An absolute page turner. The curiosity keeps you hooked on to the book. The twists are awesome and the story unique. Characters are awesome and pace is fast of the story. Loved this book.

Mercy and Lizzie, American transplants to Ireland, are tripping over dead bodies again. This time the are involved in a really long book festival and the star author of the event is found dead. This is book 2 of the series and we sadly don’t see as much of their interesting neighbors in this one, but Mr. Poe the dog does a lot of the detecting. A very complicated plot with lots of suspects and a backstory going back to the dead author’s childhood made this a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this DRC.
#DeathbytheBook #NetGalley

“Death by the Book ” by Lucy Connelly the 2nd instalment in the " A Mercy McCarthy Mystery" series. I enjoyed this book and think it’s a great sequel to this series. Irish scones, shamrock shortbread, a local literary festival… and a rather dead author?

I really enjoyed visiting Shamrock Cove, Ireland again and the cottages on the court. I enjoy the relationship between Mercy and Lizzie, although I noted some repetitive themes, such as Mercy's concerns about Lizzie's fragility (also present in book 1). Thankfully, this didn't detract from my enjoyment. I loved watching the sisters embrace their new life in Ireland and become integral to the 'Court' family.

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Mercy did.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 3 to come out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Bookouture and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

This was a strong sequel in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series, it had that element that I wanted from the first book. The characters had that overall feel that I was looking for and worked with solving this mystery element. I enjoyed getting to read this as the plot was wonderfully done. Lucy Connelly was able to create a great story and left me wanting more.

It was definitely fun to go back to Ireland to spend time with the McCarthy twins. Mercy and Lizzie are in the middle of a big literary festival in their adopted home of Shamrock Cove. Mercy as a guest author and panelist and Lizzie's bookstore as the center of a lot of events. The guest of honor is a local who has become an Irish author of some note, but James Brandt had never returned home until now. Determined to be disagreeable and better than the rest, it is still surprising when Mercy and Lizzie find him dead in the guest cottage he had been assigned after he failed to show up for a signing. When his agent shows up dead in the bookstore the next day, you know Mercy's curiosity and concern for her sister will lead her to assist her friend Kieran, the local Detective Inspector in finding out what is going on. Unfortunately, digging into the author's past also includes stirring up some things on prominent citizens, including the current major, who may not be too happy about that. It's definitely a twisty, turny tale that will keep the pages flipping! Thanks to #Netgally, #Bookouture, and the author for a chance to read! #DeathbytheBook #MercyMcCarthyMystery #LucyConnelly #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Death by the Book, the second in Lucy Connelly's Mercy McCarthy Mysteries, is a captivating cozy mystery that delivers on all fronts. Set during a book festival in the charming Irish village of Shamrock Cove, the story follows identical twins - one of whom is a mystery author - as they get entangled in a murder investigation. With a prima donna author, a furry companion named Mr. Poe, and plenty of twists, it’s a delight for cozy mystery lovers.

Though the first victim is easy to predict, the discovery of mysterious manuscripts and another murder within the publishing world add layers of intrigue. Mercy’s fear that her New York stalker has followed her to Ireland brings a gripping sense of suspense, making the mystery even more thrilling.

As the investigation unfolds, suspects range from a reclusive professor to the town’s mayor, with plot twists keeping the pages turning. Connelly’s storytelling is superb, with excellent pacing and a richly atmospheric setting. If you're seeking an engaging, Irish-set cozy, this book is a must-read!

Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are enjoying living in Shamrock Cove in Ireland. Lizzie runs the bookshop and is organizing a book festival and Mercy is a published author. But when the event’s main speaker is found dead the town thinks that Mercy is the killer. Fun new mystery series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This is book two in a new cosy murder mystery series by Lucy Connelly. Mercy McCarthy, an American crime writer, and her twin sister Lizzie have recently inherited a cottage and bookshop in Ireland from a grandfather they never knew. Shamrock Cove, especially a posh housing estate called The Court, has a tight-knit community into which the sisters were warmly welcomed.

This time we are at the ten day Shamrock Cove Literary Festival in which both sisters are heavily involved. The first murder is author James Brandt, an arrogant diva not many people had a good word to say about, apart from his literary agent Sebrena. But then she is found murdered too. Who has an interest in seeing them both dead, and has it something to do with their past in Shamrock Cove and an old manuscript?

The author skilfully draws up an atmospheric literary setting, with the bookshop exhibiting secret doors and a fairy garden, plus there is a lot of mention of food!

The Americanisms in an Irish setting take some getting used to - there is definitely no sign of assimilation to Irish English yet but I've learned the word "hinky" for suspicious.

The mystery about their father and some letters continues, plus there is scope for a relationship between Kieran and Mercy, who still aren't dating but getting on very well, with Kieran allowing her some sleuthing under the proviso that she doesn't get herself in danger.

This can be read as a standalone as anything worth knowing will be seamlessly woven into Mercy's narrative, though Mercy's stalker way back in New York and Lizzie's traumas from the past really didn't need repeated airings, especially as they have nothing to do with the case.

I can't wait for the next installment, not for the murders so much as for the interaction between the quirky community members! They and dog Mr Pie really make the book.

This is a fast, easy, warm-hearted read that doesn't disappoint. The characters are interesting and the setting is beautiful. Who doesn't love an Irish community where even the police are called by their first name?

Love this series, love the twin sister sleuths, love the glimpses of Irish life. A fast paced whodunnit that keeps the pages tuning. Set in the world of bookshops, authors and publishing it is a delectable treat for a bibliophile. A highly recommended read.

An Irish Bookshop Murder (Mercy McCarthy Mystery #1) & Death by the Book (Mercy McCarthy Mystery #2) by Lucy Connelly

An Irish Bookshop Murder and Death by the Book, the first and second books in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series by Lucy Connelly have set a pretty high bar for future stories in the series.

With captivating and realistic characters, unique mysteries, and the setting of a small Ireland seaside community the stories draw you in and keep you engaged and speculating to each story’s conclusion. As the very well crafted clues are gathered and unraveled, the stories become more and more intriguing. Both Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are fully relatable and believable…thereby keeping both stories effectively flowing from beginning to end. The secondary characters are equally engaging and easy to form an attachment to.

All in all, I find this series one that I will keep on my “Watch List” for additional stories about Mercy et al.

This ARC book was complimentary…provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily offering my honest review.

Mercy and Lizzy, sisters living in Ireland, are involved in a literary conference when the most obnoxious author turns up dead. when a short time later his irritating agent is also found dead, Mercy feels compelled to help solve the mystery. Fun cozy mystery series. This is book 2, and a series and author I recommend.

Mystery writer and new Irish bookstore owner Mercy is thrown into another investigation in this cozy series. It works well as a standalone, as the author has the knack for giving you the backstory from the first book without making it intrusive. Mercy and her sister are setting up a literary festival in their small town in Ireland when murder strikes, then strikes again. Mercy follows her own instincts in sorting through the suspects as some hints at personal developments from the first book appear to take a back seat. The mystery is well done, although it felt a little like Mercy stumbled into the ending. A minor quibble in a very good series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

#DeathbytheBook #NetGalley
I love this new series featuring Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy.
The sisters are living in Shamrock Cove, Ireland, starting their lives over after suffering incredible losses.
In this book, Lizzie is organizing a book festival, and she's hoping that nothing goes wrong.
Of course, in our cozy setting, someone is bound to be murdered, and this time, the suspect list is long.
The victim, the star author of the festival, is found dead, is it an accident, or is it murder?
Join these fabulous sisters and their dog Mr. Poe on a whirlwind adventure that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Mercy and her twin sister continue to fall in love with their new home in Ireland. Busy with the annual literary festival, a murder to solve is the last thing they need on their plate. But Mercy cannot help herself! A wonderful series

Death By the Book is the second Mercy McCarthy mystery by Lucy Connelly. I am really enjoying this new series. The Irish small town setting and charming characters are a joy to read about. I love how Mercy and her sister have fit into the small town of Shamrock Cove, Ireland so well and most cozy readers would love to inherit a bookstore in a small coastal village. The mystery was well written and it was just a nice escape from life to read about Mercy and her friends. Lucy Connelly is one of my favorite authors and when she writes a new a book it goes right on my To Be Read list.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

unpleasant-victims, local-law-enforcement, sisters, twins, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, Ireland, series, small-business, small-town, local-gossip, bookseller, festivals, investigation, murder, grieving, depression, mental-health-issues, mental-health-awareness, coping-mechanisms, writers, fragile-personalities, inheritance, negative-publicity, relatives*****

Shamrock Cove is hosting a literary festival and has invited a number of authors to speak and sign copies of their books.
The first body was under the fallen bookcase in the cottage, the next body was the egomaniac's curmudgeonly ex-wife found by the twins' dog in the storeroom of the bookshop. And so the investigations dig deeper and deeper into personal and local histories.
Backstory: Mercy McCarthy went from Texas to NYC bigtime mystery writer to an inheritance in Ireland from a grandfather she never knew. Her twin sister Lizzie went from Texas to deep depression after sequential tragedies, to Ireland with her sister for the healing of change.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected advance review copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Nov 12, 2024
#DeathByTheBook #MercyMcCarthyMysteriesBk2

Oh man! I loved this book so much that I finished it in one sitting! Mercy and Lizzie are back and are once again tossed into the fires of another investigation. How can this keep happening to them? They are still amidst the makings of their new life and trying to carry on when another death happens. Obviously, it brings up some of the feelings of the first investigation where they were clearly suspects, this brings them into a whole new type of trouble.

With tons of thrills, chills, wild rides, failed attempts on their lives and stretching thin some of the relationships they have just started to build with the townsfolk, these women know what they have to do. They have to figure out who is killing people in their village before another one gets killed again.

There are so many mysteries tied up in this one, you almost don't know where to look. Red herring after red herring gets thrown at you and you just have to keep ducking! This series is invigorating, and I loved being in the midst of it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I cannot recommend this and the first book enough. They are just a grand time to be had.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Lucy Connelly for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

Set in the small picturesque seaside village of Shamrock Cove, Ireland this book is the epitome of a cozy mystery. It elevates a regular character, in this case Mercy McCarthy, a mystery writer into a quintessential sleuth. Her investigative skills rely on good old face to face interview and modern research tools including AI which I thought was a nice touch. The author adds in lots of misdirection, a bit of intrigue, some colourful suspects, an interesting backstory about Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie, a literary festival and has created a charming cozy. 3.5 stars rounded up


Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love the characters & setting in this book & series. I didn’t love that the investigation doesn’t really go anywhere, it really slows the story. #DeathbytheBook #NetGalley

Mercy and her sister Lizzie moved from the states to a small Irish village when they inherited a cottage and a bookshop. Now there is a 10-day literary event with many authors visiting. The primary author was raised in the village, but it’s the first year he’s agreed to attend the festival. He turns out to be impossible to deal with and rude to everyone, as is his agent. When Mercy and Lizzie find his body in his cottage, crushed by a bookcase, Mercy immediately suspects its murder and discovers a long list of suspects and motives. The mystery kept me guessing until the end.
I love the village and Mercy’s friends and neighbors. Their small dog, Mr. Poe, is a true hero in this book, despite his diminutive size.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.