Irish Eyes

Callahan Garrity Mystery #8

by Kathy Hogan Trocheck

“Entertaining. . . . If you are up for a big helping of humor and heartbreak, insanity and intrigue, read  Irish Eyes. ” — Orange Country Register Callahan Garrity is the owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta's elite. She's also a former cop and a part-time sleuth. She and her coterie of devoted helpers can ransack a house for clues faster than it takes a fingerprint to set. When Callahan Garrity gets caught in a liquor store holdup on the way home from a St. Paddy's Day party, one of her best friends is shot. Callahan and her House Mouse cleaning crew dive into the investigation—only to discover that her old friend might have been working both sides of the law as an accomplice in a string of robberies. It will take every trick they've got to pierce the veil of secrecy surrounding an Irish police organization and prove that the case is more than it seems.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Southern, Mystery Thriller, Romance

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

aka Mary Kay Andrews

Kathy Hogan Trocheck is the author of critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series. A former reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, she is also the author of Little Bitty Lies and the Edgar®- and Macavity-nominated Savannah Blues, under the name Mary Kay Andrews.

Reviews

[Annierose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series, but figure that the author must have been in a really bad place in her life to have ended it this way. Relationships vague, like did she break up with Mac? she alludes to them never getting into a rhythm after he moves. It just seemed to leave loose ends and it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end. I bought the short stories to read, but they don't continue chronologically. Wish that the series could have ended on a better note, it's hard enough to say good bye to an awesome series, but you at least want to imagine the characters in a good place....

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last if the Callahan Garrity novels by Kathy Hogan Trocheck (Mary Kay Andrews) still on my to read list, and I would rank it as the best in that series. I am a reader after a good character, and the ones in MKA's books from early in her career until today always pull me into the story. Over the past 10 years I have become a MKA junkie and always am excited when I can see her in person. I just saw today on Facebook that she has a short story featuring Callahan Garrity published electronically, so I suppose I haven't run out of material to read about this character yet. If MKA sees this, I hope she will remember I am one of her ladies from Tifton, and I hope to see her at Seaside Sisters very soon.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last of the Callahan Garrity series, Trocheck changed her name to Mary Kay Andrews and began writing about Weezie and Bebe. I must admit that the last 4 of the Callahan series are good. This is a Southern writer, but I think that readers in the 1990's were not ready for stories where blacks and whites were friends. Irish Eyes deals with the problems of police officers: the lack of salary and the need to work extra "security" work to survive financially. The sad news is the death of detective Bucky Deavers, Callahan's best friend, and Mac moving to Nashville for a new job. I will miss this series.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of an entertaining series.

[Mac C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite in the Callahan Garrity mystery series. I found it hard to fathom how Callahan could so quickly vacillate about whether or not Bucky, her former partner on the police force as well as best friend, could have been a dirty cop. She knew him better than anyone and, when his life and reputation hang on the line, she isn’t really sure if he was a good, clean cop. I’m also surprised that she spent so much time away from her business in spite of the trouble it was causing for her mother and her fears for Callahan’s safety. Then again, I was disappointed that her mother had more problems with Callahan investigating this case than she had with other cases. I also cannot understand how Callahan nor her employees seem to question the feasibility of using the large, pink, House Mouse van as a surveillance vehicle, or to park it near a house into which they are illegally breaking. Especially after the many other times her cover gets blown by the use of her very pink House Mouse van

As with all her other books, I’m dismayed about how little regard (or knowledge?) KHT and her editors have for the English language. They seem to have no understanding of when to use an adverb or adjective, ie: “she said breathless” vs breathlessly. Nor do they follow the rules which separate humans from objects like “who” vs “that” or “which.” I’m no grammarian, but these were drilled into all students staring in elementary school and through their senior year, until recent years, so mistakes like these stick out and grate on my nerves.

Lastly, I disliked KHT’s disregard of her fans surrounding how the series ended. What the heck? Really? THIS is what you envisioned? I wish I had known so I could have avoided wasting my time. I have no desire to pick up the other books I had missed in this series, nor the accompanying short stories. I’m not sure I will invest much time reading her stand-alones nor anything in her other series neither.

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to a good friend who loaned them to me, I have now read every book in the Callahan Garrity series. Did it end the way I wanted it to? No! I fact, I really needed two rating scales so that I could grade high for the writing and grade really low for how I felt when I finished the book. Did Trochek intend for this to be the series finale or did she just...stop? I don't think it's the best send-off; in fact, the ending was a real downer. This story was much more about detecting and hardly anything about the House Mouse and its odd cast of employees. Therefore, very little if any humor could be found, and that also was a disappointment.

I have enjoyed the couple of books I have read so far by this author writing under her Mary Kay Andrews pseudonym, and it has occurred to me that a crossover book including both her Atlanta and Savannah characters could be a lot of fun. Maybe Mac and Callahan could plan a long weekend and stop by Weezie's shop or stay in BeBe's motel...

[SS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book...til the end. What a vague, unsettling way to end this book. I enjoyed almost all of the rest of this series, but not this ending.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final book in this series!

[jennyreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

#8 is Great

Former Atlanta cop turned housecleaning service owner and part time PI investigates the shooting of her former partner and uncovers a robbery ring.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry to see the Callahan Garrity Mystery series end. Kathy Hogan Trocheck (Mary Kay Andrews) delivers an quirky and fun-filled series!

To celebrate St. Patrick's IRISH EYES --makes for an awesome read; highly recommend the audio version, narrated by Hillary Huber.

IRISH EYES is suspenseful and hard to put down --keeps you guessing - who is a part of the murder ring.

As usual, Trocheck truly understands the south and knows Atlanta. It is always nice to catch up with the familiar spots in Atlanta, and visit the array of colorful, and humorous eccentric characters with lots of twists and turns.

Without giving away the ending, was expecting something different; however, was an engaging mystery full of humor and southern sass. Irish Eyes, Heart Trouble and Strange Brew my favorites in the series.

A big fan of Mary Kay, will continue to buy anything she writes--she never disappoints!

[Koren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have read several other books by Mary Kay Andrews and liked them, but this one I chose to put down after the first sentence. “One of my clients, who has superb taste in these things (he’s gay), gives me a bottle of Bushmills for Christmas every year, and every year I hoard it until the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day.”

Just wasn’t in the mood for a book that was clearly going to be full of foolish stereotypes. Being gay doesn’t automatically equate superb taste in things anymore than being straight means a lack of. I fail to see how the client’s sexuality has anything to do with this sentence and wasn’t in the mood to find out.

Hopefully it becomes literarily relevant later in the book, but I’m fine with never knowing the answer.

[Ellen Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up Irish Eyes as a St. Patrick's Day bargain
not knowing it was a Callahan Garrity Mystery...#8

I'm sure I would have understood the quirkiness of
some characters if I had read the previous books.

My personal take...

I'm not a fan of cussing, and some of the words in
this book made me wince even while jumping over them.

The ending was rushed and wrapped up a little too neatly.
I'm sure to give hints to story #9, which I doubt I'll be
reading, even if it goes on sale.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. I liked the characters and Hillary Huber does a fantastic job reading the story. I will definitely read the seven books before this one. Hopefully as audiobooks. You don't know who was involved with all the crimes until the very end. Love the two 80-year-old sisters. There are some funny characters in this story. Definitely recommend this book.

[Pam Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

it irritates me so much that the author is from Atlanta yet the reader mispronounces so many things. Ha-pah-ville - What??? It's Hape (rhymes with ape) ville.

And Koodzoo - give me a break, it's Cud Zoo.

There were more, but those two kept me so irritated that I couldn't hardly listen to the book.

Does Mary Kaye not even listen to these things????

[Cora Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one and the ending made me so sad. I was hoping for a different version of an ending to a happily ever after but I cant wait to see what that means its gonna bring in the next 3 books!

[Lisa Evins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Love this series.
I love all of the characters and story lines. I just wished there were more of them. Maybe one day Callahan and The House-mouse crew will be back.
❤️

[Karen Antonaitis]

Baby and sister were hilarious. They were so funny being older their comments, the things that they did the things that they wanted to do. I thought Edna Callahan's mother was a hoot also. She also was very Stern with Callahan. Callahan was a very devoted person to her friends and the people that she loved. This actually is my first one about with this author and with Callahan. I look forward to reading more. I listen to this as an audiobook. It was very good. This was interesting. It was funny it was emotional. It was really kind of sad. It also showed the corruption of the some people that could be in the police department. I was glad that Callahan stuck to her guns even though many people tried to discourage her. I was a little surprised at the at what transpired, although I was pretty sure that Dugan had some hand in it. I didn't realize all that she did though. It was sad at the end a little, but you also expected it. I really enjoyed this book. I would probably give it a 4.2

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Sister and Baby!!! They made this book!!!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious dialogue and cast of characters!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was very exciting. It was like watching a couple show where you didn’t know who was good or who was bad. Very good,

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry to learn that this is the end of this series. I’m going to miss all the great characters.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad finish to a pretty good series. Didn’t get the resolution I’d hope for. The plot was entertaining and the characters varied enough to add interest. While I’m bummed the series is over one thing I won’t miss is the reliance on bad racial stereotypes.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine mostly.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this series! It’s fun and always entertaining! I’m from the south and appreciate the southern voices! Fun fun books! This one did have some actual sadness that I had not felt about the others!

[Mercedes Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last book of the series. So sad it’s over, this will be some of my favorite books 💕

[Amalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's always interesting when you have pounded through a series without stop for a week and then you get to the last book and 3 hours into the audiobook you go online to find the summary of the book to see if you are interested in finishing the last book of the series. In principal I always finish a book and I just couldn't do it with this one. I don't know maybe it was I couldn't understand the main character anymore or I just feel over the course of the series the things that I was personally invested in weren't the things I was getting out of it anymore. But I didn't finish this last book.

[Erin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook.

Well, that's it. It's over. End of series. And what an ending it was! As the cover blurb tells you, Bucky gets shot in this one and Callahan starts investigating as Bucky's own coworkers at the Atlanta PD start pointing fingers at him and calling him corrupt. She's sure that he isn't, but soon another cop is shot and things start getting more dangerous.

I'm sad this series is done. It's one of my favorites and this installment didn't disappoint at all. I absolutely recommend this series, even if it is a few years old.

[Kelsie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a love hate relationship with this book. The plot is fantastic, just like all the other Garrity books. The twists and turns in the case keep you on the edge of your seat. And I was so happy Baby and Sister had a notable part in this book, they are two of my favorites! But what about Mack?? We spend the whole book trying to see where the relationship is headed, teased with a proposal and a reuniting only to be told they couldn't find their rhythm? It just left much to be desired and felt unfinished. Hopefully Fatal Fruitcake will remedy this.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had read all of this series but I missed this one. Garrity ex-partner is shot during an apparent liquor store robbery and the only witness is missing. Before long Garrity Hears rumors that Bucky Deavers was involved and witness stole the cash and the tape from the camera. Gravity feels it didn't happen the shooting didn't happen that way. She sets out to prove it. As twisting of information continues will she proved that Bucky and clear were victims? I recommend this series.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed and for the most part interesting writing. Shocking start where her former cop partner--who is like a brother--is gunned down in a liquor store, as Jules waits in the car.
My paperback edition has a different cover and it wasn't in GoodReads.
I was wondering how things would resolve with Mac. He does get the Nashville job and Jules and her Mom live there half the time--awkward. That is in the epilogue.