An Irish Village Mystery Book 11
Author: Carlene O'Connor
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496744456
Kensington Cozies
304 Pages
$27.00; $13.77 Amazon
February 25, 2025
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Everything's coming up roses for garda Siobhan and the rest of the O'Sullivan family in quaint Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland -- until a murder investigation blooms out of a deadly gardening competition.
While Siobhan studies for her Detective Sergeant exams, her brother, Eoin, prepares for the grand opening of his new restaurant, The O'Sullivan Six, and concocts a plan to enter Kilbane's Top Garden Contest to boost business. But trouble brews when Eoin hires a mercurial landscape designer known for her killer designs. His new partner's unflattering reputation and questionable practices nearly eclipse her talents -- and plunge the prestigious competition into chaos.
A lush and intricate winning garden emerges from the controversy, with a spectacular golden statue in the center of the display. But in a devastating twist, the work of art leads to the shocking discovery of a bold and brutal work of murder.
Everyone in town has an opinion about who committed the crime and planted the evidence, from easily bribed sponsors to green-with-envy gardeners. And with another golden statue found in Eoin's garden display, rumors about his involvement intensify. As local gossip buzzes and a list of suspects grows, it's up to quick-witted Siobhan and her husband, Macdara, to suss out the guilty party's identity...before the competition buries another victim.
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First off, I have to say that the blurb isn't completely accurate as to the action in the book. Eoin is never suspected of anything, even though Cassidy's garden is to be behind his new restaurant. He's too busy focusing on that than to notice much of anything else.
But back to the book -- There's a new gardener in town to enter the yearly local gardening contest, and the other gardeners are not happy about it. Cassidy left town many years ago, and is now a winning garden designer. Why she should want to enter is anyone's guess. But soon, an intrepid local reporter named Molly susses it out, and the other gardeners aren't happy/ When someone is killed during the competition, and vandalism occurs, garda O'Sullivan and her husband, Detective Macdara, are on the case trying to figure it out. A killer is loose, and the last thing they want is for someone else to be murdered...
This is the eleventh book in the series, and I have been watching Siobhan and her siblings as they grow and create new lives for themselves. They began years ago as orphans, and Siobhan refused to allow them to separate and took on the responsibility of raising them. Now, the six each have their own lives, and she has a hard time letting go. But she discovers that time doesn't stop, not even for a killer. When the person turns up dead, Siobhan doesn't know who is involved. It could be anyone -- a rival gardener, a crew member, local merchants, or even the reporter. But where does she start to decipher clues -- if she has any at all?
This book is wonderful. I did figure out a few things before our protagonist, but that doesn't matter as while reading it, it comes more convoluted and the clues are harder to find. What we have is a medley of suspects who all might have had reason to kill -- but learning the truth is going to be harder than she ever expected.
She's also dealing with personal problems, but refuses to allow it to get in the way of her case. Studying to be a detective might be hard, but this takes priority right now. Even Eoin's wonderful food can't turn her away from what is going on around her.
When Siobhan stumbles across the truth, she is stunned, and even Macdara thinks the answer is fiendish. But they press on and in the climax they confront who is responsible, and it's even sadder than one might think; mainly because it's a tad insane. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Carlene O'Connor's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/carlene-oconnor/
