Irish Coffee Murder

You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in Maine, where the chilly March weather offers the perfect excuse to curl up with an Irish coffee…But in these St. Patty’s-themed novellas by fan-favorite cozy mystery authors Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross, someone may have spiked this year’s brew with murder! IRISH COFFEE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Part-time reporter Lucy Stone is writing a piece for the Courier about four Irish step dancing students from Tinker’s Cove on the cusp of making it big. But the story becomes headline news for all the wrong reasons when one girl’s mother is found dead in her bathtub . . . DEATH OF AN IRISH COFFEE DRINKER by LEE HOLLIS As owner of Bar Harbor’s hottest new restaurant, Hayley Powell offers to cater the after-party for popular comedian Jefferson O’Keefe, but it’s no laughing matter when Jefferson keels over after gulping down his post-show Irish coffee . . . PERKED UP by BARBARA ROSS It’s a snowy St. Patrick’s Day in Busman’s Harbor. But when the power goes out, what better way for Julia Snowden to spend the evening than sharing local ghost stories—and Irish coffees—with friends and family? By the time the lights come back, they might even have solved the coldest case in town . . .

Christmas past meets Christmas present in this holiday whodunit set in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, featuring reporter and sleuth Lucy Stone—and a not-so-cold case of murder. For fans of cozy mysteries and the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author’s ever-popular Lucy Stone series. When a gift-wrapped bottle of eggnog—allegedly from the Real Beard Santa Club—proves to be a killer concoction for a Tinker’s Cove local, all Lucy Stone wants for Christmas is to find the murdering mixologist who’s stirring up trouble. [Originally published in Eggnog Murder]

Part-time reporter Lucy Stone isn’t about to put all her eggs in one basket during a frantic Easter in Tinker’s Cove—especially when it comes to cracking a deadly mystery . . . Known for its cheerful staff and elaborate annual Easter Bonnet Contest, the Heritage House senior center regularly attracts new residents and positive press. But once the town’s retired librarian, Miss Julia Tilley, checks in to recover from an illness, Lucy sees a side of the facility that isn’t quite so perfect and pristine. And the place may soon be making headlines for different reasons following an unexplained disappearance . . . Lucy can’t fathom how Agnes Neal could go missing from assisted living over a silly Easter bonnet contest, or why few seem concerned as signs point to foul play. A retired journalist with an independent mind, Agnes had an eye for details and little interest in conforming to catty cliques or rules set by her caretakers—traits that threatened some and angered others . . . While police stall the investigation without answers, Lucy realizes backstabbing has no age limit when alarming parallels bloom between her daughter’s college frenemies and social circles at Heritage House. Gathering clues as flimsy as a half-eaten milk chocolate bunny, Lucy must discover what happened to Agnes—before her own story becomes another springtime tragedy left unsolved.

When Fred Neville of the Notre Dame athletic department winds up dead under mysterious circumstances, amateur sleuth and academic Roger Knight, and his brother, Phil, a P.I., investigate the apparent murder. The trouble: no suspects. No suspects, that is, until the day of Fred's funeral, when several likely candidates suddenly appear at the poor man's wake. First, Mary Schuster, daughter of a faculty widow, shows up at the event dressed all in black, with the startling announcement that she and the deceased were secretly in love. Then the controversy doubles when another woman arrives with a huge diamond ring on her finger, claiming to have been Fred's intended. Could it be that unassuming Fred Neville was actually involved with two women, in secret and at the same time? Roger thinks not, and finds a notable piece of evidence to back up his hunch when a secret stash of Fred's poetry turns up, clearly written with a single woman in mind. Unfortunately, the object of Fred's intense love remains unnamed in his verse. Suddenly, both women are suspects in a vicious crime. But it's up to Roger to plug into the campus gossip grid and, with a little help from Phil, not to mention his vast knowledge of just about everything that happens on campus, determine the exact chain of events that led to murder. Set against the backdrop of an exciting Notre Dame basketball season, Irish Coffee will delight fans of both Notre Dame lore and of Ralph McInerny's impeccably plotted mysteries.

When a new bookstore in the County Cork Irish village of Kilbane closes the book on an author’s life, it’s up to Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan to resolve the story . . . Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán is feeling a bit overwhelmed. But an author event at the new bookstore featuring Irish writers taking up residency in Kilbane offers a welcome distraction. One author, Deirdre Walsh, spends more time complaining about the unfairness of the publishing industry and megastar bestselling authors like Nessa Lamb instead of her own body of work. After the evening ends in a battle of words, Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store—with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane’s literary guests took Deirdre’s criticisms so personally they engaged in foul play . . . “A mélange of clues from classic mysteries plus plenty of Irish charm produce an enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews “Outstanding . . . O’Connor reinforces her place as the queen of the cozy police procedural.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Lucy Stone’s hometown of Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is where her heart is. But traveling to merry old England brings delightful adventure—along with a helping or two or murder—in these beloved mysteries . . . ENGLISH TEA MURDER A trip to England, sponsored by Winchester College, sounds practically perfect to Lucy Stone—until the tour leader suffers a fatal asthma attack mid-flight. Lucy suspects some very unnatural causes, but luckily, she packed her sleuthing skills. Between stops for afternoon tea, visits to historic sites, and catching up with an old flame, she’s ensnared in a daring scheme. But will it lead her to a criminal mastermind—or ensure that she’s the next victim? BRITISH MANOR MURDER Lucy can’t wait to join her friend Sue for a gala hat show at the English country house owned by the Earl of Wickham. But at Moreton Manor, there are secrets—and some unpleasant relatives—lurking among the elaborate chapeaus. When a bludgeoned body is found in a hidden room, Lucy must sift through friends and family foes to find the low-down killer stalking the upper crust, before more blue blood runs red . . .

The luck of the Irish runs out for a professional poker player in this mystery set in County Cork that will “will leave cozy readers well satisfied” (Publishers Weekly). A poker tournament in the small village of Kilbane in County Cork is drawing players from across the country, but none more famous than Eamon Foley. A tinker out of Dublin, he’s called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Detective Sargent Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But officer Siobhán O’Sullivan suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game.

Previously published in the anthology Yule Log Murder Fresh-baked cookies, pies, and cakes can warm even the frostiest Christmases in coastal Maine. But there’s little room for holiday cheer when murder is the new seasonal tradition . . . Lucy Stone is thrilled to be cast as an extra in a festive period film—until the set becomes a murder scene decorated in blood and buttercream icing. Returning to her role as sleuth, Lucy dashes to restore peace to Tinker’s Cove, unwrap a cold-hearted criminal’s MO, and reveal how one ornate Yule log cake could possibly cause so much drama.