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County Clare Mystery #1
Kilmoon
The brutal game began among the ruins of Kilmoon Church…
Desperate to mend her troubled past, Californian Merrit Chase travels to Ireland to meet her father, Liam, a celebrated matchmaker. While tourists gather for the annual matchmaking festival, Merrit battles the anxiety and guilt that have plagued her since the death of her mother.
Like her mother before her, Merrit becomes ensnared in a web of betrayal and hatred that she must unravel if she’s ever going to find peace. Why has Merrit’s arrival triggered a rising tide of violence that includes murder? Most of all, what lurks beneath Liam’s charismatic smile?
As Merrit circles ever closer to the truth that emanates from Kilmoon’s grounds, she discovers just how far she and others will go to get what they want. The truth isn’t what it seems, and only her father understands how vengeance can strike from beyond the grave.
Desperate to mend her troubled past, Californian Merrit Chase travels to Ireland to meet her father, Liam, a celebrated matchmaker. While tourists gather for the annual matchmaking festival, Merrit battles the anxiety and guilt that have plagued her since the death of her mother.
Like her mother before her, Merrit becomes ensnared in a web of betrayal and hatred that she must unravel if she’s ever going to find peace. Why has Merrit’s arrival triggered a rising tide of violence that includes murder? Most of all, what lurks beneath Liam’s charismatic smile?
As Merrit circles ever closer to the truth that emanates from Kilmoon’s grounds, she discovers just how far she and others will go to get what they want. The truth isn’t what it seems, and only her father understands how vengeance can strike from beyond the grave.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2014
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1417 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 4, 2016
Set in the quaint village of Lisfenora during the annual "matchmaking festival", this is the first book of the County Clare mysteries. Following the death of her stepfather, Merrit McCallum travels from California to Ireland, to meet her biological father Liam, who is the village Matchmaker.
What follows is a very complex mystery involving blackmail, murder, deceit, lost loves and numerous suspects. Some of the back-story, events that took place in 1975, is told through journal entries written by Merrit's deceased Mum, Julia, and through Liam's journal.
This is Lisa Alber's debut novel and is written very well. It has a very literary feel to it. It took me a long time to feel anything for these characters, though. Merritt and Liam remained very bland throughout. One of the more interesting characters was Danny, the garda, with his family and job issues, and I actually liked the town drunk, Marcus, most of all.
There was nothing really bad about this, but there was just nothing great either. It just ended up being ok. I have a copy of the second book, Whispers in the Mist, from NetGalley, so I feel obliged to read it, but I doubt I would otherwise bother.
What follows is a very complex mystery involving blackmail, murder, deceit, lost loves and numerous suspects. Some of the back-story, events that took place in 1975, is told through journal entries written by Merrit's deceased Mum, Julia, and through Liam's journal.
This is Lisa Alber's debut novel and is written very well. It has a very literary feel to it. It took me a long time to feel anything for these characters, though. Merritt and Liam remained very bland throughout. One of the more interesting characters was Danny, the garda, with his family and job issues, and I actually liked the town drunk, Marcus, most of all.
There was nothing really bad about this, but there was just nothing great either. It just ended up being ok. I have a copy of the second book, Whispers in the Mist, from NetGalley, so I feel obliged to read it, but I doubt I would otherwise bother.
October 6, 2016
It’s June 28, 2008 and the setting is Northern California where we are introduced to Merrit McCallum who is staring at the empty syringe lying beside her on the rug. Beside her is dead body of the man she called father. Her mother committed suicide years before. Merrit is feeling guilty, lost and possibly irredeemable.
With her mother’s journal in hand, Merrit travels from California to Lisfenora, a small town in Ireland. She arrives during the annual matchmaker’s festival that the small town is so well-known for. Merrit has big plans to meet her real father, Liam Donellan who is known as Liam the Lion, The Matchmaker of Lisfenora.
Upon arrival, Merrit bides her time while trying to figure out how to introduce herself to her father. She reads snippets from her mother’s journal hoping to unravel the secrets of the past. As the matchmaking festivities get underway, Merrit braces herself to meet her father. But things quickly go awry. Merrit is being blackmailed by Lonnie, and when Lonnie turns up dead, all signs point to her as the murderer. Her troubled past is catching up to her and she has learned that she’s not the only one who claims to be Liam’s long-lost biological daughter. Merrit finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and mystery as she struggles to uncover the truth behind what kind of man her father really is.
Kilmoon is a tale of murder, lost love and people yearning to feel like they belong somewhere in a world where life has taken a lot of unexpected turns. I can’t say I was completely hooked. It was a fair read but Merrit is just not a very likeable character and I don’t think that the book ever really answered the matter of whether she murdered the man who raised her. The uncertainty of this creates a main character that is a bit shady and it’s difficult to feel sympathy for her plight. The town drunk, Marcus, whom Merrit has befriended is a more sympathetic character. I also didn’t find Liam to be the charismatic character that he was cracked up to be. Apparently he lost a lot of his charm through the years. The most interesting character to me is Danny, the town Garda officer, who has been assigned to work the murder, but also has strong loyalties to Liam. Pay attention to this character, he is the real star.
I also generally love any books set in Ireland. Something about the atmosphere touches my soul, and I usually settle in comfortably, feeling at home. However, the atmosphere here lacked depth and didn’t give me that cozy feeling.
I read this book because I got the ARC of the second book in the series, Whispers in the Mist, from Netgalley. Having already moved on and read the second book (review to come), I can tell you that the series is worth sticking with. I liked the second book so much better. Kilmoon is a quick read and worth reading for the introduction to the A County Clare Mystery series. The characters and atmosphere of Lisfenora become much stronger as the series expands.
With her mother’s journal in hand, Merrit travels from California to Lisfenora, a small town in Ireland. She arrives during the annual matchmaker’s festival that the small town is so well-known for. Merrit has big plans to meet her real father, Liam Donellan who is known as Liam the Lion, The Matchmaker of Lisfenora.
Upon arrival, Merrit bides her time while trying to figure out how to introduce herself to her father. She reads snippets from her mother’s journal hoping to unravel the secrets of the past. As the matchmaking festivities get underway, Merrit braces herself to meet her father. But things quickly go awry. Merrit is being blackmailed by Lonnie, and when Lonnie turns up dead, all signs point to her as the murderer. Her troubled past is catching up to her and she has learned that she’s not the only one who claims to be Liam’s long-lost biological daughter. Merrit finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and mystery as she struggles to uncover the truth behind what kind of man her father really is.
Kilmoon is a tale of murder, lost love and people yearning to feel like they belong somewhere in a world where life has taken a lot of unexpected turns. I can’t say I was completely hooked. It was a fair read but Merrit is just not a very likeable character and I don’t think that the book ever really answered the matter of whether she murdered the man who raised her. The uncertainty of this creates a main character that is a bit shady and it’s difficult to feel sympathy for her plight. The town drunk, Marcus, whom Merrit has befriended is a more sympathetic character. I also didn’t find Liam to be the charismatic character that he was cracked up to be. Apparently he lost a lot of his charm through the years. The most interesting character to me is Danny, the town Garda officer, who has been assigned to work the murder, but also has strong loyalties to Liam. Pay attention to this character, he is the real star.
I also generally love any books set in Ireland. Something about the atmosphere touches my soul, and I usually settle in comfortably, feeling at home. However, the atmosphere here lacked depth and didn’t give me that cozy feeling.
I read this book because I got the ARC of the second book in the series, Whispers in the Mist, from Netgalley. Having already moved on and read the second book (review to come), I can tell you that the series is worth sticking with. I liked the second book so much better. Kilmoon is a quick read and worth reading for the introduction to the A County Clare Mystery series. The characters and atmosphere of Lisfenora become much stronger as the series expands.
February 16, 2019
I really wanted to like this. The write up looked so good. A mystery in Ireland? Sounds great. And I tried to like this but it really misses the mark for me. It seems needlessly convoluted, still has what I would consider a cheat (lets just say a crucial thing in evidence? Turns out there were two identical ones. Um, no. Come on.) The plot could have been saved by a good sense of place but I think Albers missed here, too. Disappointing.
May 19, 2014
Two things first attracted me to Kilmoon—(1) I love Ireland and hope very much to go back some day but books will have to do until then and (2) I’m fond of the Janeane Garofalo movie, “The Matchmaker” which just happens to be about a matchmaking festival in Ireland. Kilmoon was going to give me both so how could I go wrong?
LOL, we don’t always get what we wish for, do we? I knew, of course, that this wasn’t going to be a lighthearted romance but, really, the only points of comparison are the setting in Ireland and the matchmaking festival. Ah, well, I’m still glad I took a chance on this book. It wasn’t easy in the beginning but I pushed on and was soon engaged in the story.
To be honest, I came close to putting this down in the early chapters because the characters just weren’t appealing to me. They were mostly self-absorbed unpleasant people, all with their own agendas that cared little for the effect their actions would have on others. I pushed on, though, and I’m glad I did. At the end, I still didn’t care much for the main players, including Merrit, but the look into how secrets and choices can have such profound consequences even many years later was well worth the read and, in fact, some of the residents of Lisfenora grew on me after all.
Kirkus refers to this book as a “moody debut” and that’s a perfect description. Ms. Alber has crafted a story that is neither plot-driven nor character-driven but, rather, builds on atmosphere and makes good use of the melancholy that can be found in Ireland beneath the happy-go-lucky charm we also expect. Along the way, the reader is also served a good bit of murder and mayhem and now I wonder, what lies in store for us next in County Clare? I can only hope Ms. Alber won’t make us wait too long to find out.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2014.
LOL, we don’t always get what we wish for, do we? I knew, of course, that this wasn’t going to be a lighthearted romance but, really, the only points of comparison are the setting in Ireland and the matchmaking festival. Ah, well, I’m still glad I took a chance on this book. It wasn’t easy in the beginning but I pushed on and was soon engaged in the story.
To be honest, I came close to putting this down in the early chapters because the characters just weren’t appealing to me. They were mostly self-absorbed unpleasant people, all with their own agendas that cared little for the effect their actions would have on others. I pushed on, though, and I’m glad I did. At the end, I still didn’t care much for the main players, including Merrit, but the look into how secrets and choices can have such profound consequences even many years later was well worth the read and, in fact, some of the residents of Lisfenora grew on me after all.
Kirkus refers to this book as a “moody debut” and that’s a perfect description. Ms. Alber has crafted a story that is neither plot-driven nor character-driven but, rather, builds on atmosphere and makes good use of the melancholy that can be found in Ireland beneath the happy-go-lucky charm we also expect. Along the way, the reader is also served a good bit of murder and mayhem and now I wonder, what lies in store for us next in County Clare? I can only hope Ms. Alber won’t make us wait too long to find out.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2014.
March 24, 2014
I am giving this debut novel five stars for a few different reasons: 1) It's incredibly well written. 2) The characters, although not always likeable, are extremely interesting and memorable and get under your skin so that you want to know more about each one. 3) It gave me a great sense of the dynamics of small-town Ireland and the matchmaking festival there. 4) It's got an impressive sense of atmosphere--other reviews have called it moody, and it is a bit dark. It works. 5) It set up the next book in the series beautifully and I'm already impatient for the all-important way you should feel when reading a book: "And then what happens?" Five stars; five reasons. And did I mention it is incredibly well written? Great job, Lisa Alber, and I can't wait to see more from you.
March 17, 2014
A delicious read with a large cast of characters full of dark secrets and questionable pasts. I loved that just within the first pages of this mystery, there were already so many things being hinted at that I was dying to uncover—none of which turned out to be what I thought they would be.
Kilmoon is the story of Merrit Chase, an American who travels to a small Irish town to meet her father during the town's annual matchmaking festival. Guided only by her dead mother's journal entries from when she herself was a young journalist who fell in love with Liam the Matchmaker, Merrit takes her time trying to find the best way to approach her father, but soon ends up caught in a series of blackmail, lies and murder that tear her plans apart.
Alber weaves her characters' rich pasts into a complex plot that I never saw coming, all while giving us a glimpse at the universal pains of lost loves and wanting to belong.
Kilmoon is the story of Merrit Chase, an American who travels to a small Irish town to meet her father during the town's annual matchmaking festival. Guided only by her dead mother's journal entries from when she herself was a young journalist who fell in love with Liam the Matchmaker, Merrit takes her time trying to find the best way to approach her father, but soon ends up caught in a series of blackmail, lies and murder that tear her plans apart.
Alber weaves her characters' rich pasts into a complex plot that I never saw coming, all while giving us a glimpse at the universal pains of lost loves and wanting to belong.
August 11, 2016
Book One of the County Clare mysteries by Lisa Alber, Kilmoon will draw the reader into the Irish village of Lisfenora with its enigmatic characters and layered story line. Merrit Chase is an American who has traveled to Ireland to meet her biological father, who happens to be the matchmaker in Lisfenora, and it happens to be the yearly matchmaking festival. Merrit isn't the only one searching for her roots and uncovering secrets in the tiny village. And although it may be festival time, there simmers beneath the surface the serious business of revenge and claiming rights too long denied. Two major effects hit me from reading this well-written piece of entrancing storytelling. One is the desire to go to Ireland and see this land which Alber describes so beautifully and two is to read the next book in this series as soon as possible.
April 22, 2014
Fabulous small town tale in Ireland, dark with fog swirling, crisply written full of angst and longing with a good mystery along with a pint. I started Saturday afternoon and finished Sunday morning. Good book to get lost in and bone up on your Irish curse words. Ha!
March 5, 2016
Alber does an excellent job of presenting us with the classic "town full of secrets" and then peeling away the onion layers one by one. The character's personal mystery, that of her true parentage, provides the set-up for the story and the fact that she's not the only result of her biological father's philandering ways is quickly established. When the local blackmailer gets his just deserts, the solution to that mystery drives the reveal of the underlying story--just what happened in 1975 and why all Liam the Matchmaker's chickens have come home to roost at once.
While the primary murder mystery is interesting and well-plotted, as is the 30-year old back story, it's really the characters that drive the narrative. The contrast between the two half-siblings and their adoptive brother, and how each handles painful truths and life challenges, provides an interesting character study. Even more compelling is Danny, the police detective who's juggling a heavy load of personal issues all while trying to solve a murder--and his torn loyalties when signs point to the people he's closest to. Surprisingly, the least interesting main character was Liam the Matchmaker himself. He provides necessary story details, but he never quite came alive for me as the quirky, dashing Irishman I wanted him to be. I also expected the setting to play more of a role than it did, but for the most part we could have been in any small town with a close knit community and a set of regional personality quirks. With the cover and the big buildup about the picture in Merrit's house, I expected the setting to essentially be another character in the story, but I never got the brooding, strongly Irish flavored atmosphere I was looking for. That's not really a flaw, just a matter of managing expectations. All in all, it was definitely a page-turner, and I particularly enjoyed the fast-paced flipping of the whodunit solution at the end. Thanks to Alber's setup, each potential murderer made sense as a candidate, which is really what I look for and enjoy in mystery plotting, rather than the coincidental culprit from out in left field that just feels like lazy writing.
While the primary murder mystery is interesting and well-plotted, as is the 30-year old back story, it's really the characters that drive the narrative. The contrast between the two half-siblings and their adoptive brother, and how each handles painful truths and life challenges, provides an interesting character study. Even more compelling is Danny, the police detective who's juggling a heavy load of personal issues all while trying to solve a murder--and his torn loyalties when signs point to the people he's closest to. Surprisingly, the least interesting main character was Liam the Matchmaker himself. He provides necessary story details, but he never quite came alive for me as the quirky, dashing Irishman I wanted him to be. I also expected the setting to play more of a role than it did, but for the most part we could have been in any small town with a close knit community and a set of regional personality quirks. With the cover and the big buildup about the picture in Merrit's house, I expected the setting to essentially be another character in the story, but I never got the brooding, strongly Irish flavored atmosphere I was looking for. That's not really a flaw, just a matter of managing expectations. All in all, it was definitely a page-turner, and I particularly enjoyed the fast-paced flipping of the whodunit solution at the end. Thanks to Alber's setup, each potential murderer made sense as a candidate, which is really what I look for and enjoy in mystery plotting, rather than the coincidental culprit from out in left field that just feels like lazy writing.
October 18, 2014
What to say? Hmmmm. I picked this up at Killer Nashville and I'm half Irish so I thought I'd give it a go. I enjoyed it immensely. I felt as though I was at Kilmoon herself dealing with the tragedy and heartache. I long to visit Ireland and did in this book through the eyes of Merrit and the rest if the cast. I would beyond the shadow if a doubt recommend this to anyone.
December 18, 2014
I didn't like this all too well, but I kept pushing myself to finish it -- and finally gave up a mere 40 pages from the end! Just 40 pages left and I couldn't do it. The mystery itself had merit, but the characters were caricatures, completely undeveloped, and none of them - least of all the main character - was one I could empathize with.
September 29, 2016
Lisa Alber's debut novel. Wow. This was a intriguing read. I had trouble putting it down, and stayed up far too late at night reading it. I started out not particularly liking the characters, they had lots of baggage and personal conflicts. However, as I read along, I started to like them and care abut them. I also found a lot of interest in Ireland and found the descriptions fascinating.
November 10, 2017
Merrit Chase leaves the States to travel to an Irish village to meet her father, a celebrated matchmaker, who has no knowledge of her existence. Her arrival triggers events which lead to murder and she finds herself a suspect. Everything eventually comes back to events from thirty years in the past.
Atmospheric, brooding and complex. Merrit was not an easy character for me to connect with; her father even less so. That said, it’s still a good read. Detective Sergeant Danny Ahern stole the story for me.
Atmospheric, brooding and complex. Merrit was not an easy character for me to connect with; her father even less so. That said, it’s still a good read. Detective Sergeant Danny Ahern stole the story for me.
August 3, 2019
I admit the reason I read this book was that I'm doing a book challenge that required that I read a book from an author that has the same initials as I do. I found it mildly interesting but nothing to get excited about. The characters were too numerous and confusing. The only thing I really wanted to know at the end of the book is how Marcus was doing and he'd been all but forgotten. I can't imagine how this is going to become a series.
August 5, 2019
Merritt (age 30) travels to Ireland to meet/confront her biological father Liam, who is a local celebrity who performs matchmaking at an annual festival, where he and her mother connected some 30+ years earlier. Meanwhile, all sorts of oozy local characters abound, along with another of Liam's bastard daughters who has arrived to create mayhem. When a local man is murdered, everyone is suspect.
Weak, too many characters, and some unsatisfying story whiplash at the end.
Weak, too many characters, and some unsatisfying story whiplash at the end.
October 9, 2017
I almost always read series in order but somehow read the second book before Kilmoon. I liked "Whispers in the Mist" better, but this one didn't draw me in the same way - it took me a week or so to finish it, vs. one day with Whispers. I do like the characters, and look forward to more of Ms. Albers' story telling.
November 25, 2017
Haunting, twisted, complex. A large cast of characters, not always likeable, but all compelling. Once I was into it, I didn't want to set it down. The setting is Ireland, the writing is beautiful, and the mystery keeps you guessing until the very end. Glad I won't have to wait to dive back into the world of Danny and Merritt as book 2 already awaits.
May 24, 2018
It is very different from the usual mysteries I read, but intriguing in it's own way, especially the way the usual suspects turned out to be not the main villain. I have the other two novels the author has written and will read them too....she seems to understand motivation for crime is as important as getting away with it.
August 24, 2017
Alber doesn't write badly, taken one sentence at a time, or even most paragraphs at a time. But for me the book as a whole was a slog. I finished it, hoping the resolutions would be at least interesting if not satisfactory--but they weren't.
April 9, 2020
A good story based in Ireland. I read this because I had just visited Ireland. It was a good read, and I hope to share this book with someone. At the time the library didn't own so I bought it. I may give to the library so others will enjoy it.
June 24, 2017
Met Lisa Alber at a writing conference and so excited she published her work. Love the descriptions of small Irish town and characters.
June 26, 2017
Hooked me immediately. An enjoyable cozy with lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to the next installment.
September 11, 2020
3.25. It was an interesting read, but there wasn’t enough to the plot and it became repetitive, IMO.
June 14, 2022
Loved this book! I liked the location and atmosphere of the small town and the people. I will be reading more from this author.
June 12, 2014
I received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts on Kilmoon, the debut novel in the County Clare mystery series by Lisa Alber.
Like good Irish whiskey, Kilmoon is an acquired taste. It is complex, subtle, with hidden depths, but it may not be for everyone.
Kilmoon tells the story of Merrit Chase, a troubled young woman who travels to Ireland to investigate her family roots after suffering through the protracted death of her stepfather in America. In Ireland, Merrit hopes to meet Liam, a famous matchmaker. Each year, Liam presides over a popular festival each year in which he is known to have almost a supernatural ability to pair up couples.
When Merrit arrives in the small village in County Clare which is Liam's home, she encounters a cast of complex characters, many of whom hold secrets to her own mysterious past. As Merrit gets to know the people in the village, the gentle drunk Marcus, the hot-headed but loyal Kevin, the honorable but torn Garda officer Danny, and the opportunistic "Lonnie the lovely," she becomes embroiled in a web of lost love, deceit, and murder.
That said, the plot of Kilmoon, while complex and well-written, is not the most memorable feature of the book. What really stood out to me was author Lisa Alber's unique voice, and the way in which she captures an Irish sense of place. I was amazed to find that Lisa Alber is in fact an American who has traveled frequently to Ireland, as her writing would have led me to assume she was a native to that country.
That being said, as a US reader, I often found the dialogue between characters hard to understand. Furthermore, I was surprised by the tone of the story; I had expected there to be more of an enchanting or alluring atmosphere in the small village in County Clare, but instead, I found myself repelled by the constant drinking and scatological references made by the characters.
I was surprised by how unappealing Merrit's experiences in County Clare seemed. The location should have had all the elements of a gorgeous and magical sense of place; there was the crumbling old church of Kilmoon, an annual matchmaking festival, and the location itself, a small community in a beautiful area of Ireland. Yet somehow, the focus of the mystery remained mostly on slimy characters and broken relationships.
As a comparison, two other books I have read recently that I felt capture a sense of Ireland (albeit in a different way) were The Likeness by Tana French, and The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan. In both of those novels, I was impressed by the way in which the dialogue gave me a strong sense of a uniquely Irish mentality, in a way which I felt went beyond stereotypes. In The Likeness, I wanted to live in the world that French created, while in The Spinning Heart, despite the struggles of the characters suffering in the post Celtic Tiger economy, I was able to relate to their frustration. However, for most of Kilmoon, I literally felt like the characters and their world-view made me less interested in visiting Ireland.
All that said, as the disparate threads of the story came together in the final chapters of the novel, I gained new respect for the way in which the author had injected some emotional depth into the mystery. I felt more compassion towards the characters as more of their pasts were revealed.
In the end, Kilmoon was absolutely not what I had expected. It was not sweet, not charming, not gentle, and definitely not a cozy mystery. It was also not a pure whodunit, and although I would say that it was character-based, it did not go deeply into the psychology of its characters. All that said, Kilmoon was never generic, and it was written with a distinctive and assured voice. I was genuinely surprised to find that this was the author's debut novel.
I think there is no doubt that author Lisa Alber has talent. Kilmoon is a novel that will appeal to some readers, but not to everyone. I will be interested to see the insight and reactions that other readers have to this well-written, unique novel.
Like good Irish whiskey, Kilmoon is an acquired taste. It is complex, subtle, with hidden depths, but it may not be for everyone.
Kilmoon tells the story of Merrit Chase, a troubled young woman who travels to Ireland to investigate her family roots after suffering through the protracted death of her stepfather in America. In Ireland, Merrit hopes to meet Liam, a famous matchmaker. Each year, Liam presides over a popular festival each year in which he is known to have almost a supernatural ability to pair up couples.
When Merrit arrives in the small village in County Clare which is Liam's home, she encounters a cast of complex characters, many of whom hold secrets to her own mysterious past. As Merrit gets to know the people in the village, the gentle drunk Marcus, the hot-headed but loyal Kevin, the honorable but torn Garda officer Danny, and the opportunistic "Lonnie the lovely," she becomes embroiled in a web of lost love, deceit, and murder.
That said, the plot of Kilmoon, while complex and well-written, is not the most memorable feature of the book. What really stood out to me was author Lisa Alber's unique voice, and the way in which she captures an Irish sense of place. I was amazed to find that Lisa Alber is in fact an American who has traveled frequently to Ireland, as her writing would have led me to assume she was a native to that country.
That being said, as a US reader, I often found the dialogue between characters hard to understand. Furthermore, I was surprised by the tone of the story; I had expected there to be more of an enchanting or alluring atmosphere in the small village in County Clare, but instead, I found myself repelled by the constant drinking and scatological references made by the characters.
I was surprised by how unappealing Merrit's experiences in County Clare seemed. The location should have had all the elements of a gorgeous and magical sense of place; there was the crumbling old church of Kilmoon, an annual matchmaking festival, and the location itself, a small community in a beautiful area of Ireland. Yet somehow, the focus of the mystery remained mostly on slimy characters and broken relationships.
As a comparison, two other books I have read recently that I felt capture a sense of Ireland (albeit in a different way) were The Likeness by Tana French, and The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan. In both of those novels, I was impressed by the way in which the dialogue gave me a strong sense of a uniquely Irish mentality, in a way which I felt went beyond stereotypes. In The Likeness, I wanted to live in the world that French created, while in The Spinning Heart, despite the struggles of the characters suffering in the post Celtic Tiger economy, I was able to relate to their frustration. However, for most of Kilmoon, I literally felt like the characters and their world-view made me less interested in visiting Ireland.
All that said, as the disparate threads of the story came together in the final chapters of the novel, I gained new respect for the way in which the author had injected some emotional depth into the mystery. I felt more compassion towards the characters as more of their pasts were revealed.
In the end, Kilmoon was absolutely not what I had expected. It was not sweet, not charming, not gentle, and definitely not a cozy mystery. It was also not a pure whodunit, and although I would say that it was character-based, it did not go deeply into the psychology of its characters. All that said, Kilmoon was never generic, and it was written with a distinctive and assured voice. I was genuinely surprised to find that this was the author's debut novel.
I think there is no doubt that author Lisa Alber has talent. Kilmoon is a novel that will appeal to some readers, but not to everyone. I will be interested to see the insight and reactions that other readers have to this well-written, unique novel.
February 12, 2014
From the end of August through early September every year, Lisfenora, County Clare, Ireland holds a matchmaker celebration. People come from many parts of the world to have the matchmaker, Liam Donellan, help them find their perfect mate. One year, Merrit Chase McCallum shows up with a very different objective.
Her mother died in an automobile accident when she was thirteen years old. Ten years later, just before he died, her estranged stepfather told her that Liam is her biological father. Very upset by the information, Merrit decides to go Lisfenora and learn more about both Liam and her mother. She quickly gets caught up as the subject of village gossip and blackmail. The story offers murder, lies, and deceit as well as learning she has a half-sister, Kate, who showed up with almost the same objective and a brother, Kevin, who Liam had adopted when the lad was three years old.
The story relies on journal notes from Merrit’s mother and Liam that tell about the previous matchmaker celebration in 1976, the results of which are a major part of the plot as well as the character’s history..
Lisa Alber tells a tight, complex tale in KILMOON. Her descriptions paint wonderful pictures of the people and the area. She has a gift for fresh phrasing: “...she jabbed her knitting needles through blue yarn hard enough to skewer the poor sheep to death.” “Verbal vomit...was the inexpert liar’s downfall.” “Merrit supposed the average tourist might like the Irishness of all this handmade lace, but all she felt was stick-stuck in a spider web.” “Mandy bike`pedaled the covers off her bed.” She takes a trite phrase, “Drystone walls snaked for miles over the hillsides” and makes it memorable by adding, “delineating emptiness rather than relieving it.”
Even though she doesn’t repeat the exact words, there is a little too much repetition as in the description of a characters “red Albert Einstein hair.”
If I could give this book a 4.5 or 4.75 rating I would. I hope there is a sequel.
I received this book through LibraryThings Early Reviewers.
Her mother died in an automobile accident when she was thirteen years old. Ten years later, just before he died, her estranged stepfather told her that Liam is her biological father. Very upset by the information, Merrit decides to go Lisfenora and learn more about both Liam and her mother. She quickly gets caught up as the subject of village gossip and blackmail. The story offers murder, lies, and deceit as well as learning she has a half-sister, Kate, who showed up with almost the same objective and a brother, Kevin, who Liam had adopted when the lad was three years old.
The story relies on journal notes from Merrit’s mother and Liam that tell about the previous matchmaker celebration in 1976, the results of which are a major part of the plot as well as the character’s history..
Lisa Alber tells a tight, complex tale in KILMOON. Her descriptions paint wonderful pictures of the people and the area. She has a gift for fresh phrasing: “...she jabbed her knitting needles through blue yarn hard enough to skewer the poor sheep to death.” “Verbal vomit...was the inexpert liar’s downfall.” “Merrit supposed the average tourist might like the Irishness of all this handmade lace, but all she felt was stick-stuck in a spider web.” “Mandy bike`pedaled the covers off her bed.” She takes a trite phrase, “Drystone walls snaked for miles over the hillsides” and makes it memorable by adding, “delineating emptiness rather than relieving it.”
Even though she doesn’t repeat the exact words, there is a little too much repetition as in the description of a characters “red Albert Einstein hair.”
If I could give this book a 4.5 or 4.75 rating I would. I hope there is a sequel.
I received this book through LibraryThings Early Reviewers.
July 23, 2016
A unique premise, and lots of twists and turns in this mystery, set evocatively in County Clare, Ireland.
I liked the town, the matchmaking festival tradition, the nosy Irish besoms, and the individual family dramas. Some of my favorite bits:
p89 'gasoline exhaust, damp sheep wool, & Atlantic tang' p144 'so stingy he wouldn't give you the steam off his piss' p37 'disillusionment breeds resentment, which is a kind of hatred'
This is a mystery with a lot of beautiful literary style. Recommended for lovers of whodunits and Celtic mysteries.
SPOILER
But I have to say, the plot was a little too twisted for me, I didn't sympathize with the main character's ultimate wish to keep her dad out of prison, and I was frustrated by the several instances of referring to something which the reader had not yet seen: pieces of paper, multiplying inhalers, duplicate knives. The gimpy hand sounded like such a clue but didn't seem likely to have been caused by a rock fall. Connie's calm confession, when we'd never even talked to her before. And the twisted love/revenge story that keeps on giving! It felt a little too Days of Our Lives-Stefano style for me.
However, no glaring plot holes, gorgeous language characterization (I asked the author at a reading how hard it had been to do dialect, and she said she hadn't really used dialect, but when I read the book, there was a definite shift of syntax and vocabulary for the Irish folks which I heard and appreciated!), and some humorous human foibles to boot.
I liked the town, the matchmaking festival tradition, the nosy Irish besoms, and the individual family dramas. Some of my favorite bits:
p89 'gasoline exhaust, damp sheep wool, & Atlantic tang' p144 'so stingy he wouldn't give you the steam off his piss' p37 'disillusionment breeds resentment, which is a kind of hatred'
This is a mystery with a lot of beautiful literary style. Recommended for lovers of whodunits and Celtic mysteries.
SPOILER
But I have to say, the plot was a little too twisted for me, I didn't sympathize with the main character's ultimate wish to keep her dad out of prison, and I was frustrated by the several instances of referring to something which the reader had not yet seen: pieces of paper, multiplying inhalers, duplicate knives. The gimpy hand sounded like such a clue but didn't seem likely to have been caused by a rock fall. Connie's calm confession, when we'd never even talked to her before. And the twisted love/revenge story that keeps on giving! It felt a little too Days of Our Lives-Stefano style for me.
However, no glaring plot holes, gorgeous language characterization (I asked the author at a reading how hard it had been to do dialect, and she said she hadn't really used dialect, but when I read the book, there was a definite shift of syntax and vocabulary for the Irish folks which I heard and appreciated!), and some humorous human foibles to boot.
March 9, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lisa Alber’s book KILMOON. As I read I found myself wishing I could sit down with some of the characters and just have a quiet conversation with them. I could almost hear their Irish accent as they spoke in the book. She does a good job of capturing the quaintness of a small Irish town going through its annual celebration of a “matchmaker’s festival”.
The story revolves around Merrit an American, who has come to County Clare Ireland to become acquainted with her biological father whom she has learned about on the death of her stepfather. As the festival begins a murder occurs and Merrit and most of the others in the story are considered persons of interest. As the story evolves another murder occurs and even a long forgotten body is brought into the case. Alber weaves all of these thread together to create and interesting mystery that keeps the reader wondering what is going to happen next. It makes one wonder how much our own relationships are effected by what Liam calls the “vagaries of chance”.
The mystery is solved, but maybe there are still some secrets left hidden away. Old relationships chance and new ones are created. The matchmaking festival will continuing in coming years and life will continue in County Clare.
A very enjoyable and good read. Hopefully there will be more County Clare mysteries in the future.
The story revolves around Merrit an American, who has come to County Clare Ireland to become acquainted with her biological father whom she has learned about on the death of her stepfather. As the festival begins a murder occurs and Merrit and most of the others in the story are considered persons of interest. As the story evolves another murder occurs and even a long forgotten body is brought into the case. Alber weaves all of these thread together to create and interesting mystery that keeps the reader wondering what is going to happen next. It makes one wonder how much our own relationships are effected by what Liam calls the “vagaries of chance”.
The mystery is solved, but maybe there are still some secrets left hidden away. Old relationships chance and new ones are created. The matchmaking festival will continuing in coming years and life will continue in County Clare.
A very enjoyable and good read. Hopefully there will be more County Clare mysteries in the future.
March 9, 2014
This was an ARC I got from another book site to review. I believe it is the first in a series. There are many characters and many stories happening throughout. Because it's the first one it is probably set up this way to introduce the characters that will continue through the series. I found only one of the characters the least bit likable and he's an alcoholic. I got confused about what was happening. And for the most part I didn't really care and wondered what the big deal was all about. A young asthmatic woman goes to Ireland to meet her real father. Her mother has committed suicide years before and she may or may not have put her dying stepfather out of his misery. In the village where the father lives she's blackmailed by the town bad guy who is murdered a while later. In the meantime another woman shows up (thoroughly unlikable) who is the daughter of the man who is the first woman's father. Involved also are the father's adopted son, his best friend (who's marriage is falling apart), the town bossy busybody and her daughters, a man from Russia who doesn't want to go back - well, there are more but you get the idea.
February 22, 2014
In County Clare, Ireland, the small village of Lisfenora hosts an annual matchmaking festival. This year's celebration has attracted more than singles looking to find a partner. Merrit McCallum has come from America searching for her real father and so has Kate Meehan from Dublin. Lisfenora expects and wants the big crowds that come for the festival but wants no part in a murder that happens early on in this book.
Replete with an interesting cast of characters that tell the story, as they view it, this first novel will hold the readers' attention. The characters aren't particularly endearing, and even Merrit, who I think would be the lead in subsequent books is a work in progress. The description of the area around Lisfenora, the church in Kilmoon and the village is well done. The author has the ability to tell a good story and do it well. She has received an Elizabeth George writing grant which I find to be a very good endorsement, since Ms George is one of my favorite authors. I will be interested to see what follows.
Reviewed from an ARC from LibraryThing.
Replete with an interesting cast of characters that tell the story, as they view it, this first novel will hold the readers' attention. The characters aren't particularly endearing, and even Merrit, who I think would be the lead in subsequent books is a work in progress. The description of the area around Lisfenora, the church in Kilmoon and the village is well done. The author has the ability to tell a good story and do it well. She has received an Elizabeth George writing grant which I find to be a very good endorsement, since Ms George is one of my favorite authors. I will be interested to see what follows.
Reviewed from an ARC from LibraryThing.
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