Murder in an Irish Churchyard
Irish Village Mystery #3
By Carlene O’Connor
ISBN 9781496753694
Carleneoconnor.net

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

Bestselling author Carlene O’Connor’s third novel in the acclaimed Irish Village Mystery series is now available in trade paperback! The village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, has a new garda—and her first case is a grave matter indeed.

It’s official! Siobhán is now Garda O’Sullivan, and her five siblings couldn’t be prouder. While brother James runs Naomi’s Bistro, Siobhán is doing her part to keep the village safe. Of course, Kilbane is pretty quiet compared to a place like Dublin, where Macdara Flannery has gone to be a detective sergeant. Good for him, but she still misses him.

Then one night the local priest summons Siobhán to the church cemetery. There’s a dead man in the graveyard—aboveground. He’s a stranger, but the priest has heard talk of an American tourist in town, searching for his Irish ancestor. A detective sergeant is dispatched from Dublin to assist with the case, and as fate would have it, it’s Macdara. After his parting, things are awkward between them, but they have to work together. They learn the victim was from Dublin—Dublin, Ohio, that is. And when his extended family arrives from the States, the plot thickens. Siobhán begins to dig for a motive among the gnarled roots of the family tree. But as long-buried secrets are unearthed, she and Macdara will need to stay two steps ahead of the killer or end up with more than one foot in the grave. (Goodreads)

Review:

This is another outstanding, complex mystery in the Irish Village Mystery series. So many things are exciting in this novel, set primarily in Kilbane, Ireland. The characters, especially Siobhan, her five siblings, and Macdara are defined beautifully through their actions and conversations. I could almost picture them working at the family restaurant, Naomi’s Bistro, named after Siobhan’s mother.

Siobhan is now a garda (guardian of the peace, police officer) in Kilbane. When not working at the station, Siobhan worked at Naomi’s Bistro. She and her older brother, James, cared for their four younger siblings since their parents’ death. When Siobhan had told the former Garda Macdara Flannery that she was accepted at the college, he ended their potential romance. He accepted a promotion to Detective Sergeant in Dublin, and moved there.

At shortly after 1 AM of Siobhan’s first day as a garda, hours before she was due at the station, Father Kearney came to the bistro. He found a dead body in the church cemetery. Siobhan insisted that he call the emergency number, but the priest trusted Siobhan more than those at the station.

Father Kearney had heard a gunshot from his rooms from the direction of the cemetery, looked out, and thought he saw someone run away. He ran out, but the man who was shot had died. Firearms are seldom seen in Kilbane; surprisingly, even the gardai do not carry guns. The priest told Siobhan that twice recently, he saw someone at the cemetery that he did not recognize. The stranger was a tall woman with long gray hair, stomping around like a madwoman in very high heels. The person running away that night was too far from him to see if a man or woman.

The snow was accumulating; Siobhan only put on a coat over her pajamas and walked to the cemetery. The dead man had been shot at close range. His lapel bore an American flag pin. A piece of cream-colored paper with writing on it was almost covered. She took photos before the snow could bury evidence or footprints, noting also the man’s position and what it appeared he was pointing to.

Her new boss, Garda Reilly, made his displeasure with Siobhan known when he arrived. They should have called for police first. She should not have gone there with Father Kearney. He gave her a verbal warning, to be documented in her file. The assigned Detective Sergeant would arrive from Dublin and handle it when he arrived. Still wearing pajamas? Go! Home!

Macdara Flannery was sent to handle the investigation. Siobhan had mixed feelings. She had missed him! He said he could work with her only if they never spoke of the past. Siobhan appreciates his inclusion of her as he investigates, despite the pain of their breakup. She genuinely likes investigating, seeking to get justice for the murdered man. Each clue, each interview, led to more unanswered questions and suspects.

I truly enjoyed this cozy mystery! I continue to learn about Ireland through the O’Sullivan’s, including Siobhan’s love of this beautiful place. How, in Kilbane, people ride scooters or bicycles, or walk to their destination unless they are going out of town. I appreciated a little history and seeing the ruins of the abbey again. I was impressed to see the mention of Michael Collins, from the early 20th century.

Solving why, and by whom, the deceased, Peter Mallon, was killed in a cemetery on a cold, snowy night was the stuff of sleepless nights. Peter had been working on his family’s genealogy, as his great grandparents had come from Ireland during the famine and established the family restaurant in America. A portion of its profits had always been used to feed the hungry. He was having a documentary made of their findings, as both he and his wife were excellent researchers. Just as he had found something “explosive”, his life was cut short. His family members and the videographer were valid suspects. There were twists that changed the suspect list radically, until the explosive twist was revealed. This is a memorable mystery, with completely unexpected solutions and a satisfying ending. I highly recommend this cozy mystery!