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County Cork Mystery #7
The Lost Traveller
Danger comes to Cork in the seventh County Cork mystery from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly, and it’s up to Maura Donovan to find a way to protect all she’s worked for.Pub owner Maura Donovan is settling into a charmed life in Ireland—until a mutilated body on her property ends her lucky streak. Boston expat Maura Donovan came to Ireland to honor her grandmother’s last wish, but she never expected to stay in provincial County Cork—much less to inherit a house and a pub, Sullivan’s, in the small village of Leap. After a year-long struggle to stay in the black, Sullivan’s is finally thriving, and Maura has even brought back traditional Irish music to the pub. With a crop of new friends and a budding relationship with handsome Mick Nolan, Maura’s life seems rosier than ever—but even in Ireland, you can’t always trust your luck. It begins with Maura’s discovery of a body in the ravine behind the pub. And then, the Irish gardaí reveal that the victim’s face has been battered beyond recognition. Who is the faceless victim? Who wanted him dead? And why was his body dumped in the backyard of Sullivan’s Pub? Even after the dead man is finally given a name, nobody admits to knowing him. In the tight-knit world of Leap, no one is talking—and now it’s up to Maura to uncover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the seemingly quiet town. Laced with warm Irish charm, a delightful small-town setting, and a colorful cast of characters, New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly’s seventh County Cork mystery, The Lost Traveller, conspires to delight.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2019
512 people are currently reading
805 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Connolly
65 books1,392 followersSheila 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
January 7, 2019
EXCERPT: " You have a picture?" Maura slid his coffee across the bar.
Sean slumped. "And there’s the next problem: when the man fell, he landed on his face, on the rocks below. Or the bridge footings. Or for all we know, someone worked hard to bash his face in before dropping him in. His own mother wouldn't know him in his current state."
"Ew. " Maura grimaced. "So it was the fall that killed him?"
"Uh, no. A couple of bloody great gashes in his chest did the job."
"So it was murder?"
Sean nodded. "Unless he stabbed himself and then flung himself over the six-foot fence, I'd say so. "
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Danger comes to Cork in the seventh County Cork mystery from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly, and it’s up to Maura Donovan to find a way to protect all she’s worked for.
Pub owner Maura Donovan is settling into a charmed life in Ireland—until a mutilated body on her property ends her lucky streak.
Boston expat Maura Donovan came to Ireland to honor her grandmother’s last wish, but she never expected to stay in provincial County Cork—much less to inherit a house and a pub, Sullivan’s, in the small village of Leap. After a year-long struggle to stay in the black, Sullivan’s is finally thriving, and Maura has even brought back traditional Irish music to the pub. With a crop of new friends and a budding relationship with handsome Mick Nolan, Maura’s life seems rosier than ever—but even in Ireland, you can’t always trust your luck.
It begins with Maura’s discovery of a body in the ravine behind the pub. And then, the Irish gardaí reveal that the victim’s face has been battered beyond recognition. Who is the faceless victim? Who wanted him dead? And why was his body dumped in the backyard of Sullivan’s Pub? Even after the dead man is finally given a name, nobody admits to knowing him. In the tight-knit world of Leap, no one is talking—and now it’s up to Maura to uncover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the seemingly quiet town.
MY THOUGHTS: I really quite enjoyed the early parts of this book, getting to know the characters, and learning how Maura came to have moved from Boston to County Cork, Ireland. But then it started getting repetitive. The same information was chewed over, and rehashed, and nothing much happened other than Maura blithering on about lack of staff, and should she be doing food, which meant installing a kitchen, and what about the rooms..... over, and over, and over.
In the end, she did my head in. And what had originally felt like a 4-star read, slid down to a tenuous 2.5 stars.
Although this is the seventh book in the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone as there is plenty of background information provided. This is a quick and undemanding read, but didn’t really hold my interest past the halfway point.
😕😕.5
THE AUTHOR: Sheila Connolly has 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. Now a full-time writer, she thinks writing mysteries is a lot more fun than any of her previous occupations.
She is 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 belongs to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila is Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She's also the grandchild of Irish immigrants (in case you're worried that she's a snob). In addition to genealogy, Sheila loves restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling. She is married, and has one daughter and two cats.
She blogs with Poe's Deadly Daughters and Mystery Lovers' Kitchen on Fridays, and Killer Characters the 25th of each month.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lost Traveller by Sheila Connolly for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Sean slumped. "And there’s the next problem: when the man fell, he landed on his face, on the rocks below. Or the bridge footings. Or for all we know, someone worked hard to bash his face in before dropping him in. His own mother wouldn't know him in his current state."
"Ew. " Maura grimaced. "So it was the fall that killed him?"
"Uh, no. A couple of bloody great gashes in his chest did the job."
"So it was murder?"
Sean nodded. "Unless he stabbed himself and then flung himself over the six-foot fence, I'd say so. "
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Danger comes to Cork in the seventh County Cork mystery from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly, and it’s up to Maura Donovan to find a way to protect all she’s worked for.
Pub owner Maura Donovan is settling into a charmed life in Ireland—until a mutilated body on her property ends her lucky streak.
Boston expat Maura Donovan came to Ireland to honor her grandmother’s last wish, but she never expected to stay in provincial County Cork—much less to inherit a house and a pub, Sullivan’s, in the small village of Leap. After a year-long struggle to stay in the black, Sullivan’s is finally thriving, and Maura has even brought back traditional Irish music to the pub. With a crop of new friends and a budding relationship with handsome Mick Nolan, Maura’s life seems rosier than ever—but even in Ireland, you can’t always trust your luck.
It begins with Maura’s discovery of a body in the ravine behind the pub. And then, the Irish gardaí reveal that the victim’s face has been battered beyond recognition. Who is the faceless victim? Who wanted him dead? And why was his body dumped in the backyard of Sullivan’s Pub? Even after the dead man is finally given a name, nobody admits to knowing him. In the tight-knit world of Leap, no one is talking—and now it’s up to Maura to uncover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the seemingly quiet town.
MY THOUGHTS: I really quite enjoyed the early parts of this book, getting to know the characters, and learning how Maura came to have moved from Boston to County Cork, Ireland. But then it started getting repetitive. The same information was chewed over, and rehashed, and nothing much happened other than Maura blithering on about lack of staff, and should she be doing food, which meant installing a kitchen, and what about the rooms..... over, and over, and over.
In the end, she did my head in. And what had originally felt like a 4-star read, slid down to a tenuous 2.5 stars.
Although this is the seventh book in the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone as there is plenty of background information provided. This is a quick and undemanding read, but didn’t really hold my interest past the halfway point.
😕😕.5
THE AUTHOR: Sheila Connolly has 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. Now a full-time writer, she thinks writing mysteries is a lot more fun than any of her previous occupations.
She is 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 belongs to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila is Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She's also the grandchild of Irish immigrants (in case you're worried that she's a snob). In addition to genealogy, Sheila loves restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling. She is married, and has one daughter and two cats.
She blogs with Poe's Deadly Daughters and Mystery Lovers' Kitchen on Fridays, and Killer Characters the 25th of each month.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lost Traveller by Sheila Connolly for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 19, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
After less than a year in Ireland Maura has been involved in solving several murders. This time the body is found in the ravine behind the pub and the man is unrecognizable due to his face being beaten to a pulp. It is hard to find a killer when you can’t identify the victim but that doesn’t keep Maura from trying.
I love this series, but this installment had a couple of issues for me. First, Maura is a smart woman, she was brave enough to travel to Ireland and take over the pub she inherited, but in this story, she surprised me. Things she should have known like where her employees live and where Indiana is located within the U.S. were just two examples. Leap is not that big of a town to know where people reside, especially a man she is romantically involved with, and the majority of high school graduates should be able to visualize a map of the country they grew up in. She also seemed muddled about where she wanted to take her business, whether to add a kitchen or not, even though her employee, Rose, is in training to be a cook for the pub.
I love Rose, seventeen and going places. She is filled with ideas, confident, willing to learn, and such a hard worker. I think she has grown so much over this series while Maura seems to be going backward.
I really enjoyed learning about The Travellers and the way they are different from gypsies. A very interesting life, I wish we would have met more Travellers and learned their stories.
The mystery was hard to solve even after the man was identified, virtually no suspects. Maura’s theory kind of came out of blue along with the theme the ran throughout the book. She kept talking about it to everyone, so at times it got a little repetitious, but she didn’t give up and soon all the matters fell into place for a very unusual ending that I really appreciated. The theme is a current hot topic in the states and it was interesting to learn about it with an Irish twist.
My issues with Maura’s character development aside, this was an entertaining story that kept my attention. It was unique in several ways and I enjoyed that.
After less than a year in Ireland Maura has been involved in solving several murders. This time the body is found in the ravine behind the pub and the man is unrecognizable due to his face being beaten to a pulp. It is hard to find a killer when you can’t identify the victim but that doesn’t keep Maura from trying.
I love this series, but this installment had a couple of issues for me. First, Maura is a smart woman, she was brave enough to travel to Ireland and take over the pub she inherited, but in this story, she surprised me. Things she should have known like where her employees live and where Indiana is located within the U.S. were just two examples. Leap is not that big of a town to know where people reside, especially a man she is romantically involved with, and the majority of high school graduates should be able to visualize a map of the country they grew up in. She also seemed muddled about where she wanted to take her business, whether to add a kitchen or not, even though her employee, Rose, is in training to be a cook for the pub.
I love Rose, seventeen and going places. She is filled with ideas, confident, willing to learn, and such a hard worker. I think she has grown so much over this series while Maura seems to be going backward.
I really enjoyed learning about The Travellers and the way they are different from gypsies. A very interesting life, I wish we would have met more Travellers and learned their stories.
The mystery was hard to solve even after the man was identified, virtually no suspects. Maura’s theory kind of came out of blue along with the theme the ran throughout the book. She kept talking about it to everyone, so at times it got a little repetitious, but she didn’t give up and soon all the matters fell into place for a very unusual ending that I really appreciated. The theme is a current hot topic in the states and it was interesting to learn about it with an Irish twist.
My issues with Maura’s character development aside, this was an entertaining story that kept my attention. It was unique in several ways and I enjoyed that.
December 26, 2018
Series: County Cork #7
Publication Date: 1/8/19
Number of Pages: 336
I have loved this quirky series since the first book, but I have to say that this one was my least favorite so far. The story was slow and repetitive. You have Maura asking questions or being in a situation and then repeating all of that to the next three or four people she encounters. The Maura in this book didn’t seem like the Maura in previous books. This Maura just seems to be floating on the surface of life without really participating in it. She has employees she has worked with for over a year, and they have become very close, but she doesn’t even know where they live – in a very, very small community. She owns the pub, but she seems more like an employee than the owner. I don’t mean she should be dictatorial, I like the participative management style, but she seems to let the employees just manage things and she shows up to work. What I think is that she should know how to do all of the jobs (including the internet, etc.) whether she is the one who actually does them or not. In this book, she also appears very indecisive – should she do the kitchen or not, etc. She seems to be leaving all of that in the hands of a seventeen-year-old girl rather than being responsibly and actively involved. Anyway, if this is your first book in the series, please don’t judge the series by this book. The series really is better read from beginning to end because you get the full character development and come to understand the relationships.
One of the things I love is the way the writer manages to write regular, every-day English and makes you swear you ‘hear’ an Irish lilt there. I love the descriptions of the Irish culture and countryside. Makes me want to move there and visit with Billy, Mick, Rose, Bridget, Sean, and Gillian.
The mystery in this book seemed a bit flat. It seemed to be more about discovering the identity of the dead man rather than what happened to him. I think it could have been much more interesting if the Travellers had played a more central role in the whole thing. Just as an FYI – the title is misleading. Maura seems to just leap to the conclusion that the murder has something to do with illegals entering the country rather than it being a crime of passion or a vendetta or – well – just anything else.
Maura wanted to enjoy the sunshine on a beautiful day and took her lunch outside to eat. As she’s sitting there thinking, she looks up toward the bridge that crosses over the ravine that gave the small town of Leap its name. She’s amazed that she sees a bag of garbage that has been dumped near the midpoint underneath the bridge. Well, since it is on her property, Maura supposes she is the one who should clean it up – until she takes a closer look and discovers that it is a dead body. She immediately calls her friend at the local Gardai (police) station, Garda Sean Murphy.
Not only was the body dumped on Maura’s property, but the face had been mutilated so that it was impossible to identify it. Was someone trying to send Maura a message? Could it have something to do with her staff or a local patron of the pub? Was it maybe even meant to be a message for the previous owner Old Mick? Lots of questions, and few answers.
I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and hoping that it will be better than this one. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but it just isn’t the quality I have come to expect from this author and this series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 1/8/19
Number of Pages: 336
I have loved this quirky series since the first book, but I have to say that this one was my least favorite so far. The story was slow and repetitive. You have Maura asking questions or being in a situation and then repeating all of that to the next three or four people she encounters. The Maura in this book didn’t seem like the Maura in previous books. This Maura just seems to be floating on the surface of life without really participating in it. She has employees she has worked with for over a year, and they have become very close, but she doesn’t even know where they live – in a very, very small community. She owns the pub, but she seems more like an employee than the owner. I don’t mean she should be dictatorial, I like the participative management style, but she seems to let the employees just manage things and she shows up to work. What I think is that she should know how to do all of the jobs (including the internet, etc.) whether she is the one who actually does them or not. In this book, she also appears very indecisive – should she do the kitchen or not, etc. She seems to be leaving all of that in the hands of a seventeen-year-old girl rather than being responsibly and actively involved. Anyway, if this is your first book in the series, please don’t judge the series by this book. The series really is better read from beginning to end because you get the full character development and come to understand the relationships.
One of the things I love is the way the writer manages to write regular, every-day English and makes you swear you ‘hear’ an Irish lilt there. I love the descriptions of the Irish culture and countryside. Makes me want to move there and visit with Billy, Mick, Rose, Bridget, Sean, and Gillian.
The mystery in this book seemed a bit flat. It seemed to be more about discovering the identity of the dead man rather than what happened to him. I think it could have been much more interesting if the Travellers had played a more central role in the whole thing. Just as an FYI – the title is misleading. Maura seems to just leap to the conclusion that the murder has something to do with illegals entering the country rather than it being a crime of passion or a vendetta or – well – just anything else.
Maura wanted to enjoy the sunshine on a beautiful day and took her lunch outside to eat. As she’s sitting there thinking, she looks up toward the bridge that crosses over the ravine that gave the small town of Leap its name. She’s amazed that she sees a bag of garbage that has been dumped near the midpoint underneath the bridge. Well, since it is on her property, Maura supposes she is the one who should clean it up – until she takes a closer look and discovers that it is a dead body. She immediately calls her friend at the local Gardai (police) station, Garda Sean Murphy.
Not only was the body dumped on Maura’s property, but the face had been mutilated so that it was impossible to identify it. Was someone trying to send Maura a message? Could it have something to do with her staff or a local patron of the pub? Was it maybe even meant to be a message for the previous owner Old Mick? Lots of questions, and few answers.
I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and hoping that it will be better than this one. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but it just isn’t the quality I have come to expect from this author and this series.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
February 19, 2019
Well, let me start by saying I have really enjoyed this series. The setting and characters are wonderful and the "fish out of water" premise with an American girl inheriting a home and business in a foreign country has been very interesting. I have liked Maura and watching her relationships grow. Okay that said...this book was a bit disappointing. There were so many things that bothered me in this book, I think a list is the best way to convey my feelings...
1. What the heck happened to Maura? For some reason in this book, she turned into an insecure, paranoid, sniveling flake who was worried about everything and everyone and scared about everything! Seriously, what happened to the Boston girl who took herself across an ocean on a big adventure to start a new life in a new country by herself and met the challenges head on?
2. The mystery...I really wasn't that interested in the murder, the person murdered, the why and I certainly did not understand the worry Maura had over how it would effect her business. The solution was very random, the dots that connected murder to motive were all over the place and completely without reference. How on earth Maura made some of the leaps of logic to get to the solution is beyond me. I did not enjoy the mystery.
3. Preachy...I felt like I was forcibly being given a lesson on illegal immigration not only in Ireland but on a broader sense the world. Now, given that while reading this book, immigration and wall building have dominated the news, perhaps what I was feeling had more to do with real life topic fatigue but I don't really think so...
4. I swear if Maura starts one more "speech" with the word "Look" I'm going to stop looking!!!
5. Did you know Maura is considering renovating the kitchen and introducing food? Well if you didn't you will after reading it 1000x during this book! Also, be ready to hear the nature of the crime over and over again...my point, repetitive, repetitive, repetitive!!
6. Finally, I don't remember if it's ever been expressly stated but I have always assumed this series time setting was now, in the present...Given that assumption the fact the Maura, a woman in her twenties early thirties, has absolutely no idea how computers and the internet works and is staunchly and stubbornly opposed to even trying to understand is both unbelievable and annoying. She says she wants her business to succeed yet she fights her staff on pretty common business practices like computers and social media. Also, how is she still so ignorant on the basics of running a business a year into running a business in Ireland? Seriously?? I have never read this character as TSTL but in this book she came off as an uneducated ditz.
So whats my final takeaway from this book? Well, I have read other series by this author and enjoyed them to a point. For whatever reason, I have never managed to complete a series by Ms. Connolly despite strong starts. I was hoping this series would avoid that pitfall. I will give the next book a try and hope that this one was a stumble not a fall. I really have enjoyed the previous 6 books and wish that I had enjoyed this one! So here's hoping book 8 rebounds and sets the ship back to right.
1. What the heck happened to Maura? For some reason in this book, she turned into an insecure, paranoid, sniveling flake who was worried about everything and everyone and scared about everything! Seriously, what happened to the Boston girl who took herself across an ocean on a big adventure to start a new life in a new country by herself and met the challenges head on?
2. The mystery...I really wasn't that interested in the murder, the person murdered, the why and I certainly did not understand the worry Maura had over how it would effect her business. The solution was very random, the dots that connected murder to motive were all over the place and completely without reference. How on earth Maura made some of the leaps of logic to get to the solution is beyond me. I did not enjoy the mystery.
3. Preachy...I felt like I was forcibly being given a lesson on illegal immigration not only in Ireland but on a broader sense the world. Now, given that while reading this book, immigration and wall building have dominated the news, perhaps what I was feeling had more to do with real life topic fatigue but I don't really think so...
4. I swear if Maura starts one more "speech" with the word "Look" I'm going to stop looking!!!
5. Did you know Maura is considering renovating the kitchen and introducing food? Well if you didn't you will after reading it 1000x during this book! Also, be ready to hear the nature of the crime over and over again...my point, repetitive, repetitive, repetitive!!
6. Finally, I don't remember if it's ever been expressly stated but I have always assumed this series time setting was now, in the present...Given that assumption the fact the Maura, a woman in her twenties early thirties, has absolutely no idea how computers and the internet works and is staunchly and stubbornly opposed to even trying to understand is both unbelievable and annoying. She says she wants her business to succeed yet she fights her staff on pretty common business practices like computers and social media. Also, how is she still so ignorant on the basics of running a business a year into running a business in Ireland? Seriously?? I have never read this character as TSTL but in this book she came off as an uneducated ditz.
So whats my final takeaway from this book? Well, I have read other series by this author and enjoyed them to a point. For whatever reason, I have never managed to complete a series by Ms. Connolly despite strong starts. I was hoping this series would avoid that pitfall. I will give the next book a try and hope that this one was a stumble not a fall. I really have enjoyed the previous 6 books and wish that I had enjoyed this one! So here's hoping book 8 rebounds and sets the ship back to right.
November 27, 2018
Sheila Connolly's 7th book in the Country Cork Mystery Series, The Lost Traveller, comes out in January, but I had the opportunity to read it over the last week. I absolutely loved it. This series features the main character Maura who is of Irish descent and arrived in Ireland to honor her grandmother's wishes. She finds a life and family she never could have dreamed of back in Boston and she inherited a Pub, which she runs as she learns the Irish way. In the Lost Traveller Maura's luck at finding herself involved with latest murder in the area, after finding a dead body on her property. Maura is a character who is always under pressure and at a disadvantage but her different perspective helps her along the way. Learning as she goes and helping solve a very difficult crime, this one was more complex than the past and I loved the story lines. Maura is happy, and in a really great place in this story. I find the characters in this story to be easy to believe and like, trust and route for. I cannot wait for another book in this series.
January 8, 2019
Things are going well in Ireland for pub owner Maura Donovan and she couldn't be happier. She has settled into her new life and all seems to be right with her world. The pub is doing well, she is dating, and making new friends have all become a part of her new life. When a body is found on Maura's property it looks like her happy streak has come to an end. The victims face was bashed in so finding out who the dead person is becomes the police's first priority. There seems to be more questions than answers when it comes to the and Maura hopes that she can come up with some of those answers. Who is the dead man? When the police come up with a name it still doesn't help answer many questions. Follow along as Maura tries to figure out who the killer is, why the body was left behind her business, and what secrets are beneath the surface of this horrible act. Will she be able to name a suspect and bring this mystery to a close or has her new happy life come to an end.
December 30, 2018
Now I remember why I have skipped reading books 2-6 in this series. For someone who has lived in Boston, Maura Donovan is naive and disorganized. She doesn't know how to use a computer and knows nothing about business finances. I'm tired of twenty-somethings who do not now how to cook, but think they can operate a bar and restaurant. The "solution" to the murder leaves out a key element of the crime, but nothing was said about it. I am finished with this series, for real this time
January 13, 2019
An enjoyable read with lots of atmosphere, as all of the novels in this series are, but (also with all of them) there isn't a whole lot of clever detecting going on. The mysteries surrounding the murder are all unraveled by the end of the book, but (by my definition) Maura doesn't actually solve the crime. I'm not sure that matters. The characters are engaging, as are their developing relationships. I am puzzled by the title, but I can't explain why without giving away too much of the plot.
January 19, 2019
Maura Donovan, like Ms Connolly's other heroines, is not a totally likeable character. She told her best friend, Gillian, to stop whining (even though she does plenty of it herself) and even snapped at poor old Billy when he kindly told her she looked upset. She would be extremely difficult to talk to, as she does not read a newspaper, listen to the news, use a computer, or read a book. She has never been outside of Boston (and seems to have had no life there) or her village in Ireland, other than while travelling directly from Point A to Point B. If there is a problem or a decision to be made, she looks to teenage Rose for the answers.
We are told that Maura is observant, but after seeing her bartender Mick for several months, she does not even know where he lives. Or Rose, and this in a very tiny village with 200 inhabitants.
Maura has no sense of humour. When she says she is joking, it is always a snarky remark with no humour behind it.
Pastries and coffee form the foundation of Maura's diet, with the occasional purchased sandwich thrown in. She responds in a typically childish manner when everyone tells her she has to eat to stay healthy. She acts positively phobic when Rose drags her into a grocery store. She is reluctant to even step inside the store and cannot bring herself to look at vegetables. To ease her way in, Rose tells her she can go to the pastry section and choose one cake - just one.
Enough about Maura and on to the story. At the start of this book we find Maura enjoying lunch behind her pub on a beautiful day. Her lunch is spoiled when she spots a body in the ravine behind her place. For the next 250 pages we hear her endlessly wondering who it could possibly be. The victim's face was completely destroyed and Gillian did an artist's sketch based solely on measurement. A policeman newly transferred from the sin city of Limerick recognizes one of the sketches immediately. Maura comes up with a theory based on very little information or facts, and of course she is correct. The victim was bringing in illegal immigrants. The police and her friends all think she is very clever.
In spite of the charming Irish village background to this story, anyone who bores quickly with repetition will not like or finish this book.
We are told that Maura is observant, but after seeing her bartender Mick for several months, she does not even know where he lives. Or Rose, and this in a very tiny village with 200 inhabitants.
Maura has no sense of humour. When she says she is joking, it is always a snarky remark with no humour behind it.
Pastries and coffee form the foundation of Maura's diet, with the occasional purchased sandwich thrown in. She responds in a typically childish manner when everyone tells her she has to eat to stay healthy. She acts positively phobic when Rose drags her into a grocery store. She is reluctant to even step inside the store and cannot bring herself to look at vegetables. To ease her way in, Rose tells her she can go to the pastry section and choose one cake - just one.
Enough about Maura and on to the story. At the start of this book we find Maura enjoying lunch behind her pub on a beautiful day. Her lunch is spoiled when she spots a body in the ravine behind her place. For the next 250 pages we hear her endlessly wondering who it could possibly be. The victim's face was completely destroyed and Gillian did an artist's sketch based solely on measurement. A policeman newly transferred from the sin city of Limerick recognizes one of the sketches immediately. Maura comes up with a theory based on very little information or facts, and of course she is correct. The victim was bringing in illegal immigrants. The police and her friends all think she is very clever.
In spite of the charming Irish village background to this story, anyone who bores quickly with repetition will not like or finish this book.
November 25, 2018
In the 7th book of the County, Cork mysteries finds Maura Donavan discovering a body in the Leap Ravine that is adjacent to Sullivan. No one recognizes the man and business slows down. Maura needs to answers to protect her business. She is looking to hire new staff and cannot find d workers. A minor mistake on a music night unknown brew worker helps out and disappeared. Maura trying to find the man to offer him a job finds herself in mess. Will Maura locate an answer before she brings total destruction to Sullivan and herself and friends? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 7, 2020
Armchair travel is a treat at any time, but especially now. So pleasant to take a trip to the green hills of West Cork with a master storyteller, and to learn a bit about the Travellers, an Irish community that was as new to me as it was to Maura. Settle in in the corner of the pub for another enjoyable journey.
September 28, 2019
There are two mysteries in this book: one, who is the dead man Maura finds on the land behind her pub and, two, the book's title, as it doesn't really have anything to do with the book.
I've read this series from the beginning (because, Ireland) and from the get-go have never been a Maura fan. This installment certainly hasn't changed my opinion of her and I'm not sure I'll continue. When I read a book, part of the enjoyment and purpose is reading about characters in places and situations that are different from your own, to escape a little bit, and a variety of books helps in different ways. In that basic sense, yes, this series fulfills that in that I don't own a pub and don't live in Ireland.
I read/skimmed this to 48% then put it down for a day or so, unsure if I wanted to continue. When I picked it up again, the pace picked up a smidge but I was still more skimming than reading to the end.
Ireland is a magical place. Part of that magic is the Irish people themselves - they have a joie de vivre that can be lacking elsewhere. Their warmth and welcoming spirit, their music, language and history bring people from every corner of the world to visit.
I think part of my continuing frustration with Maura is that she's left somewhere she didn't have much of a life and has moved to another place where she still doesn't have much of a life. To be fair, it's much more than she left behind in that she runs/owns a pub, house and car and actually has some friends, but beyond that she's not a particularly compelling character to read about. She doesn't: read, watch TV, use the Internet, have any hobbies or interests, cook, go anywhere or do anything, really know what's in Leap - never mind further afield, know anything about her employees, know the laws or legal requirements of running a pub, know how to find staff, doesn't seem interested in learning about anything, and endlessly discusses the same thoughts with everyone.
Despite all this, people seem to like her. I'm not sure what Mick sees in her, although he doesn't seem to do much of anything outside the pub either, so perhaps they're made for each other. I've gone off him a bit, too. There's a reason young people leave villages like Leap for the bright lights of the cities - opportunity, excitement, jobs. It's a sad but true fact. The slow pace of life in Leap doesn't really lend any excitement to the books because most of the story happens in the pub, with people discussing it over pints.
She spends plenty of time worrying that the body was left on her land for personal reasons and that they're all in danger, but there is no reason to assume this. The Travellers are kind of introduced, as is illegal immigration, but neither is satisfactorily explored. And Maura's forte of Logic Leaping brings her to the only 'obvious' solution as to why the man was killed (human trafficking!); Gillian draws a sketch or two of the man based purely on measurements given to her by the police; the new Sergeant immediately recognises him; and then we have the entrance of a gangland boss, who's a decent bloke, really, all things considered.
Anyway. There are a couple of other things: Maura DID NOT ask Rose about childcare for Gillian, just about staff for the pub, and can she please make a freaking decision about the kitchen?!
I just don't know if I want to continue if this series is going to be more of the same, and I have a feeling it will be. Maybe if Rose takes over as the MC.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
I've read this series from the beginning (because, Ireland) and from the get-go have never been a Maura fan. This installment certainly hasn't changed my opinion of her and I'm not sure I'll continue. When I read a book, part of the enjoyment and purpose is reading about characters in places and situations that are different from your own, to escape a little bit, and a variety of books helps in different ways. In that basic sense, yes, this series fulfills that in that I don't own a pub and don't live in Ireland.
I read/skimmed this to 48% then put it down for a day or so, unsure if I wanted to continue. When I picked it up again, the pace picked up a smidge but I was still more skimming than reading to the end.
Ireland is a magical place. Part of that magic is the Irish people themselves - they have a joie de vivre that can be lacking elsewhere. Their warmth and welcoming spirit, their music, language and history bring people from every corner of the world to visit.
I think part of my continuing frustration with Maura is that she's left somewhere she didn't have much of a life and has moved to another place where she still doesn't have much of a life. To be fair, it's much more than she left behind in that she runs/owns a pub, house and car and actually has some friends, but beyond that she's not a particularly compelling character to read about. She doesn't: read, watch TV, use the Internet, have any hobbies or interests, cook, go anywhere or do anything, really know what's in Leap - never mind further afield, know anything about her employees, know the laws or legal requirements of running a pub, know how to find staff, doesn't seem interested in learning about anything, and endlessly discusses the same thoughts with everyone.
Despite all this, people seem to like her. I'm not sure what Mick sees in her, although he doesn't seem to do much of anything outside the pub either, so perhaps they're made for each other. I've gone off him a bit, too. There's a reason young people leave villages like Leap for the bright lights of the cities - opportunity, excitement, jobs. It's a sad but true fact. The slow pace of life in Leap doesn't really lend any excitement to the books because most of the story happens in the pub, with people discussing it over pints.
She spends plenty of time worrying that the body was left on her land for personal reasons and that they're all in danger, but there is no reason to assume this. The Travellers are kind of introduced, as is illegal immigration, but neither is satisfactorily explored. And Maura's forte of Logic Leaping brings her to the only 'obvious' solution as to why the man was killed (human trafficking!); Gillian draws a sketch or two of the man based purely on measurements given to her by the police; the new Sergeant immediately recognises him; and then we have the entrance of a gangland boss, who's a decent bloke, really, all things considered.
Anyway. There are a couple of other things: Maura DID NOT ask Rose about childcare for Gillian, just about staff for the pub, and can she please make a freaking decision about the kitchen?!
I just don't know if I want to continue if this series is going to be more of the same, and I have a feeling it will be. Maybe if Rose takes over as the MC.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
August 11, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an advanced digital copy of The Lost Traveller by Sheila Connolly in exchange for an honest review. This is the seventh book, my first encounter, with the County Cork Series. It is not necessary to have read other books in the series, although there may be significant character development that has been covered in earlier books that is not repeated here. The result was difficulty in getting a clear cut picture of what characters look like as well as understanding unique character traits beyond the fact that Maura dislikes cooking and food other than desserts, nor does she have any interest in learning how to use the Internet. These two facts seemed at odds with the fact she inherited an Irish pub a year ago and has been managing it since that time. Judging from what I read, she seems to not so much manage the pub as spend time there every day while it runs itself in much the same way it always has.
It was interesting to read dialogue for some of the characters, particularly because they are written in a way that makes it easy to “hear” an Irish accent in your head. This was the most enjoyable part of the book for me, since the mystery consisted primarily of who was the victim. Most of the “detection” was not that so much as intuitive leaps followed by some conversations between Maura and other series regulars. There were few clues and no red herrings to give the reader any possibility of solving the puzzle.
None of the characters held much interest for me. Maura, the protagonist, spends much of her time vacillating between whining about the need for employees, her reluctance to develop even rudimentary cooking skills and her disinterest in all things business, including the Internet and the basics of profit and loss for the pub. Rose and Mick, pub employees, have are major secondary characters in the book, but apart from learning that Rose likes to cook and seems to be more of an adult than the older Maura, there was little personality to develop strong feelings toward one way or the other.
Other series regulars include a couple of the gardia employees (local law enforcement), a patron who stops by daily for a pint and a visit and an artist who is struggling to find her way back to work after having given birth, perhaps in one of the earlier books in the series. Beyond that, there are incidental characters, some of whom are essential to telling the story and some, particularly the American tourists, who don’t seem to have much of an active role in the story itself.
It is impossible to tell if someone who has read earlier books in the series might enjoy this book more because of a previous investment they have made to characters and location for this series. Since there is no real opportunity to solve this mystery based on clues, etc. the reader is left to rely on Maura’s thinking and what she learns from conversations to reach the resolution. Because of this, if a reader were looking for a new series, I would strongly urge them to begin at the beginning of this series to gauge both how they like the writing style and to develop an interest in location and people within the series.
It was interesting to read dialogue for some of the characters, particularly because they are written in a way that makes it easy to “hear” an Irish accent in your head. This was the most enjoyable part of the book for me, since the mystery consisted primarily of who was the victim. Most of the “detection” was not that so much as intuitive leaps followed by some conversations between Maura and other series regulars. There were few clues and no red herrings to give the reader any possibility of solving the puzzle.
None of the characters held much interest for me. Maura, the protagonist, spends much of her time vacillating between whining about the need for employees, her reluctance to develop even rudimentary cooking skills and her disinterest in all things business, including the Internet and the basics of profit and loss for the pub. Rose and Mick, pub employees, have are major secondary characters in the book, but apart from learning that Rose likes to cook and seems to be more of an adult than the older Maura, there was little personality to develop strong feelings toward one way or the other.
Other series regulars include a couple of the gardia employees (local law enforcement), a patron who stops by daily for a pint and a visit and an artist who is struggling to find her way back to work after having given birth, perhaps in one of the earlier books in the series. Beyond that, there are incidental characters, some of whom are essential to telling the story and some, particularly the American tourists, who don’t seem to have much of an active role in the story itself.
It is impossible to tell if someone who has read earlier books in the series might enjoy this book more because of a previous investment they have made to characters and location for this series. Since there is no real opportunity to solve this mystery based on clues, etc. the reader is left to rely on Maura’s thinking and what she learns from conversations to reach the resolution. Because of this, if a reader were looking for a new series, I would strongly urge them to begin at the beginning of this series to gauge both how they like the writing style and to develop an interest in location and people within the series.
January 9, 2019
This promised to be a great read but is the seventh in the series, so I hoped there was protagonist development in the previous six. In this one, not so much, and my first of the series. It may, however, function as a standalone. Protagonist Maura Donovan inherited a cottage along with old, established Sullivan's pub in the little village of Leap, Ireland (West Cork). She is from Boston and young, and neither knows how to cook, peruse the internet, or stage an attractive setting.
The first portion of the narrative appeared to be making good on the implied promise. She discovers a body, the mystery begins. We get to learn somewhat of the attractive, bucolic area and the main characters, Rose, a student, and Mick, resident bar-keep. The support characters, some old time bar patrons such as Billy, or friends Bridget and Gillian add interest, and there is Garda Sean Murphy who sounds far more appealing than Mick. Dialogue is stilted, meant to convey an Irish accent.
But Maura, poor Maura, descends into a muddled, befuddled American mess. She is actually a little embarrassing. She wants Rose (17 going on 34) to do the work; manage, wait, clean, and strategize improvements (cook?). Maura needs to figure out who was the victim, why he was dumped on her property, and where oh where can she find more employees to help with all that beautiful June summer tourist traffic. And should she construct a kitchen and let Rose cook?
The Travellers play a very small part in the overall plot. Maura is busy jumping from one theory to another regarding the murder. The scenario is recited over and over. The conclusion comes in as confirmation of her theories, quietly and rather as an anticlimax and not all ends are tied.
I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read and review. I did enjoy somewhat, but would also suggest obtaining a better editor. Would also entertain reading another to see how she solved her kitchen and employee problems.
See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2019/...
The first portion of the narrative appeared to be making good on the implied promise. She discovers a body, the mystery begins. We get to learn somewhat of the attractive, bucolic area and the main characters, Rose, a student, and Mick, resident bar-keep. The support characters, some old time bar patrons such as Billy, or friends Bridget and Gillian add interest, and there is Garda Sean Murphy who sounds far more appealing than Mick. Dialogue is stilted, meant to convey an Irish accent.
But Maura, poor Maura, descends into a muddled, befuddled American mess. She is actually a little embarrassing. She wants Rose (17 going on 34) to do the work; manage, wait, clean, and strategize improvements (cook?). Maura needs to figure out who was the victim, why he was dumped on her property, and where oh where can she find more employees to help with all that beautiful June summer tourist traffic. And should she construct a kitchen and let Rose cook?
The Travellers play a very small part in the overall plot. Maura is busy jumping from one theory to another regarding the murder. The scenario is recited over and over. The conclusion comes in as confirmation of her theories, quietly and rather as an anticlimax and not all ends are tied.
I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read and review. I did enjoy somewhat, but would also suggest obtaining a better editor. Would also entertain reading another to see how she solved her kitchen and employee problems.
See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2019/...
December 3, 2018
This was incredibly disappointing. Not only was the plot held together by an old, frayed shoestring, but the focus on Travellers and immigrants and negative stereotypes was so problematic and offputting. ‘Oh but they’re technically Irish, so they’re fine’ was kinda the theme. The racism and prejudice was astounding and the protagonist’s constant consultation of the police was incredibly offensive. If this was actual life, she would have gotten many people deported.
I’ve been a fan of this author for years but I don’t know if I feel comfortable reading her books going forward.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.
I’ve been a fan of this author for years but I don’t know if I feel comfortable reading her books going forward.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.
August 20, 2018
I received this ARC from Netgalley.
I thought the description of the book sounded interesting. I thought the story was just ok. It bothered me that Maura thought so much but did very little. I wanted her to make a decision and follow through.
I thought the description of the book sounded interesting. I thought the story was just ok. It bothered me that Maura thought so much but did very little. I wanted her to make a decision and follow through.
April 4, 2022
I began this Irish audiobook yesterday with the hopes of getting lost in Ireland, in a mystery with a transplanted Bostonian named Maura Donovan as the lead. I kept hoping it would get better, but 2.5 hours into it, it just hasn't. This is the first book in this series that I've tried to read.
Maura inherits land and a bar called Sullivan's in a small city outside of County Cork. The premise seemed like a stereotype because don't all the Irish own bars...but I kept reading and went with it. The language was so slow, repetitive, and stilted. Instead of being written where some details and background are first person, every single thing needs to be told and explained in minute detail.
Maura explains everything so distinctly and completely in every, single line - as though everyone she speaks to (and all of us readers) don't have a brain at all. The tediousness of this kind of writing turned me off immediately. Where are the nuances and narration to get us into a story, saving the dialogue for something interesting and pithey??
Oh, I wanted it to get better. The idea of finding a dead body in Ireland on Maura's property, whom no one knows, was a good premise for a mystery, as we meet locals and visitors from the US/Indiana, also very stereotypical and dull....I quit.
I will probably give one of Connolly's earlier novels a try some day because of the reviewers on GR. In the meantime, I'm off to find a new book.
Maura inherits land and a bar called Sullivan's in a small city outside of County Cork. The premise seemed like a stereotype because don't all the Irish own bars...but I kept reading and went with it. The language was so slow, repetitive, and stilted. Instead of being written where some details and background are first person, every single thing needs to be told and explained in minute detail.
Maura explains everything so distinctly and completely in every, single line - as though everyone she speaks to (and all of us readers) don't have a brain at all. The tediousness of this kind of writing turned me off immediately. Where are the nuances and narration to get us into a story, saving the dialogue for something interesting and pithey??
Oh, I wanted it to get better. The idea of finding a dead body in Ireland on Maura's property, whom no one knows, was a good premise for a mystery, as we meet locals and visitors from the US/Indiana, also very stereotypical and dull....I quit.
I will probably give one of Connolly's earlier novels a try some day because of the reviewers on GR. In the meantime, I'm off to find a new book.
July 16, 2023
4 stelle e mezza
Mistero fitto per gran parte del libro, ma il finale è stato soddisfacente. L'unica cosa che mi fa storcere il naso un pochino sono tutti i rimuginamenti interiori della protagonista, dopo un po' mi hanno veramente stancato.
Mistero fitto per gran parte del libro, ma il finale è stato soddisfacente. L'unica cosa che mi fa storcere il naso un pochino sono tutti i rimuginamenti interiori della protagonista, dopo un po' mi hanno veramente stancato.
August 25, 2021
These are such fun mysteries!!
December 4, 2019
This has probably been my least favorite out of this series. I've enjoyed all the others. This one just felt like there was a lot of repetitive stuff. The murder in the beginning starts out really well and the ending was good...it's just all the in-between that dragged on. But now I saw that there is another one coming soon and I will definitely be reading it. I hope it's better than this one!!
July 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this mystery. It didn’t follow the standard format of waiting until the last chapter or two to pull off the big reveal. It was more complicated, and I don’t want to give out spoilers, but it has a very satisfying ending. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I got the audiobook and Amy Rubinstein is a fantastic reader and really brings the characters to life and makes you feel like you’re in the pub with them in Ireland.
December 24, 2018
The Lost Traveller in the seventh book in the A County Cork Mystery series.
I love stopping into Sullivan’s Pub to catch up with the engaging residents of Leep. Maura is settling and is enjoying managing the pub, but still has doubts about adding meals. Her young helper, Rose, thinks this is the next thing that needs to be added. She’s working part-time in a small restaurant in Skibbereen learning food preparation and the management side and feels confident in being able to handle the cafe side of the pub. Maura and Mick’s relationship seems to be going just fine, they’re taking it one day at a time. Seamus and his pals are again around to help Maura with her sleuthing and of course to have a lottery as to who might be the killer. As always, Billy can be found sitting in his favorite chair near the warm fireplace. Billy, having lived all his life in Leep knows and for the most part has remembered everything and everyone in Leep. His clues that he gives Maura may be rather cryptic but are always spot on.
It’s rather a quiet day at Sullivan’s Pub and Maura decides to grab her lunch and go outside for a breath of fresh air and enjoy the nice weather. Soon she notices what looks my trash in a ravine and when she goes to investigate she finds that it is fact a dead body. A search of the body provides no identification and the victim was badly beaten about his face that it will be a while before it can be learned who he was.
As Maura starts to investigate the death, speculation begins to be centered around some Travellers who have recently shown up in the area or possibly might be an illegal immigrant as there seems to a shortage of workers in the area. Maura asks her garda friend, Sean, for measurements of the victim’s face and she will give that information to Gillian, her friend, and a local artist, to see if she can provide what the victim may have looked like to aid in the investigation.
I thought the story was very interesting, well-.told and plotted and a cast of very interesting and believable characters.
I am looking forward to my next visit with Maura and the wonderful residents of Leep.
I love stopping into Sullivan’s Pub to catch up with the engaging residents of Leep. Maura is settling and is enjoying managing the pub, but still has doubts about adding meals. Her young helper, Rose, thinks this is the next thing that needs to be added. She’s working part-time in a small restaurant in Skibbereen learning food preparation and the management side and feels confident in being able to handle the cafe side of the pub. Maura and Mick’s relationship seems to be going just fine, they’re taking it one day at a time. Seamus and his pals are again around to help Maura with her sleuthing and of course to have a lottery as to who might be the killer. As always, Billy can be found sitting in his favorite chair near the warm fireplace. Billy, having lived all his life in Leep knows and for the most part has remembered everything and everyone in Leep. His clues that he gives Maura may be rather cryptic but are always spot on.
It’s rather a quiet day at Sullivan’s Pub and Maura decides to grab her lunch and go outside for a breath of fresh air and enjoy the nice weather. Soon she notices what looks my trash in a ravine and when she goes to investigate she finds that it is fact a dead body. A search of the body provides no identification and the victim was badly beaten about his face that it will be a while before it can be learned who he was.
As Maura starts to investigate the death, speculation begins to be centered around some Travellers who have recently shown up in the area or possibly might be an illegal immigrant as there seems to a shortage of workers in the area. Maura asks her garda friend, Sean, for measurements of the victim’s face and she will give that information to Gillian, her friend, and a local artist, to see if she can provide what the victim may have looked like to aid in the investigation.
I thought the story was very interesting, well-.told and plotted and a cast of very interesting and believable characters.
I am looking forward to my next visit with Maura and the wonderful residents of Leep.
March 25, 2019
I’m not sure I will bother with this series in the future. The constant repeating, the lack of any growth in the main character, and how time seems to stand still in this sleepy little pub all are factors.
Maura Donovan came from Boston quite a few books back but we are lead to believe it has only been one year. She inherited not only a pub but a house from a man she never met but knew her grandmother. She is totally clueless at running a pub but, luckily, she has also inherited a couple of employees who, for some reason, have dedicated their lives to that pub.
Without Mick Nolan and the underage but highly qualified Rose to actually run the pub it probably would not be in business any longer. Without Rose, who is only 17 but a heck of a lot more grown-up than Maura, nothing would get done there. She created and manages the web page for Sullivan’s Pub, she is taking cooking classes so they can serve food in the near future, she schedules the music acts that appear monthly. Maura can’t be bothered to do either - heck she doesn’t even cook food for herself. Ever! She keeps no food at her house (which we are told over and over and over) but seems to live off an occasional sandwich she buys at the corner store.
Poor Mick Nolan seems to have had a rough past life but for some reason has made Maura his girlfriend and they spend many nights together sleeping at her bare house. You never hear about his home but I figure it must be an empty cave if he spends more time at her place, barren of furniture, cooking pots and any food. She provides what exactly to the relationship - warmth at night in the bed?
This story was dragged out quite a bit. I got bored with it and after a while I didn’t really care who the dead man was. I also got bored with the Travelers storyline. OK, there are people who live in travel trailers who move around. But all the repeating of “facts” was a bit much and left me thinking the author just wanted to stretch out her story idea to make it a full book.
If there is another book please, please let Maura grown a spine and become more than just a barmaid. She is the owner and needs to take control.
Maura Donovan came from Boston quite a few books back but we are lead to believe it has only been one year. She inherited not only a pub but a house from a man she never met but knew her grandmother. She is totally clueless at running a pub but, luckily, she has also inherited a couple of employees who, for some reason, have dedicated their lives to that pub.
Without Mick Nolan and the underage but highly qualified Rose to actually run the pub it probably would not be in business any longer. Without Rose, who is only 17 but a heck of a lot more grown-up than Maura, nothing would get done there. She created and manages the web page for Sullivan’s Pub, she is taking cooking classes so they can serve food in the near future, she schedules the music acts that appear monthly. Maura can’t be bothered to do either - heck she doesn’t even cook food for herself. Ever! She keeps no food at her house (which we are told over and over and over) but seems to live off an occasional sandwich she buys at the corner store.
Poor Mick Nolan seems to have had a rough past life but for some reason has made Maura his girlfriend and they spend many nights together sleeping at her bare house. You never hear about his home but I figure it must be an empty cave if he spends more time at her place, barren of furniture, cooking pots and any food. She provides what exactly to the relationship - warmth at night in the bed?
This story was dragged out quite a bit. I got bored with it and after a while I didn’t really care who the dead man was. I also got bored with the Travelers storyline. OK, there are people who live in travel trailers who move around. But all the repeating of “facts” was a bit much and left me thinking the author just wanted to stretch out her story idea to make it a full book.
If there is another book please, please let Maura grown a spine and become more than just a barmaid. She is the owner and needs to take control.
July 31, 2019
I was very disappointed in this book. I felt like the author did not grow any of the main characters since the beginning of her series. I also found the way the story unfolded to be very hard to believe. The main character besides not liking to cook or take care of her new home got herself involved in a relationship that she has not idea why or where it is going. And works with him everyday. That was already causing some disbelief for me not because it never happens in real life but how it was described in the book. Maura sounds like an idiot. Maura never has time to take care of her own business (laundry, buying food, figuring out bills, etc) but she can find the time to work on solving deaths in the town. But what really pushed the envelope for me is that the lead character Maura has no computer skills, was never outside of Boston, never read the newspaper or watched TV, had no friends or contact with the outside world except her grandmother and her "going nowhere jobs" yet is able to come up with this whole theory of smugglers and illegal aliens in Ireland even though she knows nothing about Ireland. And the guardia are willing to listen to her and follow her advice. It just totally suspends logic.
We all want to disappear into a different world when we read a novel. It is to relax and get away from our own life but also to expand our mind. I felt like my mind was going to mush because I was asked to accept so many ridiculous scenarios. I like mystery stories and I thought the premise the author picked was a good one but how she delivered it was very disappointing.
I will think long and hard about reading another book in this series.
We all want to disappear into a different world when we read a novel. It is to relax and get away from our own life but also to expand our mind. I felt like my mind was going to mush because I was asked to accept so many ridiculous scenarios. I like mystery stories and I thought the premise the author picked was a good one but how she delivered it was very disappointing.
I will think long and hard about reading another book in this series.
January 17, 2019
THE LOST TRAVELLER is a County Cork Mystery written by Shelia Connolly.
Boston native Maura Donovan is living and working in the small town of Leap in County Cork in Ireland. She unexpectedly inherited Sullivan’s Pub after the death of her grandmother.
Maura discovers a dead body in the ravine near the pub and the book revolves around this ‘mystery man’, for no one can identify him.
I want to like this title and this series so much. I have visited the area many times and I like the locale and the premise for Maura being in Ireland. The book cover (on my Kindle Fire) is beautiful and beckons you into the book. I think Ms. Connolly has traveled, herself, in the area and tries to weave some local color and incidents and issues into her story. But there is very little plot. There is page after page of Maura complaining and whining over and over again about the same things. She takes no responsibility for anything - can’t and won’t learn to use a computer for her business; doesn’t ‘do the books’ for the pub; has been barely out of Leap after a year in Ireland; knows no local laws, rules, regulations. Whine - Whine -Whine - that is the plot!
The whole issue of immigration is ‘sort of’ brought up, as Maura needs employees to help run the bar, but the issues and rules are glossed over and not fully explained.
I really don’t like these ‘cozy mysteries’ where the local police force is written off as incompetent. It is just not true. The main character comes off as an interfering, ignorant busybody.
This title is a no-go for me.
Boston native Maura Donovan is living and working in the small town of Leap in County Cork in Ireland. She unexpectedly inherited Sullivan’s Pub after the death of her grandmother.
Maura discovers a dead body in the ravine near the pub and the book revolves around this ‘mystery man’, for no one can identify him.
I want to like this title and this series so much. I have visited the area many times and I like the locale and the premise for Maura being in Ireland. The book cover (on my Kindle Fire) is beautiful and beckons you into the book. I think Ms. Connolly has traveled, herself, in the area and tries to weave some local color and incidents and issues into her story. But there is very little plot. There is page after page of Maura complaining and whining over and over again about the same things. She takes no responsibility for anything - can’t and won’t learn to use a computer for her business; doesn’t ‘do the books’ for the pub; has been barely out of Leap after a year in Ireland; knows no local laws, rules, regulations. Whine - Whine -Whine - that is the plot!
The whole issue of immigration is ‘sort of’ brought up, as Maura needs employees to help run the bar, but the issues and rules are glossed over and not fully explained.
I really don’t like these ‘cozy mysteries’ where the local police force is written off as incompetent. It is just not true. The main character comes off as an interfering, ignorant busybody.
This title is a no-go for me.
September 5, 2018
Sadly the writing has gone downhill in this series. The plot here seemed forced and we had the main character repeating her story and thoughts every other page it seemed. Not to mention some truly strange behavior from previously well loved characters such as Mick, Billy, Gillian, and Bridget.
With a bit of editing and some fleshing out this could be a decent read. This series was quirky in the beginning but for how long can Maura really play the dumb American card?
Also the title doesn't make any sense. The plot had nothing to do with a lost traveller. Irish or otherwise. The plot minimally touched on Irish travellers though none of the, could be considered lost.
With a bit of editing and some fleshing out this could be a decent read. This series was quirky in the beginning but for how long can Maura really play the dumb American card?
Also the title doesn't make any sense. The plot had nothing to do with a lost traveller. Irish or otherwise. The plot minimally touched on Irish travellers though none of the, could be considered lost.
February 7, 2019
While I like the setting, a small village in County Cork, Ireland, I’m irritated by the main character. Maura is a disorganized mess who relies on a 17-year old girl to practically run her pub. Maura doesn’t own a computer, has no idea of accounting or business skills, and hasn’t even bothered to learn the labor laws of Ireland to see if she’s paying her staff a living wage. I’m really tired of the repetitive moaning everyone goes on about how Maura never has any food in the house. I mean, come on woman, be an adult and go buy some food and start acting like a business owner! Luckily, I like the other characters a lot so it keeps me reading this series.
January 16, 2019
There is something about reading books in a series.....when you read them you feel like you are home. It is a comforting feeling. It's like seeing a friend you haven't seen in a while or visiting a restaurant or store you haven't been to in a while....
The County Cork Mystery series by Sheila Connolly gives the reader a warm feeling. Even with the stories taking place far away in Ireland (far away for me anyway) you feel like you are right there. I find myself so engrossed in the life of Maura and her friends at the pub that when I'm reading I'm lost in the Ireland ways......when Mick, Rose, Billy or anyone else from County Cork speaks to Maura I hear the accents.....
I love the closeness of everyone and how that took to Maura instantly. If you've read any of the other books in the series, you know what I mean. Maura who lived in Boston inherited a cottage and pub in County Cork and with The Lost Traveller, the seventh book in this series, she has been there a year. Even though she is still getting use to things, she seems to be quite comfortable.....even solving crimes....or at least helping the local police, the gardai.
In this seventh book, The Lost Traveller, you are introduced to more differences between Ireland and the United States and you continue to learn things with Maura.
I love reading books in series, especially ones that take the reader away. When I opened The Lost Traveller and started reading, I was instantly inside Sullivan's sitting next to Billy by the fire. And when Maura went back to the cottage after the pub closed, I was right there along side her. It felt like there was no time in between this book and the last one I read.
Connolly has a way of opening the reader's imagination and allowing the reader to travel to a place so far away. You get so involved in your reading you will swear you hear Mick's accent along with all the others and you will see Rose's devotion and energy as well as feel Billy's age and wisdom.
I just hope that Maura will stay in Leap and run Sullivan's for many, many more books in this series.....even though she seems to "attract" dead people. That is just one more thing you love about these books.......
So sit back with your cup of tea or pint....whichever you fancy and hang with the gang at Sullivan's..... They will welcome you with a smile............and you will be a friend for life.
The County Cork Mystery series by Sheila Connolly gives the reader a warm feeling. Even with the stories taking place far away in Ireland (far away for me anyway) you feel like you are right there. I find myself so engrossed in the life of Maura and her friends at the pub that when I'm reading I'm lost in the Ireland ways......when Mick, Rose, Billy or anyone else from County Cork speaks to Maura I hear the accents.....
I love the closeness of everyone and how that took to Maura instantly. If you've read any of the other books in the series, you know what I mean. Maura who lived in Boston inherited a cottage and pub in County Cork and with The Lost Traveller, the seventh book in this series, she has been there a year. Even though she is still getting use to things, she seems to be quite comfortable.....even solving crimes....or at least helping the local police, the gardai.
In this seventh book, The Lost Traveller, you are introduced to more differences between Ireland and the United States and you continue to learn things with Maura.
I love reading books in series, especially ones that take the reader away. When I opened The Lost Traveller and started reading, I was instantly inside Sullivan's sitting next to Billy by the fire. And when Maura went back to the cottage after the pub closed, I was right there along side her. It felt like there was no time in between this book and the last one I read.
Connolly has a way of opening the reader's imagination and allowing the reader to travel to a place so far away. You get so involved in your reading you will swear you hear Mick's accent along with all the others and you will see Rose's devotion and energy as well as feel Billy's age and wisdom.
I just hope that Maura will stay in Leap and run Sullivan's for many, many more books in this series.....even though she seems to "attract" dead people. That is just one more thing you love about these books.......
So sit back with your cup of tea or pint....whichever you fancy and hang with the gang at Sullivan's..... They will welcome you with a smile............and you will be a friend for life.
January 11, 2019
“The Lost Traveller” earns 4/5 Pints at the Pub…Clever and Entertaining!
Off to County Cork on my first trip, and I'm here to stay! Sheila Connolly has penned a delightful seventh story about ex-pat Maura Donovan. She’s making a great success of the pub, adjusting to small town life, garnering friends, enjoying a bit of romance, and…finding the odd dead body! This time she discovers a dead body behind the pub, but the difficult is trying to identify the victim. This leads Maura into quite the complex mystery uncovering secrets behind the quaint village personae. As a newbie, I knew previous events and characters would be well established, but enough of the backstory and connections were revisited to get my up to speed. Along with a decent mystery plot, the story expanded to include issues running the pub, finding employees, and learning about Travellers, gangs, and…illegal immigration? I am more partial to the first-person narrative and missed a Maura’s “I” perspective, but Sheila Connolly did well laying out the plot and engaging me with vivid descriptions and entertaining banter written in a way I could almost hear the Irish brogue emitting off the pages. The book is a long one at over 300 pages, and I would have liked less of the side issues and more mystery, more investigating, but I enjoyed my time in Leap, and hope to return.
"Disclosure: I received a NetGalley ARC. My review is voluntary with honest comments and insights."
Off to County Cork on my first trip, and I'm here to stay! Sheila Connolly has penned a delightful seventh story about ex-pat Maura Donovan. She’s making a great success of the pub, adjusting to small town life, garnering friends, enjoying a bit of romance, and…finding the odd dead body! This time she discovers a dead body behind the pub, but the difficult is trying to identify the victim. This leads Maura into quite the complex mystery uncovering secrets behind the quaint village personae. As a newbie, I knew previous events and characters would be well established, but enough of the backstory and connections were revisited to get my up to speed. Along with a decent mystery plot, the story expanded to include issues running the pub, finding employees, and learning about Travellers, gangs, and…illegal immigration? I am more partial to the first-person narrative and missed a Maura’s “I” perspective, but Sheila Connolly did well laying out the plot and engaging me with vivid descriptions and entertaining banter written in a way I could almost hear the Irish brogue emitting off the pages. The book is a long one at over 300 pages, and I would have liked less of the side issues and more mystery, more investigating, but I enjoyed my time in Leap, and hope to return.
"Disclosure: I received a NetGalley ARC. My review is voluntary with honest comments and insights."
January 22, 2019
Princess Fuzzypants here: I have liked each of the County Cork series. Maura, the outsider who has been embraced by the village of Leap, understands what it means not to belong. In Leap, everyone, if not related to each other, knows everyone else. So in previous books, the victim of the murder was not a stranger. This time Maura discovers a body of a young man in the ravine behind her pub. No one recognizes him- partly because he isn’t a member of the community and partly because his face has been damaged beyond recognition.
As in the previous mysteries, Maura and the staff and customers of the pub help the Garda with their enquiries. But this death feels more personal to Maura and she suspects it will damage her business. She needs no more challenges. She is sorely in new of additional staff but quickly learns there are no young locals left to hire. The search for employees leads her to look at immigrants, both legal and not, Travellers who have stopped in Leap as they do annually and other businesses for leads or suggestions.
These books are always interesting because with the character development, there is always a look into something historical or social that is impacting not just Leap but the world in general. It is never “preachy” but it does make the reader think. And it always makes this reader feel that if I was passing through, I would enjoy a stop at Sullivan’s.
Four purrs and two paws up.
As in the previous mysteries, Maura and the staff and customers of the pub help the Garda with their enquiries. But this death feels more personal to Maura and she suspects it will damage her business. She needs no more challenges. She is sorely in new of additional staff but quickly learns there are no young locals left to hire. The search for employees leads her to look at immigrants, both legal and not, Travellers who have stopped in Leap as they do annually and other businesses for leads or suggestions.
These books are always interesting because with the character development, there is always a look into something historical or social that is impacting not just Leap but the world in general. It is never “preachy” but it does make the reader think. And it always makes this reader feel that if I was passing through, I would enjoy a stop at Sullivan’s.
Four purrs and two paws up.
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