Irish Coffee Murder

ISBN 9781496740298

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in Maine, where the chilly March weather offers the perfect excuse to curl up with an Irish coffee. But someone may have spiked this year’s brew with
murder . . .

IRISH COFFEE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Part-time reporter Lucy Stone is writing a piece for the Courier about four Irish step dancing students from Tinker’s Cove on the cusp of making it big. But the story becomes headline news for all the wrong reasons when one girl’s mother is found dead in her bathtub. Did a stage mom take rivalry too far, or is some other motive at play?

DEATH OF AN IRISH COFFEE DRINKER by LEE HOLLIS
As owner of Bar Harbor’s hottest new restaurant, Hayley Powell offers to cater the after-party for popular comedian Jefferson O’Keefe, who’s playing his old hometown for St. Patrick’s Day. But it’s no laughing matter when Jefferson keels over after gulping down his post-show Irish coffee, leaving Hayley to figure out who decided this joker had gone too far . . .

PERKED UP by BARBARA ROSS
It’s a snowy St. Patrick’s Day in Busman’s Harbor. But when the power goes out, what better way for Julia Snowden to spend the evening than sharing local ghost stories–and Irish coffees–with friends and family? By the time the lights come back, they might even have solved the coldest case in town. (from Goodreads)

Review:

This is a captivating set of cozy mystery novellas from three long-running, beloved series. All three are set in Maine, on St. Patrick’s Day, and prominently feature Irish Coffee. Each is unique, and I very much enjoyed the similarities and differences.

When I read an anthology last year by these three authors, I was very pleased in that, even though I had not read two of the series before, it was easy to become acquainted with the people and towns. Primary characters are engaging and defined sufficiently through conversations and actions with minimal narrative except for essential backstories. Each town was described perfectly for purposes of each story.

Each novella grabbed my attention at the beginning and held it throughout, as they were written with excellence and flair. The settings included diverse economic circumstances and populations. Each kept me actively guessing throughout; clearly the authors are very talented. 

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Five Stars

Irish Coffee Murder

Lucy Stone #28.5

By Leslie Meier

lesliemeierbooks.com

Lucy’s work as a reporter at the small-town newspaper was enlightening, including the wide variety of subjects she wrote about. I thought Irish Step Dancing and the young ladies’ dedication to it was fascinating; I wished I could have seen them in person! Meeting the girls at the dance studio and the dance moms at the competition was revealing. The time the mothers spent over mixed drinks, including Irish coffee, brought out the worst in women who typically would not mix socially. 

I was sad to see which mom died, as I genuinely liked her and her daughter. The nasty gossip about mom and daughter before the autopsy was completed was totally wrong, as it often is. I had an idea who the bad guy was, but I had to check out the red herrings. I was satisfied that the right person was brought to justice, yet sad for the daughter missing her mom.

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Four Stars

Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker

Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery #15.5

By Lee Hollis

leehollismysteries.com

Best friends Hayley, with one of the busiest restaurants in Bar Harbor, and Liddy, a high-producing realtor, witnessed the death of one of Liddy’s high school boyfriends with whom she had new hopes of a real future. Jefferson was a humorist and storyteller whose success was growing; he had already been in New York City and Boston, with many more venues scheduled. Liddy was thrilled to book him for the St. Patrick’s Day event at the local theatre, and couldn’t wait to see him. Hayley was catering the after party at her brother’s bar, closed to those who weren’t invited. One thing Jefferson wanted served was his favorite, Irish coffee. That night, shortly after arriving, Jefferson jumped atop a table to make a toast, Irish coffee in hand. Almost immediately after finishing the beverage, he looked as if he were choking, fell to the floor, and died.

Most of the suspects did not feel right. I would have never guessed who Jefferson’s killer was, or the motive! The means was very clever; were it not for Hayley’s sharp eye, it might never have been solved. There was much humor in this novella despite the tragedy of someone young and too well liked to die. I enjoyed Hayley’s “Island Food and Spirits” column for the paper.

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Five Stars

Perked Up

Maine Clambake Mystery #10.5

By Barbara Ross

barbararossauthor.com

Busman’s Harbor has another winter storm coming through, so Julia and her friend Zoey were going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish coffee and a movie at Julia’s mom’s house. When the power went out, they decided to tell ghost stories. The Irish coffee began to flow, with only candles to see by and the fireplace to heat coffee. Captain George, a long-time family friend and employee, began with the murder of Hugh O’Hara. It occurred just after the Civil War and was the oldest unsolved murder in town. Neighbors and family began to arrive at Mom’s, several with food to go with the Irish coffee. Each had more to add about the murder and a different conviction of who did it and why. When everyone went home much later, the murder and identity of the “ghost” was still unresolved.

The next day, Julia began researching, which led to a day trip with Zoey and lifelong friend Jamie. If anyone could solve this, it would be Julia. She found the obscure clues that settled who the killer was and finally, who the “ghost” was. My favorite aspects were the setting in a town where people helped each other, and the history of the area and another part of the state they drove to.

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Conclusion

These novellas can easily be read as standalones. This is a great collection of St. Patrick’s Day mysteries, especially if one likes various Maine settings, Irish coffee, and Irish recipes. I highly recommend them and will absolutely read more of these themed holiday collections! If one is considering reading any of the series, this is a perfect way to try them.