I love reading fiction that is based in Ireland and it is a plus when it is a mystery novel! AN EARLY WAKE written by author Sheila Connolly is one of those novels that I could not resist reading. The main character has inherited this little pub in Ireland that was famous back in the day for the music that was played there. This pub is a model from an actual pub that the author, Sheila Connolly had visited years ago with it also known for the music. So that makes this novel a little more special when you find out the author's inspiration behind it.

In this novel, Maura Donovan is trying to bring back the life of a pub that she is now in charge of. Then when an unexpected visitor, Tim walks in and had heard a little about Sullivan's Pub and its history he decided to come in and ask questions and then the word gets out and the old musicians come back. Did Maura find a way to bring this once famous pub in Ireland back to life, or does a murder keep it from thriving? Maura has to help solve what happened to the musician found dead in the pub's back room or everything could crumble before she has a chance to bring the place back alive!

Even though I felt at first it started a little slow for me, I still enjoyed the storyline once I really got a little further into the book. This is a third in the County Cork Mystery series and Maura is a character that you can really like. Unlike some female characters, she is taking her choices slow and making no rash decisions. This makes her a strong female character. AN EARLY WAKE is a great read that I couldn't put down once the story hooked me. I am looking forward to Sheila Connolly's next one to see where she takes her characters in this small Irish town.

Book Summary

Pub owner Maura Donovan may have Irish kin, but she doesn’t seem to have the luck of the Irish. Who could have foreseen that bringing live music back to Sullivan’s Pub would lead to a dead musician?

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan’s Pub in the black as the days grow shorter—but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who’d come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan’s salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it’s going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.