September 7, 2020
O’Connor’s solid sixth Irish Village mystery (after Murder in an Irish Cottage) finds levelheaded garda Siobhán O’Sullivan off duty for the holidays, or so she thinks. The six O’Sullivan siblings are spending a snowy Christmas with their oldest brother James’s fiancée, violinist Elise Elliot, and her family in a rustic West Cork village, where everyone is looking forward to a sold-out concert by Elise’s grandfather, conductor Enda Elliot, and his orchestra. Then Enda is found dead underneath a harp in the concert hall. A broken railing in the second-floor gallery above suggests he may have taken an accidental fall with the harp, but Siobhán suspects foul play. She immediately catches Elise in a lie about Enda, and wonders what else the Elliot family and their friends are hiding. The astute Siobhán wants to learn all she can about Enda’s scorned second wife, the much younger violin virtuoso widow, and the adult kids awaiting an inheritance. Fully realized characters enhance this skillfully plotted tale as it builds to a twist ending. This seasonal Irish treat is sure to please cozy fans. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency.
August 15, 2020
The enduringly tricky problems of meeting new relatives are compounded by murder. Siobh�n O'Sullivan took over parenting her five siblings when their parents died in an accident, giving up her plans for college to become a Garda and help run the family cafe. The six O'Sullivans have now been invited to spend Christmas in West Cork with the family of oldest brother James' fiancee, Elise Elliot. Elise's paternal grandfather, renowned orchestra conductor Enda Elliot, plans a Christmas concert at an old mill nearby. The group that gathers to help decorate the mill--including Enda's third wife, Leah, a world-class violinist; his daughter Moira; and several grown grandchildren--finds the door locked. When Catherine Healy arrives with the keys, they enter and find Enda dead. It looks as if he fell from the balcony, but Siobh�n, immediately suspicious, calls the local Garda. Not surprisingly given Enda's three wives, there's considerable tension within the Elliot family, but everyone, including the Garda, suspects Catherine's boyfriend, whom they consider an obnoxious, useless drunk. A security tape shows someone in costume entering the mill before Enda. Siobh�n can't resist investigating, and when someone tries to run her off the road, she knows she's struck a nerve. Siobh�n's fiance, Garda Macdara Flannery, and his mother arrive, determined to help make the holiday happy for the family even as Siobh�n's equally determined to unearth the many secrets her new relatives are hiding. A charming combination of Christmas cheer, Irish customs, and a mystery awash in red herrings.
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