Month: February 2023

Book Notes-Murder At An Irish Bakery

Cheryl Russell

book cover for Murder at an Irish Bakery

Murder At An Irish Bakery
Book Nine in the Irish Village Mystery series

By Carlene O’Connor

Fia O’Ferrell’s family bakery, Pie Pie Love, is in danger of shutting down. Her hope is a week-long baking contest, featuring Ireland’s best bakers. Even famous Irish baker Aoife McBride, not seen since a public meltdown a few months ago, is coming to Kilbane to compete. The competition is also being filmed for television, bringing Pie Pie Love much-needed publicity.
The promise of endless baked goods, specifically desserts, means this baking competition is Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan’s dream assignment. The assignment quickly turns into a bad dream when a protester, trying to stop the show, is murdered. The bad dream morphs into a nightmare when bodies begin to pile up, but clues and the murderer’s identity remain elusive.

In Murder at an Irish Bakery, the O’Sullivan Six have moved to a new home. They are growing up and branching out into new lives and careers. Siobhán, married a year, is a happy as she’s ever been, while at the same time is she is trying to come to grips with the fact her siblings are spreading their wings.

The mystery is also tricky to solve. Figuring out the puzzle isn’t just figuring out the ‘who dun it,’ but also the ‘how was it done.” Sometimes the ‘who dun it’ isn’t hard to pinpoint, but the ‘how was it done’ keeps me guessing until the end of the book. I’ve read all the books in this series, and what keeps me reading are not only the tricky mysteries, but the way the characters continue to evolve and change, without losing their strong family bonds. That foundation is what gives them the courage to grow into individuals, knowing there is a safe place to land if needed.

Other books in the series
Murder on an Irish Farm #8

Murder in an Irish Bookshop #7

Murder at an Irish Christmas #6

Murder in an Irish Cottage #5

Murder in an Irish Pub #4

Murder in an Irish Churchyard #3

Murder at an Irish Wedding #2

Murder in an Irish Village #1

Publishing Information
Kensington Cozies

320 Pages, 5.90 x 8.54 x 1.10 in

ISBN: 9781496730817

ON SALE: 02/21/2023

FICTION / MYSTERY & DETECTIVE / WOMEN SLEUTHS

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing a copy of #MurderAtAnIrishBakery

Book Notes-In Farm’s Way by Amanda Flower

Cheryl Russell

Book cover for Amanda Flower's book In Farm's WayIn Farm’s Way
A Farm to Table Mystery
by Amanda Flower

When the husband of Shiloh’s best friend becomes a murder suspect, Shiloh starts investigating to clear his name.

Wallace Field is the owner of Field’s Brewing Company, located in Shiloh’s hometown of Cherry Glen, Michigan. Even though the brewery is relatively new, it’s grown quickly and Wallace has plans to go national. But before he can do that, he needs to find a new brewmaster for the brewery. The purpose of tonight’s event is to name a new brewmaster. Shiloh was invited to the reveal party by her best friend, Kristy Garcia Brown. Kristy’s husband, Kent, is one of the bartenders at the Field’s Brewing Company and one of two finalists for the brewmaster’s job.

Other attendees at tonight’s event are members of MOBA, Michigan Organic Beer Association. Wallace is a member, but there is no love lost between Wallace and fellow MOBA members, as Shiloh learns when she overhears a conversation between two members. Wallace is suspected of cheating—stealing others’ recipes for home brewed beers and passing them off as his own.
The brewmaster position is up for a vote. The voters sampled two cherry flavored beers-one developed by Kent and the other developed by Jason Brennan. Wallace declared Jason the winner, to the shock of nearly everyone there.
The next day, Shiloh discovers Wallace’s body at an ice fishing competition. She’s determined to stay out of the investigation, but when Kent becomes a strong suspect in the murder—because he was the last one to see Wallace alive—she needs to get involved.

Thoughts on In Farm’s Way

In Farm’s Way is the 3rd book in the Flower’s Farm to Table series. Shiloh Bellamy is still struggling to get the farm on firm financial footing. She’s in the process of certifying the farm as organic, but her father doesn’t encourage her efforts. Shiloh must also contend with her rocky past. I’ve enjoyed watching her confront her obstacles and move past them as she reinvents herself and the family farm. The series as a whole is a fun one, and one I’ve enjoyed reading.

Other books in the series:
Farm to Trouble
Put Out To Pasture

Other books by Amanda

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing a copy of #InFarmsWay