Looking forward to a weekend filled with whiskey sipping and soda bread baking, Mercy and Mozzie McCarthy are in dire need of a break. But when guests start dying, the rest get frightened. Mercy along with her delightful dog Mr. Poe are trying to solve the crime. Like the priest Father Brennan who wasn't a priest. A most delightful mystery. You'll not want to put this one down! Thanks #Netgalley and #Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Inishmore Castle has just opened its doors to the public for the first time with whiskey tastings and bread baking. Mercy and Lizzie are two of the first invited guests but when a death occurs of course they must investigate along with Mr. Poe. Fun third book in this series!

Mercy and her sister Lizzie are visiting a castle when suddenly, there's a murder. Mercy can't help but investigate as she tries to find out who did it.

It's an intriguing story which flows well. Overall I enjoyed it but there were a couple of things that caused some frustration. I don't want to offer any spoilers but there were a couple of things mentioned throughout that were obvious to everyone but Mercy and the Inspector.

The end was a little disappointing because the only reason the culprit was caught was because they outed themselves, it wasn't through Mercy or the inspector solving the investigation.

Still in love with this series by Lucy Connelly and hoping for many more! It's a wonderful, cozy but twisty thriller where you cannot guess whodunit until the very end. Excellent read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I am enjoying this series. I do so want to know what happens in the sister's lives. I like all of the characters in the court. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well-written and fast-paced cozy with interesting characters, an intriguing storyline, murder and a bit of mayhem, plenty of red herrings, a pup named Mr. Poe, and an Irish castle - what more could you possibly need in a cozy mystery? I was hooked from the very first page.
Highly recommend.

Thanks to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This has a really cool premise! Visit a beautiful, old castle, meet a few normal people, and a bunch of weird ones, strange things happen, someone dies. I enjoyed meeting the characters, and discovering their quirks. I liked the efforts made to distinguish the twins, even if some of the points about their differences were stated too often. I liked Mercy, and her relationship with detective Kieran. I really enjoyed the glimpses into actual police work. There’s how books and movies think murder and murder investigations go, and then there’s Kieran, reminding us that ‘Actually, this is how it goes.’ Those moments were my favourite parts.

I appreciate the red herrings. Still I didn’t love not having enough physical clues, or clear motives, to link people to the crimes and conjure up my own suspect list, besides ‘they were also in the castle.’ I just had to go with Mercy's speculation. When clarity started to come, it wasn’t early enough for me. Again, some details were stated over and over. I loved Mercy (a lot!) as a main sleuth; she’s got a brain that won’t quit turning the case over, but I wonder the wisdom in going sleuthing in the dark—alone—, after being explicitly told not to, with a killer on the loose. She knows krav maga, (great detail, by the way!) but…still a pretty reckless undertaking.

Overall, while I wasn’t keen on being kept in the dark for most of the book, I like these characters. A fun cozy mystery, altogether. I’m reeeally curious on what develops with Mercy now that she’s acknowledging some unexpected feelings 😄.

I received an ARC via NetGalley, and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sisters Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are invited to the Historic Inishmore Castle for the pre opening weekend, along with her fellow Shamrock Cove residents.

When one of the guests, a priest, is found dead, by Mercy in the library this peaceful weekend that she was hoping for, just fanished!

Another great read in this series!

“Death at Inishmore Castle” by Lucy Connelly the 3rd instalment in the " A Mercy McCarthy Mystery" series. I really enjoyed visiting Shamrock Cove, Ireland again and Inishmore Castle. I enjoy the relationship between Mercy and Lizzie, and the other residents in the court. I LOVE Mr. Poe and was happy they took him along to the castle and that he played a part in solving the mysteries. Whisky tasting and baking was the plan until one of the guests was murdered! When Mercy realizes there are secret passages in the walls, she thinks she might have cracked the case… but will she track the killer down, or will Inishmore be her resting place forever more?

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 4 to come out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Bookouture and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

I'm really enjoying these Mercy McCarthy Mysteries. They are easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable books about murder (which sounds mad to even say, but if you like murder mysteries, I'm sure you get it).
This time Mercy and her sister Lizzie are visiting Inishmore Castle when a murderer strikes and writer Mercy finds herself investigating yet again. She also seems to be getting even more friendly with local Garda Kieran (and I'm hoping that's going to develop even further in future books).
I didn't manage to solve this one, but I was so caught up in the story that I didn't really spend a great deal of time trying to get to the bottom of it. Great read though. I was a little surprised for a raccoon popping up the story, but apparently google tells me that they can occasionally be found in the wild in Ireland. I can't imagine that they are a regular occurrence though, but who knows, sometimes these things quickly establish themselves.
I can't wait to find out what happens to Mercy, Lizzie, Poe the Dog and Kieran next...
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Death at Inishmore Castle is the 3rd book in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series. It takes place in the town of Shamrock Cove, Ireland. Mercy is an author who writes contempary detective stories. Her twin, Lizzie owns a book store. They had come to Ireland for a fresh start. Their mother had died of cancer and Lizzie's fiance and his daughter died in an automobile accident. They had inherited the bookstore and cottage from their grandfather, Driscoll, who they never knew. They had a father who had gone missing years ago on a military mission. They didn't know if he as dead or alive. They live in the court which consist of 6 cottages. Mr. Poe is Lizzie's therapy dog who goes everywhere with her.

Mercy and Izzie were on their way to stay at a castle for the weekend. Lizzie was part of the local tourism committee invited to attend the first whiskey-testing tours, assorted list of crafts and cooking classes. The whole group from the court were there. They consisted of Lolly, the queen of the court; Rob and Scott, his partner, their next door neighbor; Brenna, a photographer who traveled for business trade magazines as well as sometime local exotics and Kiernan, Lolly's grandson who is a detective who owns one of the cottages. He was not able to attend as he couldn't get away. Bernard is an irish wolfhound. He was Lolly's therapy dog for Lolly as she had narcolepsy and needed the dog.

Inishmore Castle is owned by Gordon and Nora O'Sullivan owners of the castle. It was his family who owned it and Nora was related by marriage. It was her idea to open the castle to the public. Besides of group there was other guests consisting of a priest, nun, Sister Sarah and Fiona, a birder who works as a curator of a museum in Dublin; Maximillion Herbert, the O'Sullivan's accountant. There was a legend that a treasure was stashed somewhere in the castle by an ancestor who hide it from his wife's family, Gordon told Mercy that there were rumors that the castle was cursed. He said that Nora's family seamed to be under the curse. Financially they went up and down over the years.

After lunch Nora took the group to another building. It was the distillery which had been in the family since the 1700's and in the late 19th century the grandfather and father opened it to the public. It now sold locally and in the UK. Gordon showed them around the distillery. Everyone did a tasting of the whiskey. Everyone went back to the castle for a nap after the wine tasting.

The cocktails before dinner were in the billard room. Mercy, Izzie, Rob and Scott went looking for the room together. They followed Mr. Poe to a door. He stood at the door and whined. Mercy opened the door and looked in. There was someone sitting at the desk. She spoke to it but it didn't answer. Closed the door and when leaving the dog wouldn't leave. They all opened the door and looked in again. They checked the body and found the priest dead with a letter opener in his heart. Mercy very carefully took his wallet out of his robes. The license said that his name was Carl Doyle. She took a picture of the it.

Mercy tried to call Kiernan but the lines were down, even the land line. Gordon and Scott went to get the police but had to turn back as they couldn't get over the bridge because of the rushing water. Mercy and Rob stayed with the body. While waiting for the police Mercy looked around and saw the rosary beads that looked like the one the nun had. After Gordon got back he and Nora saw the body. Nora was upset. She told Mercy that the priest had made a reservation and arrived. The nun came the next day. Seemed to know each other. Gordon said he didn't know him and that the priest asked a lot of questions about the property and wanted to see the books so they let him use the library. That is why he was there.

Lights in the castle went out. They heard a scream and Mercy and Gordon went to see what happened. Rob and Scott stayed with the body. The scream came from Sister Sarah who said that she had been pushed. Izzie told Mercy that she had come out of the first room off the highway and didn't hear anything. No one on the wooden stairs. Sister Sarah put ice on her ankle immediately before anyone could see her ankle.

Mercer was able to get a couple of bars on her cell phone and called Kiernan. He answered and she told him about the body and he told them to do nothing more and he would get there as soon as he could. Kiernan arrived with his sergeant Sheila and a forensic team. He set himself and his team up in an incident room.

During the cooking class Mercy was talking to Fiona. She showed her pictures of birds she had taken. One of the pictures there was the priest, nun and someone else in the background. Mercy asked her for the camera showed she could show the picture to Kiernan. Sister Sarah had not come down to go to the class.

Walking Mr. Poe around the pond she found Sister Sarah in the pond face down dead. She went to get Kiernan. Talking about the murders with Kiernan both murders were different. The priest was killed by a letter owner and the nun was murdered by stangulation. Mercy wondered why someone was determined to sabotage the opening weekend of the castle and to hurt the O'Sullivan's or was the killer after the priest and nun or something in the castle.

While walking Mr. Poe there was a noise in the distillery. Mercy went to check to see what it was and found Gordon lying on the ground. He had been hit over the head with a whisky bottle with lots of blood. He had a mild pulse. Gordon woke up and told her he was doing a final check of all the buildings. Thought he saw a light in the distillery and the door was open. Came to check and that's all he remembered. Kiernan took Gordon back to the castle. He had a concussion and needed stitches.

This is where the story takes off with secret tunnels, fake artwork, stolen jewelry, people who were not who they seemed to be, etc. There is so much that goes on in the story that I will leave it to the reader to enjoy to the exciting ending with the twists and turns that keep the reader guessing.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I didn't find I was missing much not having read the previous books in the series. The characters are introduced quickly with some backstory but not in a way that would bog down the book for those who have read the other two books. I have put the other books on my TBR though, I really enjoy the characters in this one.

The main characters in this one being American living in Ireland also solves a problem I find in some Irish based books meant for a larger audience. They try to keep the conversation less Irish so include Irish names instead.

Anyway, Lizzie and Mercy are American, as are some of the guests along with some English ones. The Irish references are well explained since the castle is being used for tourists. The sisters work really well together, as twins they know each other well and use it to pick up on things in the investigation.

The mystery was good, you think someone is a suspect, then they get ruled out for various reasons. It is fairly quick paced and there is a real detective working with Mercy who is an amateur sleuth/mystery writer. They play well off each other but seriously, just kiss already.

Overall a great read, if a little annoying that the detective should have realised how the killer was involved earlier. This has a locked room feel to it as they are stuck in the castle due to the storm causing the water to rise over the bridge. Hidden passageways add some intrigue and mystery to possible suspects and how they get to places without being seen. There is good character development and some obvious setup for the next installment of the series to hook you in to getting that one too.

What a great addition to the series. Typically well written story with well developed characters & plot. It keeps you guessing until the end. I didn't want to stop reading. I'm already looking for the next book to be publishes (soon please). I can genuinely recommend this series.
I received an advance review copy via Netgalley/Bookouture and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

I just love this series. When you enjoy the first, you always wonder if the following books can live up to it, but they certainly do! For me, the Macey and Lizzie series would have the number 1 spot if it was a Netflix boxset. You could quite easily sit there and binge read the 3 books!

This time, the setting is Inishmore Castle, where Macey, Lizzie, and half of the village go to stay for the weekend. Whisky tasting and baking was the plan until one of the guests was murdered! Does they solve the mystery before the storm subsides and the guests can leave?

I really hope there will be many more adventures and mysteries to be solved by these pair!

Thank you, @bookouture and @NetGalley, for the advanced copy.

A weekend at an Irish castle, secret passages, a storm that sporadically downs telephone service and electricity…and a murder. What more could you ask for in a mystery? Mercy and her sister and their friends are part of a group invited to a soft opening of a guest stay at a nearby castle. Besides the friends, the guests include a priest, a nun, a birder, an American couple, and the owners’ accountant. What is going on and who is the murderer? Mercy’s nosiness won’t let her step back from investigating (and perhaps gives her an idea for her next book).
I love this series and A Death at Inishmore Castle is an enjoyable read. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

LGBT Rep
Mystery Writer
Set in Ireland
Twin Sisters
Second Chances
Grief
As a cozy mystery lover, I enjoyed this so much! The mystery, the atmosphere, the constant second guessing! Trust you will keep thinking ‘this feels too obvious it can’t be… or can it?!’ The layers to this case was so entertaining because other little pieces were being unraveled. This paired with the grief the twins are dealing with!
Like many cozy mysteries, you don’t have to read them in order! This one is no exception so no confusion! However, I’m pulled into reading the previous ones now. Some issues from the last 2 books come up towards the end (I won’t spoil don’t worry) and ahhhh the suspense! The characters all had their own personalities and helped with catching the culprit. But the grief! As you read on, the impact from the last 2 books is present and of course influences some of their decisions. The grief of losing multiple people in a small amount of time is shown especially with Lizzie, the less curious sister. Their grief shows in different ways along with the difference in their personalities. Then the relationship between Mercy, our curious sister, and the DI, Kieran! I just absolutely loved this!

Third book in this series featuring a close knit community. Murder and mystery follow the twins where ever they go.

Fraternal twin sisters, Ireland, an adorable dog, a bookstore, and a handsome detective are all qualities for a great book. This is the third book in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series and they get better with each book. One thing that is a little different about this book is it doesn't take place in Shamrock Cove but in a castle not far away. The owners of the castle are having a soft weekend opening of whiskey tasting and classes ranging from gardening to cooking all while getting to spend the weekend in the castle. Sounds wonderful except that Mercy and her dog Mr. Poe find a dead body and a fierce storm is going on making it hard to communicate with the local village or even leave the castle. This makes for a great mystery with lots of people who could be the murderer.
I enjoy this series and this book was wonderfully interesting and fun at the same time. I look forward to more adventures with Mercy and Libby.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. This is my honest review.

A weekend away at an Irish castle as guests for a soft opening for their new tourism plan to offer whiskey tastings, cooking and craft classes, and a garden tour….what could be more idyllic? Successful mystery writer Mercy McCarthy and her twin sister Lizzie are ready to enjoy all that’s on offer along with some of their dear friends, neighbors of theirs, and a handful of other guests. Unfortunately, one of the guests meets an untimely death, and as a ferocious storm moves in Mercy, Lizzie and the rest are caught in the castle with a killer. The castle is beautifully described, secret passages and all, and the food sounds delicious, these details make an atmospheric background for Mercy’s investigating. During a brief break in the storm the police are able to reach the castle after Mercy alerts her detective friend, The interaction between them gives us a chance to see how Mercy’s mind is always working to process information as she often finds herself having to defend her insatiable curiosity against Kiernan’s desire to ensure her safety,
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this third book in the series, Mercy. Lizzie and their found family (including Mr. Poe, (the dog) are charming and intelligent, the setting so inviting I’d love to visit, and the storyline kept me guessing. I’m already looking forward to book four to see where a loose thread at the end of the book takes us, I’m sure it will be interesting!

I thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the Mercy McCarthy series. The characters feel like friends and I really want to visit. I enjoyed the "stranded at the castle" element, and the hidden passageways. The cooking, Mercy's thought process and inner dialogue are always interesting and often very funny. The setting is described so intricately, I feel like I'm there.

I will read anything by Lucy Connelly! Her female protagonists are strong, smart women. The romance is not swoon worthy, which I also appreciate! Something is brewing, but its slow and friendly. I highly recommend!