Reviews

Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Liz Ireland, Peggy Ehrhart

smorrison4's review against another edition

4.0

I love Carlene O'Connor's writing and the Home to Ireland Mystery series and I am hopeful that a full story in this series is forthcoming. 

I absolutely love the titles of Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble series, they always make me giggle. I wish that Peggy was a little less descriptive with her story telling; I don't need to know how Bettina takes her coffee and other small details.

This was the third story I have read in the Mrs. Claus series and the stories are whimsical and enchanting. I love that April comes from a normal city, fell in love with Santa, and moved to the North Pole. The elves are interesting and the different factions are representative of the way we treat each other.

Callie Beaulieu did a great job narrating these short stories. I honestly thought there were multiple narrators until I looked at the NetGalley widget when I was ready to write the review. I will definitely look for books narrated by Callie in the future.

calistaw's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cj_mo_2222's review

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Irish Milkshake Murder is a collection of three St. Patrick's Day-themed mystery novellas. I really enjoy these collections and overall, I liked this one, too. The common theme is milkshakes, but the stories are all very different. 

My favorite story of the three is Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun by Liz Ireland. The full-length novels I've read in this series are delightful and this novella is just as good. Almost everyone in Santaland is excited to be celebrating St. Patrick's Day and the whole atmosphere is festive. Of course there is a murder and a rumor is started that the weapon was a poisoned milkshake, and it's up to Mrs. April Claus to find out the truth. If you've not yet tried this series, I highly recommend it. It's unique, humorous, and fun to read. 

I also really liked Peggy Ehrhart's contribution to the collection, Murder Most Irish. This story is part of the Knit and NIbble series, which I first discovered through a novella in a different collection and became a big fan. The main characters, magazine editor Pamela Paterson and her best friend Bettina Fraser, look into the death of a man who appears to have been poisoned by his St. Patrick's Day milkshake. This time Pamela's work editing articles about fiber crafts may be helpful in solving the crime in this fun series. I'm not a knitter, but I still enjoy hearing about the projects Pamela and her knitting group are working on. Their friendship is also a plus in this series. These stories are well-written and relaxing to read.

The titular story of the collection by Carlene O'Connor, which is part of the Home to Ireland series, was disappointing. The atmosphere of a hen party/bachelorette party and its associated behavior and risque comments doesn't really fit with the cozy vibe of the other stories. I've read one of the full-length novels in this series and enjoyed it, but this story wasn't for me. 

Although I was disappointed in one of the stories, I liked the Nibble and Knit and the Mrs. Claus stories so much that it was worth it to me to read this book just for these two stories, so I still would recommend the book. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Kensington Books at no cost. My review is voluntary and unbiased.