An Irish Bookshop Murder

Read Time: 3 Minutes

I am trying to think a lot less about which audiobooks to buy as I have recently found myself flip-flopping on what to listen to next so much that I end up going back to something I previously enjoyed instead of making a decision. While revisiting previous liked books isn’t a bad thing, it does just push the problem down the road. So in this spirit, when I stumbled on “An Irish Bookshop Murder” by Lucy Connelly, it sounded at first blush as something I’d enjoy so without a second thought, dropped an Audible credit on it and jumped right in.

An Irish Bookshop Murder is a friendly, cozy mystery that blends charm, intrigue, and a touch of Irish whimsy. Set in the picturesque fictional village of Shamrock Cove, the story follows twin sisters Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy, who inherit a quaint bookshop and cottage from a grandfather they never knew existed.

Mercy, a crime novelist, and Lizzie, a former ranch owner, seek a fresh start in Ireland after personal losses back in the States. However, their new beginning takes a dark turn when a neighbour is found dead, and Mercy becomes entangled in the ensuing murder investigation.

Their cottage is a small village in a village type arrangement. It’s part of a long-established heir-bequeathed line of houses in a secretive area known as “The Hidden Way Court” – basically the only way you can live there is if you inherit the house.

This leads to a lot of close-knit characters all of whom have been in each other’s business for most of their lives. So, it goes without saying there a lot of suspects, and like any good mystery it has loads of red herrings to throw you off the scent.

The cast of supporting characters all seem well-developed, and the setting of the village is both cozy and vibrant. Shamrock Cove has that postcard-perfect charm you’d expect from an Irish coastal village. The title is a bit misleading though, as I thought most of the book would be centred in and around the bookshop, whereas it’s more of around the cottage and The Court.

Yes, we do visit the bookshop from time to time, but its importance is more in a way to get the sisters to Ireland rather than a focal point for the book. While not a huge thing, I did have my expectations set on the bookshop being more integral to the plot.

The audiobook narration by Kimberly M. Wetherell brought the characters to life, capturing the essence of the Irish setting and the personalities of the townsfolk. I didn’t notice any instances of obvious retakes or any background noises, so a high-quality production.

Will I continue with the series? Honestly, I’m not sure. While I was engaged throughout this one, the blurb for book two makes it sound like more of the same – especially the ongoing conflict between Mercy and the local detective. I’m not sure I can sit through more of the “I know better than you” attitude from Mercy.

She leans pretty hard into the “Mary Sue” territory: world-renowned author, expert in forensics, krav maga, computer hacking… you name it. If she needs it, she’s already mastered it, usually because a character in one of her books had to.

In the quiet town of Shamrock Cove with low-crime and friendly locals, the murder rate is skyrocketing, both from this and subsequent books in the series. While of course it is hard to have a murder mystery without murders, there’s just a little too much inconsistency for me.