An Early Wake

County Cork Mystery #3

by Sheila Connolly

Pub owner Maura Donovan may have Irish kin, but she doesn’t seem to have the luck of the Irish. Who could have foreseen that bringing live music back to Sullivan’s Pub would lead to a dead musician?

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan’s Pub in the black as the days grow shorter—but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who’d come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan’s salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it’s going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Ireland, Fiction, Cozy, Irish Literature, Audiobook

291 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

Sheila 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.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a terrifically unsatisfying book. This one only gets 3ish maybe 2.5 stars because of the setting. The main character, Maura is incredibly unlikeable. Maura, in the last chapters of the book mentions that she knows she's direct and honest and that puts people off. I don't think it's that. It's the lack of filter in some of the things she says in the book that puts people off, both in the book and those that are reading it. The mystery itself was incredibly lame and unsatisfying. It really wasn't anything intricate and the murder didn't happen until about halfway through the book. Suddenly, I had 90ish% of the book done and I realized, it's over and we have no great resolution. I think that Connolly writes a lot of her female characters in the same vein. Meg is a little wooden in her Orchard series and I hate how snobbish Nell is in the Museum series (so much so I no longer read it).

In addition, Maura is from Southie, as us Bostonians refer to it. She acted like it's the roughest part of the world and that Whitey Bulger is still living there (in plain sight as the book references). Whitey was not living here when he was captured. The author herself is from Mass and doesn't live far from Southie. Is she that clueless about the area? Why not add some humor about how people save their parking spots. That's what the city is famous for at the moment, not the criminal aspect.

Also, Maura was almost defensive about her disinterest in music. She doesn't listen to music. Ok, we get it. She doesn't need a fancy phone. She doesn't need to be on social media. We get it. She has no interests. Other than Sullivans. That much is becoming more clear as I read this series.

I bought this one because I couldn't wait for the library to get it online for me to read it. I am regretting that now.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the author wants to write a drama series set in Ireland but has to include a bit of a mystery because the publisher is making her. That's what it seems like at least. The mystery is such a backseat in these books. It's over 100 pages in before they even find the body. Then the mystery just kind of resolves itself, the main character doesn't really do anything to solve it. I keep reading these books because I like the setting and I feel like it has potential, but at this point I don't think I will read anymore. There are just so many better books out there. This series is probably better for non-mystery fans.

[Chris Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do enjoy these books. The little community has some lovely characters and it is fun watching them assimilate this strange American young woman into their world.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Early Wake is the third book in the Country Cork series. This series follows the character of Maura Donovan from Boston to Leap Ireland. It is much more that a mystery series. It is character driven. The reader follows the life changes of Maura as she adapts to a new country and life.

In this book, Maura is maturing and coming into her own as a owner of a pub. She has her doubts and fears as she is new to running a business. She questions herself. She hopes to remain profitable. She is still unsure of acceptance of the locals.

Sullivan's Pub was known for musicans dropping in and jamming in the past. A student arrives to do a paper on the history of the music scene at Sullivan's. So without any noticeable promotions, the old musicians start arriving to play for one evening. Customers come from all over to listen to the music. This was all done by word of mouth. Many pints were drawn that night and a lot of money was made. The next day Maura finds a body in the back room. Maura is a sensible sleuth. She listens to conversations at the pub. She contacts the police when she finds new pertinent information relating to the crime.

I thought the book reached it peak at the end and left me feeling quite satisfied with the story of Maura. It seems like Maura is in the right place now and with the right people. She is at home in her new country

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'm really enjoying this series, especially since I can relate to Maura's point of view since she is new to Ireland. I would be just as clueless as she is about Irish music but it was fun to see Sullivan's come alive like it did in this story. The mystery seemed secondary to everything else that was going on but that was okay because this was a fun story.

[Amy L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book right on the heels of the last in the series, and noticed two inconsistencies right off the bat. First, there was talk of a "lock in" in the last book, but this time Maura said she didn't know anything about what a lock in was. Secondly is the back room. Maura talks about it in the last book, but this one she says she has no idea what's in it.

I find this series intriguing, as I have Irish roots, but Maura is not very intelligent. She has no clue what "musicology" is? (We learned in 5th grade that "ology" is the study of...put it together). And she doesn't know about Trinity College, yet her family is Irish and she lived and worked in South Boston? Which makes her total ignorance about music a little inconceivable to me, especially since she worked in bars in South Boston. There are other instances where I thought she was not intelligent.

And, seriously, the third book in the series, and six months later, and we STILL don't known Mick's secret?!? And he darned well better have a secret at this point. Like he's a multimillionaire, and that's how he can afford to work in a pub part time. How can Maura work with Mick, Jimmy, and Rose for six months in a tiny village and not know where they live?? Maybe she should give up her Luddite ways and get a smartphone with GPS.

It may seem like I totally hated the book, but I didn't. The storyline needs to pick up the pace a bit, though.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has been one that I have either liked or didn't really like. In the third book, I have to say, that it fell under not liking it so much. The story line was at times, slow with a lot of repeating of facts that had been repeated so many times during its run. I would have liked to read more about the Irish music story plot, which was really interesting. I think there really needed to be more movement instead of the constant staying at the pub, Maura’s house, and sometimes dropping in to have tea with Bridget. It would have been nice to have some description of the beautiful landscape that is Ireland

I love the Irish characters. Billy is my favorite out of the group. I would love to sit with him all day, and let him tell me old wise tales in front of the fire. Out of the group, Mick has the most interesting story. We don’t really know all that much about him. Which in a way, makes him really fascinating. I’m looking forward to seeing if there is anything told about him in future books. As for Maura, the main character, I’m still having a hard time warming up to her. She has moments were she can be real annoying and judgmental. The constant, I don’t know, I guess, or probably, when answering someone, get old real fast.

I’ll probably read book four sometime when it is released. But probably not right away.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I had a chance to catch up on this series so when I was looking for my next book I decided to return to Ireland and Maura Donovan. I love the setting for this series and think the author has created terrific characters that are full of charm. The addition of some local dialect and customs certainly adds to the enjoyment of the stories. Maura is still finding her footing in running Sullivan's Pub. The regular secondary cast is back and each has a part to play when Maura finds a dead body in the pub following a night of music.

I found that I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as I had the first two books in the series. For me, I can see the author setting up a potential love triangle or a protracted decision on a romantic interest for Maura and I just don't enjoys those story lines. In addition, I thought the mystery was a bit light in this book. It was about 1/3 of the way into the story before the body of the musician was discovered. For me that made the books seem longer than perhaps it was. I am one of those readers that likes the mystery to happen within the first few chapters of the book, especially when you are the third book into a series.

That said, I do enjoy the series and have the fourth book in my TBR pile. I will certainly be back to see what happens in that story and if there is any resolution in the romance department.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pub owner Maura Donovan learns of an exciting musical history of Sullivan's Pub. It's occurring at an opportune time, because she is worrying about the future of the establishment. Live music returns and with it, a murder. I really enjoyed reading about the Irish music of the 90's. Fun book. I listened to it on Audible.com.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3, barely. While fun this series with an Irish setting doesn't have the same lyrical quality as, say, Patrick Taylor's or (if you want to compare mystery series) Erin Hart's books, keeping this series a notch below.

And book 3 is the weakest thus far. Unfortunately, Maura is back to her pessimistic self after a hopeful uptick to her personality in book 2. I also find it strange that someone who is 25-years-old has NEVER seen music performed live, anywhere, especially as she's worked in bars for years. That's just weird. Maybe Maura's complete lack of interest in music wouldn't seem so strange if she had an interest in, say, ANYTHING ELSE. What a boring person. And it's also strange how at the end of the last book Maura looks around the back room and notices the balcony, yet at the beginning of this book she's shocked to find there's a balcony in the back room.

I'm also a little annoyed with the direction of Maura's personal life. I wouldn't mind her ending up with Mick, I just wish Sean Murphy wasn't going to be hurt in the process. I agree there is no spark between his character and Maura's, so why even bother with the love triangle? Maura's always going on about how there are no nice, young men in the area for Rose to date. Well, step aside and let her date Sean. Which brings me to another strange happenstance. In the first book Rose is 15, in book 2 she's 16 and this time around she is 17, all in the space of six months. :/ Maybe the unrealistic aging is because the author belatedly had the same idea and she needs Rose to catch up. I guess we'll find out. And seeing as Rose and Sean are two of my favorite characters, I'd be happy to see them together.

Just an observation. Throughout the years, I've been to many bars, concerts and clubs and listened to live music. Not once have fights broken out. But after reading this book, you'd think that's a common occurrence, at least in America. I'm not sure why Ms. Connolly thinks she needs to disparage the American way of life at every turn in order to make Ireland look better. I think there are lovely and positive aspects to both countries.

As with the previous book, there was a little too much repetition. This time around Maura was constantly perplexed by how all the musicians knew to come to Sullivan's. Uh, word of mouth. She still hadn't seemed to grasp the concept by the end of the book. So in this one not only was she pessimistic, but she was annoyingly dense as well.

And the mystery wasn't all that interesting, either. I hope the next in the series is better.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Early Wake is the third installment of the County Cork mystery series. Although enjoyable, there were aspects I didn't care for and I was a little disappointed.
 
There wasn't much of a plot with this one.  College kid comes to town wanting to know about local music. Suddenly, a concert happens. Someone dies.  Someone is eventually apprehended, although we're just given theories about the murder and motive. No messy confession to bog things down.
 
As with the other books in the series, Maura worries.  A lot.  This hasn't bothered me in the previous books, but this one, it was a little much. She spends most of the book worrying about whether she should offer live music at Sullivans.  Really? Let me get this straight: you're making money hand over fist because a few musicians showed up and you're agonizing over whether it's a good idea? WTF?
 
Also, deducted half a star because there's a god damn love triangle birthed at the end of the book.

Overall, not the best in the series but not terrible.  I look forward to the next in the series.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In questa serie si conferma il fatto che nei suoi singoli libri si parla più della protagonista e del suo adattamento alla vita in Irlanda che delle indagini vere e proprie. E poi, anche stavolta il colpevole era impossibile da indovinare in quanto completamente al di fuori del cast di personaggi. Però è un bel leggere e ti fa venire voglia di salire sul primo aereo per la verde isola...

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maura and the team have a visitor from Dublin who is interested in the music that used to go on at the bar that Maura now owns. Somehow, a number of band members of various Irish bands get together perform a show at the bar. A huge and profitable success, Maura is happy. Until she enters the bar the next morning and finds a dead body.
The author does a lot of repeating of deep thoughts of Maura, but this one did move pretty quickly even though it was 45% through the book before Maura even found the body and needed to solve the murder. Her life does move a little bit further, which made it enjoyable and hopefully things will progress further in the next book.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok. I still like the main character and that the series is set in Ireland, so I will continue on reading more. Hopefully some action will pick up, cause lately is just been a bit boring.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
Pro: the descriptions and information about the Irish music scene was well done and interesting to read
Cons: First, the mystery is really non-existent - it is more of a drama than a mystery. Second, the character development in this book is also non-existent. All the secondary characters were cardboard cutouts- no substance, no presence, they were only names. The exception was Billy who at least had some humor and sparkle. The main character, Maura, was the worst. What does she even look like? she is never described in the book. She seems to have no interests, no hobbies and does nothing but worry about the stupidest things (which we hear about over and over). The information given about her, such as it is, does not ring true. She is supposed to be a 25 year old who has worked in the bar scene since she was 18- yet she has never heard live music played?? She doesn't own a smartphone and seems to have no understanding what a smartphone or computers can do... give me a break-even if she chose not to own one she certainly would have been exposed to them growing up in Boston. She has owned the bar for six months but has never really looked in the back room of the bar and saw there was a balcony there?? Not at all believable. She also seems to have no interest at all in others- she has managed to work with 3 people in a tiny village and has no idea where they live or anything about them - that's pretty shameful. This book could have used a very good editor to address all the issues.

[Sallee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't know what to think about this cozy. It was interesting to read about the Irish Pub and the characters that worked there, but it seemed that the story was very shallow and on the surface. I liked the author's Orchard Series so I was surprised that this book was disappointing. The main character seemed uninvolved in her new surroundings even though she has lived there for six months. The mystery was confusing to me as it didn't seem to be solved. They caught the guy but we never did find out if he killed the person who was found dead in the back room. I guess we were to assume that he was the murderer. The mystery had more about music and keeping the pub going that it had about sleuthing.

[Katherine Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music is coming back to Sullivan's Pub much to the surprise and pleasure of Maura, Mick, Jimmy, and Rose. Tim, a student from Dublin, is studying the music history from the days of Old Mick. Pleased with the opportunity to talk about the old days, Billy tells the stories of the music that brought people into the pub to the point of bursting. In doing so, some of the old musicians are encouraged to come back for a fun, music-filled night. Maura can't be happier, that is until the next morning when she finds one of the musicians dead in the pub. Who killed him and why? Full of great characters, new and old, in a lovely setting, and an intriguing plot, An Early Wake is a fun addition to an awesome series.

[Taylor's♡Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better.

I loved the music theme in this one. The events of this book were also great epiphanic moments for Maura as she becomes to understand the ‘character’ behind the bar she’s inherited. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

There were a few scenes in this novel in which Maura makes some pretty awful decisions, but it reminds me that she’s only twenty-five. Her life situation keeps giving me delusions that she’s a lot older than she actually is. I appreciate the mistakes she makes here and there because it’s a good testament to how inexperienced she really is.

Also go Billy!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow to start, but overall a great story!

I really like this series -- the characters are memorable, and I can hear them speaking with their Irish brogue as I read the words.

Maura and Sean are still in the flirting stage, but a new "wrinkle" enters Maura's "love life" (for lack of a better phrase) towards the end of the book. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the future.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The mystery is very much secondary. There really aren't clues so much as evidence found, the meaning of which is immediately explained. There is no solving it, more the author just telling you whodunit as soon as you are given the motive and introduced to the character who is the killer. While the rest of the story is somewhat enjoyable, it does become refundant. In the end, it's all a bit anticlimactic as well.

[FangirlNation · Rating 3 out of 5]

In An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly, Maura Donovan has owned Sullivan’s Pub in Leap, Ireland for six months. One day Tim Reilly, a student from Trinity College in Dublin, comes into the bar and eagerly begins to ask questions about the 90s’ tradition of gathering musicians and having informal performances that packed out the building. Unfamiliar with the history of the pub, Maura directs Tim to Old Billy, a regular in the pub who gets free beer by telling local tales from the past to visitors. Old Billy eagerly tells Tim and Maura about the musical past of the pub, and the next day, a middle aged man walks into the pub. Tim can hardly talk out of excitement, as the man is Neil Cronan, an Irish musical star from the 90s. Soon, aging musicians begin streaming into the pub, and Mick Nolan, one of the pub employees, cleans up the back room where the jam sessions used to take place.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time to find another series about Ireland, because Maura is unbearable. If I lived in her vicinity, I would avoid her just so I didn't have to listen to her. Here are some of her traits:

* I don't care about history
* Why should I know that? It happened in the past. You should have told me.
* People keep saying they're related to me . somehow, but who knows how?
* I don't need a cell phone.
* I don't have a computer, and I don't want one.
* I don't do social media.
* I don't listen to music.
* I'm so much more mature than him. He has some growing up to do. All he's done is go to school and work. He's not seen the world.
* I probably can't defend myself because I'm a girl, and so much smaller than men.
* What, you're saying because I'm a girl, I can't defend myself?

Don't you just want to smack her?

I don't even know who the killer was. And I don't care.

If this series was written without Maura, I think it would be 100% better. Just leave her out completely, she doesn't even need to be replaced.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third book in Sheila Connolly's County Cork Mystery series was a bit problematic for me.

See, this would be a really good fiction story. However, as a mystery, I thought there was a little something lacking. Yes, there was a dead body and eventually the reason for the death is revealed.

But in the meantime, the story played out more as lead character Maura Donovan's continuing assimilation to her new home in Ireland. Running the pub she inherited, trying to figure out things as each new twist comes into her life.

The cast of supporting characters remains well drawn, but the addition of a potential love triangle was somewhat unwelcome in my mind.

Yes, the story was well told. But I want more of mystery in my mystery novels and unfortunately, I found 'An Early Wake' to be a little lacking in that regard.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book number three in County Cork. Maura Donovan continues to settle into life in County Cork. She now owns and runs the local pub Sullivan's along with Mick, Jimmy and his daughter. Determined to keep Sullivan's in the black, she learns it used to be the hot spot for local Irish bands and musicians. Persuaded along by a young student in town doing research of the old musicians, Maura decides to give it a try and bring back the live music to Sullivan's. All goes well, a smashing success until a body is discovered in the back room. One of the musicians is dead. With a host of potential suspects, it's going to take quite a few pints and some sound thinking to figure this one out. With a lot less boring spots , this book is a fairly good read.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maura discovers the pub used to hold musician jam sessions. When she connects with Niall, one of the musicians who used to play there, other musicians show up so she decides to give it a try. One is discovered dead in the back room when Maura shows up the following morning. Since she is certain she locked up, she isn't really sure how he got in until she discovers the former owner gave all the regular musicians keys back in the old days. This installment is short on mystery and goes on too long once the guilty party is captured. I'll probably skip the remainder of the series unless I see others with better reviews. Life is too short to read disappointing books, even if the setting is desirable.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another good mystery set in County Cork, Ireland and featuring Maura Donovan as she tries to get a handle on running the pub that she had inherited. There are strange bit good things happening as people start to bring a musical evening back to the pub, and things are looking up for her financially. But when she finds a dead body in her back room the day after the music evening, things take a decided turn for the worse. It takes Maura and her old and new friends to figure out what really happened and who the culprit was.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely loving this series, and this one is especially fantastic! I love all the characters, especially Billy, who has a delightful scene in this story. I enjoy the descriptions of both the people and the places in Ireland. I find myself looking up how to pronounce some of the Irish phrases that are used, and I hope to add a few of them to MY regular vocabulary. And I definitely look forward to the next book in the series, which I'll begin shortly.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 bk 18. In this refreshing title, Connolly introduces the reader and Maura to the Irish music scene, not that of traditional music, but the music of the 80's and 90's, the small bands who hit it big and the musicians who didn't. This mystery causes Maura to ponder her future and the maturity levels of the different people in her lives. I will say the scene with Billy, his cane, and the small time drug dealer needs to be in a movie someplace. Amazingly fun writing.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh...why do I keep going with this series? I'm completely annoyed with the romance aspect and the mystery for this one was subpar.