Murder At The Blarney Bash is the fifth book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day in Beacon Harbor, and everybody is seeing leprechauns–it seems.

Lindsey is on her way to the groomer's to pick up her dog Wellington, who had gotten skunked earlier. The grocer tells Lindsey she had just seen a leprechaun looking in the salon window. Then, as Lindsey was passing a group of children dressed as leprechauns, a leprechaun ran into the side of her car. She stops to see if the person is hurt, but he has run off. Mrs. Hinkle comes running from Village Hall, calling out to Lindsey that Fred Landry has been brutally beaten.

At the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey’s boyfriend, Rory, is visiting with his Uncle Finn and cousin, Colleen, who have just moved to Beacon Harbor from Ireland. Uncle Finn plans to open a pub, while Colleen will open a gift shop featuring Irish goods. An evening meal is planned to welcome Finn and Colleen to Beacon Harbor. Uncle Finn doesn’t arrive until the dinner is almost over. He tells everyone that he is late because he tricked a leprechaun and took his pot of gold, which he put on the table. But when a man dressed as a leprechaun is found dead on a sand dune with Uncle Finn’s shillelagh near his body. Uncle Finn will become the prime suspect, and Lindsey and Rory must set off to find the killer.

This is a delightful series with a wonderful cast of characters. They are well-developed, believable, and enjoyable. In the previous books, I had enjoyed Kennedy, Lindsey’s BFF, who has returned for a visit. But in this one, I was put off by her. She seemed protective of her boyfriend, Niall, while simultaneously being jealous that Tuck, a local policeman, and Colleen were showing interest in each other. The book is well-written, plotted, and descriptively written, and I felt I was there with the characters. The book reads at a good pace. Wellington has a new playmate, Bailey, Finn, and Colleen’s dog. Hopefully, the next book will be in the Spring/Summer, so Lindsey’s parents will be in town along with their two Westies.

Delicious-sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this engaging series. ( )

Murder at the Blarney Bash is the fifth book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah, and while I enjoyed it, unfortunately it didn’t have me as excited to write up a review because I can’t gush about it like I did the previous four books.

It still has fantastic characters (although Kennedy was getting on my nerves a bit), wonderful animal characters (and we get a new dog, Bailey!), a great location in Michigan with a Haunted Lighthouse (so a touch of the paranormal, which is my favorite sub-genre in cozy mysteries), some delicious food and great recipes at the end (although I felt like some of the bakery offerings were repeated in the story… and not as much time was spent with the staff at the bakery… although I could see a Bigfoot book coming in the future, which would be wonderful!), and a solid mystery.

So why did I almost give this a 3 star rating? Besides the above things that were good, but not as great in previous books, Hannah did the number one thing that drives me nuts in cozies; when the main character and friends spend so much time going over the suspects and motives, usually this involves the main character just repeatedly thinking about it in her head or the gang getting together to go over it again, and again, and again.

I mean, you have to go through the suspects, but I loved how Hannah did it before by incorporating lots more storytelling to go along with the thinking, or more descriptions of baked goods or of the town. There were still some crazy, fun scenes which made the rating go up a bit, and just the fact that I love this series, and every series has some off books.

And what was up with Kennedy. She’s back from England (which is great because I love her spunkiness), but she seemed really, really mean this book, and not just being sassy towards Sir Hunts-a-Lot. I felt like she was brought back for a future love triangle… and anyone who has been reading my reviews for a bit knows how much I enjoy love triangles (spoiler, I don’t… especially if they continue on for more than three books!) ( )

Lindsey Bakewell owns the Beacon Bakeshop, an old lighthouse that she's converted into her home. She's getting ready for St. Patrick's Day and the opening of the Blarney Stone, an Irish gift shop/pub that belongs to her boyfriend Rory's uncle Finn and his daughter Colleen. But one morning what she thinks is a leprechaun (I know; so does Lindsey!) runs into her car and then disappears. She also hears of a sighting of the same person from her dog groomer. And when a woman asks for her help, it turns out that she thinks a leprechaun might have attacked her boss, Fred Landry.

But leprechauns aren't real -- are they? Finn believes in them, Colleen doesn't. But when there are other sightings, Lindsey is determined to find out. Especially when there's a murder connected to the little man. Yet something is definitely afoot, and when Finn makes a startling discovery, everyone who knows him thinks he might be in danger. Now Lindsey, Rory, -- and the recently returned Kennedy -- are once again looking for a murderer...

I have read all the books in this series, and I have loved them all. The descriptions of the area are very good, and the characters are believable. In fact, I'd like to know them, especially Finn. He definitely seems an Irish rogue! Also, since Kennedy is back, she's brought some drama with her, which isn't surprising at all. She is who she is, and no one is going to change that! It makes for an interesting story line that is easy to follow. Are leprechauns real or are they fictional? Ah, there is a question for everyone, isn't it?

But now Finn is suspected of murder, and with St. Pats in full swing, the town is full of people who could have done the deed. The question is, how do Lindsey and Rory find the culprit? Especially when they're looking for someone who may have killed a leprechaun -- or someone dressed as one. It's a right pickle they're in, and the killer might not be finished yet.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this tale, nor can I tell you any more about the book. To do so would be giving too much away. But it's filled with whimsey and intrigue, secrets and even more. It's definitely worth the price of reading, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. ( )

Newfoundland-dog, Michigan, small-business, small-town, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, baker, bakery, cozy-mystery, coffee-shop, lighthouse, costumes, recipes, family, family-dynamics, relatives, relationships, friends, superstitions, myths-legends, self-absorbed, assault, battery, unpleasant-friend, amateur-sleuth, snow-season, omens, humor****

Rory's uncle from the Aulde Sod has moved to the states to open a tourist store nearby. It's St Patrick's day and soon there is a leprechaun, ghost lights, a serious beating by an unknown assailant, a pot o' gold, and a murdered man in a leprechaun costume as well as a supercilious returned friend and her equally obnoxious business partner. The group of friends do some sleuthing to get Uncle out of the frame while the local law tears hair out.
If anyone hasn't read the earlier books, Lindsey is a wealthy New Yorker who had a meltdown and decided to buy a decommissioned lighthouse near where she spent summers with her grandparents in their bakery. She is an excellent baker as well, so she opened a bakery/cafe and has acquired a friend, Rory, who is ex-SEAL/barista/SCUBA teacher for Great Lakes shipwrecks.
I enjoy this series with its lively characters and devious plots, and this book is a very good read.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )