I owe you all an apology. I had every intention of reading If I Should Die Tonight by C.C. Avram. Instead I ended up starting an entirely different series, called Irish Murder Mysteries by Carlene O’Connor. With all the changes and stress in my life right now, I just needed some light reading. I know. You’re all thinking there’s something mental about me finding murder mysteries to be light reading. The first book in the series is Murder in an Irish Village.

Amazon Description:

In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O’Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago.

It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.

With the local garda suspecting the O’Sullivans, and their business in danger of being shunned—murder tends to spoil the appetite—it’s up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.

My Opinion

I was incredibly thankful for the pronunciation and glossary at the beginning of this book. I would have butchered the names and misunderstood a lot of the slang in this book without it.

Siobhan has more on her plate than most 20 year olds. She had plans to go to college, but is instead raising her siblings and running her parents’ business. When the brother of the drunk driver who caused her parents’ deaths shows up and tries to extort money from her, it’s almost enough to send her over the edge.

Finding him murdered in the bistro the next day makes things even worse. Siobhan’s brother, James, is the prime suspect, even though he was too drunk to have committed the crime. And of course the police seem more intent on making an easy arrest than actually solving the crime.

Siobhan decided to save her brother and solve the mystery. She starts talking to her neighbors around town, but instead of eliminating people, her list of suspects keeps growing. I guess that proves you don’t ever really know anyone.

I solved the mystery when the threatening note showed up in the bistro after the locks had been changed. I’m not sure what took Siobhan so long. It could have cost her and her family their lives.

I can’t wait to spend more time with this family as the series progresses. I promise the next book I will review is Murder at an Irish Wedding. I just downloaded it from the library.

Let me know what you think.

Kristie