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A review by kimdavishb
Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor
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.
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.