50% through I thought I figured out whodunit, but I was shockingly surprised by the ending. Overall, an enjoyable book & I am looking forward to reading book two when it comes out (later this fall)!

Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Connelly, and Bookouture for an advanced reader copy!

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A good cozy Irish mystery.
Mercy and Lizzie inherit a bookshop and on their first day they came across their neighbor dying and he accuses Mercy of murder.
Drama,twists,suspense mystery.
A good story.
Voluntarily reviewed

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EXCERPT: I stood in front of the navy front door and looked up at our new home. The spring breeze ruffled my hair, and the fresh scent of the sea assailed my senses. I rubbed the shamrock keyring in my hand, hoping for a little of its luck to rub off on me. The house had a beautifully kept, small front garden. I glanced at my twin sister and hoped we had made the right choice in moving to Ireland.

ABOUT 'AN IRISH BOOKSHOP MURDER': After receiving an unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.

Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the judge—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.

Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit, or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

MY THOUGHTS: Set in a small Irish seaside village, Shamrock Cove, An Irish Bookshop Murder is the start of a new cosy series by Lucy Connelly.

The cottage sounds somewhat grander than anything I would call a cottage and the fact that it is in a Close and a desirable residence that people may, quite literally, kill to gain admittance to only reinforces my suspicion that it is more like a grand house, complete with secret doors and passages and a plethora of rooms. Certainly it is large enough that both sisters can live there, seemingly without tripping over one another.

The residents of The Close and the proprietors of the local businesses make up the main characters, and suspects, in this cosy murder mystery. How hard would it be to move somewhere new and then be worried that people you were counting on to be new friends may in fact be murderers?

It seems that no sooner have Mercy and Lizzie arrived - they don't even get time to move in! - than they have their first body on (or should that be in?) their hands. With their fresh sets of eyes and their lack of any preconceptions about the potential suspects, they are able to see things that perhaps the local detective can't (or won't) and that doesn't exactly endear them to him. Mercy and Lucy suspect him, and he suspects them! This leads to some sharp exchanges between these characters and several trips into the interview room of the local station.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read with an entertaining cast of characters. I certainly didn't guess the villain or the motive and it wasn't for lack of trying!

I enjoyed this author's Scottish Isle mystery series and now it seems her Mercy McCarthy series is going to be every bit as good!

I received both a digital and audio ARC and did a read/listen. I enjoyed both formats and could not choose between them. The audio is well narrated by Kimberley Wetherell.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#AnIrishBookshopMurder #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Lucy loves traveling the world, but her favorite place is at home with her dogs and family. That said, she's always up for adventure and is constantly on the lookout for killer inspiration--as in who will be the next killer in her books?
She has a master's degree in humanities and enjoys learning all the things. And she's been published by many other names.

Thank you to Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for providing both a digital and audio ARC of An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Not my usual genre… very very happy with this one though!
I usually don’t go for mystery, I feel like they can get pretty repetitive and mid halfway through to then tell you the ending in a chapter or two. This one did not disappoint though!

From the actual setup of the story, the ambience, the relationship between characters…. Fully recommend! Especially for this Fall/Winter season 🎃✨

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Such an enjoyable read! I was honestly stumped on the who-done-it and had fun reading till the end.
The main character, Mercy, moves to this cozy Irish town with her twin Lizzy after a series of losses and trying experiences led them to needing significant change. Of course, murder ensues. Mercy being a mystery writer is naturally curious and later motivated by the need to prove their innocence. While amateur sleuths can be annoying in a story, Mercy wasn't overly so. Mercy really recognized and owned her shortcomings, for lack of a better word, and I found that refreshing.
This was truly a cozy read and I would be happy to continue the series. I think there is lots of room for the characters to develop and potential relationships to explore.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

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I really loved this book. I love the characters, the setting, & the ending is the best. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
#AnIrishBookshopMurder #NetGalley

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I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I loved this one. The mention of twins right off the bat grabbed me. Mercy is the star, but I loved Lizzie also. In this first book of the #MercyMcCarthyMysteryseries, I loved the setting in Ireland & the bookshop the twins inherit. What a dream!
I don’t often go for a #cozycrimemurdermystery, but this book opened my eyes!

Thank you, Lucy Connelly, Bookouture, Bookouture audio & netgalley for my ecopy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

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Mercy and her sister Lizzie make the move from the USA to Ireland after some difficult family losses to start fresh. They received an unexpected inheritance from their grandfather - a beautiful bookshop and his gorgeous house one a very special street. The town of Shamrock Cove welcomes the twin sisters with a get together, but someone ends up dead and they instantly are under suspicion.

Mercy is a very famous mystery/crime writer and uses skills she's gathered over the years from her research to delve into the mystery of who would want this person dead. She's also trying to shelter her sister from the tragedy and drama as she's in a fragile state. Things aren't going well for the sisters after hard evidence points to them being involved.
Lots of action and red herrings occur and the killer is finally revealed! I loved this fast paced and cozy mystery. The town is picturesque and charming, the characters are interesting and you can see how they will play into other mysteries to come. I loved Mercy and Lizzie they were very likable and strong women. The author has also set up a mystery surrounding Mercy from when she lived in NYC that may follow her to Shamrock Cove in the future, which I'm already intrigued to learn more about. I can't wait for the next book in this series! 5 stars!!

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An easily addictive series! A great writing style draws you into the life of Mercy and Lizzie. I found this book really enjoyable and very hard to put down. The ending was not predictable in my opinion and wrapped up the first in the series. Engaging read to say the least.

Thank you Netgalley

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I enjoyed this one! I am looking forward to more in this series. The mystery was solid, and I liked that family, found and blood, was the foundation of the story.

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A delightful setting of a an antique book shop . Twin sisters from America inherit it. Secrets hiding in the town. Older towns person drops dead. Many suspects. Letters are found showing many had reason to kill him. First in a series

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