Buried In a Bog Mass Market Author: Visit Amazon's Sheila Connolly Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0425251896 | Format: EPUB
Buried In a Bog Mass Market Description
From Booklist
Connolly, author of the Apple Orchard mysteries, begins a new series set in County Clare, Ireland. Maura heads to Ireland to fulfill her grandmother’s last wish. She finds a job in a local pub and meets a dear friend of her grandmother’s. She also meets several relatives and locates a possible new home. Then she finds a letter in the pub that seems to be connected to a local body discovered in a bog, and when she turns it in to police, Maura finds herself threatened. A car chase, another murder, and a break-in tell Maura that someone wants her to return to Boston, but she is drawn into the community and the stories about her family. The setting and local personalities are cleverly woven into two mysteries, one a cold case and the other a modern murder. Ireland is known more for darker crime fare, so a traditional cozy set in the Emerald Isle and starring an amateur sleuth seems quite fresh. A very promising start to a new series. --Amy Alessio
Review
Praise for the Orchard Mysteries
“[A] fascinating whodunit.”—The Mystery Gazette
“A winner for cozy mystery fans.”—Lesa’s Book Critiques
“An enjoyable and well-written book with some excellent apple recipes at the end.” —Cozy Library
“The mystery is intelligent and has an interesting twist . . . [A] fun, quick read with an enjoyable heroine.” —The Mystery Reader (four stars)
“[A] delightful new series.” —Gumshoe Review
See all Editorial Reviews
- Series: A County Cork Mystery (Book 1)
- Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Berkley (February 5, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425251896
- ISBN-13: 978-0425251898
- Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Buried In A bog is the first book in the A County Cork Mystery series by Sheila Connolly.
Sheila Connolly is a wonderful story teller and this is an excellent example of her talent.
Maura Donovan's gran has recently passed and Gran's last request was for Maura's promise to visit the small community of Leap in County Cork. Maura has never been out of Boston is her 20 some years but is off to Ireland to fulfill her Gran's dying wish.
Maura arrives at Sullivan's Pub where she is to meet Bridget Nolan, an old friend of Gran's. Needless to say, there is a big culture difference for Maura. To borrow a line from a TV show set in a bar in Boston, everyone seems to know her name and her family, going back several generations. The next day she visits with Bridget for a little while. Upon leaving from her visit, Maura is told by Bridget's grandson that she wants Maura to use her car while she is visiting.
As she is driving back to the village, she notices some police activity near a bog and soon learns that a body has been discovered. Returning to the village, Maura stop by Sullivan's and business is rather brisk. Since she had bar-tended, she offers to give Rose, the barmaid a hand serving the customers, which in return becomes a job for as long as she decides to stay in Leap. In the process of cleaning up the pub, Maura finds a letter to Old Mick seeking information about the McCarthy's in the area. The writer of the letter had an uncle go missing in the 1930's. Maura thinks it might be the man found in the bog, but with so many McCarthy's in the area, the locals don't give it second thought.
When another murder happens and then someone attempts to push her car off the road and verbal threats, Maura is beside herself.
Sheila Connelly is a well-known author of cozy mysteries. Several readers I know have sung her praises and, in particular, commented on how wonderful her Orchard Mysteries are. When I discovered she was starting a new series set in Ireland, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to give her a try since I gravitate toward anything set in Ireland and love cozy mysteries as well ---- a perfect combination in my book.
Set in County Cork, Ireland, our protagonist is Maura Donovan. Maura is a woman in her mid-twenties who was raised in Boston by her grandmother after her father died and her mother abandoned her. Gran was born and raised in County Cork and, while she didn't talk about her history very much, upon her death her desire was for Maura to return to Ireland and visit her home ground. Once Maura arrives for the visit, a body is found in the local bog and other odd circumstances begin to occur. Maura appears to be the center of all the commotion but she has a hard time understanding why since she has only recently arrived in the area and knew no one upon her arrival.
This is a mystery that is heavily dependent on the sense of place and Ms. Connelly does an excellent job on this front. I felt like I really got to know the area and enjoyed the introduction to small village life in current-day Ireland. Enjoyed that component immensely. Where the book ran off the tracks for me was the main character of Maura. To be honest, I didn't warm to her at all and found her to be a "bit off" for me. Sometimes she comes across as very caring and compassionate, particularly when dealing with the elderly characters that populate the novel. In most of her other dealings with the village inhabitants, she is largely abrasive and often downright rude.
Buried In a Bog Mass Market Preview
Link
Please Wait...