Carlene O'Connor – författare

In the first installment of bestselling author Carlene O'Connor's new Home to Ireland Mystery series, New York Tara Meehan's first trip to Galway, Ireland may be her last.Jump right into the beauty and splendor—and murder—of Tara’s Irish adventure! With a gorgeous setting, suspicious characters, and a deadly mystery—Murder in Galway will have you packing your bags… Tara never imagined her introduction to Ireland like this—carrying her mam's ashes to honor her final request: "Tell Johnny I'm sorry...Take me home." She's never met her mam's estranged brother, Johnny Meehan, who owns an architectural salvage business in Galway. Although Tara is immediately charmed by the medieval city, the locals seem wary of strangers and a gypsy warns her that death is all around. When Tara arrives at her uncle's stone cottage, the prophesy seems true. A dead man lies sprawled over the threshold in a pool of blood. The victim turns out to be Johnny's wealthiest client, and her missing uncle is the garda's number-one suspect. In trying to find Johnny and solve the crime, Tara uncovers her mam and uncle's troubled past. But with a desperate killer about, she had better mind herself, or they'll be tossing her ashes in Galway Bay...

The opening of a new bookstore becomes the closing chapter in an author's life...Kilbane's new bookshop is hosting an event featuring up-and-coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in the town for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who has been causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb.Then Deirdre's body is found the next day in the back of the store - with pages torn from Nessa's books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhn must uncover which of Kilbane's literary guests took Deirdre's criticisms so personally, they'd engage in foul play....A charming cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Margaret Mayhew and Betty Rowlands.

Organising a wedding can be murder...The entire O'Sullivan brood have gathered at St. Mary's Church for the wedding of Siobhn O'Sullivan and Macdara Flannery. It's not every day you see two garda marrying each other. Only Siobhn's brother James is missing, and they can't start without him.When James finally comes racing in, he's covered in dirt and babbling he's found a human skeleton in the old slurry pit at the farmhouse that Macdara has just purchased. Duty calls, so the engaged garda decide to put the wedding on hold to investigate.James leads them to a skeleton clothed in rags that resemble a tattered tuxedo. An elderly neighbor is convinced these must be the remains of her one true love who never showed up on their wedding day fifty years ago. The garda have a cold case on their hands, which heats up the following day when a fresh corpse appears on top of the bridegroom's bones. With a killer at large, they need to watch their backs - or the nearly wedded couple may be parted by death before they've even taken their vows...A charming cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Margaret Mayhew and Betty Rowlands.

When faced with superstitious townsfolk, she must keep her head to find a killer. When Macdara's cousin Jane frantically calls for his help, Siobhn is at his side. The two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. They find Jane, who is blind, outside the cottage, in a state. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, dead. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the mode of death to their trained eyes: the woman has been poisoned and smothered.Devout believers in Irish folklore, the villagers insist the cottage is cursedbuilt on a fairy path. It turns out Ellen Delaney was not the first to die mysteriously in this cottage. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhn and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too humanbut just as evil...A charming Irish cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Margaret Mayhew.

Murder rearranges the Yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies...The O'Sullivans are spending Christmas in West Cork with brother James's fiance Elise's family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. When they learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concernuntil the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.With the extended familyincluding Enda's much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinistsuspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhn to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhn had better pick up the tempobefore the killer orchestrates another untimely demise...A charming Christmas cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Margaret Mayhew and Dee Macdonald.

The luck of the Irish is about to run out for someone in Kilbane...The small village of Kilbane is hosting a poker tournament at the local pub, and card sharp Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, is set to win the tournament. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, it's time for the garda to take matters into their own hands.Macdara Flannery would lay odds it's a simple suicide, but Siobhn suspects foul play, as does Foley's pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley's fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death. With conflicting theories on the crime, tensions are running high. Soon it's up to Siobhn to call a killer's bluff, but if she doesn't play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game.A gripping Irish cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Dee Macdonald.

The USA Today bestselling cozy murder mystery set in 1920s Paris and based on the hit mobile game is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie. June's friend has been brutally murdered and the police have the wrong man, can she solve the case before the killer catches up to her?Paris, 1922. The marriage between the Auclair and Picard families is the talk of the town. June can't wait to attend the engagement party with her friends, Nate and Jack. But Nate has an ulterior motive: he's there to stop the wedding. Before he can complete his task, he's stabbed in the chest with Jack's knife. Jack is arrested, but June knows he wouldn't hurt a fly.In this throwback to the classic whodunnits of Agatha Christie, June must find the real killer and clear Jack's name. As she becomes embroiled deeper and deeper into a corrupt web of Parisian old money, high society and politics, she uncovers deadly secrets. Can June solve the case before the killer strikes again?

Murder has a way of killing business...In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork in Ireland, Naomi's Bistro has always been warm and welcoming. Nowadays, twenty-two-year-old Siobhn 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 with 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, it's up to Siobhn to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.A charming Irish village mystery, perfect for fans of Betty Rowlands and Dee Macdonald.

A cunning killer turns a wedding into a wake...Any wedding is a big deal in the County Cork village of Kilbane, but with a local lad marrying a famous fashion model at Kilbane Castle, there's no talk of anything but the upcoming nuptials. Siobhn O'Sullivan and her five siblings have their plates full catering the three-day affair from their bistro. But the celebratory mood suddenly turns sober when the best man is found murdered in the woods.For Siobhn, the tragic turn is more than grist for the gossip mill. Her beau, Macdara Flannery, is the prime suspect and she intends to clear his name. Now, like the bride walking down the aisle, Siobhn needs to watch her step. For as she gets closer to unveiling the truth, the murderer is planning a very chilly reception for her.An enthralling cosy village mystery set in County Cork, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Margaret Mayhew.

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At thirty, she’s living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes.As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten not just by the town’s beguiling mix of ancient and modern, but by the welcome she receives. In this small town near Galway Bay, strife is no stranger, strangers are family, and no one is ever too busy for a cup of tea or a pint. And though her new job presents challenges—from a meddling neighbor to the pub’s colorful regulars—there are compensations galore. Like the freedom to sing, joke, and tell stories, and in doing so, find her own voice. And in her flirtation with Ronan McBride, the pub’s charming, reckless former owner, she just may find the freedom to follow where impulse leads and trust her heart—and her luck—for the very first time . . .“Guaranteed to become one of the books on your shelf that you’ll want to read again.” —The Free Lance-Star “A fun, quirky read.” –Publishers Weekly

The luck of the Irish runs out for a professional poker player in this mystery set in County Cork that will “will leave cozy readers well satisfied” (Publishers Weekly).   A poker tournament in the small village of Kilbane in County Cork is drawing players from across the country, but none more famous than Eamon Foley. A tinker out of Dublin, he’s called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands.   Detective Sargent Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But officer Siobhán O’Sullivan suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game.

In a remote—and superstitious—village in County Cork, Ireland, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan must solve a murder where the prime suspects are fairies . . .   Family is everything to Siobhán, which now includes her fiancé Macdara Flannery. So when his cousin Jane frantically calls for help, the two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. When they arrive, they find Jane in a state outside the cottage. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the woman has been poisoned and smothered. The local villagers, who are devout believers in Irish folklore, insist the cottage is cursed—built on a fairy path. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhán and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too human—but just as evil . . .  “Plenty of surprising twists and oodles of Irish charm make this an entertaining read.”—Kirkus Reviews

Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan’s holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies . . .   This December in Kilbane, if you’re planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi’s Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait—the entire O’Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James’s fiancée Elise’s family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam.   When the O’Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern—until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.With the extended family—including Enda’s much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist—suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise . . .  “The intricate puzzle and continuing Irish atmosphere make this the series’ best to date.”—Kirkus Reviews

'Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . . CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR Siobhán O’Sullivan’s hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she’s pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics—or worse—that led to his death by chocolate?  CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan’s country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie’s hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . .  DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson A Christmas-themed escape game seems like the perfect pre-holiday treat for bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock and her best friend. But when the host is found dead in a pool of hot cocoa, it’s up to Krissy and her team to catch the killer—or escape before getting killed.  There’s nothing like a hot cup of murder to warm up the holiday season!

In the first installment of bestselling author Carlene O'Connor's new Home to Ireland Mystery series, New York Tara Meehan's first trip to Galway, Ireland may be her last.Jump right into the beauty and splendor--and murder--of Tara's Irish adventure! With a gorgeous setting, suspicious characters, and a deadly mystery--Murder in Galway will have you packing your bags... Tara never imagined her introduction to Ireland like this--carrying her mam's ashes to honor her final request: "Tell Johnny I'm sorry...Take me home." She's never met her mam's estranged brother, Johnny Meehan, who owns an architectural salvage business in Galway. Although Tara is immediately charmed by the medieval city, the locals seem wary of strangers and a gypsy warns her that death is all around.When Tara arrives at her uncle's stone cottage, the prophesy seems true. A dead man lies sprawled over the threshold in a pool of blood. The victim turns out to be Johnny's wealthiest client, and her missing uncle is the garda's number-one suspect. In trying to find Johnny and solve the crime, Tara uncovers her mam and uncle's troubled past. But with a desperate killer about, she had better mind herself, or they'll be tossing her ashes in Galway Bay...

The bestselling author of the Irish Village mysteries sets her new series in Galway County, where former New York interior designer Tara Meehan finds murder in the ruins.  Former New Yorker and interior designer Tara Meehan is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of her architectural salvage shop Renewals in her newly adopted home of Galway. She's in the midst of preparations when heiress Veronica O'Farrell bursts in to announce she’s ready for some renewal of her own. To celebrate one year of sobriety, she’s invited seven people she wronged in her drinking days to historic Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in neighboring Connemara to make amends in style.   But perhaps one among them is not so eager to pardon her past misdeeds. Veronica is found lying in the ruins of manor house Clifden Castle with an antique Tara Brooch buried in her heart—the same brooch Tara Meehan admired in her shop the day before, posting a photo with the caption: #Killerbrooch. Now she’s a prime suspect, along with Veronica’s guests, all of whom had motives to stab the heiress. It’s up to Tara to pin down the guilty party . . .

Hailed as “queen of the cozy police procedural” (Publishers Weekly), USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor returns to County Cork in Ireland’s lush countryside, where locals are simmering with excitement over the reality TV baking contest coming to town —until someone serves up a show-stopping murder that only Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan can solve. “Distinctive, captivating characters match a gripping plot full of surprises. O’Connor reinforces her place among the top rank of cozy writers.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEWIn Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there’s one thing everyone does agree on—the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder it’s about to be featured on a reality baking show. All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement . . .Aside from munching on free samples, the locals—including Siobhan—get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that’s nothing compared to day two, when the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated permanently . . .

When a new bookstore in the County Cork Irish village of Kilbane closes the book on an author’s life, it’s up to Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan to resolve the story . . . Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán is feeling a bit overwhelmed. But an author event at the new bookstore featuring Irish writers taking up residency in Kilbane offers a welcome distraction.   One author, Deirdre Walsh, spends more time complaining about the unfairness of the publishing industry and megastar bestselling authors like Nessa Lamb instead of her own body of work. After the evening ends in a battle of words, Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store—with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane’s literary guests took Deirdre’s criticisms so personally they engaged in foul play . . .  “A mélange of clues from classic mysteries plus plenty of Irish charm produce an enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews“Outstanding . . . O’Connor reinforces her place as the queen of the cozy police procedural.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)  

In this enchanting new read in the fan-favorite series from a USA Today bestselling author, garda of County Cork, Ireland, Siobhán O’Sullivan and Macdaras Flannery, are about to get married at last. But just as the rowdy O’Sullivan brood and all the regulars of the local bistro have gathered at the church, the nuptials come to an abrupt halt when the discovery of an unidentified skeleton puts the wedding on pause… If only her mother could be here! The entire O’Sullivan brood—not to mention the regulars from Naomi’s Bistro—have gathered at St. Mary’s Church for the wedding of Siobhán and Macdara. It’s not every day you see two garda marrying each other. Only Siobhán’s brother James is missing. They can’t start without him.   But when James finally comes racing in, he’s covered in dirt and babbling he’s found a human skeleton in the old slurry pit at the farmhouse. What farmhouse? Macdara sheepishly admits he was saving it as a wedding surprise: he purchased an abandoned dairy farm. Duty calls, so the engaged garda decide to put the wedding on hold to investigate.   James leads them to a skeleton clothed in rags that resemble a tattered tuxedo. As an elderly neighbor approaches, she cries out that these must be the remains of her one true love who never showed up on their wedding day, fifty years ago. The garda have a cold case on their hands, which heats up the following day when a fresh corpse appears on top of the bridegroom’s bones. With a killer at large, they need to watch their backs—or the nearly wedded couple may be parted by death before they’ve even taken their vows. . .  “Fans of charming Irish mysteries will delight in the ways this convoluted case ensnares the heroine and her supporting cast.” —Kirkus Reviews

Set in a charming Irish village, the latest in this cozy mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor (“queen of the cozy police procedural”—Publishers Weekly) sees a reality baking show coming to Kilbane, only to find a killer turning up the heat.   In Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there’s one thing everyone does agree on—the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder it’s about to be featured on a reality baking show. All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement . . .   Aside from munching on free samples, the locals—including Siobhan—get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that’s nothing compared to day two, when the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.   The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated permanently . . .  Praise for Murder on an Irish Farm  “Fans of charming Irish mysteries will delight in the ways this convoluted case ensnares the heroine and her supporting cast.” —Kirkus Reviews

Stocking stuffers like handknit scarves make the coziest of Christmas gifts—unless they’re used as accessories for murder!CHRISTMAS SCARF MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR When grinchy thefts steal the good cheer at a local nursing home, Siobhan O’Sullivan manages to identify one missing item before Kilbane, Ireland’s Christmas tractor parade—a hideous shamrock scarf wrapped around a very dead body. Now, with her holiday farmhouse bash approaching, Siobhan must dash to stop a deadly Secret Santa from gifting another unwanted surprise.SCARFED DOWN by MADDIE DAY It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas at Pans ‘N Pancakes, as twelve days of menu specials dazzle hungry locals. But the festivities go cold the instant a diner dies while knitting a brilliant green scarf. With Aunt Adele tied into a murder investigation, it’s all on Robbie Jordan to find out who’s really been naughty or nice in South Lick, Indiana.  DEATH BY CHRISTMAS SCARF by PEGGY EHRHART Suspects pile up faster than New Jersey snow when frosty-tempered Carys Walnutt is found strangled by a handmade scarf auctioned at Arborville’s tree-lighting ceremony. Between a winning bidder hiding behind the alias “S. Claws” and a victim who deserved coal in her stocking, can Pamela Paterson and the crafty Knit and Nibble ladies freeze a killer’s merry murder plot?