MURDER AT AN IRISH WEDDING by Carlene O'Connor

"Drama in the midst of a celebration at the castle"

Murder at an Irish Wedding

Posted: December 12, 2017

Second, in the Irish Village Mystery series of tales comes a mix of romance and tragedy. Kilbane, with its castle, cosy walls, and cobbled streets, is the setting for a lively wedding party. Someone has imbibed too much however and made an idiot of himself. Kevin Gallagher's supposed to be best man, but before the big day, he's managed to insult various people.

MURDER AT AN IRISH WEDDING seems drastic, but it's one those big society weddings where many guests and staff and hangers-on congregate. A fashion model, a photo-journalist, security guard, computer app millionaire... you name it. Preparations begin on Wednesday for the wedding on Saturday. Paul Donnelly and Alice Cahill are getting married, and Siobhán O'Sullivan is not quite on the guest list but has worked her way into the company. With previous experience of investigating a crime scene, Siobhan is alerted to a man found dead in the nearby woods. She runs off to check and finds Kevin has been killed. Now she starts piecing together who would have wanted to harm him and why.

The hired French chef makes a good counterfoil for Garda Macdara Flannery, while many other personalities of all ages fill the busy pages. I think anyone who has read the earlier book, 'Murder in An Irish Village' will have an advantage as they will already have been introduced to some of the cast. We meet them and hear the gossip in the Kilbane Inn, a bistro, around the town gift shop and other places. Various issues complicate the tale, so be ready to unravel the tangles.

Fans of lively cosy mysteries in an interesting modern setting will enjoy Carlene O'Connor's latest, which is written with some Americanisms but some Irish phrases and sayings as well. MURDER AT AN IRISH WEDDING will certainly keep you chuckling and guessing. I had a good time and would read more in the series.

Book Summary

The O’Sullivan clan of County Cork, Ireland, are thrilled to be catering the matrimonial affairs of a celebrity couple—until a cunning killer turns an Irish wedding into an Irish wake . . .

Any wedding is a big deal in the small village of Kilbane—even more so when the bride is a famous fashion model. It’s also good for business. Not only has customer traffic picked up at Naomi’s Bistro, Siobhán O’Sullivan and her five siblings have a full plate catering for the three-day affair. And Siobhán’s own beau, local garda Macdara Flannery, gladly steps in as best man after the groom’s first choice makes a drunken arse out of himself.

Even if he hadn’t been disinvited to the wedding, the original best man wouldn’t have been able to show. He’s been found murdered in the woods, casting a pall over the nuptials. And when a second member of the wedding party is poisoned by a champagne flute engraved with Macdara’s name, the garda goes from being best man to prime suspect.

With a killer at large and a string of robberies plaguing Kilbane, Siobhán feels more than a little protective of her village. She vows to clear Macdara’s name, but the suspect list is as long as the guest list. Like the bride walking down the aisle, Siobhán needs to watch her step. For as she gets closer to unveiling the truth, the murderer is planning a very chilly reception for her . . .