Scandal in Skibbereen

County Cork Mystery #2

by Sheila Connolly

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 Melville 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…

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Ireland, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Irish Literature

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

Sheila Connolly taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company providing genealogical research services.

She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.

Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a big fan of the first book in this series. So I wasn't so sure if I wanted to read the second book. I am so glad I did. This was a great book, the characters really impressed me in this one. They felt more real to me. I had a very hard time putting the book down, I was really interested in finding out what was going to happen next in the story.

I am now, looking forward to seeing, what well be happening next in the series.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I'm really liking this series. And it's faced paced which is surprising for a cozy-mystery. and the whodunnit wasn't even on my radar.
Maura Donovan is still getting used to owning both a home and a pub in Leap, Ireland. And the day a pushy and rude New Yorker walks into Sullivan's, Maura knows it's going to be trouble. On the heels of the stranger's arrival, the gardener from the old Manor - Mycroft House - is found murdered on it's front lawn. The very home that Althea was refused entry. Could the murder be connected to the why - the search for a valuable lost Van Dyck painting - the pushy American is here in Leap?

Maura thinks so and soon the village is a washed in rumor and hidden secrets will finally see the light of day.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Leap, Ireland. We are stopping
for a pint at Sullivan’s Pub. The new owner
is Maura Donavan.
Maura came to Ireland after the death of
her Grandmother. With no family left in America
and no job, Maura followed her Grandmother’s
wishes to go to see the country whence she
and her father came. Once there Maura
inherited the Pub. Maura is settling in with her
surroundings and enjoying her Pub responsibilities.
A very pushing and demanding American,
Althea Melville arrives at the Pub. Althea has
gotten on the wrong side of the Irish with her
attitude and needs help in locating a Van Dyke
painting. With the help of Old Billy (an old pub
customer), they are able to narrow down where
the painting might be located.
Trying to get into the estate is another hurdle
especially after the estate gardener is found
dead!!
Why was he killed? Why is the American really
want to find this painting?
The cast of characters are entertaining, well
defined, colorful and all have relatable qualities.
I enjoyed the banters along with the interactions
and individual personalities of each character.
Come along while we visit the mansion on the
estate looking in all the dusty, unused rooms
at all the artworks plus we get to visit a nunnery.
I felt the concept and setting of this book was
great.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/sc...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Maura and her cast of characters of locals are fun and enjoyable. Old Billy is a hoot. It seems in this installment of County Cork Mysteries, that Maura is settling in a bit more. She is more at home with her neighbors and bar patrons. She also seems to be ready to take on her older staff members. I can’t wait to see how much more she matures as Publican of Sullivan’s Pub.

We meet a few more characters in this installment, such as Gillian(the artist and sometimes date of Harry Townsend), Harry Townsend(playboy nephew of matriarch Eveline), and matriarch Eveline Townsend(keeper of several secrets and owner of the Townsend Estate). A spattering of several other characters spice up the story. The scenery and descriptions of rural Irish life are as always a great pleasure to read and live in vicariously.

This is only the second in Ms Connolly’s new Irish Mystery series. She also writes a Museum Mystery series and a wonderful Orchard Mystery series. I have not read the museum one, but really enjoy the Orchard cozy series. This is another great new cozy series that I would recommend to not only cozy readers, but anyone who enjoys a bit of Irish wit and fun in a mystery. Maura is an enjoyable main character without a lot of the normal wishy/washy attitude of some cozy leads. I can not wait for the next in this series and hope others find it a pleasure to read as I have.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brash American Althea Melville storms into Maura's pub in the little village of Leap and demands help finding a long-lost Van Dyck painting. Althea can't get used to the Irish way of doing things, and antagonizes many of the people she meets. Maura, a former Bostonian, has adjusted to the slower pace of life in Leap. When a gardener at the house where the painting may be located is murdered, the stakes are high for Maura and Althea. This is the second in a series, and frankly Maura seems to be to be a boring character to hang a book on--she doesn't seem to have any particular skills or interests, other than general goodwill and the ability to tend bar.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the county cork series. Maura is the new owner of a pub in Ireland. An American patron comes in the pub in search of a long lost painting. She enlists Maura's help since she has managed to rub everyone in town the wrong way.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Leap, Ireland. The characters are great. I loved how Maura dealt with Athena who at times was just obnoxious. The mystery was good. I hope to continue with this series.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second installment of the County Cork Mysteries Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home and as owner of an Irish Pub. She is anxious to see what kind of business she will have a the summer tourist season begins.

Althea Melville arrives from the U.S. but she is not on a pleasure trip. She is on a mission to find a rare painting and she believes she may find it in County Cork, not far away from Maura’s pub. Althea is not use to Irish traditions and comes across as “a bull in a China shop” as she tries to get Maura and others to help her find the painting. When a gardener is found dead outside of a local manor house Maura starts to question Althea’s motives and thinks there is much more to her story than just local for a piece of art.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Finding out I have a bit of Irish heritage myself makes me love these mysteries.

Connolly has created some wonderful characters. Maura is still finding her way in her new surroundings but she has something every barkeep needs, the gift of gab. She is friendly and outgoing and really strives to get to know the people around her. Her relationship with Billy reminds me of myself so much. When my parents owned a tavern there was always a group of elders there each day to play cards and share old stories and new. I could sit and listen to them for hours and they taught me how to win at cards too.

I also love the recurring characters and the way Maura’s relationships with all of them are evolving. Especially the relationship she has with Garda Officer Sean Murphy.

The new character that captured my heart was Eveline Townsend, the owner of Mycroft House. This is a woman that is aging gracefully living in a Manor House with only 2 other people and a nephew that helps to pay the bills and visits on a rare occasion, like when one of the employees has been murdered. This woman is much more alert and has a better memory than anyone thought and she knew many secrets that gave this story a few twists and turns.

The mystery of the lost painting and the murder were very well plotted. The location was sublime. I have been told Spring and Summer are the best times to visit Ireland. You can tell the author loves her setting and has researched it thoroughly. Her love for the Irish countryside just glows throughout the story.

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Book Two of the County Cork series, Scandal in Skibbereen, we connect with Maura Donovan again, as she runs the pub in Leap. The very pub she inherited from an old friend of her grandmother’s. The characters from the first book rejoin us, from Bridget Nolan to Old Willie. Rose, the teenage daughter of Jimmy, still helps out in the pub, and Jimmy has not lost his attitude.

An American woman, Althea Melville, comes into the pub early in the week, and from her clothes and her demanding tone, Maura concludes that she is probably from Manhattan. Soon Althea’s interest is revealed, and despite the entitled way she goes about making requests, Maura finds herself helping the woman, who is looking for a painting. A famous one, at that, and she immediately realizes that it might be at Mycroft House, where the Townsends live. In fact, Eveline Townsend, an elderly woman is the only one in residence now, except for her caretakers, Tom and Florence O’Brien, and a gardener named Seamus Daly.

Harry Townsend, her nephew, comes down regularly, though, to check up on her. An artist, who also spends summers in the village, Gillian Callanan, joins the group that has been drawn into the mystery of the painting.

On the same night that Althea arrives, Seamus Daly is killed and found dead the next morning. Sean Murphy, a detective, begins investigating, and in the ensuing pages, we learn a lot more about the inhabitants of this small village, and more about the art world.

I loved how the author’s descriptions of the characters, the village, and how things are done in Ireland seemed to wrap themselves around the reader and kept me intrigued throughout. Solving a murder mystery and an art mystery as well was an engaging way to capture this reader. 4.5 stars.

[The Flooze · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.75?*

That was deeply, deeply...meh.

When an ambitious museum curator comes to town, Maura gets swept up in a treasure hunt. The goal of confirming provenance for one painting while also locating another provided lots of reasons to chat with the locals.

But it did not provide much excitement.

The curator, Althea, is a bang-on-the-nose stereotypical New York character. She wears black clothes, she's impatient, she's rude, she takes advice from no one...and I wanted to murder her because, yo!, I'm from New York! The grand majority of us do not act like that. Sure, if you push us on the subway, we push back. But drop us in a foreign country and have us talking to locals? Most would do leagues better than this lady. Althea was over-the-top rude to people who were being amazingly helpful. Please stop giving us New Yorkers a bad name.

As Maura helps Althea on her quest, we become privy to lots of chats. These should be the highlight of the story: teasing out family mysteries, learning of a bygone age. Instead, every time Maura and her cohorts make another visit, we're subjected to their progress thus far. We've been with her every step of the way. Why do WE need a recap every ten pages? All too often this brought things to a yawn-worthy standstill.

There is a murder in this mystery, but solving it is secondary. The focus is on chasing the art, and after a while that just doesn't cut it.

I've downloaded one more installment of this series from the library, so I'll give it a whirl before deciding whether to abandon Maura to fend for herself.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not the biggest cozy fan on the planet. I often find they move too slowly and there just isn't enough excitement for me. Here I may have finally found a cozy series/author I like. I had read #1 in the series for my bookgroup and was torn in that I loved the Irish bits but hated the clueless American heroine. I gave Buried in a Bog only three stars. But #2 in the series-- this one--Scandal in Skibbereen is LEAPS (it's a pun--read the book, you'll get it) better. The clueless American has wised up, the Cork countryside and people are as charming as ever, and this is a smart mystery spanning generations. There's some clever art history and even a non-annoying budding romance. Seriously well done, Ms Connolly. Give me more Maura Donovan!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maura is beginning to find her feet in Leap and Sullivan's when one day an American arrives like a whirlwind and manages to get Maura to help her track down a Van Dyck painting (Althea needs the help as she seems to be able to get on the wrong side of the Irish without even trying!), the problem seems to be that someone else may have the same idea, and unfortunately a local young man has fallen foul of whoever and ended up dead.  Now Maura, her new friend Gillian (a local artist), Harry (the local landowner) and Althea have a race against time to find the painting and find out the truth about the death.

Their journey takes them from Sullivan's, to the local manor house and a side trip to a Nunnery before everything is finally resolved.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'm really liking Leap, Maura and the rest of the Sullivan's gang. Another fun mystery in Ireland. I enjoy how there's always some history involved in these books mixing in with modern events. Looking forward to the next adventure.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a sort of interesting plot, but the writing plods. No sparkle at all. I think I am done with this series.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morose Maura must be sort of growing on me because I enjoyed this second installment more than the first. I'm invested enough to continue on with the third book.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maura, now a pub owner, encounters a fellow American who is interested in a painting that may be worth a significant amount of money. She explains the painting may be located on a family's property, and seeks help getting entrance. Unfortunately the next day the groundskeeper is found dead.
I'm absolutely loving this series. Maura doesn't go hunting for trouble, she just takes notice of everything, and questions it. The characters are likable, and definitely need more development. I'm looking forward to learning more as I read this series.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really loving this series! The main character is a down-to-earth America who finds herself in Ireland ... owning a house and a pub. She does help the gardai solving murders ... but she's not in their way, withholding information, etc. She just helps them. I love all the information about Ireland without too much of their bloody history. I'm just loving this series!

[Hope Garfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick breezy read. Not as good as the first one.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review of the first book of the County Cork series, I mentioned it was refreshing to have Maura Donovan become a sleuth so seamlessly within the storyline and still work at her new job. Many of the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries that are either a business owner or employee at a local business in the town/city setting of the story never seem to be actually working at their business or job. Well, that comment can now only apply to the first novel in the series. Maura spends more time helping a fellow American from New York than she does taking care of her business this time around. There does seem to be an opening in future novels in the series for Maura to become a mentor to 16-year old employee Rose but this time around Rose is the mentor for a little fashion advice before Maura has a dinner date. In fact, I'm wondering if Rose will become the cook if Maura decides to offer a limited menu later in the series.

I've always wanted to visit Ireland and this novel allows one to learn a little about Irish history, hear about the local scenery, and of course hear a few stories of yesteryear. I look forward to reading more of the series especially to learn if any of my own predictions will come true.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scandal In Skibbereen This is the second book in the series, and this book was even better than the first. I identify in a lot of ways with Maura and her thought processes, so I find her to be a believable and likeable character. I loved the date with Sean, I could put myself in the same situation easily.
 
The plot with this one was a little convoluted; a gardener at an estate is murdered at the same time a brash New Yorker shows up looking for a valuable painting that could be at the estate. I got the feeling that the plot was stretched out a little too much (it could've been solved in half the amount of time) but I enjoy the setting and the characters so much, I didn't really mind. 
 
Seriously, though, if Maura doesn't punch Jimmy in the mouth soon, I'll go over there and do it for her.
 
 

[Stacie Haden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll continue with the series, but not right away. The sense of place wasn't as strong in this second book of the series, but the character development was strengthened.
What I didn't like was that there wasn't anything to figure out. The mystery was described. It was a good story, but I personally like to have something to guess at. Also, there was too much repetition.
I'm hoping the next book explains why the pub isn't making money when it's always packed. It's bugging me.
Still looking forward to deepening my literary friendship with the characters from Leap, Ireland.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in Sheila Connolly's County Cork mystery series finds Maura Donovan ensconced in her new life in Ireland. Three months after arriving from the US, she's got an inherited pub and home. She might not be sure what her plan for her life is but this suits her at this point in time.

Her life gets upended however when Althea Melville walks into Sullivan's Pub. Melville works for a museum in New York and she's trying to find a potentially long lost work by a famous artist. After hearing the story, Maura ends up getting involved. Melville is pretty pushy which doesn't go over well with Maura or her circle of friends and customers, but bit by bit they end up helping her out.

That is until Seamus Daly, the gardener at the Townsend manor house is found dead. The house was the suspected place to find the lost painting which immediately casts Althea Melville as a suspect and casts a pall over the hunt for the lost artwork. But after Althea is cleared, the search is continued.

This eventually leads to a discovery that could change many lives and the sad and tragic origins of the lost art.

Putting both plots together, Sheila Connolly created a winning storyline for this book. I like the unsettled nature of Maura and her continued adjustment of this unexpected new life and job. The cast of characters remains interesting and there's a bit more fleshing out done on a few of them.

Perhaps it shouldn't be this way but it has been fun getting to know the elderly characters amongst the supporting cast. Bridget and Old Billy may be from the Ireland of old, but you quickly come to love Maura's interactions with them. Eveline Townsend proves to be a particular hoot in this respect as well.

I do think that Maura needs to have a "Come to Jesus" moment with Jimmy the bartender sooner rather than later though. It's a minor subplot and I get that with Maura not having managed people before that she's unsure of how to go about things but she's got to show him who's in charge. He may be disappointed that he didn't get the bar left to him but Maura can't keep letting him get away with his actions.

That nitpick aside, I found 'Scandal in Skibbereen' to be a fun and engaging read. It built upon the foundation laid by the first book in the series, 'Buried in a Bog', in an appealing manner and readers will find themselves growing that much more attached to all involved.

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly, Maura Donovan has owned Mick’s pub about three months when Althea Melville, an art specialist from New York, walks in. A woman has brought a small painting to an appraisal event that Althea has identified as a preliminary drawing for a large painting by the famous artist Van Dyck. Since Jane Deasy, the owner of the piece, inherited her copy from her great- aunt who came from Ireland, Althea has come to Leap in a personal quest to find the large painting. A talk with the old man who sits in the pub makes Althea believe it must be in Mycroft House in nearby Skibbereen, occupied for life by the nonagenarian Eveline Townsend and owned by her nephew, Harry. Then Althea gets turned away at the door by Florence O’Brien, who, with her husband, Tom, manages Eveline’s home. The next morning, Seamus Daly, a mentally challenged man who has worked as their gardener, is found murdered on the grounds.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone has shown a painting to New Yorker Althea Melville, who works for a museum. It is just a sketch, but Althea feels positive it is done by a famous artist and that there must be a completed picture of it somewhere. Somewhere eventually leads her to Ireland and Sullivan's Bar. She talks to owner Maura and some regular visitors to the bar, discovers the Manor house there and tries to get in to see if the picture is there. She fails, the gardener is killed that night and the search is on. I don't really like the main character, Maura very much. I also felt a lot of this book was filler, as each new person they asked to help them had to have the story of the picture told to them, over and over and over.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 bk 17. I love mysteries involving lost artworks and this one was a pleasure to read with new information on the artist in question and simply laugh out loud, hysterical scenes with the brash American museum curator. Maura knows she is over her head, but comes to realize that one of the benefits of owning a bar is that you are able to make connections for people (not unlike librarians). She hones her talents on the Irish and American visitors in this delightful tale.

[Kathleen Schilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is the second installment of this series and I haven’t decided if I like it or not. I enjoy the full book, but it always takes me awhile to get into them. I will read another and see what I think

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much improved from the first entry in the series. The characters are growing on me. Perfect binge reading and listening while Covid 19 rages.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow!

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great mystery series set in a small village in Ireland.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a hunt for a work of art.