Book Review: Murder in an Irish Garden

Murder in an Irish Garden

Murder in an Irish Garden is a fast-paced cozy with a traditional puzzle mystery and a garden theme.

• Series: Irish Village Mystery (Book 11)

• Written by: Carlene O’Connor

• Publication date: February 25, 2025

• Mystery type: Cozy mystery

Plot Overview

In Murder in an Irish Garden, Siobhán is studying for her Detective Sargeant exams while her brother, Eoin, is entering Kilbane’s Top Garden Contest to drum up business for his new restaurant, The O’Sullivan Six. The competition takes a dirty turn after a body is discovered in a shocking display. Siobhán and her husband, Macdara, decide to try to suss out the guilty culprit’s identity. Their list of suspects grows with every new secret they dig up.

Spoiler-Free Review

Murder in an Irish Garden is a great addition to the Irish Village Mystery Series by bestselling author Carlene O’Connor. The books in this series are set in the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland. This charming setting is the perfect backdrop for mysteries.

It also makes a great setting for the garden contest that takes place in Murder in an Irish Garden. Readers get to learn all sorts of fun facts about garden design and various types of plants.

This cozy element of the story balances nicely with the face-paced plot. Siobhán and her husband, Macdara, have their hands full with the investigation. They move rapidly from one clue to the next and dig up plenty of suspects to keep them and the reader on their toes.

Author Carlene O’Connor knows these characters well, and it shows in the expertly crafted dialogue that practically crackles on the page. All of the characters, especially Siobhán, are entertaining and interesting.

I really enjoyed Murder in an Irish Garden and will probably follow up this read with the audio edition. Narrator Caroline Lennon does an amazing job with the accents and really brings each character to life.

Disclosures: As an Amazon Associate, Cozy Crime Reads may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Cozy Crime Reads received an advanced reader copy of Murder in an Irish Garden from Net Galley and Kensington Cozies.