A Turn for The Bad
County Cork, Book #4
By Sheila Connolly
ISBN13: 9780425273425
Author website: http://www.sheilaconnolly.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of An Early Wake returns to Ireland where Sullivan’s Pub owner Maura Donovan gets mixed up with smugglers.
After calling Ireland home for six months, Boston expat Maura Donovan still has a lot to learn about Irish ways—and Sullivan’s Pub is her classroom. Maura didn’t only inherit a business, she inherited a tight-knit community. And when a tragedy strikes, it’s the talk of the pub. A local farmer, out for a stroll on the beach with his young son, has mysteriously disappeared. Did he drown? Kill himself? The child can say only that he saw a boat.
Everyone from the local gardai to the Coast Guard is scouring the Cork coast, but when a body is finally brought ashore, it’s the wrong man. An accidental drowning or something more sinister? Trusting the words of the boy and listening to the suspicions of her employee Mick that the missing farmer might have run afoul of smugglers, Maura decides to investigate the deserted coves and isolated inlets for herself. But this time she may be getting in over her head…
Review:
I always enjoy going back to County Cork and Sullivan’s Pub and visiting with this great cast of characters. Sheila Connolly does a wonderful job of having just the right amount of characters to make the story entertaining without overloading my memory and reading mind. Probably just me, but I do not like a cast of hundreds when a few can more than do it perfectly. Maura Donovan and her employees/friends who work the pub are becoming tighter and I am enjoying the journey they are taking together. Maura’s other friends are delightful as well and the townsfolk just add to the sense of being there. In this installment, the 4th, of “County Cork Mystery” series, A Turn for the Bad takes us the readers on a wet and wild ride in search of a missing farmer and the mystery surrounding him and his family. I really enjoyed learning more about the area and how the author tied everything together.
Maura is a fabulous protagonist that has made herself a home in her new community. Her pub is the sounding board for most of the villagers when there is any news. So as a farmer goes missing while out for a walk with his young son, everyone comes to Sullivan’s Pub to hear the latest news and gather together to help if need be. The child is unable to tell the gardai much except he saw a boat. As the villagers, including the missing man’s brother, come to get information and pass on what they know, Maura feels they have to do more. As she gets a bit of inside gossip, things look different than she first thought. With the help of several unexpected (and entertaining) characters, the gang come up with a plan to get to the bottom of things and hopefully get the farmer back home to his family
Sheila Connolly’s writing style is superb, drawing the reader in slowly, with wit and Irish charm and leading us on a jolly adventure. There are several twists and turns, but the majority of the plot is full on intelligent and impactful. I love the little nuisances that are sprinkled in to let us see the ways of small town Irish life and their history. The history that is behind all the mystery is educating and at the same time interesting and full of color and life. Throwing in a body being found that is not the missing farmer gave another twist to the mystery. Her employee Mick helps with not only his own suspicions, but his connections that in the end are essential to finding a happy end to the tragic tale.
In A Turn for the Bad, I loved the mix of enthralling characters, old town gossip, history and the amazing setting. The story was exceptionally well written, building slowly, but keeping the reader captivated throughout. The action was exciting and I was fascinated with the intricate plans. This is not only a charming cozy series, but one that pulls the reader in and never let’s go. Even if you have not read any of the other books in this series, you will easily be able to jump right in and enjoy this one. I recommend A Turn for the Bad to lovers of Irish charm, fans of wonderfully written cozies and anyone looking for a great new series to get hooked on. Sheila Connolly’s series just keeps getting better.
