An outstanding start to a new series! I am absolutely loving the main characters! Mercy, an author and Lizzy, a businesswoman, are twins who have suffered a series of tragedies and find themselves the heirs to property in Ireland. While the twins have a lot of similarities their personalities are unique and distinct which makes them so much more realistic. The background stories of the neighbors' ties into the mystery that surrounds the twins when they arrive and many suspicious events later, they are fully wrapped into the center of the mystery. The book is so well crafted that I ended up staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish as I just couldn't put it down. The narrator did such a magnificent job of bringing the unique personalities to life that I will definitely put this series on my must listen list!!! Now, I just want the author to hurry and write more, more, more as there are still unanswered questions about the twin's heritage and inheritance! Whether you are an audio lover or a read the book lover, this series is sure to fill your cozy mystery loving needs!

An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly is a well-written, complex mystery, with a fascinating setting that comes alive with Connelly's skillful descriptions that make the locations come alive on the page.
The main characters of twin sisters escaping to a small village in Ireland from grief and stress in the United States, courtesy of an inheritance from a grandfather they had never known, are relatable. The home and bookshop that they have inherited are a book lover's dream, with hidden rooms and nooks, as is the fact that one of the twins is a mystery novelist.
Their interactions with the other characters in the book are interesting, particularly between the sisters and the investigating police officer. However, there is some authenticity lacking, particularly in the conversations with the Irish; there isn't much of the Irish dialect that one sister mentions having difficulty understanding early on in the book. Yet the dialogue of the Irish characters shows little indication of being different from that of the Texan sisters.
I found the storyline to be slow to build, but as a first book in a series, it shows promise.
I am grateful to #NetGalley for the ARC of #AnIrishBookshopMurder.

I’m not usually a murder mystery reader but this book drew me in immediately. I couldn’t put it down as soon as I started! Lucy Connelly did a wonderful job at building this little world in Shamrock Cove. The story was gripping and I truly couldn’t guess who was responsible the entire time which was so fun. Mercy and Lizzie were a blast, even though they came from some traumatic memories back in Texas they were so quirky and witty and I loved getting to see the twins interact with each other. Mercy was such a force and I adored her interactions with the detective. I would love an entire series of them solving crimes together please! Truly a wonderful read! 5 stars!

A cozy mystery featuring a bookshop - count me in!

An Irish Bookshop Murder is the first book in Lucy Connely's new cozy mystery series. It is a great start. I immediately liked the characters though Mercy's constant hovering over her sister was annoying by the end. I understand Lizzie has gone through something traumatic but I think she is stronger than her sister is letting her be. I hope this thread gets snipped quickly.

Shamrock Cove sounds like a cute town but I worry about the closed nature of the court. I tire of series quickly when there is a murder occurring in a small town every time - it's either a resident or a visitor and it just becomes ridiculous. The court residents can't be the suspects every time. Perhaps there is more to the town than we saw in this novel as it was largely focused on introducing the core characters.

When I read a book I usually hear the characters in my head but the dialogue didn't really give the Irish characters an Irish accent in my head. The same could be said of Lizzie Mercy. I get Mercy not having much of an accent as she has been living in New York, but I would have thought Lizzie would have sounded more Texan. It's a minor complaint but I think how the characters sound is part of the world-building and right now they could have been in any small town anywhere in the world.

The murder victim gives Mercy (and the readers) a great opportunity to get to know the other residents so this was really more of a foundational novel. But even so, it was enjoyable.

There are several subplots running through the book so I'm not sure how easy this series will be to jump in anywhere but lucky for you reading this review you can get in on the ground floor. But don't delay, book 2 comes out in November.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/08/2-more-mysteries-to-add-to-your-reading.html

This was a good start to a new series. I loved the setting but never really warmed to Mercy. The rest of the characters seemed like caricatures, the required quirky people that have to be in each town in a cozy and never really felt fleshed out. I am not a fan of breaking in to get clues so the multiple attempts to get into the same place were annoying. I will read the next in the series to see how the series develops.

After the death of their grandfather in Ireland, a grandfather that twins Mercy and Lizzie never knew, and discovering an inheritance of a beautiful old bookshop, the girls cant wait to settle into their new lives.

Unfortunately trouble seems to have disturbed the peaceful town, with a death, that may be suspicious, incriminating notes and feelings of being watched, unsettling, the otherwise peaceful town.

Mercy, as a mystery writer, takes matters into her own hands, to try and find out who or what is happening.

A great book one in this new series!

‘You aren’t following the script, Detective.’

I’m a sucker for any cozy set in Ireland or Scotland and this author is a master in both settings! There’s nothing better than settling in and being transported to a little sea side town with a cast of fun characters which this book had in spades. Here’s hoping Mercy, Lizzie and the rest are around for a long time to come!

When I say this was the coziest murder mystery I’ve ever read, I cannot lie. I love a good whodunit and this scratched the itch without stressing me out! (lol) It was just unpredictable enough and Mercy kept me invested the whole way through. I didn’t want this to end. 💔 Something that stood out to me about this book is the imagery. It was so easy for me to picture each scene in my mind and that’s truly very important to me. Would recommend to a friend! 🫶🏻💋

"An Irish Bookshop Murder (Mercy McCarthy Mystery #1)" by Lucy Connelly is the first book in a bookshop themed cozy mystery series. Well bookshop and book writer themed. Mercy McCarthy and her twin sister, Lizzie, move to Ireland after inheriting their previously unknown grandfather's cottage and a series of tragic events back in Texas. Mercy is a successful mystery writer and Lizzie ran a successful lavender ranch. Now Mercy will work from her home office in the cottage and Lizzie will run their grandfather's bookshop.

After their welcoming party they find their neighbor having a health emergency. Mercy, who is well versed in CPR, tries to save him. However, she's unsuccessful. Due to the low rate of crime before their arrival and a few other clues hinting their way, Mercy takes on investigating what happened.

I found this mystery very entertaining. I did have one person that I kept coming back to as a suspect. It also had the typical detective who gets a bit of tunnel vision. There may be a bit of a love hate troupe going on between him and Mercy.

The Plot
American twin sisters, Mercy and Lizzie find out they have inherited their estranged grandfather’s cottage and bookstore in the small Irish town of Shamrock Cove. Unfortunately for them, almost as soon as they have arrived, Mercy finds herself as the prime suspect of the Judge’s murder. Alongside her day job of writing crime novels, Mercy with the help of her sister hunts for clues to reveal the killer.
My Review
Shamrock Cove sounded like the perfect Irish holiday destination with it’s tight knit community, quaint shops and local life centred around the pub. I don’t know about you, but I love a good bookstore murder mystery, however, I was expecting that the store itself would play a greater part in the plot, rather than simply being in the background. Mercy and Lizzie were likeable characters and the story brought in some intriguing background detail of their lives. Whilst there was a lot happening in the plot, I thought that the sisters, especially Mercy, could have found more interesting clues to help solve the case. I also have to mention that instead of the sisters taking charge of the situation by independently investigating, it was more the case that information was mainly stumbled upon.
The relationship Mercy had with the detective inspector developed well alongside the plot and I warmed to him as a character. At the end of the book, I couldn’t help but think that the killer did not have a solid motive for killing one of the victims. Overall, it was a light-hearted, cozy mystery that could have had more excitement to really hook the reader into the story. However, this is only my opinion and as always, I encourage you to make up your own mind. 3.5 stars

Lucy Connelly is quickly becomming one of my favorite cozy mystery writers. I love her Scottish Isle series and now I get to love this new series as well! This was such a great series debut! 📚

This was a great first book in a cozy mystery series. I loved the setting of Ireland and I look forward to reading more about these characters in the future.

Newly arrived in an idyllic Irish village, Mercy and her sister become embroiled in a murder mystery when their dying neighbor points an accusing finger at Mercy. She sets out to clear her name and uncover the secrets lurking beneath the town’s charming facade before she becomes the next victim.

This fast-paced mystery is well-written and kept me guessing. I prefer a little more humor and emotion than this book offered. Also, the character backgrounds are a little darker than I expect for a cozy mystery, including a child death. I enjoyed the side characters and the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Mercy may write mysteries, but she’s never been a murder suspect herself before. But when she and Lizzie inherit her grandfather‘s cottage in Ireland, the second thing they do when they arrive after settling in, it’s become murder suspects.

Can the sisters leverage Mercy’s background in writing mysteries to figure out who actually killed their neighbor? Or will Mercy be spending the rest of her time in Ireland in prison?

I really enjoyed this series. It’s great to have the background on the sisters and why and how they got to Ireland before delving into the overall story. That’s a great foundation for future entries in the series. I can’t wait to see what’s next for not only the sisters, But also Shamrock Cove.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is book 1 in Lucy Connelly's Mercy McCarthy Mystery series and it is a great start to a new series.

Mercy and her sister, Lizzie, have moved to Shamrock cove, a small town in Ireland, from their respective homes in New York and Texas, after inheriting a cottage and a bookshop from the grandfather they never knew. On the day of their arrival, a cantankerous neighbour ends up dead and Mercy and Lizzie come under suspicion due to the timeliness of their arrival.

An Irish Bookshop Murder has all the typical elements of a cozy mystery; small town, quirky neighbours, secrets to uncover, and a handsome officer of the law to challenge the protagonist.

An Irish Bookshop Murder was an entertaining read. The descriptions of Shamrock Cove, and the court where the cottage was located made the setting seem idyllic, if not for the murders that were occurring there. I enjoyed the obviously caring relationship between Mercy and Lizzie. They each had personal issues from their old lives that they were trying to deal with along with learning about their long lost family, and then trying to clear their names from accusations of murder.

I really enjoyed this book, the mystery kept me guessing right to the very end, which doesn’t happen often. I look forward to reading more books in the series, and will look for other books by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early read in exchange for an honest review!*

I absolutely loved this book! From the get go, I connected with Macey and Lizzie, their characters were so well written I felt like I was talking to them myself. I loved how fast paced the book was from the beginning too, especially with the murder and the accusations starting immediately. The whole time I was reading I could picture the scenes vividly and it was like I was in Shamrock Cove, and all of the plot twists had me so shocked and eager to continue reading.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series that follows Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie as they move to a small Irish village. While they receive a warm welcome from most of their new neighbors, one local seems to have it out for them. Then, that neighbor is discovered murdered on his front porch and Mercy and Lizzie find themselves as the prime suspects. It doesn't help that Mercy is constantly in conflict with the handsome but extremely irritating local detective. What was supposed to be a fresh start for the sisters may result in a prison sentence. Determined to solve the case and clear their names, Mercy begins investigating The Judge and his long list of enemies.

An Irish Bookshop Murder does a good job introducing Mercy and Lizzie and explaining why they want a fresh start in the Irish countryside. As they are new to the area, they are meeting all the locals (the cast of characters for this series) for the first time. I do enjoy when the reader gets to know everyone right along with the main characters. While I liked the banter between Mercy and the detective, I found most of the dialogue to be unnatural and forced. I also did not find the mystery overly interesting. However, overall, I think the series has a lot of promise, and I will definitely be giving the next book a try.

Wow! I really enjoy Ms Connelly's Scottish Isle Mystery series, so I was delighted to see that she has started another series, this one set in Ireland. We meet Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy, twin sisters, as they are arriving in Shamrock Cove after they have had their lives upended. As they were each dealing with personal tragedies, they discovered that a grandfather they never knew, they never knew their dad, had left them a cottage and bookstore in Ireland. Looking for a fresh start, the sisters take a leap of faith and move to Ireland. Greeted by a wonderful group of their grandfather's neighbors and friends and hoping to learn more about him, they attend a party welcoming them to town. Everyone is friendly and welcoming except for an elderly judge who was a friend and neighbor to their grandfather he doesn't believe they belong in this neighborhood. When the sisters find him calling for help on his doorstep,on their way home from the party, Mercy tries to administer first aid, but the judge passes. When it is found that the judge was murdered much craziness ensues. Are the sisters safe here? Was it someone in the neighborhood who murdered the judge? Who can be trusted? This is a wonderful tale, almost impossible to put down, with an amazing setting, colorful characters, and a very interesting mystery. I am so looking forward to visiting Shamrock Cove again soon!! Thanks to #Netgally, #Bookouture, and the author for the opportunity to read!! #AnIrishBookshopMurder #LucyConnelly #TheMercyMcCarghyMysteries #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Mercy and Lizzie are twins who have inherited a home and bookstore in Ireland. After many traumas in their personal lives, they decide to move from Texas to Ireland. They find themselves embraced by the people of the neighborhood and town. After a welcome event for them, one of the neighbors dies in front of them and they become prime suspects.
This is the introduction to a new series and it really grabs you from the beginning. The characters are well developed and feel like friends immediately. The interaction between characters is well written and very believable. I am very interested in what comes next for these characters!
Thank you to Net galley for an Arc of this book in exchange for a review.

An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly is the 1st book in the "Mercy McCarthy Mystery" series; and the first book I’ve read by this author, although I am going to change that very soon as I already have the first book in her Scottish Isle mystery series in my kindle.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is set in a small coastal village in Ireland. Twin women, Mercy and Lizzie, arrive from Texas to take over a cottage and a bookshop bequeathed to them by their paternal grandfather they’d never met, or even knew about. The sisters had just been through a traumatic period in their lives. Lizzie’s fiancé and his young daughter had been killed in a car accident, their mother had just died of cancer and Mercy, a world famous mystery writer, had been dealing with a persistent stalker. The inheritance has given them the chance for a new start away from their sad memories.

Less than 24 hours after their arrival they attend a welcome to the neighbourhood party when one of their neighbours, a retired Judge, dies and it turns out to be murder! All the neighbours are suspects but they all seem so nice, and all have a reason to kill the Judge. The local detective rules the twins out, but Mercy can’t help get herself involved in working out who the killer is. Her line of work is murder after all. Trouble is the detective is less than happy at her ‘interference.’ It does become obvious that he likes her and it is the danger she is opening up herself to that he is less than happy about.

The characters are a mixed bunch and so real to life that I felt that I could go to the pub and actually chat to any of them. The sisters have the most amazing bond, they care for each other, protective of each other but not adverse to squabbling either. The neighbours welcome the twins into their little community which makes it hard to work out which one is a murderer. There were a lot of red herrings, and my mind changed several times, I didn’t know who it was until the climax and all was revealed.

I would really love to live in Shamrock Cove. It is the most wonderful setting the cottage is located in a very exclusive gated community called the court. There are secret passages, secret doors and people secrets. Loved the bookshop, the other businesses, the pub and the sea. Yes, this is a fictional place that I wished was real.

Looking forwards to the next book to see what Mercy and Lizzie do next.