#USAtodaybestsellingauthor – Rosepoint Publishing

Lady Reid’s Legacy by Jean Grainger #BookReview #HistoricalIrishHistory #TuesdayBookBlog

The Dunmara Series – Book 3

#1 Best Seller in Historical British & Irish Literature

Book Blurb:

In 1846, a young bride arrives at Dunmara as the Great Famine tightens its grip on Ireland. Evelyne Reid quickly learns that her marriage is nothing more than a debt repaid, and that her husband, Lord Reid, is as cold and merciless as the hunger stalking his tenants. Powerless by law, Evelyne must choose between obedience and her conscience.
But Evelyne makes a decision in 1846 that will echo across two centuries.

Over 150 years later Dunmara Estate is in grave peril.
On Ireland’s wild West Coast, a ruthless developer has this ancient place in his sights, and those fighting to save it are losing ground with every passing day. The answer to Dunmara’s survival is hiding in plain sight. But first, someone has to see it.
Evelyne’s legacy is all but forgotten, reduced to a whisper as the years roll on.
The question is whether anyone will hear it — before it’s too late.

My Review:

Ah, the third in the series, and my favorite so far, gets ever deeper into Orla’s contemporary fight to save her historic Dunmara House, ring fort and tower. This installment, however, introduces us to Becca who becomes a co-main character with split timeline Evelyne Reid.

I usually enjoy the early portion of the timeline more so than the contemporary one, but in this installment, I found both were pretty fascinating reading, following the author’s expert storytelling as she weaves in the background of Becca and her quest to find her (Irish) roots and that of Evelyne Reid.

Evelyne of the nineteenth century is unfortunate enough to have been married off to Lord Reid as her poverty-stricken parents face losing their home and their lives as well as those of the younger children. Evelyne is nothing more than a means to provide Lord Reid of an heir. What he does with her after she is successful is horrible and my heart sank—trying to help Ms Grainger with ways to save her. Fortunately, Ms Grainger had her own ideas.

As the Great Famine of the time wields a shocking axe to the population and changes forever the path of their lives, the author once again details the agony of hunger and the role of the overlords. Also, there is ample use of, as well as explanation of, folk or Celtic lore, which is usually an eye-opening history of a current tradition.

“…there was a cross on a donkey’s neck where it met their back to remind the world that the noble animal had carried the baby Jesus.”

“Oscar Wilde used to say? I can resist everything except temptation.”

Also, love the colorful turn of phrase, humor, euphemisms, and accents and these are also included in abundance.

Does Orla find proof of help in her fight to save Dunmara House? Does Becca find that missing link that may lead to surprising roots? You and I will both have to wait to find out but I can tell you this saga is heating up beautifully, the tension is building, and is there a possible budding romance or two coming at us in Book 4?

Well! This time, even I hope so.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical British & Irish Literature, Historical Irish Fiction, Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
Publication Date: September 24, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Jean Grainger is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100,000 5* reviews of historical and contemporary Irish fiction. She is acclaimed for her authentic portrayal of Irish life and history. Born in Cork, she draws from her experience as a history lecturer, teacher, and tour guide to craft characters that feel like friends, and sometimes foes. Grainger’s works span multiple series and standalone novels, covering significant periods in recent Irish history, but told from the perspective of families, the humans behind the headlines. Her stories often intertwine historical events with personal journeys, exploring themes of family, friendship, and human resilience. Grainger’s writing style, characterized by its warmth and authenticity, has earned her comparisons to renowned Irish authors like Maeve Binchy. Her dedication to research and character development has resulted in a loyal readership who feel deeply connected to her stories and characters.

delighted with book — Delighted with book, graphic courtesy ChatGPT

The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Grainger #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

The Dunmara Series – Book 2

in Historical Irish Fiction

Book Blurb:

Yorkshire, England / County Clare, Ireland, 1918

Billy DeVere has spent his boyhood in the shadow of expectation — the heir his aristocratic father needs him to be. Then the Great War claims his father and both his brothers, and the life mapped out for him simply vanishes. In its place comes something unexpected: freedom. As Billy comes of age, he dares to imagine his own future — and the path he chooses will leave its mark on Dunmara for generations to come.

Dunmara, County Clare, Ireland

Orla Daly is still finding her footing. Her marriage is over, her children’s lives are unsettled, and the career she’s building feels as precarious as it is exciting. But Dunmara — the house that was the backdrop to her whole life — has revealed a connection she never expected, and she can’t turn away from it now. When she discovers an extraordinary painting hidden within its walls, Orla is pulled into a mystery a century old, and begins to understand that saving this house may be bound up with finding herself.

Two lives, a century apart, held together by one enduring house. As Orla follows the trail the painting has left her, Dunmara slowly gives up another of its secrets.

The Rector’s Daughter is the second novel in the Dunmara Story.

My Review:

The saga includes Orla, a champion of the historic Dunmara House, ring fort and tower in Ireland, as well as several of the characters introduced in installment #1, If Walls Could Talk. There is Safira and Professor O’Reilly also heavily involved in the fight for the preservation of the historic grounds and Jeannie who has personal history with the Dunmara House and her grandson, Chase, among the main characters.

Characteristic of the author’s complex storytelling, there is a solid litany of characters from both this and the split timeline that reverts to the time of the War of Irish Independence, including local British individuals watching the unfolding of the escalating tension sure to lead to an all-out conflict.

There are individuals whose alliances appear questionable as the plot begins a tight weave into conflict politics and the escalating brutality perpetrated on both sides. There is mounting suspicion throughout by unreliable perspectives. Fighting and skirmishes are not wholly inflicted on the military and everyone lives on eggshells waiting for the next shoe to drop.

The main characters are fully fleshed as are many of the support characters whose development heaps additional tension on the present-day plot involving the preservation of the historic building and grounds. I greatly enjoyed the detailed description of the application of historical paints on the paintings, techniques, color origins, and hidden messages within the art. Also, as always, I greatly enjoy the basis of words we use today and are familiar with as well as Celtic lore.

The pace begins rather fast then slows well into half of the narrative which left me easily distracted by continued contemporary arguments. There are times when I have to remind myself of the context of a specific (support) character. Otherwise, the plot gently leads the reader into a hook for the next installment.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
Publication Date: June 30, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

I appreciate you!

The Divorce by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #DomesticThriller

Amazon Charts #4 this week

Book Blurb:

What is a happily ever after really worth?

Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family . . . Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she?

Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.

But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?

My Review:

Okay, pop quiz! Where have I read this plot before?

Pretty much everywhere, and, I think, including another McFadden book, change the names and dates.

And, indeed, this one starts out as the very familiar MC being locked out of her own house. Only this one actually buys a really stupid plan by her husband to get her out of the house and into a nasty NY rat-infested tenement. You’d feel sorry for her if she just weren’t so dumb.

When she finally figures out that she has been truly locked out—from her gorgeous mansion, from her bank account or credit cards, she begins to plot revenge.

Nice she could stumble onto the sweet young thing that caught his attention. Not so nice that she found a truly caring and sympathetic attorney to handle her side. The little boy? Her son? EEK! Maybe that’s where the thriller part comes in, but no, she wouldn’t hurt him.

Would she?

Sometimes the outrageous twists can add up to fun, but when they snowball over each other becoming more preposterous, can you still continue?

The swing from sympathy for Naomi wanes pretty quickly when we get deeper into the support characters. The problem here is that none of the characters elicit a lot of engagement. No one seems to make a sound decision and it all leads to explosive repercussions.

The plot goes from disbelief to insanity. It appears she has hit the final straw when she can justify violent actions and loses that final thread of reality.

So, is it entertaining or fast-paced? As soon as you think you’ve solved one mystery, there’s another signature McFadden zinger…may not make sense…but definitely heads everything in another direction. Throw in some of that barbed, snarky dialogue, short chapters that keep you starting another, the slow descent to madness, and it’s a quick distraction from the heavy stuff.

The epilogue? No. Again, just no.

Is there a genre called psychotic?

Okay, I must admit to having enjoyed Dear Debbie, my last McFadden book, but as I mentioned then, her books are hit or miss for me. Guess which one this was.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: January LaVoy, Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland
Release Date: May 26, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida is the winner of the International Thriller Writer Award for Best Paperback Original, the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller, and was honored as one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world for 2026. Her novels have been translated into more than 45 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden dot com.

Impossible to Pause

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #DomesticThrillers

in Domestic Thrillers

Book Blurb:

Sometimes, enough is enough . . .

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person.

She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Review:

Sometimes, you just deserve something fun. I’ve read a number of McFadden books in the last few years. Admittedly some better than others. This one had my head swimming.

No way can my head swing that far out without needing a straight jacket. This protagonist is off her rocker. I stopped questioning what I was hearing and just listened for the pure joy of it. The narrators did a great job and I’m sure they enhanced the book somewhat but this plot was really going to keep my drop-jawed attention regardless.

Debbie can really think up some weird stuff. You’ve got to keep reading or listening just to see if she’s going to get away with it. But then it gets worse. She is seething with all the emotional baggage she’s been holding in and once the match is lit, she is ready to dispense with the rage and impotence. She will find a way to mete out some karma.

Oh, that delicious dark humor! It’s a great balance for the more serious scenes in the foreground. She is dealing with thieving neighbors and teenagers, one of whom has a despicable boyfriend, a husband doing mysterious things (an affair?), a lecherous boss who fired her over a questionable advice column she wrote, and a friend at the gym who is bizarrely interested in all things Debbie’s family.

And did I mention she is extraordinarily good at designing apps, one of which she’s installed on her family’s cell phones. There is just a heap of those little things careening out of Debbie’s psyche, including the one that happened while she was at MIT. That one was hard to overcome. Or did she?

It’s a bit insane. If you’ve read McFadden books before, you know the hit and miss, the characters that carve out a persona so real, you want to help, and the ones who don’t elicit more than a casual glance. This plot is fast. It’s almost criminally over the top—yeah—just enjoy that part. It’s engaging, entertaining, and a wild ride. The only part that let me down just a bit was the ending—the epilogue. Was that overkill? You be the judge.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Julia Whelan, January LaVoy, Scott Brick
Release Date: January 27, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden dot com.

Have a great day!

And Now, Back to You by B K Borison #BookReview #RomanticComedy #TuesdayBookBlog

Heartstrings Book 2

Best Romance

Book Blurb:

Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?

My Review:

So what about “Heartstrings Book 2” didn’t I understand? Guess it was the possibility of reading about meteorologists that got my interest but this turns out much more romance than meterology.

Delilah Stewart is the candy chomping, sunshine grin and bear it girl to the opposing Jackson Clark, who is a quiet, orderly do it by the book guy who prefers to hide in his radio booth male counterpart. I think we are hitting on most of the tropes I’ve whined about before.

Delilah is a meteorologist who wants to be taken as a serious journalist but keeps getting dressed in ridiculous costumes and situations by the Keith, her manager, who sends her out on remote assignments.

Jackson is a serious student of the science and enjoys his little anonymous cubby while he’s controlling every aspect of the two sisters he rescued from his errant mother. The sisters prove both an interesting and sweet support to his story. He takes his work as seriously as the care of his sisters and is crushed when he learns he must cooperate with the TV station across the street in their idea to join Delilah, their popular personality, to report on a monster snow storm set to hit their area.

Okay, enter tropes. Sorry, I couldn’t invest in Delilah, only a modicum with Jackson given his circumstances, but as strong as he was with his sisters seemed like such a wussy with Delilah. The weather reports? I’d have fired both of them. Much more romance here than any kind of weather reporting.

And the ending? Couldn’t buy it. Shouldn’t have tried to read it—romance is just not my thing—whether or not it gets a bit graphic.

(Oh, and right after this book I started another—and the main character’s name is Jackson! What are the odds? Apparently pretty good since I’ve had that happen before even when the names are unusual.)

Many thanks to our local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Workplace Romance eBooks, Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author B.K. Borison writes cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.

Older woman reading by candlelight on her cell phone

The Astral Library: A Novel by Kate Quinn #AudiobookReview #MagicalRealismFiction

in Magical Realism Fiction

Book Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures. Beautifully performed by award winning narrator, Saskia Maarleveld.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives…inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself? Includes a bonus conversation with Kate Quinn, Saskia Maarleveld, and Tessa Woodward (editor of The Astral Library).

My Review:

From the creative mind and the commanding master of her craft comes the author from a whole new direction no one saw coming. I devoured her 20^th Century books and looked for more—jumped on this one and noted Saskia Maarleveld as narrator. An absolute powerhouse of audiobooks. And a departure from anything I expected. Note to Self: Must read the book blurb in addition to author and narrator.

Stretching my chops as a reader into fantasy, a genre heaven knows I don’t often do.

But, hey, we’re talking Kate Quinn and I must admit it is an uncommon and unique experience. Written well, haven’t you put yourself in a book? FMC Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned to do that. Within the Boston Public Library, she often escaped her fierce struggle for survival as a foster care kid. But this time, she also happens upon a hidden door that opens to another library, a librarian, and books. These books are different.

Alix is a great character, full of the feisty intelligence we are used to in a female protagonist from a Quinn novel. There are some strong support characters as well. Appreciated the fashion descriptions of the different periods; the sights and sounds all come alive under Quinn’s pen.

I loved escaping to Boston. Drank in the historic atmosphere, the buildings, the people, food and drink, then to be whisked away to London or…? Alix is not the only one who has found a refuge from tedious lives, however. Having made a choice to escape into the book of their choice, some may not have turned out to be the glorious and safe haven they expected.

The antagonist appears to be the library board, which is ready to change the rules, and it’s a fight Alix eagerly tackles. The storytelling blurred just a bit for me there. There is a modicum of romance and the character of the Astral librarian is a hoot. I loved the shout-out to the various authors of the classic novels. It’s a prose-filled exploration of simultaneous alternate lives.

Heavy into fantasy, metaphysical, and Quinn books, you’ll enjoy the departure of her famously popular historical fiction novels. I enjoyed it, but must admit it won’t be my favorite Quinn book.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Magical Realism Fiction, Fantasy Action & Adventure, #Literary Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Kate Quinn, Saskia Maarleveld
Release Date: February 17, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” “The Diamond Eye,” and “The Briar Club.” She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including “The Phoenix Crown” with Janie Chang and “Ribbons of Scarlet” with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. “The Astral Library,” releasing in 2026, is her first foray into magical realism. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with their two rescue dogs.

audiobooks — Graphic courtesy combination Canva and Freepik.com

Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O’Connor #BookReview #ReadingIrelandMonth26

An Irish Village Mystery Book 3

Book Blurb:

After joining the police force of her small Irish village, a local woman must investigate the murder of a stranger in this cozy mystery novel.

After solving two murders in the County Cork village of Kilbane, Siobhán O’Sullivan has accepted her calling and decided to join the Garda Síochána. The O’Sullivan clan couldn’t be prouder, but there’s no time to celebrate as she’s already on another case, summoned by the local priest who just found a dead man in the St. Mary’s graveyard—aboveground.

He’s a stranger, but the priest has heard talk of an American tourist in town, searching for his Irish ancestor. As Siobhán begins to dig for a motive among the gnarled roots of the victim’s family tree, she will need to stay two steps ahead of the killer or end up with more than one foot in the grave.

I am reviewing this book for Reading Ireland Month, one of my go-to authors for the occasion. It is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Please use the hashtags #readingirelandmonth26 or #begorrathon if you choose to participate.

My Review:

Yes, a favorite series (and I’ve read a number of her other series as well) I like the newly minted Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan (shi-vawn). In my typical fashion, out of the twelve in this series, I’ve managed to jump all over the place and in this episode back to Book 3, prior to Garda O’Sullivan and DS Macdara Flannery getting together…permanently. My last Murder at an Irish Bakery from October 2022.

Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor — Murder in an Irish Churchyard – UK cover

Before the shine is off the uniform, Garda O’Sullivan is called out to a body found in the churchyard on top of the ground—not underneath it. The storyline kicks off quite a rant against Americans. Those searching for their roots (an old story). The group presents quite a wide variety of characters, some sympathetic, some not.

I was a bit surprised to read the vitriol, surprising because I understood the author divides her time between both countries. While the Americans are presented with a typically perceived boorishness, they also presented an interesting cross-section of personalities.

I like the character of Siobhán, who is smart, albeit a bit lacking in confidence right now—given her lack of experience in her new role, but she uses her intuition and gains ground where even the grudging Macdara has to acknowledge her growth as a Garda.

Following the protocol of a cozy, there is lovely, cold atmosphere, wise-cracking and polite drinking, lots of food, and freshly baked brown bread—I could almost smell it. The Irish sense of humor does manifest often.

“He was a bullet of a man, with all gun and no powder.”

I’m not sure I enjoyed the role of the brutish, ignorant Americans, but I did enjoy the growth of Siobhán and thought the plot moved along at a decent pace, well-plotted.

“When around Americans, the Irish accent was a weaponizable trait.”

Yeah, gotta admit that much is true. I hear my grandfather when I hear that lilt.

And, I do appreciate the little quotables:

“Entitlement should be one of the seven deadly sins.”

If you’re a fan of this author, you may enjoy this one, as did I (although admittedly wasn’t thrilled with the depiction of Americans) but will continue reading her books. They are clean and clever, fast and easy reads.

Many thanks to my favorite local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: February 27, 2018

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. She writes the bestselling IRISH VILLAGE MYSTERIES, the HOME TO IRELAND series, and the new COUNTY KERRY MYSTERIES. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, and optioned for television. Readers can find her at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086525205106 or through her website: http://www.carleneoconnor.net

Reading Ireland Month

The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

A Mercy Carr Mystery Book 7

Book Blurb:

Mercy and Troy are looking forward to baby Felicity’s first holiday season, and they’re determined to make it a Christmas to remember. At Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée, hosted by Northshire’s finest and funded by Mercy’s billionaire pal Feinberg, Amy’s little girl Helena is sitting on Santa Claus’s lap. She’s telling him she’d like a Bitty Baby doll just like little Felicity when the bearded man leaps up, thrusts the toddler at her mother Amy, and staggers away from the festivities. He disappears into the woods. By the time Elvis and Mercy find him, Santa Claus aka the town mayor, is lying on his back, dead. A yule log made of oak sits on his chest, burning bright, a beacon of light on the darkest day of the year.

This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy and Troy and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

My Review:

I’ve been a fan of the author and this series since the first Mercy Carr mystery I stumbled across, the last one being Home at Night (#5) read and reviewed in July 2023. (Dang! I missed number six!) And I greatly enjoyed them all, so grabbed this one as soon as I saw it offered on NetGalley.

Last I read, Mercy and Troy (her game warden hubby) had bought an old Victorian called Grackle Tree Farm as they were expecting to expand their family beyond their respective working dogs, Elvis (the Malinois) and Suzy Bear (the Newfoundland). “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

I still trip over that name every time I see it printed, but this installment has the couple looking forward to baby Felicity’s first Christmas. They are preparing for the Solstice Soirée, as well as other activities, including choirs and Santa.

Unfortunately, Elvis finds Santa (the town’s mayor) dead in the woods with a Yule log burning on his chest. It’s followed shortly by the second murder, and soon the Druid-inspired celebration and ensuing village festivities are not looking so jolly.

I still love those dogs, complementary to each other, and look forward to their contributions to the plot line. However, this novel, meant to be a Christmas-themed narrative, tries to keep the spirit of the season at the forefront.

“As she spoke, she was struck by the contrasts that marked their lives: crime and crib, poaching and playtime, murder and motherhood…a seemingly random and yet eternal cycle of hope and despair, happiness and sorrow, light and dark.“

The storyline appears to put the domestic themes in front of the mystery. Mercy tends to find babysitters easily enough when she wants to dash off on another clue in the murders. (So much for “just being a mom” now.) Also, while I was fascinated with the Druid folklore and practices, I became a bit disillusioned that the antagonists reverted to the Russian oligarch thing. (There’s gotta be other bad guys out there.)

“The neo-pagan legend recounted the story of two brothers, the Holly King and the Oak King, and their endless battle of the seasons. The Holly King ruled winter…the winter solstice marked the victory of the Oak King…until the summer solstice when the Holly King won the crown…”

I do enjoy the author’s writing style, which includes quotables and prose:

“May the log burn,
May the wheel turn,
May evil spurn,
May the Sun return.”

While I was a bit disappointed in this installment, I look forward to the next, and indeed will go back and see if I can find the one I missed.

“The past is prologue.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery, Cozy Animal Mysteries, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 978-1250389992
ASIN: B0DPTMPYYZ
Print Length: 308 pages
Publication Date: December 2, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

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The Author: PAULA MUNIER is a literary agent and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was recently named the Dog Writers Association of America’s Dogwise Book of the Year. The second, BLIND SEARCH, pubbed in November 2019. The third, THE HIDING PLACE, will debut in March 2021.

Paula was inspired to write the series by the hero working dogs she met through Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescues, Newfoundland/retriever mix Bear, Great Pyrenees/Australian cattle dog mix Bliss, and Malinois mix Blondie, and a lifelong passion for crime fiction.

Paula also written three popular books on writing: PLOT PERFECT, THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS, and WRITING WITH QUIET HANDS, as well as the acclaimed memoir FIXING FREDDIE: A True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle, and HAPPIER EVERY DAY: Simple ways to bring more peace, contentment and joy into your life.

She lives in New England with her family, her three rescue dogs, and a rescue torbie tabby named Ursula. Find Paula at http://www.paulamunier.com.