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A Plot to Die For: Small town Ireland. Big town murder.
Not yet published
Expected 7 May 26READ BY ARDAL O'HANLON.
The first in a mystery series from the much-loved Irish actor, writer and comedian, for readers who enjoy the warmth of Graham Norton and the mystery of Death in Paradise , all wrapped up in one small Irish town.
When beloved celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary returns to his hometown of Abbeyford in Ireland to care for his aging mother, he is naturally roped into the Tidy Towns committee.
The Tidy Towns is a competition fanatically fought over by every town and village in the land. And for his best friend’s sister, Aoife, it’s a competition she’s determined to win. With everyone’s favourite gardener on board, she is sure that this year Abbeyford will take home the prize. But Finn’s not been back long when an alto-baritone at his mother’s choir practice drops dead during a rendition of ‘What the World Needs Now’.
With more at stake than just winning Tidy Towns, Finn soon finds himself trying to solve a murder – or two. For one of his many qualities is that people tend to confide in him…
With his mother, her carer and Aoife in tow, Finn sets out to discover just who has brought murder to Abbeyford.
And so it begins.
The first in a mystery series from the much-loved Irish actor, writer and comedian, for readers who enjoy the warmth of Graham Norton and the mystery of Death in Paradise , all wrapped up in one small Irish town.
When beloved celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary returns to his hometown of Abbeyford in Ireland to care for his aging mother, he is naturally roped into the Tidy Towns committee.
The Tidy Towns is a competition fanatically fought over by every town and village in the land. And for his best friend’s sister, Aoife, it’s a competition she’s determined to win. With everyone’s favourite gardener on board, she is sure that this year Abbeyford will take home the prize. But Finn’s not been back long when an alto-baritone at his mother’s choir practice drops dead during a rendition of ‘What the World Needs Now’.
With more at stake than just winning Tidy Towns, Finn soon finds himself trying to solve a murder – or two. For one of his many qualities is that people tend to confide in him…
With his mother, her carer and Aoife in tow, Finn sets out to discover just who has brought murder to Abbeyford.
And so it begins.
Audible Audio
Expected publication May 7, 2026
About the author
Ardal O'Hanlon
17 books29 followersArdal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in My Hero (2000–2006), and DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise (2017–2020). His novel, The Talk of the Town (renamed Knick Knack Paddy Whack in the USA) was published in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A Plot to Die For is the first in a new mystery series by Ardal O’Hanlon, who is fast becoming a national treasure. The book takes place in a small village gearing up for the Tidy Towns competition, and the place is packed with eccentric, slightly chaotic characters who make the setting feel instantly alive. It’s definitely cosy crime: there’s a murder, of course, but everything comes with a wink.
Celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary has returned to Abbeyford to look after his ageing mother—though it’s clear she’s already in excellent hands thanks to the wonderfully capable Happiness. Being home means falling back in with his old friend Harry and Harry’s sister Aoife, who is absolutely determined that Abbeyford will finally win Tidy Towns this year. With Finn’s help, it actually feels possible.
But Finn hasn’t even unpacked before a sudden death at his mother’s choir practice throws everything into chaos. Before he knows it, he’s juggling gardening duties with amateur sleuthing, teaming up with Aoife to figure out what really happened—preferably before the Gardaí beat them to it.
I couldn’t help but hear Ardal O’Hanlon’s voice in my head the whole time. If you’ve ever seen him on screen, you’ll probably fall into his rhythm straight away, and it adds a lovely extra layer to the reading experience.
I really enjoyed the book overall. There are a lot of character, maybe even too many at times, but they’re such quirky, lively creations that I didn’t mind getting swept up in the crowd. Finn’s scenes with Happiness were particular favourites of mine. The plot moves along at a great pace, hopping from murder to litter picking without missing a beat, and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Now and then the introductions to new characters felt a bit heavy on exposition, which pulled me out of the story, but with others it was very much “show, don’t tell,” and that worked beautifully as we slowly uncovered more about people we thought we already knew.
All in all, it’s a cosy, charming small town mystery full of Irish humour, warmth, and atmosphere. A really easy, enjoyable read with a solid plot and a cast you’ll happily spend time with.
Celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary has returned to Abbeyford to look after his ageing mother—though it’s clear she’s already in excellent hands thanks to the wonderfully capable Happiness. Being home means falling back in with his old friend Harry and Harry’s sister Aoife, who is absolutely determined that Abbeyford will finally win Tidy Towns this year. With Finn’s help, it actually feels possible.
But Finn hasn’t even unpacked before a sudden death at his mother’s choir practice throws everything into chaos. Before he knows it, he’s juggling gardening duties with amateur sleuthing, teaming up with Aoife to figure out what really happened—preferably before the Gardaí beat them to it.
I couldn’t help but hear Ardal O’Hanlon’s voice in my head the whole time. If you’ve ever seen him on screen, you’ll probably fall into his rhythm straight away, and it adds a lovely extra layer to the reading experience.
I really enjoyed the book overall. There are a lot of character, maybe even too many at times, but they’re such quirky, lively creations that I didn’t mind getting swept up in the crowd. Finn’s scenes with Happiness were particular favourites of mine. The plot moves along at a great pace, hopping from murder to litter picking without missing a beat, and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Now and then the introductions to new characters felt a bit heavy on exposition, which pulled me out of the story, but with others it was very much “show, don’t tell,” and that worked beautifully as we slowly uncovered more about people we thought we already knew.
All in all, it’s a cosy, charming small town mystery full of Irish humour, warmth, and atmosphere. A really easy, enjoyable read with a solid plot and a cast you’ll happily spend time with.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am a huge Ardal O’Hanlon fan since first seeing him in Father Ted and, most recently, on his stand up tour. He is funny and smart - and I remember being really impressed with his first novel The Talk of the Town.
A Plot to Die For sits in the cosy crime area, Finn O’Leary, a celebrity gardener, returns to his hometown of Abbeyford to help look after his mother who has had an accident. He gets involved in the national campaign to win the Tidy Towns trophy, roped in by secondary school teacher Aoife Prendergast. The relationship between the two of them holds the novel together - I felt that some of the other characters were somewhat superfluous.
There is a host of characters in the book, many of whom have a comedic element. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between his mother Maura and her carer, Happiness. When Finn and Alice come across a dead body they set out to uncover the murderer, cue many red herrings and suspects.
The tone of the book is light and entertaining and I think it will be popular with readers who enjoy the Thursday Murder Club/Marlowe Murder club mysteries. It is, perhaps, not quite as humorous as I had expected it to be, but it’s an engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
A Plot to Die For sits in the cosy crime area, Finn O’Leary, a celebrity gardener, returns to his hometown of Abbeyford to help look after his mother who has had an accident. He gets involved in the national campaign to win the Tidy Towns trophy, roped in by secondary school teacher Aoife Prendergast. The relationship between the two of them holds the novel together - I felt that some of the other characters were somewhat superfluous.
There is a host of characters in the book, many of whom have a comedic element. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between his mother Maura and her carer, Happiness. When Finn and Alice come across a dead body they set out to uncover the murderer, cue many red herrings and suspects.
The tone of the book is light and entertaining and I think it will be popular with readers who enjoy the Thursday Murder Club/Marlowe Murder club mysteries. It is, perhaps, not quite as humorous as I had expected it to be, but it’s an engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I must confess, I read this entire book in my head using Ardal’s voice! His tone is so distinctive that I could easily imagine the story being told directly by him, as though he were recounting everything to the reader.
This is the first book I’ve read by Ardal (though not his first), and I really enjoyed it. The plot was engaging, who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? And the characters were memorable. I especially loved how Finn’s thoughts were portrayed; it genuinely felt like the story was being read aloud. His relationships with the other main characters were handled nicely, particularly the way he dealt with Happiness and her connection to his mother.
The pacing felt just right. There were several suspects, but they were easy to keep track of, and I enjoyed following Finn and Aoife’s reasoning throughout (even though I managed to guess the culprit!).
Overall, this is a cosy crime novel set in a charming Irish small-town setting, full of the language, humour, and atmosphere you’d expect. It’s an easy, enjoyable read with an intriguing plot. Small town murder stories really are the best.
This is the first book I’ve read by Ardal (though not his first), and I really enjoyed it. The plot was engaging, who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? And the characters were memorable. I especially loved how Finn’s thoughts were portrayed; it genuinely felt like the story was being read aloud. His relationships with the other main characters were handled nicely, particularly the way he dealt with Happiness and her connection to his mother.
The pacing felt just right. There were several suspects, but they were easy to keep track of, and I enjoyed following Finn and Aoife’s reasoning throughout (even though I managed to guess the culprit!).
Overall, this is a cosy crime novel set in a charming Irish small-town setting, full of the language, humour, and atmosphere you’d expect. It’s an easy, enjoyable read with an intriguing plot. Small town murder stories really are the best.
April 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this book which is a cosy murder mystery from comedian Ardal O'Hanlon and one that delivered on all fronts.
We follow Finn, a TV gardener who heads back to Ireland to care for his mum Maura, and ends up getting pulled into a murder investigation alongside school teacher Aoife. What follows is full of twists and turns, but what I really liked is that it gave you just enough information to try and piece it together for yourself. There's something satisfying about realising who it is and then watching the big reveal to confirm you were right!
The supporting cast is an eclectic mix, there's loveable rogue Redmond, Finn's father, who is a bit of a mystery living separately from Maura but undoubtedly loves her, Maura, who is recovering after being released from hospital, and her carer Happiness who is a strong, assertive woman that takes no nonsense, especially from Finn (and men in general tbh!).
It had that classic cosy murder mystery feel, but with Ardal's signature humour woven through it, which made this such a easy, enjoyable read.
This is definitely a book that I would recommend if you are a fan of cosy crime and I really hope that this is the start of a series because I'd love to read more about Finn, Aoife, Maura, Redmond and Happiness.
We follow Finn, a TV gardener who heads back to Ireland to care for his mum Maura, and ends up getting pulled into a murder investigation alongside school teacher Aoife. What follows is full of twists and turns, but what I really liked is that it gave you just enough information to try and piece it together for yourself. There's something satisfying about realising who it is and then watching the big reveal to confirm you were right!
The supporting cast is an eclectic mix, there's loveable rogue Redmond, Finn's father, who is a bit of a mystery living separately from Maura but undoubtedly loves her, Maura, who is recovering after being released from hospital, and her carer Happiness who is a strong, assertive woman that takes no nonsense, especially from Finn (and men in general tbh!).
It had that classic cosy murder mystery feel, but with Ardal's signature humour woven through it, which made this such a easy, enjoyable read.
This is definitely a book that I would recommend if you are a fan of cosy crime and I really hope that this is the start of a series because I'd love to read more about Finn, Aoife, Maura, Redmond and Happiness.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Finn O’Leary Celebrity Gardner has taken a break from his TV work and returned to his family home to look after his mother in the town of Abbeyford to care for his elderly mother who is recovering from an accident. While he is there, he is roped into the Tiny Town competition with the help of the local schoolteacher Aoife.
But when they visit the local community centre one of the locals is poisoned and Finn take it on himself and Aoife to find out who the killer is.
This is a well written cosy crime mystery that fans will love. It has great loveable characters, and you are drawn in the story of the history of the town. This is a good start for a new series. But for me personally as it written by the lovable Ardal O’Hanlon of Father Ted era. I was expecting a bit more humour than it actually delivered. 4 stars
But when they visit the local community centre one of the locals is poisoned and Finn take it on himself and Aoife to find out who the killer is.
This is a well written cosy crime mystery that fans will love. It has great loveable characters, and you are drawn in the story of the history of the town. This is a good start for a new series. But for me personally as it written by the lovable Ardal O’Hanlon of Father Ted era. I was expecting a bit more humour than it actually delivered. 4 stars
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews