Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Cruel Winter
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1950
WEBSITE: http://sheilaconnolly.com/
CITY:
STATE: MA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://sheilaconnolly.com/sheila.php
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2008114566
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2008114566
HEADING: Connolly, Sheila
000 00825cz a2200181n 450
001 7620401
005 20131213145746.0
008 080807n| azannaabn |a aaa c
010 __ |a no2008114566
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca07843550
040 __ |a IAhCCS |b eng |c IAhCCS |e rda |d DLC
053 _0 |a PS3601.T83
100 1_ |a Connolly, Sheila
500 1_ |a Atwell, Sarah
670 __ |a One bad apple, c2008: |b t.p. (Sheila Connolly)
670 __ |a Author’s web-site via WWW, Aug. 7, 2008 |b (Sheila Connolly is two people these days: herself and Sarah Atwell; writes glass-blowing mystery series under Sarah Atwell; and is writing the Orchard series under her real name, Sheila Connolly)
670 __ |a Atwell, Sarah. Through a glass, deadly, 2008: ECIP t.p. (Sarah Atwell) data view (pen name of Sheila Connolly; lives near Cape Cod; first book)
953 __ |b rg11
LC control no.: n 2008032591
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2008032591
HEADING: Atwell, Sarah
000 00767cz a2200169n 450
001 7534173
005 20090102124948.0
008 080502n| acannaabn |a aaa
010 __ |a n 2008032591
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca07759876
040 __ |a DLC |b eng |c DLC |d IAhCCS |d DLC
053 _0 |a PS3601.T83
100 1_ |a Atwell, Sarah
500 1_ |a Connolly, Sheila
670 __ |a Atwell, Sarah. Through a glass, deadly, 2008: |b ECIP t.p. (Sarah Atwell) data view (pen name of Sheila Connolly; lives near Cape Cod; first book)
670 __ |a Author’s web-site via WWW, Aug. 7, 2008 |b (Sheila Connolly is two people these days: herself and Sarah Atwell; writes glass-blowing mystery series under Sarah Atwell; and is writing the Orchard series under her real name, Sheila Connolly)
953 __ |a lh39 |b rg11
PERSONAL
Married; one daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has worked as art historian, an investment banker in San Francisco, CA, and Philadelphia, PA, a nonprofit fundraiser, and a professional genealogist.
WRITINGS
Also author of self-published novels Once She Knew, 2012, and Reunion with Death, 2013. Work represented in anthologies, including Thin Ice: Best New England Crime Stories 2011, Blood Moon: Best New England Crime Stories 2013, Stone Cold: Best New England Crime Stories 2014, and Blood on the Bayou.
SIDELIGHTS
Sheila Connolly is a mystery writer who had many other careers before turning to writing full time. She has been an art historian, an investment banker, a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations, and a professional genealogist. “Now that I’m a writer, it seems that everything that came before was research for future books,” she noted on her home page. For instance, Meg Corey, the protagonist of her “Orchard Mysteries,” is a former investment banker who moves to a small town in Massachusetts to run an apple orchard. Her “Museum Mysteries” revolve around Nell Pratt, a fundraiser for a historical museum in Philadelphia. Connolly has also remarked that she has learned new things to put into her books, such as how to run a pub in Ireland, the job of Maura Donovan, the main character of her “County Cork Mysteries.”
“I spent years trying out different professions, and enjoyed all of them,” Connolly told E.B. Davis in a 2014 online interview at Writers Who Kill. “And I never stopped reading. Finally, just over ten years ago, I decided I’d collected enough information and wisdom (ha!) to write something. Then of course I started joining writers groups, both real and virtual, and I wrote something over a million words before I even came close to selling anything. And then I started submitting, and I wouldn’t give up. It took six years to land with BookEnds and get my first contract, and clearly I’ve never looked back.”
Connolly’s fascination with Ireland led to the “County Cork Mysteries.” “My father’s father was born in West Cork, not far from the village of Leap (I use the real village in the series), so I went there to learn more about the family,” she told Davis in a 2015 Writers Who Kill interview. “I found the pub called Connolly’s the first time I visited, and the seed was planted. Clearly I got more than I expected!” She wrote a book with the setting in 2001 and tried unsuccessfully to sell it to a publisher. “It went through a few mutations along the way,” she told Davis. “An earlier version of the series had an older protagonist and a nice romance with the local police inspector. But the more I read and wrote cozies, the more I thought I wanted to try a younger, blue-collar protagonist who’s still finding herself, and who gets thrust into an entirely unfamiliar situation—in a foreign country, no less. But she learned that there are people looking out for her, more than she ever realized.”
Buried in a Bog
Connolly opens her “County Cork Mysteries” series with Buried in a Bog. Maura was raised in Boston by her grandmother after her father’s death and mother’s disappearance. Her grandmother has just died, leaving a wish that Maura visit her home village of Leap in Ireland, along with money for the trip. Maura is greeted in Leap by Bridget Nolan, a friend of her grandmother’s, and the newcomer soon has the offer of a job at Sullivan’s Pub, as well as housing and the use of a car; Maura will eventually learn that her grandmother arranged for her to inherit the pub. The locals are friendly, including a police officer who gives her a tour of a bog where a corpse has recently been found. It turns out that Maura will play an important role in identifying the deceased and will become involved in another murder investigation, which makes her a target of threats.
Several reviewers commented favorably on the novel and the prospect of a series. “Maura Donovan is the perfect amateur sleuth for this series, allowing us to see the people and family relationships through fresh American eyes,” remarked the blogger behind Lesa’s Book Critiques. “Connolly’s characters and their connections are wonderful. But, it’s Ireland itself that shines in this book. The author introduces us to the land she loves in a story that welcomes Maura Donovan.” An online critic at the website Maine Suspect offered similar praise. “Connolly’s latest is a captivating tale—sweet, nostalgic, and full of Irish charm, but also tightly plotted and full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals,” the critic noted. “There’s a strong sense of place; Connolly’s lush and vivid descriptions virtually transport the reader to the Irish countryside.” Amy Alessio, writing in Booklist, termed Buried in a Bog “fresh,” noting that crime stories set in Ireland tend to be darker. She found this one “a very promising start to a new series.”
Cruel Winter
The fifth entry in the “County Cork Mysteries” series, Cruel Winter, appeared in 2017. By this point Maura has long since settled into running the pub, with the help of employees Mick, Jimmy, and Rose, who is Jimmy’s daughter. A major snowstorm strands several people in Leap, and they gather in the pub. Among them are groomsmen from a wedding, a pregnant woman, a former police officer, and some musicians. One woman isolates herself in a corner, and Mick recognizes her as Diane Caldwell, a woman who was suspected of murdering a neighbor, Sharon Morgan, more than twenty years earlier, but was never arrested. Both women were from England but had vacation homes in County Cork, and Diane has returned to sell hers. Diane, whose husband had been having an affair with Sharon, ends up telling her story to the crowd in the pub, and they weigh whether to believe her—and possibly identify a different suspect. Maura takes in every detail.
Again, Connolly received much critical praise. “Connolly’s heroine clearly has a gift for solving mysteries, and the interesting characters she presents warts and all make for a fine read in the classic style,” reported a Kirkus Reviews contributor. A blogger at Zest Quest found that “Maura has an innocence that can be annoying, since she should know more than she lets on,” but she nonetheless proves “a caring hostess for a bunch of stranded people during the storm.” The blogger summed up the novel as “an easy read full of Irish charm.” Sandra Murphy, writing online at Kings River Life, observed that Connolly “has a tale to tell and tells it well. Be ready to pack your bags for Ireland—although maybe not in the winter.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 15, 2013, Amy Alessio, review of Buried in a Bog, p. 31.
Bookwatch, October, 2009, review of Rotten to the Core; November, 2009, review of Snake in the Glass; April, 2012, review of Let’s Play Dead.
California Bookwatch, March, 2011, review of A Killer Crop; October, 2012, review of Sour Apples.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2017, review of Cruel Winter.
Library Journal, February 1, 2015, Kristi Chadwick, review of An Early Wake, p. 61.
Publishers Weekly, July 14, 2008, review of One Bad Apple, p. 50; August 9, 2010, review of Fundraising the Dead, p. 36; January 2, 2017, review of Cruel Winter, p. 39.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 2011. Charles, John, and Joanna Morrison, review of A Killer Crop, p. 436.
ONLINE
Kings River Life, http://kingsriverlife.com/ (March 11, 2017), Sandra Murphy, review of Cruel Winter.
Kittling Books, http://www.kittlingbooks.com/ (July 21, 2014), “Scene of the Crime with Author Sheila Connolly.”
Lesa’s Book Critiques, https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ (February 8, 2013), review of Buried in a Bog.
Maine Suspect, http://mainesuspect.blogspot.com/ (February 5, 2013), review of Buried in a Bog.
Portland Book Review, http://portlandbookreview.com/ (June 12, 2017), L. Ruby Hannigan, review of Cruel Winter.
Sheila Connolly Website, http://sheilaconnolly.com (October 24, 2017).
Suspense Magazine, http://suspensemagazine.com/ (April 22, 2017), review of A Turn for the Bad.
Writers Who Kill, http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/ (January 8, 2014), E.B. Davis, interview with Sheila Connolly; (March 4, 2015), E.B. Davis, interview with Sheila Connolly.
Zest Quest, http://thezestquest.com/ (April 21, 2017), review of Cruel Winter.*
Quoted in Sidelights: “Now that I’m a writer, it seems that everything that came before was research for future books,”
Sheila
Sheila Connolly
I had a long and varied career before becoming a writer. I've been an art historian, an investment banker in San Francisco and Philadelphia, a non-profit fundraiser, and a professional genealogist.
Now that I’m a writer, it seems that everything that came before was research for future books. I've used almost everything I've ever done in one book or another. But I don’t rely only on the past: I love learning new skills (on behalf of my characters), like how to grow apples or manage a pub in Ireland, or communicate with the ghosts of my departed ancestors.
When I'm not writing, I love to travel, I can fix almost anything around an old house, and I'm passionate about history and genealogy, especially when they’re intertwined.
Vital statistics: Married (to my first and only husband), with one child (who is pursuing her own dream in another state in both play-writing and croissant-baking), and three cats. I live in a Victorian home in eastern Massachusetts that always needs fixing. Over the course of my life, I've lived in seven states, nineteen towns, and two foreign countries. I'm a Mayflower descendant and the grandchild of Irish immigrants, which makes me a true mongrel American.
And recently I’ve fulfilled one of my own dreams: I bought a cottage in Ireland.
Hide
Wiki Loves Monuments: The world's largest photography competition is now open! Photograph a historic site, learn more about our history, and win prizes.
Sheila Connolly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sheila Connolly, photo created by Hilary Wood.
Sheila Connolly (born 1950) is a mystery writer and author of three mystery series published by Berkley Prime Crime.
Contents [hide]
1 Career
2 Bibliography
2.1 The Glassblowing Series (Sarah Atwell)
2.2 The Orchard Series
2.3 The Museum Series
2.4 The County Cork Mysteries
3 References
4 External links
Career[edit]
The Glassblowing Mystery series, written under the pen name Sarah Atwell, debuted in March 2008 with “Through a Glass, Deadly”. In the series, the protagonist, glassblower Em Dowell, manages her own glass shop and studio in Tucson, Arizona, and tries to find time to solve the occasional murder.
“Through a Glass, Deadly” was nominated for a national mystery award, the Agatha Award for Best First Book.
Connolly's Orchard Mystery series opened with “One Bad Apple”, published in August 2008. Meg Corey inherits a drafty colonial house in western Massachusetts without even realizing it comes with an apple orchard. But since she's been downsized out of her banking job in Boston, and the real estate market is so bad that she can't sell the house, she decides to stay on in the small New England town and try to manage the orchard–if she can save it from developers. Her plan is nearly derailed when she finds the body of her ex-boyfriend stuffed in her septic tank.
Connolly's newest series, the Museum Mysteries, begins in October 2010 with “Fundraising the Dead”. Nell Pratt, development director for the prestigious Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society, is worried that the institution's reputation will be threatened by the death of one of its key employees–whose body Nell found in the stacks. The police declare the death an accident, but Nell isn't so sure, particularly when she finds information pointing in a different direction. Most recently, the author published Let's Play Dead, set at a children's museum based on the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A worker on an exhibit about a local children's author is hurt by electric shock, and then another worker is killed by a shock. Nell was present at the first incident, and she becomes involved in the inquiry into the second man's death. the latest is Fire Engine Dead, about a fire at a warehouse housing the collections of a fire fighting museum.
Connolly was born in Rochester, New York, and since then has lived in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, and Massachusetts. In 1972 she graduated with honors from Wellesley College, then earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Harvard University. When art history jobs proved elusive, she obtained an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked as an art historian, a municipal financial advisor for U.S. cities and states, a non-profit fundraiser for institutions and two statewide political campaigns, and a professional genealogist. She has included elements of all of these in her mysteries.
Connolly is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, and is also a member of the steering committee for the New England Crime Bake, an annual mystery conference.
Currently she lives in southeastern Massachusetts, with her husband, daughter, and three cats.
Bibliography[edit]
The Glassblowing Series (Sarah Atwell)[edit]
Through A Glass, Deadly (2008)
Pane of Death (2008)
Snake in the Glass (2009)
The Orchard Series[edit]
One Bad Apple (2008)
Rotten To The Core (2009)
Red Delicious Death (2010)
A Killer Crop (2010)
Bitter Harvest (2011)
Sour Apples (2012)
Golden Malicious (2013)
Picked To Die (Oct. 2014)
The Museum Series[edit]
Fundraising the Dead (2010)
Let's Play Dead (2011)
Fire Engine Dead (2012)
Monument to the Dead (2013)
Razing the Dead (June 2014)
The County Cork Mysteries[edit]
Buried in a Bog (2013)
Scandal in Skibbereen (2014)
References[edit]
Berkley Prime Crime
External links[edit]
Sheila Connolly Website
Categories: 21st-century American novelistsAmerican crime fiction writersAmerican mystery writersLiving people1950 birthsHarvard University alumniAmerican women novelistsWellesley College alumniHaas School of Business alumniWomen mystery writers21st-century women writers
Navigation menu
Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView historySearch
Search Wikipedia
Go
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Add links
This page was last edited on 1 May 2016, at 08:00.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaDevelopersCookie statementMobile viewWikimedia Foundation Powered by MediaWiki
Home
About Me
Contact
Review and Disclosure
Reviews
Recommendations
Scene of the Crime
Scene of the Blog
Kittling: Books
Monday, July 21, 2014
Scene of the Crime with Author Sheila Connolly!
by Cathy
Not all that many authors like their book tours to stop in the Phoenix metropolitan area in July and August, and I can understand why. These two months try everyone's air conditioning, patience, and deodorant. Since I'm not haring off to The Poisoned Pen every week, I thought it was high time I resurrected one of my favorite features, and the very first author I thought of contacting was Sheila Connolly, author of the County Cork mysteries, Buried in a Bog and Scandal in Skibbereen, that I've enjoyed so much. I posted my review of Buried in a Bog earlier this summer, and my review of the second book just went live, but in the meantime, I think you'll enjoy getting to know this very talented writer of four series and several standalones!
Sheila Connolly
As usual, I've gone detecting throughout the internet, looking for links so that you can learn even more about Sheila Connolly and her books. Let me share the wealth here before we continue:
Sheila's website
Sheila on Facebook
Sheila on Twitter
Sheila on Pinterest
Sheila on Goodreads
All of Sheila's books in order
Now let's get to the fun part-- the interview!
What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. It was released in 1955, which is just about the time I read it. Yes, I read it—I was a precocious child, and could read early. Why did I find it so appealing (apart from the fact that I could read it all by myself)? It was about an inquisitive kid who liked to explore things, and it was a wonderful tribute to a child’s imagination. I wish I had that original copy (which my mother gave away at some point), but I did buy one as an adult.
Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?
There are two ways to answer that. The first is: what the heck is free time? The second is, I love to write, and I find that almost anything I do I consider research for some future book. So when I’m excavating a trash pit under my house (which I did), I’m thinking, what does this stuff tell me about the people who lived here? Why did they throw this particular batch of trash away? (It included a Civil War cannonball and a coffin plate.) I do love to restore things, large and small—houses, furniture, broken china. I used to knit, but now I have three unfinished projects sitting around making me feel guilty (the earliest dates to 2002). And I love to travel— which is why I set my three series in places I like to visit anyway, so work and play blend seamlessly.
If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)
"Plimoth Plantation 2002" by Nancy
Well, that kind of depends on what I consider my hometown, if I even have one. I’ve lived in quite a few states (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, California, North Carolina and Massachusetts), but not for very long in any one town (except Swarthmore, PA, with a record-breaking 16 years in the same house!). I went to high school in New Jersey but haven’t spent more than two days in the area since. Massachusetts was my first and lasting choice for home state, but I still feel like a newcomer in the town where I currently live. If you arrive in a new place and don’t have kids in the local school system, it’s hard to get to know people.
Locally…I would send people to Plimoth Plantation, for a taste of life in 1627. Or Old Sturbridge Village (about an hour away), which covers New England life between 1790 and 1840. Then there’s the herring run on the Nemasket River, that runs through town here. Thousands of herring swim upriver each spring, and it’s quite a sight to see—the water is silver with flashing bodies fighting the fish ladders (now don’t you want to know what those are?).
You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
Laura Linney
Funny you should ask—last year I wrote a book loosely based on an actual trip to Italy with 40 college classmates (Reunion with Death, only nobody died on the real trip), and since the others thought I should write about it, we kicked around who to cast for which person in the movie. The narrator was more or less based on me. First I thought of Meryl Streep (who, by the way, attended high school in the town next to mine), no surprise, but then I decided she’d have more fun with the sidekick role. So instead I chose Laura Linney. She’s intelligent, quiet but observant, and has a sense of humor, as well as a great voice.
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
Dorothy Sayers’ Harriet Vane. I first read Gaudy Night when I was in college (and will be eternally grateful to the person who handed the book to me and said, “Read this!”), and then worked through the whole series—and a lot of other mystery series after that. What I love about Harriet is that she is intelligent but shows her uncertainties, which makes her convincingly real. (And thank goodness she doesn’t do stupid things like putting herself at risk for the sake of the plot!) I’m still looking for my own Lord Peter.
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
Gaudy Night (see above). There is no other single book that has had such an impact on my life. I own three copies (including that first one), only because I can’t bear to see them orphaned at book sales. I confess I have checked out autographed first editions on antiquarian booksellers’ websites, but they’re a bit out of reach. Although one book might not be enough, because what is so impressive to me about the series is how the author created characters who grow consistently and increase in complexity from start to finish.
How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published?
Like so many writers, selling a book was a long and rejection-filled process for me. I had submitted to my current agency (among many) four times, with four different books, but the last rejection got lost in the mail (only the empty envelope arrived), so reluctantly I emailed the agent just to confirm that yes, it was a rejection. But then, to my surprise, the agent apologized for the mix-up and said, would you be interested in trying out for a Berkley Prime Crime for-hire series? Of course I said yes. They liked it, and when the agent called to tell me, I was naïve enough to say, “Does that mean you’re representing me?” So it was a two-fer: a great agent and a major publisher. The rest is a blur—there may have been champagne involved.
Name one thing on your Bucket List.
Buying a cottage in County Cork (preferably one with indoor plumbing).
You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?
Yikes! I’ve got two, I guess: locally, the New England Mobile Book Fair, where (full disclosure) my daughter worked for four years after college. It’s an independent bookstore and it’s huge, with something for everyone— and plenty of mysteries.
But I’m also fond of Hodges Figgis in Dublin, in part because it’s the only place in any country where I’ve found an entire section proudly labeled “Cozies” (in two languages, no less!).
Available Now!
Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Sheila. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better! I doubt that many of your readers have ever found a cannonball underneath their house.
If none of you have read Sheila Connolly's County Cork mysteries, I recommend them highly!
at Monday, July 21, 2014
Labels: Author Interviews, Scene of the Crime, Sheila Connolly
Email This
BlogThis!
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
8 comments:
Patricia GligorJuly 21, 2014 at 6:11 AM
Cathy and Sheila,
I have to say that this was one of the best author interviews I've ever read - and I've read a lot!
Reply
Replies
CathyJuly 21, 2014 at 10:52 AM
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Patricia!
Reply
Sheila ConnollyJuly 22, 2014 at 6:12 AM
Thank you so much for having me, Cathy. I love it that you tracked down all those pictures. The Hodges Figgis one is great--and it's an impressive bookstore, if you are ever in Dublin. But then, the Irish have bookstores in almost every town I've visited. Skibbereen, population 2700, has three, including an antiquarian one.
Reply
Replies
CathyJuly 22, 2014 at 11:48 AM
Oh, how wonderful!
Reply
Pepper SmithJuly 22, 2014 at 6:39 PM
Harold and the Purple Crayon. That name is so familiar. I just can't remember the story.
I read and enjoyed Reunion With Death sometime in the last couple of months. I think. Memory takes on the flexibility of thin plastic when you're caring for an ill parent. It's hard to remember precisely when things happen.
Enjoyed the interview!
Reply
Replies
CathyJuly 23, 2014 at 1:37 AM
I'd give you another *HUG* if you were here. I've been in your shoes, and they can cause some mighty big blisters. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview!
Pepper SmithJuly 26, 2014 at 3:04 PM
(((((Cathy))))) We never really know what our parents did for us until we return the favor down the line.
CathyJuly 28, 2014 at 2:04 PM
No truer words ever spoken, Pepper.
Reply
Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!
Links to this post
Create a Link
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Welcome!
Welcome!
Search Kittling: Books
Search
Upcoming Featured Authors:
Harlan Coben
Nelson DeMille
John Sandford
Joe Ide
Rhys Bowen
Kate Carlisle
Donis Casey
Timothy Hallinan
Carolyn G. Hart
Jenn McKinlay
Daryl Gerber Wood
Steven Havill
Let's Connect!
.
.
My Goodreads Progress
2017 Reading Challenge
2017 Reading Challenge
Cathy has read 166 books toward her goal of 200 books.
166 of 200 (83%)
view books
My Best Reads of 2017:
Current Read: eBook
Current Read: eBook
.
Current Read: Physical Book
Current Read: Physical Book
.
My Book Rating Scale:
A+...Don't delay, get your hands on a copy of this book!
A...I loved it!
B...I really liked it.
C...I liked it, with a few reservations.
D...I finished it, but it's not my cup of tea.
Looking for something?
Thanks for stopping by!
Blog Archive
About Me
My photo
Cathy
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Hi! I'm addicted to books (especially crime fiction), laughter and traveling off the beaten path. In my free time, when my eyes aren't glued to the printed page, one of them is usually pressed against the viewfinder of my camera. Let's see... books, laughter, travel, photography. Anything else? Oh yeah-- my dream house wouldn't have a kitchen!
View my complete profile
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
© Cathy G. Cole | All Rights Reserved
Quoted in Sidelights: “My father’s father was born in West Cork, not far from the village of Leap (I use the real village in the series), so I went there to learn more about the family,” “I found the pub called Connolly’s the first time I visited, and the seed was planted. Clearly I got more than I expected!” “It went through a few mutations along the way,” “An earlier version of the series had an older protagonist and a nice romance with the local police inspector. But the more I read and wrote cozies, the more I thought I wanted to try a younger, blue-collar protagonist who’s still finding herself, and who gets thrust into an entirely unfamiliar situation—in a foreign country, no less. But she learned that there are people looking out for her, more than she ever realized.”
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015
An Interview with Sheila Connolly
Sheila Connolly writes three series for Berkley Crime and publishes single titles on her own. How she accomplishes writing a minimum of three books per year is anyone’s guess. One series is set in rural Massachusetts, one in the Irish countryside, and another in downtown Philadelphia. Her main characters have diverse professions; apple orchard owner, Irish pub owner, and museum director. Because I’ve interviewed Sheila before, I know her professional experiences cover a wide range of occupations, and she has lived and traveled many places. Her newest book, An Early Wake, third in the Cork County series, was published in February.
Please welcome Sheila Connolly back to WWK. E. B. Davis
Sheila, you were writing the Orchard and the Museum mystery series for Berkley. Did you propose the Cork County series to them? How did you conceive of the project?
Actually I wrote a book with the same setting way, way back when I first started writing, in 2001. My father’s father was born in West Cork, not far from the village of Leap (I use the real village in the series), so I went there to learn more about the family. I found the pub called Connolly’s the first time I visited, and the seed was planted. Clearly I got more than I expected!
As I recall it, my agent pitched it more than once, and it went through a few mutations along the way. An earlier version of the series had an older protagonist and a nice romance with the local police inspector. But the more I read and wrote cozies, the more I thought I wanted to try a younger, blue-collar protagonist who’s still finding herself, and who gets thrust into an entirely unfamiliar situation—in a foreign country, no less. But she learned that there are people looking out for her, more than she ever realized. So we kept pitching it, and Berkley Prime Crime finally decided it was ready for a cozy series with a foreign setting, and each of the three books has been a bestseller.
Old Billy is an interesting secondary character in the Cork County series. Except for hanging around the pub and drinking a pint or two, he doesn’t have much of a life, but he is retired and old. When he was younger, what did Billy do to earn a living?
Funny, nobody has ever asked me that. West Cork is still a rural area, so most people were and are farmers, mostly raising cattle (as did my Connolly family—I have a second cousin there who still does!). When Billy was young, people either stayed in the area where they were born and worked on the family farm, or they emigrated and never returned. Billy is one of the ones who stayed. He never married, and he’s never asked for much. Somewhere along the way, Old Mick Sullivan, the former owner of the pub, kind of took Billy in and gave him a place to live at the end of the building, and he’s been there ever since.
As a character in the book, Billy is the informal historian for the pub and the local area—he knows everybody, and everybody knows (and trusts) him. He’s also a kind of a father figure for Maura, something she never had back in Boston. Finally, he’s a reflection of the value that Irish people still place on family and community. He’s never going to be shuttled off to a retirement home (if there is such a thing). He’ll have a place at Sullivan’s as long as he’s able to manage, and his friends and neighbors will watch out for him.
Although Bridget is an old woman, she seems to have a flexible mind. Tell our readers about Bridget and her role in bringing Maura to Ireland.
Maura’s grandmother Nora Sullivan (yes, related to Old Mick—everyone in any region of Ireland seems to be related, and they share the same names) is kind of the shadow character in the series. When she was widowed and left Ireland with her son, the only way she could see to make a living, she left all things Irish behind, in order to give her son, and then his daughter Maura, a better life in America. But she never lost touch with friends and relatives back home. Bridget knew Nora as a young woman, and now can show Maura a side of her grandmother that Maura never knew. Bridget and Old Mick were neighbors (and when you say that in rural Ireland, it means you lived in one of only a handful of houses in a small townland, and you were probably related six different ways), so no doubt they put their heads together at some point to see what they could do to help Maura.
Bridget has the physical limitations of age, but her mind is sharp. Her memory is long, and she’s kind. She’s also surprisingly non-judgmental about other people and their flaws. She’s a good person, and she gives Maura someone to care about!
Even though Maura Donovan has relatives living nearby, she doesn’t know them having grown up in Boston. She seems alone in the world. Will you add a romantic interest for Maura?
I’m having fun with that. Maura knows herself well enough to recognize that she has a lot of figuring out to do before she even considers a relationship, and she’s in no hurry. I’ve given her two possibilities: one is an eager young policeman, Sean Murphy, who’s actually a year or two younger than Maura, and who seems very innocent to her (there’s not a lot of crime in that part of Ireland, so he’s not exactly a hardened cop!); the other, Mick Nolan, is ten years older than Maura and one of her employees—and very close-mouthed about himself and his past. But he’s looking out for Bridget, his grandmother, which is a point in his favor.
Both men and women tend to marry late in Ireland, often in their thirties, so there’s no pressure on Maura to decide anything quickly, and nobody’s pushing her. We’ll learn a bit more about young Mick (to distinguish him from Old Mick, who he worked for) in the next book, but we’ll have to see where things go with either one of them.
Your main characters share the trait of an orientation in business. Is business an interest of yours or do their businesses ground them to the community in which your mysteries take place?
I have an unusual and non-linear career background: I’ve been an art historian and worked in a couple of museums, which is the basis for the Museum Mysteries; I’ve also got a business degree and worked for both the City of Philadelphia and a major investment banking firm. I’ve been a research genealogist as well. (I will admit that I have never managed an orchard or run a pub!)
I think all of those professions offer analytical and practical skills that an amateur sleuth needs. And the genealogy runs through all of my series. I started researching my own family tree decades ago and have never stopped (I don’t think anybody just walks away from family history, once you’re hooked). A family tree is a great structure to hang a story on, and I borrow from my own all the time.
The last Orchard series mystery, Picked To Die, is set during harvest time. Main character Meg Corey’s orchard manager, Bree, an American of Jamaican heritage, seems especially prickly working alongside the immigrants, who pick the apples. She has a chip on her shoulder. Meg has taken to asking Bree’s permission to leave the orchard so she can solve the mystery. I found myself feeling defensive on Meg’s behalf. Meg can’t say anything right because Bree takes Meg’s remarks as either racist, prejudicial to immigrants, or as upper management commands. Bree needs an attitude adjustment. Should Bree take a hike?
You’re not the only person who has mentioned that. Bree’s been prickly from the start, but that’s because she is young (early twenties), female and black, and she’s trying to prove herself and to manage a crew most of whom are men, older than she is, and more experienced. Meg defers to Bree because Meg recognizes that she knows nothing about orchard management and has a lot to learn. She lets Bree call the shots so there’s no confusion about who’s in charge.
But you’re right: Bree needs to soften up. She’s been working with Meg for two years now, and she’s proven herself in her job. She needs to take a look at her life and figure out what she wants to make of it, whether it’s in Meg’s orchard or somewhere else.
Seth, Meg’s fiancé, runs from volunteer projects to business renovation projects. Between the two of them, they don’t have time to discuss their wedding. Does Meg have trepidations marrying a man who is as busy or busier than she is?
Actually they’re kind of on the same schedule, because both orchard maintenance and home renovation happen during the same time of year. But I deliberately made Seth overcommitted from the start, because he’s looking out for his family, he’s trying to do work that he loves, and he’s an elected official in the local community. He’s also the kind of guy who will help anyone who asks, and who finds it hard to say no. Meg is fairly independent herself, and she respects what he does (although she might try to trim back his activities just a bit if she ever wants to see him). Actually I’m surprised they don’t both fall asleep at the dinner table during most of the year. I’m thinking about sending them somewhere on a short honeymoon in the next book, where it would be just the two of them. They might surprise each other!
You wrote and published two books, Relatively Dead and Seeing The Dead, featuring the same main character, Abby Kimball. Are you toying with writing a fourth series?
Somehow I kind of backed into writing this series. Relatively Dead was one of those books that I wrote years ago and put on a shelf, with no plans to make it a series, and no assurance it would ever be published. In it I borrowed heavily from my own family history, and from places (including houses and cemeteries) that I knew personally. Once I finished the first book and self-published it, I found I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters, and where this unexpected ability to see the dead (or some of them, at least) was going. [Note: I’m still looking to meet one or another of my ancestors. I’m told the house I use in the Orchard series is haunted, and though I’ve stayed there more than once, I haven’t met the woman yet, although I think I know who she is.]
I’d characterize these books as supernatural, a departure for you. Is that part of the attraction?
Yes, in a way. I’ve lived in Massachusetts for over ten years now. I went to college and graduate school here because I’d always wanted to live in New England—long before I started digging into my own family’s history. I discovered that I had hundreds of ancestors here, going back to the beginning (on one side only—the other side was pure Irish). Sometimes I feel I almost “see” all the ancestors I have in New England, particularly Massachusetts—there are so many of them! I can’t go to a cemetery anywhere in the state without tripping over a relative of some sort, and I’ve found connections with total strangers on the street. So I figure they’re calling to me. For Abby, I just took it one step further: what if she actually does see them? Why?
Ned Newhall is conflicted about many aspects of his life. He hasn’t been forthright with Abby concerning his business and shied away from his own supernatural experiences. Is the relationship doomed, or is he the answer to her prayers?
Well, now, I can’t make it too easy for them, can I? When they first met, Ned acted like Abby’s knight in shining armor. Then when he realized what was happening with her, he tried to stay neutral and let her find her own way. He’s apparently always been ambivalent about his own supernatural ability, and as a scientist he’s troubled by it—he’s still trying to find a logical explanation. But Ned and Abby are working things out together now, and the fact that he has money and a company, which might have the tools to help, makes it a lot easier for them both. She has embraced this unusual talent more quickly than he has, but he’s coming around.
Will there be a third book?
Already in progress. Abby is trying to understand her unexpected ability—is it limited to members of her family, or does it go beyond that? She thinks Salem, site of the infamous witchcraft trials, is the perfect test case: well-documented and rich with extreme emotions from the past that flared up quickly and died away just as quickly. Did she have ancestors there? Were they accused or even executed? She’s going to find out. (And, yes, I did have ancestors there, and some were accused.)
If you were offered Irish whiskey, Italian wine, or hard cider, which would you prefer?
Funny story about the whiskey. I grew up in a martini/scotch family, but never really cared for the hard stuff. I was happy with white wine, generally. Then in 2013 I was in Dublin, on my way to County Cork, and stopped in the bar at my hotel. I’d been there before and was working my way through their selection of Irish whiskeys (research, of course), so I asked the bartender what he would recommend. He told me I should talk to this other guy at the bar, who turned out to be a liquor distributor. We got together and I must have tried a dozen different ones under his expert guidance—different brands, or one brand but different ages. He showed me how to drink it (with just a dash of water added), and how to compare them. It was eye-opening, and I was converted.
It also turned out he was the musical entertainment for the evening—and he dedicated the old song Whiskey in the Jar to me.
Then last summer I was in Leap and paid a call on a very new local distillery nearby. There are surprisingly few distilleries in Ireland, so this was unusual. It’s a tiny place, started up five or six years ago by three friends, two of whom were fishermen. They gave me the grand tour, and I tasted some more whiskeys, including their own.
So now I know a lot about Irish whiskey and how it’s made—and both my Dublin
mentor and the three young men at the distillery will be in the next book (Maura is running a pub, after all, even if most people stick to a pint of Guinness, so she needs to know what she’s talking about).
Thank you so much for inviting me to visit. I love what I’m doing, and I love talking about it.
Quoted in Sidelights: “I spent years trying out different professions, and enjoyed all of them,” Connolly told E. B. Davis in a 2014 online interview at Writers Who Kill. “And I never stopped reading. Finally, just over ten years ago, I decided I’d collected enough information and wisdom (ha!) to write something. Then of course I started joining writers groups, both real and virtual, and I wrote something over a million words before I even came close to selling anything. And then I started submitting, and I wouldn’t give up. It took six years to land with BookEnds and get my first contract, and clearly I’ve never looked back.”
“I spent years trying out different professions, and enjoyed all of them,” Connolly told E. B. Davis in a 2014 online interview at Writers Who Kill. “And I never stopped reading. Finally, just over ten years ago, I decided I’d collected enough information and wisdom (ha!) to write something. Then of course I started joining writers groups, both real and virtual, and I wrote something over a million words before I even came close to selling anything. And then I started submitting, and I wouldn’t give up. It took six years to land with BookEnds and get my first contract, and clearly I’ve never looked back.”
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014
An Interview with Sheila Connolly
If Sheila Connolly’s main characters met at a cocktail party it’s doubtful they would find much in common. Meg Corey, a former investment banker (one of Sheila’s careers before writing), owns a commercial apple orchard. Nell Pratt runs a Philadelphia non-profit (as Sheila also once did). American-born Maura Donovan runs a pub in Ireland.
Those characters reflect Sheila’s diverse background, as far-flung as her Agatha and Anthony nominated short stories and three mystery series. As an art historian, she lived in San Francisco.
Philadelphia became her home when she practiced investment banking. She currently calls Massachusetts home where she writes full time while digging into her family’s past.
On the side, Sheila writes short stories and single mystery novels, some having supernatural elements. Ancestry and lingering ghosts often haunt her novels.
So what do horticulture, history, and Irish pubs have in common? I don’t know, but maybe Sheila will give us a clue. Please welcome Sheila Connolly to WWK. E. B. Davis
Since I’ve been a SinC-Guppy, your writing career has skyrocketed. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it all started with a series-for-hire featuring a glassblowing main character. How did that series come about, and how did it mushroom into three series?
That’s right. I was lucky enough to approach the BookEnds agency (for the fourth time!) in 2006.
Both principals had worked for Berkley, so they often fielded requests for for-hire authors. I guess they finally took pity on me and let me “audition” for the glassblowing series. The editors must have seen something they liked, because we pitched the Orchard series to Berkley Prime Crime and they bought it before the first Glassblowing Mystery hit the stores. And when that first series didn’t quite catch on, the Orchard series was already established, so we pitched my Museum Mystery series, set in Philadelphia. It took us another couple of years before we convinced Berkley Prime Crime that they really wanted a series set in Ireland.
You seem to have abrupt departures in your professional life, from art history to investment banking. What happened, and how did this occur?
You know, I’m still asking myself that—my resume is kind of incoherent. I loved art history (and still do—you’ll notice I sneak a bit into more than one book), but there were no jobs when I started looking. So I went in a totally different direction and got a degree in Finance, and ended up working first for a Wall Street firm (now defunct) and then for a small municipal advisory company (also defunct) in Philadelphia. In fact, we worked for the City of Philadelphia, trying to keep them from going bankrupt. We did succeed at that. When that firm folded, I made a lateral jump into non-profit fundraising. Looking back, obviously I was collecting ideas for future mystery series!
As I understand it, you were born and raised in Massachusetts and went to college there. Why did you return to Massachusetts?
Not quite. On my mother’s side I have ancestors who lived in Massachusetts going back to the Mayflower, but it wasn’t until college that I finally had the chance to live here, and even then life dragged me to North Carolina, California and Pennsylvania before I finally made it back again. I figure all those dead relatives are calling to me—they seem to want me here.
I realize that Meg Corey started out as an investment banker, like you, but she goes into commercial horticulture. I don’t see that profession on your resume. Does the series necessitate a lot of research?
Yes, starting with the eight heirloom apple trees I’ve planted in my minuscule front yard. Actually I’m lucky because I knew where I wanted to set the Orchard series, in western Massachusetts where I had several generations of ancestors (one of whom kindly left his house for me to borrow), and the real town is next to the town where the University of Massachusetts has its experimental orchard. One of my first steps was talking to the director there. But in the series, Meg kind of backs into horticulture out of necessity. At least she’s smart enough to ask for help when she needs it.
Would you say that Nell Pratt most closely resembles Sheila Connolly?
Good observation! You might notice that the Museum Mysteries is the only series where I use first person POV. In part that’s because I actually lived Nell’s life (well, sort of—I’m still looking for James), and in part because I feel I can make my protagonist’s comments snarkier and also make her more vulnerable as a character, since she can admit her doubts and insecurities.
You’ve been working on two independent projects both of which were published in November. The Stone Cold. In “The Other Woman,” the main character is an EMT who knows her medicine. Did you research Alzheimer’s disease or have you known those afflicted?
devastating short story, “The Other Woman,” was published in Level Best’s newest anthology,
The idea for the short story came from a friend, whose mother suffered from that combination of symptoms. I’ll admit I’d never heard of one of them before that. I see that friend regularly, so I followed the progression of her mother’s disease over time. I hope it wasn’t unkind to use it in a short story, but I thought the possibility of the events I described was very real.
I briefly mentioned that you went to Wellesley. Your second project, a novel that involves a reunion of Wellesley graduates titled, Reunion with Death, was also self-published in November. What was the impetus of this novel?
Following our reunion (held every five years) last year, two classmates put together an incredible trip to northern Italy, and took forty people along. I think they deserve medals! I didn’t plan to write about it, but when a number of classmates realized I was a writer, they started urging me on. But I knew I didn’t want to write a travelogue or a memoir (although there are some elements of both in the book), so I threw in a body—I already had plenty of suspects. Unexpectedly that victim I created allowed me to explore a lot of the issues we dealt with when we were at college, and how they had affected each of us since.
Next month, Scandal in Skibbereen, your next Irish series novel, will be released. Would you give us the jacket blurb?
As the new owner of Sullivan’s Pub in County Cork, Ireland, Maura Donovan gets an earful of all the village gossip. But uncovering the truth about some local rumors may close her down for good…
Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home, just in time for summer tourist season to bring fresh business to her pub. But the first traveler to arrive is thirsty for more than just a pint of Guinness: Althea Hathaway is hot on the trail of a long-lost Van Dyck painting.
Maura agrees to help Althea meet with the residents at the local manor house, the most likely location of the missing art. But when the manor’s gardener is found murdered, Maura wonders what Althea’s real motives are. Now, to solve the secret of the lost portrait and catch a killer, Maura will have to practice her Irish gift of gab and hunt down some local history—before someone else is out of the picture
I managed to incorporate the art history from one of my former lives, a local manor (a shameless reference to Downton Abbey), and a grand finale where all the investigators and suspects come together in the manor’s drawing room over tea for the big reveal—my homage to the great English mystery writers.
You’ve led a busy life. How and when did you have time to develop your writing craft?
I spent years trying out different professions, and enjoyed all of them. And I never stopped reading.
Finally, just over ten years ago, I decided I’d collected enough information and wisdom (ha!) to write something. Then of course I started joining writers groups, both real and virtual, and I wrote something over a million words before I even came close to selling anything. And then I started submitting, and I wouldn’t give up. It took six years to land with BookEnds and get my first contract, and clearly I’ve never looked back.
While other authors must use pseudonyms for each series they write for brand association, how have you managed to write under your own name? How do you feel about branding?
I write three series currently, but I think they are consistent in some critical ways. There’s a woman protagonist who is not a law enforcement professional; there’s a small-town community setting (you may wonder how I can call Philadelphia a small town, but within the cultural community there—and I’ve been part of it—everyone knows everyone else and their friends and their history); and there’s a murder that upsets the equilibrium of that community and must be solved. I also use family history as a recurring thread in all of them—I’ve been a genealogist for decades.
Your preference, Sheila, beach or mountains?
Definitely mountains—my fair Irish skin burns far too easily for me to enjoy beaches!
Quoted in Sidelights: “Connolly’s heroine clearly has a gift for solving mysteries, and the interesting characters she presents warts and all make for a fine read in the classic style,”
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 1/24
Print Marked Items
Connolly, Sheila: CRUEL WINTER
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Connolly, Sheila CRUEL WINTER Crooked Lane (Adult Fiction) $25.99 3, 14 ISBN: 978-1-68331-100-3
Move over, Agatha Christie: a pub owner in County Cork fancies herself a young Miss Marple.Irish-American Maura
Donovan was raised in Boston by her grandmother, whose dying wish was that Maura visit Ireland. It turns out that her
grandmother arranged for Maura to inherit a pub in the little West Cork town of Leap. Knowing nothing about pubs,
Maura relies on the help of employees Mick, Jimmy, and Rose, who's Jimmy's daughter. When an unusually large
snowstorm throws the whole area into emergency mode, Maura's pub fills with orphans of the storm, including a
middle-aged woman with an English accent. Mick is quite sure that she's Diane Caldwell, who was questioned but
never arrested in the murder of her neighbor Sharon Morgan by multiple stab wounds. Both of them lived in England
but owned holiday houses in Cork. Lazy Jimmy grumbles, Mick is his usual stalwart self, and Rose does an amazing
job whipping the small amount of food they have into a meal, somehow transforming the old, unused pub kitchen into
one that works. After 20-plus years, Diane is willing to tell her story to the skeptical folks sheltering in the pub--
including Bart Hayes, who was a young garda at the time of the murder--and answer questions from the group, who find
themselves acting as an unofficial jury. The affair Diane's husband was having with Sharon provided her with a motive,
but the police never found any forensic evidence linking her to the bloody murder. As the long night goes on, more
people are persuaded that she may be innocent. But can rehashing the past clear Diane and find a killer? Connolly's (A
Turn for the Bad, 2016, etc.) heroine clearly has a gift for solving mysteries, and the interesting characters she presents
warts and all make for a fine read in the classic style.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Connolly, Sheila: CRUEL WINTER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA479234701&it=r&asid=6bafb4f5bef6857cc504e0a5b76ab558.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A479234701
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 2/24
Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery
Publishers Weekly.
264.1 (Jan. 2, 2017): p39.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery
Sheila Connolly. Crooked Lane, $25.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-68331-100-3
Maura Donovan, the American proprietor of Sullivan's Pub in the Irish village of Leap, offers shelter---and more--to
patrons stranded by a snowstorm, in Connolly's engaging fifth County Cork mystery (after 2016's Turn for the Bad).
Maura, who inherited the pub from a friend of her late grandmother, has a knack for helping other people solve their
life's problems. In this installment, though, the focus is on Diane Caldwell, an English woman whose travel plans are
disrupted by the storm. A local man tells Maura, who moved from Boston nine months earlier, that Diane was
suspected, but never "charged, in the murder of a woman in a nearby village some 20 years before. Diane tells her story
to her Captive audience at Sullivan's. Coincidentally, a member of the gardai is present to share some little-known
details of the police investigation--and it turns out his wife has information she's never divulged. That fortuitous fact
creates a happy ending. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 2 Jan. 2017, p. 39. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA478696488&it=r&asid=5a67572f35e5ea632ad71f035ff109f1.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A478696488
---
Quoted in Sidelights: “fresh,” “a very promising start to a new series.”
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 3/24
Buried in a Bog
Amy Alessio
Booklist.
109.12 (Feb. 15, 2013): p31.
COPYRIGHT 2013 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Buried in a Bog. By Sheila Connolly. Feb. 2013. 304p. Berkley/Prime Crime, paper, $7.99 (9780425251898).
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
Alessio, Amy
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Alessio, Amy. "Buried in a Bog." Booklist, 15 Feb. 2013, p. 31. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA320844708&it=r&asid=59d15814589724abad1ef7bb2c408449.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A320844708
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 4/24
One Bad Apple: An Orchard Mystery
Publishers Weekly.
255.28 (July 14, 2008): p50.
COPYRIGHT 2008 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
One Bad Apple: An Orchard Mystery
Sheila Connolly. Berkley Prime Crime, $6.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-425-22304-8
Connolly's less-than-gala freshman attempt at crime fiction drops Boston banker Meg Corey into tiny Granford, Mass.,
where she's agreed to rehab a 200-year-old house while looking for a new job. Then Meg's ex-lover is found murdered
and bobbing around in her brand new septic tank, a crime that could sour Granford's big chance to lure outside
commercial investors. When the local cops appear determined to look no further than Meg for a suspect, she decides to
turn sleuth. Her only ally, Seth Chapin, the plumber who installed the new system, is also a suspect and not much help.
The premise and plot are solid, and Meg seems a perfect fit for her role. However, so much time is spent restating the
story's major conflict that both Meg and Seth remain enigmas--dropped into the plot as if from outer space--with
insufficient background information to ripen into well--rounded characters. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"One Bad Apple: An Orchard Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 14 July 2008, p. 50. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA181523732&it=r&asid=bcf4711ff6bf498cf1d1fc90092600fc.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A181523732
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 5/24
Fundraising the Dead
Publishers Weekly.
257.31 (Aug. 9, 2010): p36.
COPYRIGHT 2010 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Fundraising the Dead
Sheila Connolly. Berkley Prime Crime, $6.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-425-23744-1
Old families, old papers, and the old demons of sex and money shape Connolly's cozy series launch, which will appeal
to fans of her Orchard and (as Sarah Atwell) Glassblowing mysteries. The venerable and cliquish Pennsylvania
Antiquarian Society has a security problem. Documents worth millions are missing, and the staffer who uncovers the
losses is found dead in the stacks. Nell Pratt, the society's director of development, is instructed by board member
Marry Terwilliger to account for the absence of Marty's ancestor's correspondence with George Washington. It's a rare
improbability--why ask the fund-raiser and not the director of collections or the board itself?--in an otherwise sturdily
constructed plot. There are no real surprises, but the archival milieu and the foibles of the characters are intriguing, and
it's refreshing to encounter an FBI man who is human, competent, and essential to the plot. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Fundraising the Dead." Publishers Weekly, 9 Aug. 2010, p. 36. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA234712976&it=r&asid=833bbe4b0550c024137836df758d554b.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A234712976
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 6/24
Clueless: adult mysteries with young adult appeal
John Charles and Joanna Morrison
Voice of Youth Advocates.
34.5 (Dec. 2011): p436.
COPYRIGHT 2011 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Welcome to the fantastic fifteenth edition of VOYA's annual Clueless? list. It's been a terrific year for mystery and
suspense novels, and we have some great books to share with you. The selected titles below were published in 2010 or
2011, and were in print as of September 2011. For more information on mystery readers' advisory work and teens,
please check out any of the December issues of VOYA beginning in 1997. Comments and suggestions for next year's
Clueless? list are always welcome. To nominate a book or for more information, please contact John Charles at
jcharles@scottsdaleaz.gov or Joanna Morrison at muchaslibros1234@yahoo.com.
AMATEUR SLEUTHS
Allbritten, Esri. Chihuahua of the Baskervilles. Minotaur Books, 2011. 274p. $23.99. 978-0312569150.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Tripping (a low-budget magazine that reports on paranormal travel destinations) sends a team of reporters to Manitou
Springs, Colorado, when Charlotte Baskerville, CEO of a company that manufactures clothes for dogs, reports seeing
the ghost of her beloved Chihuahua, Petey. Allbritten's debut delivers plenty of quirky characters, a ghostly-inspired
plot, and writing rich in tart humor.
Connolly, Sheila. A Killer Crop. Berkley, 2010. 295p. $7.99 pb. 978-0425238264.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
After an English professor from nearby Amherst is killed, Meg Corey finds herself taking a break from apple growing
and going back to the sleuthing business, when she discovers a surprising connection between the murdered man, her
mother, and the Belle of Amherst:
Emily Dickinson. Connolly incorporates some fascinating details about Dickinson's life and work into her latest book,
which is the perfect choice for readers who enjoy authors like
Susan Wittig Albert and Carolyn Hart. Hamrick, Janice. Death on Tour. St. Martin's Press, 2011. 310p. $24.95. 978-
0312679460.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Teacher Jocelyn Shores and her cousin, Kyla, are on the tour of a lifetime in Egypt, where antiquities are not the only
thing worth viewing. Jocelyn finds her fellow tour mates almost equally interesting, especially obnoxious Millie Owens.
When Millie's accidental death turns out to be murder, Jocelyn not only finds herself caught up in the investigation, but
also working hard to achieve an "A" in detection. Teens who read traditional mysteries may be surprised to discover
how funny and earthy teachers can be while on vacation.
Herbert, Rosemary. Front Page Teaser. Down East, 2010. 272p. $14.95 Trade pb. 978-0892728527.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 7/24
Covering the disappearance of a local woman from her home is just the opportunity for which Liz Higgins, a soft news
reporter who yearns to cover the hard stories, has been waiting. But Liz soon discovers the story is leading her down a
trail of deception, terror, and murder. Herbert throws a Few well-timed twists, and an evocative tie-in to the events of
September 11, 2001, into the plot of her well-crafted mystery.
Kelner, Toni L. P. Blast from the Past. Berldey, 2011. 294p. $7.99 pb. 978-0425239902.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Boston-based entertainment reporter Tilda Harper usually writes about old stars, but her latest assignment is an
interview with John Laryea, who is currently slated to play the lead in the year's hottest comic book action film. When
someone tries to run over Laryea, Tilda believes there may be a connection to Laryea's past as the star of the cheesy old
television series The Blastoffs. Teens will find some intriguing details about the movie production business as well as
discover an engaging sleuth with a good sense of humor.
Pickard, Nancy. The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Ballantine Books, 2010. 319p. $25. 978-0345471017. $15. Trade pb.
978-0345471024.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The retrial of Billy Crosby, who murdered Hugh-Jay Linder and was suspected of killing Hugh-Jay's wife as well, rocks
the Linder family to its roots, especially Jody, Hugh-Jay's daughter, who spent her childhood wondering what happened
to her mother. While Jody's three uncles assure her that Billy will soon be behind bars again, Jody isn't convinced of his
guilt. But if Billy didn't commit the murders, who did? Edgar-nominated Pickard, who is best known for her Jenny
McCain and Marie Lightfoot mysteries, has created a wonderfully atmospheric novel that will also keep teens riveted
until they reach the last page.
St. James, Dorothy. Flowerbed of State. Berkley, 2011.312p. $7.99 pb. 978-0425240571.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
While doing some last minute weeding on the White House grounds, assistant gardener Casey Calhoun is struck down.
When Secret Service Agent Jack Turner finds Casey a bit later, they also find a dead body nearby, which may finally
give Casey her big chance to put her detective fiction-reading skills to use by solving a real murder. Just as Julie Hyzy
does with her White House Chef mystery series, St. James gives readers a vivid, intriguing inside look at what working
in the White House is really like.
The Psalm 23 Mysteries. Abingdon Press, 2010. Viguie, Debbie. The Lord Is My Shepherd. 285p. $13.99 Trade pb.
978-1426701894.
--. I Shall Not Want. 279p. $14.99 Trade pb. 978-1426701900.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Viguie's entertaining series begins with The Lord Is My Shepherd, when Cindy Preston, First Shepherd Presbyterian
Church secretary, literally falls over a dead body in the sanctuary. Rabbi Jeremiah Silverman of the neighboring
synagogue comes to her aid, but when the death is ruled a murder, both become involved in the case, despite Detective
Mark Waiter's warnings. In I Shall Not Want, it would seem Cindy and Jeremiah didn't learn from their earlier
experiences in detection when the two try to find out who killed a philanthropist's assistant. Teen mystery readers in
search of a story that is a bit more realistically gritty than the average cozy, but with less explicit gore than many serial
killer novels, will find Viguie's new series a promising addition to their to-be-read lists.
HISTORICALS
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 8/24
Doherty, P.C. Nightshade. Minotaur Books, 2011. 295p. $25.99. 978-0312678180.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
King Edward I sends his keeper of the secret seal, Hugh Corbett, to Essex to recover a cross stolen from the royal
treasury, but once there, Hugh finds himself investigating the mysterious Sagittarius, an archer who is randomly
slaughtering the residents of Mistleham, Few writers effectively capture both the day-to-day grit and royal glamour of
Medieval England like Doherty, and his latest, fast-paced Hugh Corbett novel is perfect for both historical fiction and
mystery readers.
Johnson, D. E. The Detroit Electric Scheme. Minotaur Books, 2010. 312p. $24.99. 978-0312644567.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Detroit in 1910 is tough, but feckless party boy Will Anderson doesn't realize exactly how tough until he stumbles
across the body of his one-time friend, John Cooper, in the hydraulic press of his father's electric car company. Since
Cooper stole Will's girlfriend, Elizabeth, Will immediately becomes the number one suspect in the case, and in his
efforts to clear himself and protect Elizabeth, Will encounters blackmail, organized crime, and deadly danger. Writing
with a strong sense of place and time, Johnson deftly details Motor City's darker side--the corruption and brutality--as
well as the exciting inside story of the early development of the electric automobile.
McCleary, Carol. The Illusion of Murder. Forge, 2011. 352p. $24.99. 978-0765322043.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
While trying to beat Jules Verne's record for an around-the-world trip, reporter Nellie Bly stumbles across the murder of
an Englishman in Egypt. Despite the fact that almost no one believes her, Nellie continues to investigate, even as her
travels take her through Asia and across to North America in a desperate bid to finish her race on time. With real-life
pioneering investigative journalist Nellie Bly as her inspiration, it is no wonder McCleary has come up with a gutsy
heroine as her sleuth, and the author packs the plot with plenty of fascinating real-life details about Nellie and her era.
Wortham, Reavis Z. The Rock Hole: A Red River Mystery. Poisoned Pen Press, 2011. 284p, $24.95. 978-1590588840.
$14.95 Trade pb. 978-1590588864.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Top Parker couldn't be happier living with his grandparents in Center Springs, Texas. When Top accompanies his
grandfather, Ned Parker, who is both a part-time farmer and a part-time constable, on a call, the mutilated dog they
discover turns out to be just the first in a series of appalling animal tortures, which soon progress to human victims. The
beginnings of the Civil Rights movement in America provide a dramatic setting for Wortham's literary debut, which is
guaranteed to grab readers with its superb characterization and solid writing.
POLICE PROCEDURALS
Box, C. J. Back of Beyond. Minotaur, 2011. 384p. $25.99.978-0312365745.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Cody Hoyt is on borrowed time. He's been bounced from his jobs at previous police departments due to his stubborn
investigative style, abrasive personality, and last but not least, his ongoing struggle with alcoholism. Now, two months
sober, Cody finds the death of Hank, his A.A. sponsor, a major setback. Hank's death is ruled an accident, but Cody
suspects murder, and he enlists the help of his sole ally in the Sherriff's office to help him with his investigation. Edgarwinner
Box creates a dark, realistically gritty mystery, filled with authentic vices, graphic language, and a fallible, yet
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 9/24
still noble, protagonist. Back of Beyond will especially resonate with any teens who have experience with the painful
effects of alcoholism/addiction in their families.
Dial, Connie. The Broken Blue Line. The Permanent Press, 2011. 256p. $28.978-1579622008.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Mike Turner, an Internal Affairs detective, is proud of his record in IA rooting out corrupt cops.
Turner's latest assignment involves investigating cops-turned-hired-killers, and even though his lieutenant is dragging
his heels on the case, Turner is determined to bring these rogue cops to justice. The book's interwoven plot lines
regarding Turner's on/off girlfriend Miriam and his neighbor (a cop long retired from the force) combine to give this
procedural an authentic feel that reflects the author's own service on the force. Give this one to fans of the new show
Against the Wall or readers of Michael Connelly and Joseph Wambaugh.
Estleman, Loren D. Infernal Angels. Forge, 2011. 272p. $24.99. 978-0765319555.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Amos Walker's twenty-first outing finds him picking up an easy job for easy money, or so he thinks. Amos is certain he
can track down some stolen HDTV converter boxes in just a matter of days, but the case becomes more complicatedand
dangerous--with the involvement of both the local cops and Homeland Security. Estleman not only delivers
realistically quirky characters, but he also recreates Detroit's bleak underside to perfection. Don't make the mistake of
overlooking this exceptional hardboiled PI series.
Fister, Barbara. Through the Cracks. Minotaur Books, 2011. 305p. $25.99. 978-0312374921.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When Chase Taylor is released after wrongfully serving twenty years for the brutal rape and beating of Jill McKenzie,
Jill turns to Chicago PI Anni Koskinen to find the real culprit. Since so much time has passed since the crime was
committed, Anni worries that the trail will be ice-cold, but she soon finds the case heating up dangerously fast. Give
this excellent book to teen fans of fictional female PIs, especially those who read Sue Grafton or Sara Paretsky.
SUSPENSE NOVELS AND THRILLERS
Berry, Steve. The Jefferson Key. Ballantine Books, 2011. 456p. $26. 978-0345505514.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When his old boss is kidnapped, former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, finds himself in an all-out war
with the Commonwealth, a two-century-old secret society of privateers, who have constitutionally been given the right
to pillage and plunder. Berry takes a real clause in the constitution of the United States of America that allows Congress
to name individuals as privateers (a right used during the Revolutionary War to effectively create a private Navy that
helped defeat the British) and fashions a fast-paced, wildly inventive plot that is one nonstop thrill after another.
Gibbons, David. The Mask of Troy. Dell, 2011. 516p. $7.99 pb. 978-0440245834.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
While on a project off the coast of Turkey, Jack Howard and his fellow International Maritime University teammates
uncover a deadly link between Heinrich Schliemann's excavation of Troy in 1876 and a Nazi plot to win World War II.
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 10/24
While still somewhat new to the thriller genre, Gibbons's latest book will definitely thrill readers of Clive Cussler with
its fascinating mix of historical fact and adrenaline-fueled fiction.
Lavender, Will. Dominance. Simon & Schuster, 2011. 304p. $25. 978-1451617290.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Almost twenty years ago, Alex Shipley, along with eight other students, took a night class at Jasper College taught by
Richard Aldiss, a professor convicted of brutally murdering two graduate students. Teaching from his prison cell, Aldiss
introduces the class to a literary game called "the procedure,' which if played correctly, will help them discover the true
identity of reclusive author Paul Fallows. Now twenty years later, when one of the nine students in Aldiss' class is
murdered, the other eight students return to Jasper College, where it seems someone is still playing the game. Thomas
Harris's Silence of the Lambs (St. Martin's, 1998) meets Donna Tartt's The Secret History (Vintage, 2004) in Lavender's
latest quietly-chilling novel of danger and deception at a small New England college.
Meltzer, Brad. The Inner Circle. Grand Central Publishing, 2011. 449p. $26.99. 978-0446577892.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Trying to impress an old high school crush with a tour of the National Archives, Beecher White shows Clementine
Kaye the secret vault, where the U.S. President reads classified documents, but when the two stumble across an old
dictionary that once belonged to George Washington, they become entangled in a deadly web of political conspiracy. In
addition to contributing to the graphic novel series Justice League of America, Meltzer has his own History Channel
series focusing on U.S. historical mysteries, and his latest high-stakes thriller is tailor-made for anyone who loved the
National Treasure movies.
Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Gideon's Sword. Grand Central, 2011. 352p. $26.99. 978-0446564328. $7.99 Mass
Market pb. 978-0446564311.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
After successfully clearing his dead father's name and avenging his death, Gideon Crew, a former art thief turned
physicist, is ready for some down time. But Gideon's vacation is put on hold when secret federal contractor, Effective
Engineering Solutions (first seen in Preston and Child's 1991 book Ice Limit), offer him a considerable amount of
money to help them obtain the plans for a new super-weapon currently in production in China. As the authors of fifteen
best-sellers, Preston and Child know how to write gripping thrillers, and Gideon's Sword, the first in a new series, is no
exception.
Rollins, James. The Devil Colony: A Sigma Force Novel. HarperCollins, 2011. 480p. $27.99. 978-0061784781.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When an anthropologist is killed in an explosion at a recent dig site in the Rocky Mountains, a Native American activist
group is blamed for the death. Because his niece, Kai, is part of the group, Sigma Director Painter Crowe becomes
involved; however, he quickly finds himself calling in the entire Sigma Force group once the actual cause of the
explosion is found to be an eerie substance that, despite being thousands of years old, is technologically far superior to
anything currently used in the world. All the Sigma Force novels work as great stand-alone reads, and with their
explosive (pun intended), action-packed plots, breathtaking pace, and wildly inventive mix of history and adventure,
they are the perfect recommendation for anyone who wants a book they can't put down.
Rush, Jonathon. Due Diligence. Thomas Dunne Books, 2011. 438p. $26.99. 978-0312559779.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 11/24
Rob Holding, a new hire at the Wall Street investment bank of Dycon Whitney, finds himself part of a team working to
arrange financing for Louisiana Light's acquisition of Brit Energy, but when Rob begins crunching the numbers, he
discovers something isn't adding up. The whole Wall Street financial meltdown of two years ago gives Rush's debut
thriller, which is perfect for fans of John Grisham's The Firm (Dell, 1996), an especially timely twist.
White, Kate. The Sixes. HarperCollins, 2011. 384p. $24.99. 978-0061576621.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
After her boyfriend dumps her and she is accused (unfairly) of plagiarizing her latest celebrity biography, Phoebe Hall
believes it is time to get out of Manhattan. So Phoebe accepts a temporary teaching job at a small, private college in
Pennsylvania run by on old friend. Once there, Phoebe's hopes for a quiet semester are dashed when she becomes
involved in the death of a student, who is rumored to have been killed by a mysterious clique known as "the Sixes."
White excels at creating a wonderfully spooky sense of atmosphere in The Sixes, and Phoebe's investigation into a
college clique gone wrong is a good choice for anyone who enjoys Mary Higgins Clark's brand of subtle suspense.
GENRE BLENDS
Bourbon, Melissa. Pleating for Mercy. Signet, 2011. 320p. $6.99.978-0451234360.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
All the women in the Cassidy family seem to have some kind of unique gift. All of them, that is, except for Harlow
Cassidy. When Harlow returns home to Bliss, Texas, however, to open a dress shop in her great grandmother's old
house, she discovers she, too, has a gift: Not only can Harlow envision an outfit that is best suited for a person, Harlow
can also sense her great grandmother's ghost. Unfortunately, neither gift is helping Harlow discover who murdered one
of the bridesmaids who had come to her shop for a dress and winds up dead in Harlow's garden. Bourbon stitches up a
clever mystery embroidered with just the right dash of romance and accessorized with a soupcon of the paranormal.
Farnsworth, Christopher. The President's Vampire. Putnam, 2011. 325p. $24.95. 978-0399157394.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
One-hundred-forty-year-old vampire Nathaniel Cade is the President of the United States's own secret weapon, and now
he and his handler, Zach Barrows, must stop the "Snakeheads" an army of humans-turned-reptiles. Often gory,
occasionally a bit sexy, and always acerbically funny, The President's Vampire, the second addition to Farnsworth's
souped-up paranormal suspense series featuring Nathaniel and Zach, is addictively readable.
Kerr, Katharine. License to Ensorcell. Daw Books, 2011. 328p. $7.99 pb. 978-0756406561.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When a serial killer who is targeting werewolves turns up in San Francisco, psychic agent Nola O'Grady must team up
with Israeli agent Ari Nathan if she wants to find the person who murdered her younger brother Pat. Give Kerr's latest
book, which effectively mixes mystery, fantasy, and horror, to readers of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series or Rachel
Caine's Weather Warden books.
Masello, Robert. The Medusa Amulet. Bantam Books, 2011. 444p. $26. 978-0553807790.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
David Franco, a scholar at the Newberry Library, is hired by a mysterious woman to locate the "Medusa Amulet," a
long-lost artifact crafted by Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini. Inspired by Greek mythology and flavored with a
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 12/24
more-than-generous jolt of the paranormal, the plot in The Medusa Amulet shifts back and forth between the present
day and the past, as readers not only follow Franco's search for the artifact, but also learn how it came to be crafted and
used by Cellini. Give this wildly inventive, paranormal-tinged thriller to teens who are in search of a good The Da Vinci
Code (Doubleday, 2003) read alike.
McCoy, Judi. Till Death Do Us Bark. Signet, 2011. 292p. $7.99 pb. 978-0451234353.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Manhattan dog walker Ellie Engleman is headed for a wedding in the Hamptons with her best friend Viv, but when
someone murders the groom right before the ceremony, Ellie once again finds herself taking on the role of an amateur
sleuth. Ellie's unique ability to "hear" her dog clients gives McCoy's series its unique charm, and readers who enjoy a
dash of romance with their mysteries will want to give McCoy's Dog Walker series a try.
Stuart, Kimberly. Operation Bonnet. David C. Cook, 2011. 266p. $14.99 Trade pb. 978-0781448918.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Stuck working at a golf course in her tiny hometown of Casper, Ohio, twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe doesn't think she
will ever realize her dream of becoming a real private investigator until Amos Shetler, an Amish dropout and a new coworker,
asks her to follow his old sweetheart. Operation Bonnet reads like a clever variation of inspirational chick lit
with a dash of mystery, but no matter what you might call this book, Stuart's latest novel is smartly written, sweetly
romantic, and proof positive that not all faith-based fiction is a snooze.
SHORT STORIES
Penzler, Otto, Ed. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. Perseus/Vanguard, 2010. 256p. $24.95. 978-1593156176.
$14.99 Trade pb. 978-1593156770.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Penzler, owner of NYC's famous Mysterious Bookshop, presents a seasonally-themed collection featuring seventeen
masters of mystery, including S.J. Rozan, Mary Higgins Clark, and Lawrence Block (writing here as Rex Stout with a
hilarious Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin story). This terrific collection isn't just for holiday reading--it's a good bet
for any day of the year.
John Charles is an adult services librarian at Scottsdale (AZ) Public Library, is the co-author of The Complete Idiot's
Guide to the Ulitmate Reading List (Alpha Books, 2008), The Suffragists in Literature for Youth: The Fight for the Vote
(Scarecrow, 2006), and newly revised The Mystery Readers" Advisory Guide To Mystery (ALA, 2011).
Joanna Morrison, an avid reader, enjoyed her career as a librarian and author but is enjoying retirement even morel
She's loved bringing, with John Charles, the annual Clueless! article to VOYA, now in its fifteenth year. She is coauthor
of The Readers' Guide to Mystery, Second Ed., available from ALA in Spring 2012.
Charles, John^Morrison, Joanna
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Charles, John, and Joanna Morrison. "Clueless: adult mysteries with young adult appeal." Voice of Youth Advocates,
Dec. 2011, p. 436+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA275128949&it=r&asid=8dd4c9b2729a69cfb279f4e3976e2b35.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A275128949
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 13/24
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Bookwatch.
(Apr. 2012):
COPYRIGHT 2012 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bw/index.htm
Full Text:
Signet
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Laura Alden's FOUL PLAY AT THE PTA (9780451234087, $6.99) offers a fine survey of a murder at a PTA meeting
and tells of Beth's struggles when her newest bookstore employee falls under suspicion. The real killer is still roaming
the streets - and it falls to Beth to act on her suspicions to free her small town from a murder spree in this engrossing
adventure. Karen E. Olson's INK FLAMINGOS (9780451233790, $7.99) tells of a high-end tattoo shop on the Vegas
strip where Brett comes upon outlines of dead bodies, and realizes she's implicated in the murders. A tall redhead
matching her description was seen leaving the crime scene, and she's the prime suspect - unless she can pinpoint the
real murderer. Wendy Lyn Watson's A PARFAIT MURDER (9780451233806, $6.99) includes ice cream recipes as it
tells of Tallulah Jones, who is on the judging panel at a county fair but finds her cousin implicated in a murder at the
fair. Tally needs to prove Bree's innocence - but it's also possible Bree has committed the perfect murder in this fastpaced
thriller. All are fine picks for any mystery holding.
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Sheila Connolly's LET'S PLAY DEAD (9780425242209, $7.99) tells of an electrocution at a colleague's children's
museum and the involvement of Nell, who discovers that a series of electricity-based mishaps are happening and lead to
murder. She's in the middle of things as she tries to discover whether the murder is intentional or an accidental result of
an attempt to sabotage the exhibition. Annette Blair's SKIRTING THE GRAVE (9780425242223, $7.99) tells of
Maddie, a vintage fashion shop owner who also must handle visions she gets from some of her fashion finds. A new
student, a murder at a train station, and a suspicious woman who appears in town afterwards leads Maddie on a
dangerous chase in this winning mystery. Melinda Wells' PIE A LA MURDER (9780425242216, $7.99) includes
recipes as it tells of Della, who is in the middle of a bake sale contest when her sweetie tells her of a teen daughter who
is coming to live with him. Celeste becomes tangled with a Hollywood photographer intent on exploiting her and when
he's later found murdered, it's up to Della to clear her sweetie's name. Ada Madison's THE SQUARE ROOT OF
MURDER (9780425242193, $7.99) provides a fine Professor Sophie Knowles mystery that includes puzzles and
brainteasers as it explores a bead shop owner's penchant for puzzles. Sophie is always busy, but when a disliked
professor is murdered, it's up to her to fit crime- solving into her hectic life in this satisfying puzzler. Rebecca M. Hale's
HOW TO MOON A CAT (9780425242179, $7.99) provides a fun 'cats and curios mystery' revolving around a sleuth
cat with a penchant for locating hidden cash - and murder. A valuable hidden treasure leads to a gold rush hint in
Nevada City and a ripping good yarn. Jenn McKinlay's BOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING (9780425242186, $7.99)
provides a fine library lover's mystery and tells of a reference librarian's involvement in a small town murder. Who
really committed the crime? A fine 'whodunnit' plot evolves with many questions and lots of fine tension. All these
books are fine library mystery picks!
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Mystery/Suspense Shelf." The Bookwatch, Apr. 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA287391783&it=r&asid=35eda2d7fa6cdb22371e6f1402f8b81c.
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 14/24
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A287391783
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 15/24
Berkeley Prime Crime
The Bookwatch.
(Nov. 2009):
COPYRIGHT 2009 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bw/index.htm
Full Text:
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Susan Wittig Albert's THE TALE OF APPLEBECK ORCHARD: THE COTTAGE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER
(9780425229774, $23.95) offers a lovely mystery centered around one Mr. Harmsworth, who barricades a common
path through his orchard for mysterious reasons. Tabitha Twitchet and her Cat Council investigate--and the Beatrix
Potter animal clan find many satisfying mysteries. Aaron Elkins' SKULL DUGGERY (9780425227978, $24.95) tells of
Gordon, who accompanies his wife to a charming little Mexican village to visit a relative's dude ranch resort--only to
find no relief from his job in forensics when a mummified corpse is found nearby. Gordon's investigation involves an
old friend, a child's murder thirty years ago, and a mystery that holds dangerous ramifications for new generations. Any
mystery library will relish these. First in a new series is Barbara Hamilton's THE NINTH DAUGHTER
(9780425230770, $14.00), set in Massachusetts in 1773 and telling of Abigail, who visits a fellow patriot friend only to
find a dead woman in her kitchen and her friend missing. A secret Sons of Liberty document leads to a search for clues
to the murder in this fine historical mystery. John J. Lamb's THE TREACHEROUS TEDDY (9780425230329, $7.99)
provides a fine mystery centered around a retired cop and a mystery revolving around collectible teddy bears. Clues to a
death from a possible hunting accident immerse the first teddy bear jubilee in small-town danger in this thriller. Joyce
and Jim Lavene's GHASTLY GLASS (9780425230305, $7.99) provides a fine Renaissance Faire mystery including
Renaissance recipes and facts as it tells of Jesse, facing a crabby boss, boyfriend problems, and a real murder affecting
the man playing the Grim Reaper. Sarah Atwell's SNAKE IN THE GLASS (9780425230312, $6.99) provides a
mystery revolving around glassblower Emmeline, who not only blows glass but investigates the murder of a stranger
who has begged to use her kiln for an experimental gem treatment. Lucy Lawrence's STUCK ON MURDER
(9780425230299, $6.99) provides a fine mystery set in a small town where a decoupage class becomes involved in the
mayor's murder. Yasmine Galenorn's A HARVEST OF BONES (9780425207260, $7.99) tells of harvest time in a small
Washington town--usually Emerald's favorite season, but dangerous when a possible supernatural mystery begins to
immerse her and Joe in a dangerous hidden mystery. Margaret Grace's MOURNING IN MINIATURE
(9780425230800, $7.99) tells of Rosie, who asks Gerry to accompany her to her thirtieth high school reunion, only to
find a miniature mystery when star athlete David is murdered and clues point to further danger. Christy Evans' SILK
TRAP (9780425230794, $6.99) provides a Georgina Neverall mystery blending a plumber's apprentice's skills with
clues literally down the drain. Plumbing tricks are included. Casey Daniels' DEAD MAN TALKING (9780425230749,
$7.99) provides a fine Pepper Martin mystery featuring a spunky girl who tries to help with a restoration project, only to
learn a contest to restore the cemetery grounds lead to a local reality show and certain danger with a ghost involved.
Elise Hyatt's DIPPED, STRIPPED, AND DEAD (9780425230787, $6.99) pairs furniture refinishing with the story of
Dyce dare, who is divorced, nearly thirty, with a toddler to raise, a challenging ex, and a furniture refinishing business
that turns up a corpse. All are fine picks for lending libraries strong in murder mysteries.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Berkeley Prime Crime." The Bookwatch, Nov. 2009. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA212106352&it=r&asid=e0950ac50f3bf1830e7be32c9c4e8983.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A212106352
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 16/24
Berkeley Prime Crime
California Bookwatch.
(Oct. 2012):
COPYRIGHT 2012 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Sheila Connolly's SOUR APPLES (9780425251508, $7.99) provides a fine orchard mystery revolving around apple
orchard owner Meg, who is finally settled into her new life in a new town when her old Boston coworker comes for a
visit--just as a local dairy farmer neighbor is found dead. When murder is suspected Meg finds herself drawn into high
drama in this riveting farm saga. Connie Archer's A SPOONFUL OF MURDER (9780425251478, $7.99) is set in a
small town in Vermont and tells of Lucky, who inherits her parents' soup shop and questions her involvement in the
restaurant business. When a blonde tourist is found frozen to death behind the shop, with her chef the prime suspect, it's
up to Lucky to solve the riddle. Jen McKinlay's RED VELVET REVENGE (9780425251386, $7.99) revolves around
Fairy tale cupcakes, where sales are near zero and owners Melanie and Angie jump at the chance to sell cupcakes at the
annual rodeo. When a cowboy with a temper is found dead, the ladies find their business and their reputation in
jeopardy. Dorothy St. James' THE SCARLET PEPPER (9780425247044, $7.99) centers around Casey, the official
organic gardener for the White House, and her discovery that someone is tampering with the presidential vegetable
garden. Add a reporter's death to the temperamental veggies and you have a fine politically charged gardening and
murder mystery. Virginia Lowell's WHEN THE COOKIE CRUMBLES (9780425251485, $7.99) tells of Olivia and
Maddie, who are working to finish a gingerbread house modeled after a mansion. When an inheritor presumed to be
dead shows up to claim his father's house, trouble begins--and when he later is found murdered, tensions erupt in a
small town harboring dark family secrets. Cleo Coyle's A BREW TO KILL (9780425247877, $25.95) provides the
eleventh book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series and tells of a coffee bag full of contraband found after a fatal hit-andrun
that could reveal clues to the killer. It's up to coffeehouse owner Clare to discover who the killer is when she faces a
mystery that could impact her business in this fine novel of intrigue. All are top recommendations for any mystery
library.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Berkeley Prime Crime." California Bookwatch, Oct. 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA309589142&it=r&asid=c6d96dcdb5b4f8ce48bff4ca8ed115ce.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A309589142
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 17/24
Berkeley Prime Crime
The Bookwatch.
(Oct. 2009):
COPYRIGHT 2009 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bw/index.htm
Full Text:
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Yasmine Galenorn's MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON (9780425200025, $7.99) tells of Emerald's party
preparations for a teen daughter's birthday, when she's called upon to use her psychic abilities to look into a friend's
disappearance. Her discovery of a body and a murder also uncovers a possible monstrous force in this fine thriller.
Elizabeth Lynn Casey's SEW DEADLY (9780425229101, $6.99) tells of Tori, trying to forget gossip about her cheating
ex in her small town home when she discovers the tow sweetheart dead at her back door. A fine mystery involves her in
intrigue. Sheila Connolly's ROTTEN TO THE CORE (9780425228760, $6.99) provides a new Orchard Mystery
revolving around Meg's apple orchard and a killer season when a local organic farmer is found murdered in her
springhouse-involving her as the prime suspect. Annette Blair's LARCENY AND LACE (9780425229118, $7.99) tells
of Madeira's new vintage clothing store housed in a renovated old town morgue and a dead body uncovered in one of
the old body drawers. Add a break-in and intrigue is heavy, here. Chaz McGee's DESOLATE ANGEL
(9780425228739, $6.99) tells of a second-rate cop murdered in a drug bust gone bad-and left wandering in limbo. A
first-person story of the soul's determination to become a good ghost makes for a fine ghostly mystery. Kaye Morgan's
KILLER SUDOKU (9780425228395, $6.99) tells of Liza, looking forward to a sudoku competition to break way form
her boyfriends and job-until her toughest opponent drops dead. Contestants are being murdered and she may be next
unless she can stem the tide. Jennie Bentley's SPACKLED AND SPOOKED (9780425229132, $6.99) tells of a home
renovation gone awry when a home's inhabitants are dead. Avery's boyfriend wants to flip a ranch house where murder
once happened-and renovations come to a halt when an unhappy ghost is unearthed. All are outstanding mysteries.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Berkeley Prime Crime." The Bookwatch, Oct. 2009. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA209903809&it=r&asid=4d70a243f5a305e256344370b85ee403.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A209903809
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 18/24
Berkeley Prime Crime
California Bookwatch.
(Mar. 2011):
COPYRIGHT 2011 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com
Krista Davis' THE DIVA COOKS A GOOSE (9780425238257, $7.99) tells of a holiday meal gone awry when murder
hits the table. An unwanted girlfriend becomes the victim of foul play and Sophie finds more than a thief on her
doorstep in a fine presentation which pairs recipes and organizing tips with a culinary drama. Sheila Connolly's A
KILLER CROP (9780238264, $7.99) tells of Meg's mother's visit during harvest season--a visit with an underlying
purpose. When an English professor who is an old friend of her mother is found dead, it's up to Meg to discover her
mother's secret and prove her innocence. Laura Childs' BEDEVILED EGGS (9780425238233, $7.99) tells of three
women who bond after losing their husbands, opening their own cafe--only to find they are hot on the tail of a murderer.
Small town intrigue blends with a fine Cackleberry Club mystery for newcomers and old fans alike. B.B. Haywood's
TOWN IN A LOBSTER STEW (9780425240014, $7.99) includes lobster-based recipes as it provides a fine Maine
setting and the story of Candy, who runs a farm with her father and solves mysteries on the side. Here Memorial Day
brings a Lobster Stew Cook-Off and murderous competition. Jenn McKinlay's BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF
(9780425239247, $6.99) provides a fine pick and a new series that tells of the owners of Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, a
business rival, and a mother facing murder charges. A fine and tense plot evolves. Julie Hyzy's BUFFALO WEST
WING (9780425239230, $7.99) provides an excellent White House Chef mystery that includes recipes for a complete
presidential menu as a new First Family moves into the White House and a mysterious box of take-out chicken involves
executive chef Olivia Paras in a fine investigation. All are top library recommendations!
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Berkeley Prime Crime." California Bookwatch, Mar. 2011. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA251388845&it=r&asid=652dead6702f95a58dbab33462414623.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A251388845
---
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 19/24
Mystery
Kristi Chadwick
Library Journal.
140.2 (Feb. 1, 2015): p61.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
FEBRUARY MAY BRING ROMANCE and chocolates to mind for many, but here we have a lineup of mysteries that
prove love can take a backseat to murder. Newlyweds Abby Knight and Marco Salvare find house hunting can lead to
homicide in A Root Awakening by Kate Collins. What if Leopold Bloom killed his wife? Jessica Sterling's Whatever
Happened to Molly Bloom? turns James Joyce's Ulysses upside down. "Chocolate whisperer" Hayden Mundy Moore
must discover if a sweet ingredient killed her colleague in Colette London's Criminal Confections.
From the 16th-century Ireland of Cora Harrison's Condemned to Death and the Georgian England of Robin Blake's The
Hidden Man to the Hollywood blacklisting of the 1950s depicted in Lisa Lieberman's All the Wrong Places, the past is
still present in new historical mysteries. And familiar faces return in the Series Lineup; fans will welcome new
adventures starring series sleuths Nora Abbott (Shannon Baker's Tattered Legacy), Sebastian St. Cyr (C.S. Harris's Who
Buries the Dead), and Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat (Miranda James's Arsenic and Old Books).
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
CHECK THESE OUT Blake, Robin. The Hidden Man. Minotaur; St. Martin's. (Cragg & Fidelis, Bk. 3). Mar.
2015.384p. ISBN 9781250054944. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781466857858. M
Every 20 years, the English town of Preston celebrates the Preston Guild festival, yet this year, 1742, points to a dark
future as the community is pushed to the brink of financial ruin: would-be banker Philip Pimbo is dead by gunshot in
his locked office, and the town's funds are missing. Coroner Titus Cragg suspects Pimbo's death might be suicide, but
Dr. Luke Fidelis disagrees. Still the men work together to uncover the truth. Faced with Pimbo's secrets, a missing
treasure dating from the English Civil War, and the dark facts of the African slave trade, Cragg relies on his wits and
those of his wife, Elizabeth, and friend Fidelis to solve the mysteries of their hometown. VERDICT Rich in Georgian
historical details, this period mystery follows the previous two entries (A Dark Anatomy and Dark Waters) in exploring
the dark depths of a small provincial English town and its inhabitants. The lively, collegial interplay between Cragg and
Fidelis and narrator Cragg's observational tone will keep readers engrossed until the puzzle's resolution. Readers who
relish their sleuths with an 18th-century flavor, especially fans of Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding and Deryn Lake's
John Rowling, may want to investigate this promising series. [Library marketing.]
Brackston, P.J. Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints: A Brothers Grimm Mystery. Pegasus Crime. Feb. 2015.
240p. ISBN 9781605986722. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781605987378. M
When the messenger arrived on Gretel's doorstep, he was just able to pass on his missive before dying. Albrecht Durer
the Much Much Younger has had his Frog Prints stolen, and he knows just the sleuth to solve this mystery: Bavaria's
most famous PI. All grown up but still living with her brother Hans, Gretel jumps at the chance to check out the city of
Nuremberg. Not even its annual sausage festival will get in the way of her search for the thief. With the not-so-helpful
assistance of Hans, his school chum Wolfie, and some verbose mice, Gretel is determined to crack this case before the
last bratwurst is consumed.
VERDICT Brackston's (The Witch's Daughter) deft mystery (and series launch) set in 18th-century Germany dances a
fine line between spoof and satire, with a hearty mix of fairy-tale lore thrown in. Larger-than-life characters are
balanced with a smart plot that is sure to appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde's "Nursery Crime" series.
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 20/24
Harrison, Cora. Condemned to Death: A Burren Mystery. Severn House. Feb. 2015. 200p. ISBN 9780727884428.
$28.95. M
In 16th-century Ireland, killing a relative is punishable by death; the condemned is put out to sea in a boat with no oars.
When such a body washes ashore on a beach in the Kingdom of the Burren, most assume that the dead man had been a
kin slayer. However, Mara, Brehon of the Burren (investigating magistrate), has some concerns about the victim and the
boat he arrived in. When her suspicions are verified, the law enforcer uses all of her skills to discover the facts behind
the man's death. As details emerge, Mara discovers that the truth may be worth its weight in gold. VERDICT In her
12th book in the series (after Verdict of the Court), Harrison serves up another tightly paced mystery enhanced with a
wealth of historical tidbits about medieval Ireland. Devotees of Peter Tremayne's "Sister Fidelma" series and readers
who crave strong historical female leads will admire Mara's strength and intelligence.
Lieberman, Lisa. All the Wrong Places: A Cara Walden Mystery Five Star: Cengage. Mar. 2015.216p. ISBN
9781432830236. $25.95. m
The year is 1953, and 17-year-old actress Cara Walden has arrived in London, nursing a broken heart after the forced
adoption of her infant son. Along for the ride is her half-brother Gray, who has been blacklisted in Hollywood. Gray has
always been there for Cara, owing to their age difference and their director father's wandering eye. Cara's mother was
actress Vivien Grant, whose drowning death ten years before was undercut by rumors that it might not have been an
accident. As Cara starts filming again in Sicily, she begins to ask questions about her mother's death-questions that soon
come back to haunt her in a way that may result in a permanent end of her film career--and her life. VERDICT Old
Hollywood glamour comes vividly to life in historian, novelist, and film blogger Lieberman's (Stalin's Boots; The Way
Back; deathlessprose.com) series debut, highlighting the effects of the 1950s Red Scare on the movie industry and the
tragedies that happened off the silver screen. Aficionados of Alfred Hitchcock and Hollywood-themed mysteries (e.g.,
Loren Estleman's "Valentino: film detective" series) will find this historical noir right up their alley. [For another
Tinseltown crime, see Hallie Ephron's Night Night, Sleep Tight, reviewed on p. 77.--Ed.]
Stirling, Jessica. Whatever Happened to Molly Bloom? Severn House. Feb. 2015. 252p. ISBN 9780727884404. $29.95;
ebk. ISBN 9781780106021. m
At 7 Eccles Street in Dublin, Molly Bloom was found beaten to death in the kitchen with a teapot. DI Jim Kinsella
considers the husband the likely suspect. With no real alibi, Leopold Bloom is arrested, but Kinsella soon finds another
potential culprit in the form of Molly's alleged lover, Hugh "Blazes" Boylan. As Kinsella and his colleague Insp. Tom
Machin begin to investigate, Molly and Leopold's daughter, Milly, arrives, and more questions than answers are
revealed. Keeping the wrong man from going to prison may prove to be a most difficult case for these Dublin
inspectors. VERDICT Harkening back to James Joyce's Ulysses, Stirling offers a literary twist on the historical mystery
that may appeal to both Joyce readers and mystery buffs who like their crime fiction populated with famous literary
characters (e.g., Carrie Bebris's "Mr. & Mrs. Darcy" series; Laurie R. King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
books). Stirling is the pen name for author Hugh C. Rae, who died in 2014.
COZY CORNER
Carlisle, Kate. This Old Homicide: A Fixer-Upper Mystery. Obsidian: NAL. 2015. 336p. ISBN 9780451469205. pap.
$7.99; ebk. ISBN 9780698153912. M
When home contractor Shannon Hammer goes to check on her missing next-door neighbor, Jesse Hennessey, she finds
him dead and his home in shambles. Gossip arises that Jesse may have found a diamond necklace from a sunken ship,
but Shannon has her doubts. Jesse was always full of tall tales, including one that tells of a recent hot girlfriend.
However, his death is ruled a homicide, and another murder convinces Shannon she will need to find the killer before
anyone else ends up dead. VERDICT Carlisle's second contractor cozy (after A High-End Finish) continues to please
with its smart, humorous heroine and plot. Fans of Sarah Graves's "Home Repair Is Homicide" series will appreciate
this title as a solid read-alike.
Collins, Kate. A Root Awakening: A Flower Shop Mystery. Obsidian: NAL. Feb. 2015.336p. ISBN 9780451415516.
pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9780698168626. M
As newlywed flower shop owner Abby Knight and Marco, her bar owner/PI husband, begin looking for a house, they
soon discover that they differ on how much work they are willing to put into such a place. In fact, Abby is even less
inclined to buy a fixer-upper after they watch a construction worker's fatal fall at a run-down Victorian mansion. As
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 21/24
other witnesses indicate that the fall might not have been an accident, the victim's wife hires Marco to investigate.
Meanwhile, Abby decides to conduct her own inquiry into the family currently living in the house because she feels
there is something not quite right with the children. In the midst of trying to solve this mystery without Marco finding
out, Abby must also deal with her overbearing, pregnant cousin. VERDICT Collins's 16th series entry (after Throw in
the Trowel) is a layered mystery that blends easy, lighthearted cozy elements with serious themes that revolve around
children. Abby and Marco prove that married partners can work together to get the job done (even if they don't always
know they are doing so).
Connolly, Sheila. An Early Wake: A County Cork Mystery. Berkley Prime Crime. Feb. 2015. 304p. ISBN
9780425252536. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9780698181793. M
When American Maura Donovan took over Sullivan's Pub in County Cork, Ireland, she knew it would be a bit of an
uphill battle. As the summer tourist season ends and her receipts decline, Maura wonders how she's going to stay
profitable. Upon learning that Sullivan's used to be a hot spot for live music, she is determined to give it a go. The first
gathering of famous Irish musicians attracts a crowd of patrons, but the next morning Maura discovers a performer dead
in her pub. As the list of suspects grows longer, Maura knows that she will have to step up to protect her business
before tragedy plays another sour note. VERDICT Connolly's in-depth knowledge of the Irish countryside sets the stage
for the third book (after Scandal in Skibbereen) in her Gaelic-themed series. With a lush, colorful setting and sharply
drawn characters, this mystery is sure to please cozy enthusiasts.
Herbert, A.L. Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles: A Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery. Kensington. Mar. 2015.
276p. ISBN 9781617731747. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9781617731754. M
In Prince George's County, MD, if you want the best soul food, you head to Mahalia's Sweet Tea. Halia Watkins runs a
tight ship in her restaurant, but when it comes to family--especially her sassy young cousin Wavonne--sometimes the
tightest thing is Wavonne's uniform. Trying to keep her cousin out of trouble, Halia also has to deal with fast-talking
investor Marcus Rand in her kitchen, messing with her cooking and her schedule. So when Marcus ends up dead with a
dent in his head the size of her frying pan, Halia needs to keep Sweet Tea and Wavonne safe. VERDICT Soul food and
sassy characters combine in this series debut for a feast that will satisfy the appetites of readers hungering for light
African American mysteries and food-related cozies. Recipes included.
* London, Colette. Criminal Confections: A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery. Kensington. Feb. 2015. 314p. ISBN
9781617733451. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9781617733451. M
"Chocolate whisperer" Hayden Mundy Moore can discern single notes from complex chocolates and help clients make
their candies the best. When she heads to San Francisco for the launch of Lemaitre Chocolates's new spa and chocolate
line, Hayden hopes to mix some pleasure with business. Matters quickly turn bitter when a colleague ends up dead, and
the death is deemed an accidental overdose of a secret ingredient used in the new product. Hayden finds this hard to
believe and when faced with the strange behavior of several company executives and rival chocolatiers, plus another
series of mishaps, our protagonist discovers that she may have been the intended target after all. VERDICT
Chocoholics and food cozy fans rejoice! With prose as smooth and delicious as its theme, this quality debut cozy by an
anonymous best-selling novelist introduces a smart protagonist with an unusual and tasty profession. Recipes
complement the story.
ADDITIONAL MYSTERIES
Beaton, M.C. Death of a Liar: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery. Grand Central. Feb. 2015. 256p. ISBN 9781455504787.
$25; ebk. ISBN 9781455532674. M
Ignoring a call for help from a woman who had previously reported a false crime, Scottish policeman Hamish Macbeth
is aghast to find her corpse the next day. Her murder is the third in the past week in the county of Sutherland. The other
victims were the Leighs, a couple new to the Highlands. Hamish's boss and archenemy, Chief Inspector Blair, steers
Hamish away from the more high-profile Leigh case and assigns him to probe the death of the liar, Liz Bentley. Hamish
soon uncovers a connection between the two crimes but becomes entangled in danger as he investigates further. As
usual, he also has trouble figuring out his love life. The beautiful baker Anka has caught his eye, yet Hamish faces
competition from his sidekick Dick Fraser. Luckily, there's forensic expert Christine Dalray and old loves Elspeth and
Priscilla to keep Hamish's mind and heart occupied. VERDICT The hero's dogged methods and the rotating cast of
Scottish villagers are all present in Beaton's 30th installment (after Death of a Policeman) in the long-running series.
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 22/24
What's missing is the humor--replaced instead by a nasty tone that seems out of place with the cozy surroundings.
Here's hoping Hamish's next adventure will find him in a better mood.--Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL
Emerson, Kathy Lynn. Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe. Severn House. (Mistress Jaffrey). Mar. 2015. 256p. ISBN
9780727884596. $29.95. M
This new series by Emerson is a spin-off of her "Face Down" Elizabethan mysteries featuring Susanna, Lady Appleton.
Rosamond Jaffrey was raised by Lady Appleton, even though she was the illegitimate daughter of Lady Appleton's late
husband. In order to avoid an arranged marriage, Rosamond married a childhood friend, Rob Jaffrey, who lived on the
Appleton estate. Now she has control of her own fortune and is enjoying life on her own terms when she is asked by a
family friend to pose as a lady-in-waiting for Lady Mary Hastings, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, in order to gather
information for Sir Francis Walsingham, the queen's spymaster. When Rosamond's contact is murdered and Lady Mary
is injured, Rosamond uses all her skills to unmask the person behind the plot. At the same time, Rob is in Russia on
business but has been arrested. VERDICT This novel is as much a spy thriller as a historical mystery. The author's
detailed knowledge of the time period is evident as she interweaves historical figures with her fictional characters. An
exciting final twist ties the two story lines together. Rosamond is a feisty, fiercely independent, and very likable
protagonist. Recommended for fans of Emerson's previous series as well as for readers of Fiona Buckley, Karen Harper,
and Amanda Carmack.--Jean King, West Hempstead P.L., NY
* Leon, Donna. Falling in Love: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery. Atlantic Monthly. Apr. 2015.256p. ISBN
9780802123534. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780802191830. M
The ever-incredible Leon's 24th stunning entry in her stellar mysteries featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti brings the
series full circle, revisiting Venice's Teatro La Fenice opera house and the famous soprano, Flavia Petrelli, featured in
Death at La Fenice, the inaugural book. Once again, Flavia sings the title role in Puccini's Tosca, but at this point she is
a seasoned, divorced diva with two children, enervated by the hard work of singing and cynical about the persistent
drama surrounding the production. Moreover, she is being stalked by an unknown "admirer" whose disturbing attention
is escalating toward violence. Once again, Brunetti intervenes, but Flavia's love for her children determines the
outcome. VERDICT This is a dark novel with an ironic title that resonates on multiple levels. In particular, it explores
the nature of love--and hate--in a manner that will haunt readers well after they have finished the book. Another
provocative addition to a fine series, certain to appeal to aficionados of profound literary mysteries such as Louise
Penny's Flow the Light Gets In. [See Prepub Alert, 10/27/14.]--Lynne Maxwell, West Virginia Univ. Coll. of Law Lib.,
Morgantown
* McKinty, Adrian. Gun Street Girl: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel. Seventh St: Prometheus. Mar. 2015.280p. ISBN
9781633880009. pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781633880016. M
It's 1985 in Northern Ireland and a wealthy couple is shot in their Belfast home. When their adult son is found at the
foot of a nearby cliff, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) assume murder and suicide. DI Sean Duffy suspects
otherwise, and the supposed suicide of the son's girlfriend adds to his doubts. The deaths pile up as an IRA hit man,
MI5, the FBI, and even President Ronald Reagan appear to be involved. Duffy, a Catholic in the predominantly
Protestant RUC, is a maverick who delights in bending the rules. Sarcastic, literate, moral, and loyal, he seems to lead a
charmed life amid the Troubles. VERDICT This is McKinty's fourth Duffy outing, following the "Troubles Trilogy"
that began with The Cold Cold Ground in 2012. Like the earlier tales, it mixes a mordant wit and casual, unpredictable
violence that vividly portrays a turbulent time when Duffy, as a matter of routine, checks under his car for bombs. After
a dozen novels, McKinty is in full command of language, plot, and setting in a terrifying period of history that
sometimes seems forgotten. Fans of gritty Northern Irish crime writers such as Stuart Neville, Declan Hughes, and
Brian McGilloway will enjoy this talented author--Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib.,
Carbondale
DEBUT OF THE MONTH
* Conrad, Hy. Toured to Death; An Amy's Travel Mystery. Kensington. Feb. 2015.314p. ISBN 9781617736780. $25;
ebk. ISBN 9781617736797. M
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 23/24
Most daughters don't expect to move back in with their mothers later in life, but as both Amy and Fanny have lost their
men, living--and working as travel agents--together seems like an ideal solution to their singleness. As Amy heads to
Monte Carlo to launch their first tour, mom Fanny deals with the business back home in New York. Their Monte Carlo
to Rome Mystery Road Rally trip starts with a bang, but then the script becomes reality when it is discovered that Otto
Ingo, their writer, was murdered. Amy and Fanny may be on different continents, but they are ready to give their all to
discover who is messing with their first joint endeavor. Mother and daughter will have to work fast, however, as the
killer might just make this excursion their last. VERDICT Smart, snappy dialog and fun, likable characters keep this
series debut moving right along. Conrad served as the former coexecutive producer for the television series Monk, and
his authorship of the "Monk" mysteries (Mr. Monk Helps Himself) translates flawlessly to this cozy launch. [This title
was first released in 2012 as Rally 'Round the Corpse by Seven Realms Publishing.--Ed.]
"QUOTABLE "The cause of death, in the opinion of all that surrounded her, was probably obvious. The man had
committed the crime of fingal, had been judged, had been sentenced--somewhere along the south-western coast,
probably, certainly well away from the Kingdom of the Burren--had been placed in a boat with no oars, had been set
adrift upon the Atlantic Ocean, had been delivered over to the judgement of God Almighty, had died by exposure to the
wind and the waves, by lack of pure water. And yet some strong instinct made her wonder whether this was the true
story, and Domhnall's words had now confirmed this."--Cora Harrison, Condemned to Death: A Burren Mystery
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
SERIES LINEUP
Baker, Shannon. Tattered Legacy: A Nora Abbott Mystery. Midnight Ink. Mar. 2015. 312p. ISBN 9780738740638. pap.
$14.99. M
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Determined to show the importance of Utah's Canyonlands National Park, Nora Abbott hires her best friend to make a
documentary film. When Lisa winds up dead, Nora is sure that it is not an accident, and all signs point to secrets from
Hopi culture and polygamous sects intersecting in ways unknown. Nora's third Southwestern adventure (after Tainted
Mountain) draws her deeper into danger and more mysteries from her own mother's past
Danna, Jen J. with Ann Vanderlaan. Two Parts Bloody Murder: Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries. Five Star: Gale
Cengage. Feb. 2015. 282p. ISBN 9781432830274. $25.95. M
The investigation of a cold case leads Trooper Leigh Abbott to two murder victims, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and an
innocent man behind bars. Abbott and forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell spend their fourth outing (after A Flame in
the Wind of Death) investigating three killings tied by blood and crimes that span more than 80 years.
Harris, C.S. Who Buries the Dead: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery. Obsidian: NAL. Mar. 2015.352p. ISBN
9780451417565. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101609798 M
Regency London, circa 1813, is the setting of the decapitation murder of a wealthy plantation owner with possible ties
to the deposed--and beheaded-Stuart monarch, King Charles I. As Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife, Hero, investigate the
crime, politics, power-hungry family members, and the brother of Jane Austen all come into play in Harris's tenth
historical (after Why Kings Confess).
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
James, Miranda. Arsenic and Old Books: A Cat in the Stacks Mystery. Berkley Prime Crime. Feb. 2015.304p. ISBN
9780425257296. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780698144576. m
When college librarian Charlie Harris takes possession of a set of Civil Warera diaries from the mayor of Athena, MS,
they become the focus of a political and tenure battle that results in the death of one of the interested parties. In this
sixth series entry (after The Silence of the Library), Charlie and his feline companion Diesel are once again drawn into
Southern family scandals.
9/27/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1506569845389 24/24
Kinley, Roby. An Anecdotal Death: A Harry Brock Mystery. Five Star: Gale Cengage. Apr. 2015. 310p. ISBN
9781432830243. $25.95. M
PI Harry Brock dives into his ninth mystery (after Birds of Winter) as he opens an investigation into the deepwater
death of a wealthy socialite's husband. When two more men are killed, Harry must figure out if his client is being set up
or actually the source of the murders tied to a recent dirty senatorial race.
Walker, Martin. The Children Return: A Brruno, Chief of Police Novel. Knopf. Apr. 2015. 336p. ISBN
9780385354158. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385354165. M
In his seventh outing (following The Resistance Man), Bruno takes on domestic jihadists and an international tribunal, a
former lover, and an affectionate U.S. intelligence officer, all while trying to protect an autistic Muslim named Sami and
taking care of his home village of St. Denis in the heart of France's Dordogne region.
Kristi Chadwick is now Advisor--Small Libraries for the Massachusetts Library System, effective April 2014.
Previously, she was Director, Emily Williston Memorial Library, Easthampton, MA. A longtime LJ reviewer who was a
2013 Reviewer of the Year, Chadivick is also a 2014 LJ Mover & Shaker. She can be found on Twitter @booksNyarn
Chadwick, Kristi
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Chadwick, Kristi. "Mystery." Library Journal, 1 Feb. 2015, p. 61+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA399571867&it=r&asid=13cf5cf116bff5ece61e72b951b46f83.
Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A399571867
Quoted in Sidelights: “Maura has an innocence that can be annoying, since she should know more than she lets on,” but she nonetheless proves “a caring hostess for a bunch of stranded people during the storm.” “an easy read full of Irish charm.”
Home
Food
Garden
Travel
Books
Recipes
Life through the Lens
Home
Food
Garden
Travel
Books
Recipes
Life through the Lens
April 21, 2017by Dorine Linnen
REVIEW: Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly
CRUEL WINTER by Sheila Connolly is an entertaining mystery that unravels in a pub in Ireland during a snowstorm.
Upon her grandmother’s death, Maura Donovan from Boston inherits a pub in Ireland from a distant relative. When a bad snowstorm detains Maura and her staff, plus several locals in the bar, an unsolved murder begs to be solved while they wait out the weather.
From the curmudgeonly patron to a thief among her staff, American Maura has her hands full on a good day. Will a perilous snowstorm be the worst or best thing to happen in an unsolved murder case?
The aging Irish pub atmosphere in a small town is easily visualized in this novel. I found the historical details enjoyable as they scrounged around in the basement for oil lamps, then got the old stove fired up to cook when they lose power. The characters seemed realistic but not necessarily distinctive. More emphasis seemed to be on the impending storm. But, I didn’t read the prior four books in this COUNTY CORK series, so these characters may have been more fleshed out previously.
The storm is a major part of the story, but the weather talk felt repetitive. Even though I realize it is all that people want to talk about in a small town when it’s happening, it slowed the reading for me. Maura seemed to have more questions than she should after running the pub for nine months. As an outsider, she took nothing for granted, so her questions often furthered the murder investigation they were re-hashing among themselves.
Maura has an innocence that can be annoying, since she should know more than she lets on. Even with that shortcoming, I still found her to be a caring hostess for a bunch of stranded people during the storm.
CRUEL WINTER is an easy read full of Irish charm. The mystery isn’t overly complicated, but it is interesting how they solve the case. The atmosphere was my favorite part of this novel. Having been to Ireland years ago, I yearn to go back and this book took me there for a few hours.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly
Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly
Series: A County Cork Mystery, book 5
Category: Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (March 14, 2017)
Rated 3.5 out of 5
A peek at our fast track through Cork and the surrounding countryside in 2012.
The yellow building on the right is a pub in Cork. We were on a tour, so we couldn’t stop.
Just one of the many gorgeous views on our way to the next stop.
Ireland’s oldest pub and our first taste of Guinness and Smithwick’s, currently our favorite.
Print FriendlyPrint this Post
Category: Books, Life through the Lens, Reviews, TBR Mountain Range Challenge 2017, Travel, Travel Highlights
Next Post Previous Post
Related Posts
Recipes from The Herbalist's Kitchen by Brittany Wood Nickerson
REVIEW: Recipes from the Herbalist’s Kitchen by Brittany Wood Nickerson
Review: I Found You by Lisa Jewell
REVIEW: I Found You by Lisa Jewell
REVIEW: Beauty and the Wiener by Casey Griffin
No comments
Leave a Reply
Comment
Name *
Email *
Website
Post Comment
About the Zest Quest
Contact
Latest Posts
The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson Review: The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson
September 24, 2017
The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti Review: The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti
September 24, 2017
South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby REVIEW: South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby
September 23, 2017
REVIEW: Daddy’s Girl by Lin Stepp
September 23, 2017
Summer Farm Share Encourages a Vegetarian Lifestyle
August 18, 2017
ZQ in Your Inbox
Want to receive a digest of The Zest Quest posts in your email once a week?
Your email address
Sign up!
Categories
Search
Type keyword to search
What I’m Reading
Affiliate links may be used in our content, which means that with no extra cost to you, using them helps support this site. Thanks for your clicks!
© 2015 - 2017 The Zest Quest · SiteBack to Top
Save
Welcome To Suspense Magazine
WELCOME TO SUSPENSE MAGAZINE
ANXIETY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL!
ABOUT US
INSIDE THRILL RADIO (ITW)
PAST ISSUES
SP AUTHORS
SUBMISSIONS
SUBSCRIBE
SUSPENSE RADIO
HOT TOPICS
SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 | “IN IT FOR THE MONEY” BY DAVID BURNSWORTH (PARTNERS IN CRIME TOUR STOP)
SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 | “THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CHILD” BY PATRICIA HALE (PARTNERS IN CRIME TOUR STOP)
AUGUST 30, 2017 | “MURDER UNRENOVATED” & “REHEARSAL FOR MURDER” BY PM CARLSON (PARTNERS IN CRIME TOUR STOP)
AUGUST 22, 2017 | “THE GOOD DAUGHTER” BY KARIN SLAUGHTER (EXCERPT FROM PARTNERS IN CRIME TOURS)
AUGUST 22, 2017 | “FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN” BY ALEX GRAY (EXCERPT FROM PARTNERS IN CRIME TOURS)
SEARCH FOR:
SEARCH …
HOME REVIEWS
“A Turn for the Bad” by Sheila Connolly
POSTED BY: ADMINISTRATOR JANUARY 3, 2017
A TURN FOR THE BAD
By Sheila Connolly
Maura Donovan is finally beginning to feel comfortable in her adopted homeland of Ireland. Her surprise inheritance of Sullivan’s Pub in County Cork from a distant relative brought Maura from Boston to the Emerald Isle seven months ago. Every day brings a new surprise, and often a new challenge. Sullivan’s Pub is the center of both entertainment and information in the village, and the residents gather there to speculate, gossip, and solve the problems of the world over a coffee or, more often, a pint of beer.
When local farmer John Tully disappears while out for a walk on the beach with his three-year-old son, the news is broadcast at Sullivan’s Pub immediately. Although Maura doesn’t know John personally, she shares the concern of the villagers, especially when she learns that a similar situation happened years ago involving a man and his young child that ended tragically. An immediate search is launched by the local police, including Maura’s sometimes beau, Sean Murphy, but there’s no trace of John. When the body of an unidentified man washes up on the beach, police suspect there’s a connection with John’s disappearance, but have no idea what that could be.
Maura begins to hear talk of smugglers operating in the area, something that’s been going on for years. Not cigarettes and alcohol, like in the old days; now the goods are cocaine and heroin. John’s brother, Connor, confesses to Maura that he’s involved in a drug smuggling shipment that will be brought ashore the next night. He suspects that his brother is being held captive by the smugglers until the deal is completed, and begs Maura to help him.
“A Turn for the Bad” is the fourth in the prolific Sheila Connolly’s County Cork Mysteries. It’s deftly plotted, the characters are engaging, and the visual descriptions of Ireland made me want to grab my passport and visit as soon as possible. A real winner!
SHARE
TWEET
PIN
SHARE
Previous post Next post
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENTON "“A TURN FOR THE BAD” BY SHEILA CONNOLLY"
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published.
Comment
Name *
Email *
Website
Post Comment
PICK YOUR POISON
Articles
Book Excerpts
Craft Corner
D.P. Lyle's Forensic Files
Interviews
Partners In Crime Tour Stop Authors
Reviews
Rules of Fiction with Anthony Franze
Short Stories
Suspense Publishing Books
Suspense Radio
ARCHIVES
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
April 2016
February 2016
December 2015
October 2015
August 2015
June 2015
May 2015
March 2015
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
April 2014
February 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
January 2013
Search for:
SEARCH …
COPYRIGHT 2017 | MH NEWSDESK BY MH THEMES
Portland Book Review
linklink
REVIEWS
SUBMISSIONS
EDITING SERVICES
LOCAL EVENTS
ABOUT US
CONTACT US
Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly
by L Ruby Hannigan on June 12, 2017
1
?
?
Publisher: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Kindle,
Formats: Crooked Lane Books
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | iBooks
An unusual winter snow storm in Cork County, Ireland brings together an eclectic group of individuals, all looking for some warmth and shelter from this storm. Maura Donovan, a transplant from Boston who inherited Sullivan’s Pub, is not sure if her building will be able to accommodate people but her workers assure her it is safe to open and she becomes the shelter for this group of people. When one lonely looking woman enters the pub and removes her scarf, a few of the patrons recognize her as the suspect of a 20-year-old murder that was now a Cold Case. Diane Caldwell was accused of the crime but was never charged. Snowed in with all her patrons, Maura is curious about this old Cold Case, and invites Diane to tell her side of the story, as nobody is going anywhere and she now has all of their attention. The patrons all sit around the bar and the fireplace all trying to keep warm, and they drink their beer and listen to her story. They begin to ask her questions about her life and the individuals in the case and then they begin to form different scenarios as it helps them pass the time while the storm continues through the evening hours. As morning approaches, a new theory emerges that may change the focus of the case to someone local in Cook county.
This is the fifth book in the County Cork Series. Cork comes alive with the Irish patrons that support the pub. The story takes place at Sullivan’s Pub over the course of one very long day. The setting is quaint with the small Irish pub and its patrons lining the up at the bar, with Billy sitting cozily by the fire. Rose is content to stay in the ancient kitchen preparing food to keep the crowd happy. The author filled this Irish novel with descriptive details of the countryside and the Irish people who are both gossipy but welcoming. This story is certainly a standalone book because enough background is given. The original plot in this story helped keep this a page turning experience. If you like a good mystery and enjoy Irish settings, then you will enjoy this novel!
Do you like Portland Book Review? Follow us on Twitter at @pdxbookreview and like us on Facebook!
RATING
OUR RATING
OVERALL RATING
TOTAL SCORE
Mystery, Crime & Thriller, Reviews
British DetectivesCrooked Lane BooksL. Ruby HanniganSheila Connolly
ABOUT THE AUTHORL Ruby Hannigan
L Ruby Hannigan was born in Maryland and now resides in Arizona. She relaxes by working in her garden and reading good books in her backyard. She enjoys traveling!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Absolute Vengeance: The Alex Shepherd Story by C.W. Lemoine
by Galina Roizman on September 22, 2017
The truth of the saying “never take anything for granted” Sheriff’s Deputy and SWAT sniper in a small-town Mandeville, Louisiana Alex Shepherd learns in a hard way. He is not only severely injured while trying to prevent a cruel, organized by [...]
The Wolves Within Our Walls by L.E. Flinders
by Stephen Febick on September 19, 2017
Set in 2021, The Wolves Within Our Walls is a realistic look at a future where the height of technology crumbles and those who survive the attack on the nation are left to wander and survive the best they can. It is a standard dystopian novel in [...]
The Western Star by Craig Johnson
by Howard Leighton on September 12, 2017
The Western Star is the most recent novel in the long running Longmire series. The book is presented in two parts, with the narrative shifting between the past and present. In the present, the sheriff of Absaroka county, Walt Longmire, travels [...]
COMMENTS LEAVE A REPLY
LEAVE A RESPONSE
Comment
Name
Website (optional)
POST
SUBMIT YOUR BOOK
Get your book professionally reviewed and have it published on this site! Click here to read our Sponsored Book Review Program submission guidelines.
Sponsored Book Review Options
Book Title
PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
BLOG MENU
Featured
Interviews
Columns
Sponsored
Reviews
SEARCH REVIEWS
Ratings Guide
Learn about our ratings criteria.
Meet Our Reviewers
Portland Book Review is very proud of our reviewer team. Our reviewers come from different backgrounds, experiences, training, and desires, and all share a love of reading.
The Get and Give by Shannon Baker
August 22, 2017
by Guest Author
READ STORY
LATEST REVIEWS
War Cry by Wilbur Smith
Absolute Vengeance: The Alex Shepherd Story by C.W. Lemoine
The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma
Loved (House of Night Other World series, Book 1) by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast
The Wolves Within Our Walls by L.E. Flinders
The Wise Animal Handbook Oregon by Kate B. Jerome
Wintering by Peter Geye
The Art of Making Good Decisions by Philip Kimble
The Western Star by Craig Johnson
Shadow of Death by Jean Sorrell
SEARCH OUR SITE
SEARCH FOR:
Search
BROWSE BY CATEGORYBrowse By Category
1904
0
POPULAR POSTS
The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma by Norman West
How to Grow an Addict by J.A. Wright by Diana Jennifer
F-ck You, Your Honor by Craig Chambers by Whitney Smyth
I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story by michaeld
Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker by Howard Leighton
The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve by Seniye Groff
RECENT COMMENTS
Anonymous on I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story
Anonymous on Essential Bukowski: Poetry by Charles Bukowski, edited by Abel Debritto
Anonymous on The Trump Survival Guide by Gene Stone
Anonymous on The Difficult Centerpiece of Shot in Detroit by Patricia Abbott
Anonymous on Ethical Porn for Dicks: A Man’s Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure by David J. Ley
Anonymous on The Importance of Taking a Break by Kira A. McFadden
Anonymous on Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill
Anonymous on Texas on My Mind: What Happens on the Ranch bonus story (The McCord Brothers) by Delores Fossen
Anonymous on Four Dog’s Sake (Mae December Mystery) by Lia Farrell
Anonymous on Replica: Alliance by Christian Johnson
ABOUT PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW
Reviews
Submissions
Editing Services
Local Events
About Us
Meet the Staff
Meet Our Reviewers
Review for Us
Ratings Guide
Media Mentions
Contact Us
Copyright © 2017 Portland Book Review, All Rights Reserved. Portland Book Review is produced by Smyth Enterprises, LLC. :)
Quoted in Sidelights: “Maura Donovan is the perfect amateur sleuth for this series, allowing us to see the people and family relationships through fresh American eyes,” remarked the blogger behind Lesa’s Book Critiques. “Connolly’s characters and their connections are wonderful. But, it’s Ireland itself that shines in this book. The author introduces us to the land she loves in a story that welcomes Maura Donovan.”
Lesa's Book Critiques
Sharing Books and Authors, with an emphasis on Mysteries.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2013
Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly
Sheila Connolly is no stranger to mysteries. She writes the Orchard an Museum ones. But, with the launch of her first County Cork mystery, Buried in a Bog, she brings to mind something that few mysteries do. Buried in a Bog is written with love, and it comes through in every page. Connolly is passionate about Ireland. She loves her ancestral land, its history, people, and culture, and she introduces it to readers through the eyes of a young American woman who knows little about it, other than it's her ancestral home. Maura Donovan may have arrived in Ireland as a stranger, but her family is no stranger to the people who welcome her. Unfortunately, someone isn't so happy to see her there.
Maura was raised by her Gran in South Boston after her father died and her mother disappeared. They never had much, and they both had to work hard, so Maura was surprised when her Gran made her promise to visit her home village in Ireland after her death, and left her money for the trip. There isn't much in the small village of Leap, but Gran's friend, Bridget Nolan, knew she was coming, and had made arrangements for her. Before she knew it, Maura, who knew no one in Ireland, had a place to stay, a car to use, and the offer of a temporary job at Sullivan's pub. Everyone seemed to know who she was, even the policeman who directed her around the bog where they had found a body. Maura had no idea she would hold the clue to the body's identity. When a man is found murdered the same night he was in Sullivan's, Maura only knows she saw him that night. But the person threatening her seems to think otherwise.
Maura Donovan is the perfect amateur sleuth for this series, allowing us to see the people and family relationships through fresh American eyes. Connolly's characters and their connections are wonderful. But, it's Ireland itself that shines in this book. The author introduces us to the land she loves in a story that welcomes Maura Donovan. This is a story and mystery involving family. As Maura, a young woman with no one left in the world, and nothing to return to, discovers roots in Ireland, she and the reader fall for the communities where, as Maura says, "Everyone knows your name". This is a story of discovery, discovering roots and discovering a mystery.
Connolly, as the best mystery writers do, make readers care about the victim, in this case, the man "Buried in a Bog". However, there's a layer of love in this one that's seldom seen in mysteries. Many readers skip the Acknowledgments in books. Don't skip them in this case. Connolly's own family history is important for background to this book. Maura Donovan uncovers more than murder when she travels to Ireland. Anyone with a trace of Irish in them, and all of us who wish we could claim an Irish connection, will welcome the first book in the County Cork series, Buried in a Bog. And, with a country with Ireland's history, there's certain to be fascinating murders and mysteries to come.
Sheila Connolly's website is www.sheilaconnolly.com.
Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly. Berkley Prime Crime. 2013. ISBN 9780425251898 (paperback), 293p.
Quoted in Sidelights: “Connolly’s latest is a captivating tale–sweet, nostalgic, and full of Irish charm, but also tightly plotted and full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals,” the critic noted. “There’s a strong sense of place; Connolly’s lush and vivid descriptions virtually transport the reader to the Irish countryside.”
REVIEW: Buried in a Bog
Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly
Berkley Prime Crime (304 pages)
February 5, 2013
Rating: 8 (Good!)
For fans of: Nancy Atherton
When Maura Donovan agrees to grant her grandmother Nora's dying wish and travel to Ireland to visit the village of Leap (where Nora was born), she doesn't think she's signing on for anything that'll take longer than a week. She figures she'll seek out some of her grandmother's old friends, see the sights, and come home again.
Life never works out quite as one plans, though, and before she knows it, Maura's befriending the locals and lending a hand down at the village pub. It's only for a few months, she tells herself – just until the pub's managers can figure some things out, and until Maura decides what she wants to do with her life now that there's nothing keeping her in Boston. But when a body's pulled out of the bog, another villager turns up dead, and Maura starts receiving threats, she's forced to wonder if she's destined to become a permanent resident of Leap – with an address in the local cemetery.
Buried in a Bog is the first of Sheila Connolly’s new County Cork Mysteries, and if the quality of this book is any indication, Berkley has another winner of a series on their hands. Connolly’s latest is a captivating tale – sweet, nostalgic, and full of Irish charm, but also tightly plotted and full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals. There's a strong sense of place; Connolly's lush and vivid descriptions virtually transport the reader to the Irish countryside. And the book reads almost like a love letter to Irish history, culture, and genealogy; Buried in a Bog is as much a mystery as it a story of self-discovery and rebirth – of uncovering one’s history, and in doing so, stumbling across one’s path to the future.
Connolly’s characters are likable and well drawn, but I must admit to mixed feelings regarding Maura as a heroine. On the one hand, you can’t help but feel sorry for her; her father’s dead, her mother abandoned her, and the grandmother who raised her just died of cancer, essentially leaving her both homeless and penniless. And you have to admire her sense of adventure, what with her spur-of-the-moment decision to (at least temporarily) relocate to Ireland and to try and make a go of it. But neither of these things quite makes up for the fact that Maura’s about as judgmental as they come – especially considering her young age, her relatively poor upbringing, and her current station in life. Her critical nature makes it difficult to truly like her, no matter how much you may want to do so, and that’s probably my biggest knock about this book. She does mellow a bit over the course of this first installment in her tale, and I have a feeling she’ll continue to do so as she acclimates to her new life and the people in it, but for this book, at least, Maura comes off more like a cranky, bitter old lady than she does a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.
That said, Connolly absolutely nails the book’s ending, tying up all the story's loose ends and rather nicely setting up the rest of the series. Sheila Connolly’s County Cork Mysteries have a ton of promise, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where Connolly chooses to take her readers next.
-Kat
Quoted in Sidelights: “has a tale to tell and tells it well. Be ready to pack your bags for Ireland—although maybe not in the winter.”
Cruel Winter By Sheila Connolly: Review/Giveaway
IN THE MARCH 11 ISSUE
FROM THE 2017 ARTICLES,
ANDMYSTERYRAT'S MAZE,
ANDSANDRA MURPHY SECTIONS
by Sandra Murphy
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Cruel Winter. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.
Maura left Boston after her grandmother’s death, just to visit Ireland. Gran wanted her to see the old country and let distant relatives know she’d died. What was to be a visit, has turned into a new life. Moira inherited a pub, three employees, a daily storytelling fixture of a customer, and a house too. It seems she’s here to stay, at least for now.
It’s her first winter in Ireland. Mick had to arrange for the heat in her house and show her how to use it. Peat in a fireplace is also a mystery, smoky, but warm, if you can stay close enough to the fire. When the telly reports a snow storm is on the way, and it will be a big one, she’s at a loss as to what to do. With the help of neighbors and friends, the pub is fixed up to be a haven for the stranded.
That would include Gillian, who is pregnant, Old Billy the storyteller, groomsmen from a wedding, a former policeman, musicians, and a few regulars as well as the employees. They’re able to scrounge a bit of food, just the basics, eggs and toast for breakfast, the makings of soup. Boredom might be a problem as these are all practiced drinkers. book
Diane is the anomaly. She’s quiet, off in a corner, even though it’s colder there. Finally, one of the men recognizes her. Years ago, she was the main suspect in a neighbor’s murder. The two women were acquainted, but not friends, each staying alone that night with husbands out of the country. To complicate matters, Diane’s husband had an affair with the victim, giving Diane a motive, at least in the minds of the police. No strangers were about, everyone had alibis, but there was never enough evidence to arrest Diane.
Diane is in Ireland to sell the house. Her friends in England don’t know about the murder, and it’s finally time to move on. As a way to pass the time, she tells her side of the story. As she’s questioned and responds, Maura keeps track of who did what and when. Is it possible they could solve a cold case? At least Diane will feel like she’s been able to set the record straight from her point of view.
Maura may still feel lost as to the ways of the Irish, but she’s learning, and as she does, so does the reader. Ireland has snow, but not the likes of this storm which is so well described as to be a character and as important as the rest of the clues. Jimmy, the laziest employee at the pub, has a new lady friend. She’s an ambitious woman, the opposite of Jimmy, and should make for interesting changes in his life in the future. Rose, his daughter and a great employee, has such a good time cooking for the snow-trapped customers, she’s apt to go to culinary school once Jimmy is settled. Mick remains mysterious as ever, but readers will have hope for him and Maura.
This is book number five in the County Cork series. Connolly also writes the Museum mysteries (seven), the Orchard book (ten), the Relatively Dead series (five), and the Glassblowing mysteries as Sarah Atwell (three).
Connolly is a truly prolific writer, who has a tale to tell and tells it well. Be ready to pack your bags for Ireland—although maybe not in the winter.