Review: An Early Wake By Sheila Connolly

Series: A County Cork Mystery (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425252531

Pub owner Maura Donovan may have Irish kin, but she doesn’t seem to have the luck of the Irish. Who could have foreseen that bringing live music back to Sullivan’s Pub would lead to a dead musician?

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan’s Pub in the black as the days grow shorter—but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who’d come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan’s salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it’s going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.

My Thoughts: 

What a pleasure it is to cross the pond and return once again to Sullivan's Pub and it's array of endearing characters!  In this third installment of the County Cork Mysteries by Sheila Connolly, American expat, Maura Donovan is slowly getting settled into her new role as Pub Owner but there's a long music history behind Sullivan's that Maura quickly discovers.  Bringing back the music to Sullivan's is just what Maura needs to keep Sullivan's afloat, but when a dead musician is discovered in the Pub will the taps quickly run dry at Sullivan's?  Filled with unexpected twists and turns throughout, "An Early Wake" is sure to please cozy mystery fans.  I absolutely adore the cast of characters, particularly Old Billy and Bridget; the two old-timers who always seem to be in the know of everything happening in Leap.  And of course, Maura's love life seems to be blossoming unexpectedly with not one, but two, potential suitors! Who will win her heart?  This is by far one of my favorite cozy series and I'm looking forward to the next installment, "A Turn For The Bad". FIVE Stars.

Books In The County Cork Series: