Murder at an Irish Christmas: An Irish Village Mystery

O’Connor’s solid sixth Irish Village mystery (after Murder in an Irish Cottage) finds levelheaded garda Siobhán O’Sullivan off duty for the holidays, or so she thinks. The six O’Sullivan siblings are spending a snowy Christmas with their oldest brother James’s fiancée, violinist Elise Elliot, and her family in a rustic West Cork village, where everyone is looking forward to a sold-out concert by Elise’s grandfather, conductor Enda Elliot, and his orchestra. Then Enda is found dead underneath a harp in the concert hall. A broken railing in the second-floor gallery above suggests he may have taken an accidental fall with the harp, but Siobhán suspects foul play. She immediately catches Elise in a lie about Enda, and wonders what else the Elliot family and their friends are hiding. The astute Siobhán wants to learn all she can about Enda’s scorned second wife, the much younger violin virtuoso widow, and the adult kids awaiting an inheritance. Fully realized characters enhance this skillfully plotted tale as it builds to a twist ending. This seasonal Irish treat is sure to please cozy fans. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Nov.)