Scandal in Skibbereen
County Cork Mystery, Book #2
By Sheila Connolly
ISBN# 9780425252505
Author’s Website: http://www.sheilaconnolly.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
As the new owner of Sullivan’s Pub in County Cork, Ireland, Maura Donovan gets an earful of all the village gossip. But uncovering the truth about some local rumors may close her down for good
…
Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home, just in time for summer tourist season to bring fresh business to her pub. But the first traveler to arrive is thirsty for more than just a pint of Guinness. Althea Melville is hot on the trail of a long-lost Van Dyck painting.
Maura agrees to help Althea meet with the residents at the local manor house, the most likely location of the missing art. But when the manor’s gardener is found murdered, Maura wonders what Althea’s real motives are. Now, to solve the secret of the lost portrait and catch a killer, Maura will have to practice her Irish gift of gab and hunt down some local history—before someone else is out of the picture. (Goodreads)
Review:
Maura and her cast of characters of locals are fun and enjoyable. Old Billy is a hoot. It seems in this installment of County Cork Mysteries, that Maura is settling in a bit more. She is more at home with her neighbors and bar patrons. She also seems to be ready to take on her older staff members. I can’t wait to see how much more she matures as Publican of Sullivan’s Pub.
We meet a few more characters in this installment, such as Gillian(the artist and sometimes date of Harry Townsend), Harry Townsend(playboy nephew of matriarch Eveline), and matriarch Eveline Townsend(keeper of several secrets and owner of the Townsend Estate). A spattering of several other characters spice up the story. The scenery and descriptions of rural Irish life are as always a great pleasure to read and live in vicariously.
This is only the second in Ms Connolly’s new Irish Mystery series. She also writes a Museum Mystery series and a wonderful Orchard Mystery series. I have not read the museum one, but really enjoy the Orchard cozy series. This is another great new cozy series that I would recommend to not only cozy readers, but anyone who enjoys a bit of Irish wit and fun in a mystery. Maura is an enjoyable main character without a lot of the normal wishy/washy attitude of some cozy leads. I can not wait for the next in this series and hope others find it a pleasure to read as I have.
