Reviews

Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor

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markopdx's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

ulrikedg's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

I think this is my favorite book in the series. If a well-done cozy mystery set in Ireland is what you seek, this is it.

Audiobook narrator Caroline Lennon adds to the enjoyability of this story. Listened at 1.25x speed.

lisakieran's review

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medium-paced

5.0

jillos1's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

kimdavishb's review

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5.0

MURDER ON AN IRISH FARM is the eighth book in the Irish Village Mysteries by Carlene O’Connor. This newest addition to a delightful series can easily be read as a standalone, however, it’s been a huge pleasure watching the characters develop over the years from the very first book. The protagonist, Siobhán O’Sullivan, isn’t your usual amateur sleuth. Instead, she’s an Irish garda and has the necessary skills to investigate crimes in their village. Despite her occupation, she has a deep caring side for those in need, especially when it comes to her orphaned siblings, whom she’s mothered over the years after the unexpected death of their parents. I greatly enjoy seeing their interaction and while there might be a lot of teasing and sometimes annoyance, you can feel their genuine love for each other. Siobhán garda partner and soon-to-be husband, Macdaras Flannery, fits into her and her siblings’ life perfectly. I appreciate that he doesn’t try to minimize Siobhán’s commitment to her siblings but instead, embraces it and pitches in where needed. Ms. O’Connor flavors the book with Irish colloquialisms and her descriptive voice brings the village and surrounding countryside to life. It made me yearn to revisit Ireland and experience the delightful people and country in person again.

When an old skeleton is found on the farm Macdaras purchased for Siobhán as a wedding present, the couple postpone their vows and try to determine who the victim was and who might have wanted to kill him. When a new victim shows up in the same location, the stakes turn even higher. I enjoyed the way the author effectively ties in the old murder with the new one. As the clues unfolded, the story turned in directions I hadn’t anticipated and kept me glued to the pages. She also includes clues involving falconry and a slurry pit. It’s quite obvious that a lot of research was done on both subjects and I appreciated the realistic details woven into the story. Those details never slowed down the fast-paced plot and only added to the enjoyment of the book.

jenmooremo's review

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3.0

Would rate this 3.5 stars if I could. This was a good cozy mystery with plenty of suspects and had me guessing who did it until the end. Even though this was part of a series, it was the only one I have read and could definitely be read as a stand-alone novel.