An Irish Bookshop Murder: A Mercy McCarthy Mystery Book 1 by Lucy Connelly

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

An utterly gripping cozy crime murder mystery

Meet Ireland’s newest daring she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case! 

After receiving unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead! 

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.

Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the judge—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him? 

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.

Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

my thoughts:

Love, love, loved the first book, An Irish Bookshop Murder, in the new series, A Mercy McCarthy Mystery Book by Lucy Connelly. It reminded me of a Hallmark Mystery movie, which I LOVED - those are some of my favorites! This book was a cozy mystery through and through, which is my favorite genre lately. We have twin sisters Mercy and Lizzie - Mercy writes mystery novels and Lizzie runs a lavender ranch. Both have just had their lives upended. So, upon inheriting a cottage and antique bookshop from their grandfather, the sisters find themselves eager for a fresh start. Relocating to Shamrock Cove, Ireland is just the ticket. They soon find themselves in a beautiful new place being welcomed by their grandfather's friends and neighbors. Life is looking up for both sisters until the Judge, their ornery neighbor dies on his front porch. Unfortunately, right before he dies he accuses Mercy of murder. Say what? Yep, Mercy is now involved in quite the conundrum. Being a mystery writer, she is determined to solve the Judge's murder and his suspicions of her. The only question is, will she be able to clear her name and figure out who is the murder before her and Lizzie get hurt, or worse? Yikes! And, woo hoo! This book was such a treat to read! I really enjoyed getting to know Mercy and Lizzie, along with their new neighbors and friends. Plus, trying to figure out whodunnit was such a fun puzzle. Connelly has created a terrific new series that I can't wait to read more of. 

I would happily recommend An Irish Bookshop Murder to anyone and everyone looking for a new cozy mystery to fall in love with - you are going to devour this first book with gusto! It is perfect for the upcoming fall season - snuggled up with a cuppa and this book, you won't want for anything else. Well, maybe a sweet treat. Seriously though, you are going to really enjoy Connelly's writing, characters, and mystery - they all come together to make an amazing story that you won't be able to put down until you turn that last page.  Make sure to check out An Irish Bookshop Murder ASAP! I know I can't wait to get my hands on book 2. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!