Dead in Dublin (The Dublin Driver Mysteries #1) by Catie Murphy

Dec 28, 2019 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the first book in the new cozy The Dublin Driver Mysteries series. As with most cozy series this first book contains it’s own mystery that is solved within so readers could only read the one and not worry about cliffhangers.

Megan Malone is originally from the US but after her years in the military as an Army combat medic she decided she would move to Dublin. Making her new life in a new country Megan took on a job at the Leprechaun Limo Service where she drove ...more

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Dec 08, 2019 Natalia R rated it really liked it

After retiring from the US military, Megan Malone moved to Dublin, Ireland for a fresh start. She loves her new home and is enjoying her job as a driver for the Leprechaun Limo Service. When one of her regular clients, popular food blogger, Elizabeth Darr, dies after eating at her friend's restaurant, Megan does everything she can to help Elizabeth's grieving husband Simon and her chef friend. As she digs deeper into Elizabeth's life, she uncovers some shocking secrets about Simon and her ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 Gail C. rated it it was amazing

The first in a new series that will be going on my list to follow. This was a thoroughly engaging mystery novel taking place in Dublin. The characters in the book are well crafted with lots of quirks and personalities that help create three dimensional people. Megan Malone is an American who moved to Ireland after retiring as an Army Medic. Now she drives a limo in Dublin which positions her perfectly to meet new people and become intrigued in their situations.
In this inaugural book in the The first in a new series that will be going on my list to follow. This was a thoroughly engaging mystery novel taking place in Dublin. The characters in the book are well crafted with lots of quirks and personalities that help create three dimensional people. Megan Malone is an American who moved to Ireland after retiring as an Army Medic. Now she drives a limo in Dublin which positions her perfectly to meet new people and become intrigued in their situations.
In this inaugural book in the series, one of Megan’s repeat couples is dining at a restaurant owned by one of Megan’s friends when the wife drops dead. Megan is concerned, both because 1)she has developed an interest in her clients and 2) her friend is worried her restaurant might fail as a result of a death on her doorstep. Megan springs into action, trying to help her friend Fionn save her restaurant as well as offer aid to her former rider, now a widower.
As Megan moves through Dublin she finds herself occasionally running into Detective Inspector Paul Burke, a ginger haired police detective. Initially he learns some information from her which has been given to her by another friend, Niamh, a beautiful woman who has a thriving career on stage and is well known to many in Ireland. Rounding out the cast of characters who might continue in the series are Megan’s uncle, Robbie and a neighbor Brian. All these characters are well developed and interesting enough to want to get to know them better. They provide a good circle of friends to round out Megan’s world with enough interesting personalities to make the reader want to know more.
The author has also provided a pronunciation guide for some of the lesser known Irish names and places. This, coupled with the occasional phrase with a distinct Irish turn help create a more “Irish” atmosphere for the reader without causing them to interrupt their reading while they attempt to figure out how to say something, even if it’s just in th
There may be a couple of places within the book that stretch credulity, but the mystery is so well written they are easy to gloss over. For example, it’s hard to believe someone who was visiting Ireland would trust their chauffeur so fully that they turned to them for help in solving the mystery of the murderer’s identity. It also stretches the imagination just a bit to believe that a retired Army Medic could have the computer skills to hack an account using hacking software she “Googled’ on the internet.
There are two mysteries here, one is the murder and the other is some other illegal activity that is uncovered through the reseach into the woman’s death. In both instances, I was able to figure out the basic premises as to motive, which lead to suspicions of the correct people involved in the crimes. The book was so well written my suspicions only served to make me that much more interested in finishing the book to discover if I was right.
I’m putting this on my lists of new series to watch, as I would love to spend more time with Megan and her friends. My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Read Copy in exchange for an unbiased review. I would recommend this to anyone who was looking for a new series that is basically a cozy, but with a few elements of detective/classic fiction included.
...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Juli rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-review-copies-2019

When she finished up her military career, Megan Malone relocated to Dublin, Ireland. She works for Leprechaun Limos, driving tourists all over the city. It's about as far from her former military skills as she can get...but she loves it. Most days it's pretty routine....driving people here and there, giving a bit of touristy color and history to her clients. Until the day one of her passengers drops dead. A well-known restaurant and food critic, Elizabeth Darr, dies....after eating at a local ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 Linden rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: advance-review-copy

Megan Malone former US Army combat medic, is now a limo driver in Dublin for Lucky Leprechaun Limousines. One of her customers, Liz, dies suddenly after dining at her friend Fionn's restaurant, but the autopsy reveals something much worse than a bad meal. Is Liz's husband really as devastated as he seems? And then there's a second murder, and Megan wonders if they are connected. I liked the Dublin setting for this cozy mystery, and Megan is an appealing protagonist. Thanks to the publisher and ...more

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Jan 23, 2020 Annette rated it it was amazing

Good first book in a new series. I liked the main character. I loved the Dublin setting. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

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Oct 29, 2019 JoAn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cozy-mystery, arc

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy was an excellent beginning to a new cozy mystery series. Ms. Murphy is a "new to me" author who did not disappoint.

Megan Malone is an American expat living in Dublin and driving limos and town cars for Leprechaun Limo Service. She loves her job and has made several friends in Dublin since moving here. She's older than most of the current cozy mystery sleuths so I enjoyed "meeting" her. The story is well crafted with a quickly paced plot, twists, turns, red ...more

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Jan 11, 2020 Kristina rated it liked it

Shelves: cozy-mysteries, netgalley, 2020-netgalley-books, 2020

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the beginning of A Dublin Driver Mystery series. Megan Malone retired from the military after twenty years and relocated to Dublin, Ireland where she works as a driver for Leprechaun Limo Service. Megan is shocked when Elizabeth “Liz” Darr collapses at the base of the Molly Malone statue and passes away. Liz Darr was a renowned restaurant critic and food blogger who had been traveling for the last year around Europe with her husband Simon. Megan had been Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the beginning of A Dublin Driver Mystery series. Megan Malone retired from the military after twenty years and relocated to Dublin, Ireland where she works as a driver for Leprechaun Limo Service. Megan is shocked when Elizabeth “Liz” Darr collapses at the base of the Molly Malone statue and passes away. Liz Darr was a renowned restaurant critic and food blogger who had been traveling for the last year around Europe with her husband Simon. Megan had been ferrying them around the last three months whenever they were in town. When food poisoning is suspected, Megan’s friend, Fionnuala Canan comes under suspicion as the chef from Canan’s where Liz had her last meal. Both Fionnuala and her boss, Orla Keegan ask (beg) Megan to investigate. Detective Paul Bourke admires Megan’s tenacity, but he would rather she keep her nose out of the investigation and stick to driving. Megan has no intention of giving up especially after the victim’s parents also ask her to get them answers. Megan has her hands full between her driving duties, sleuthing and taking care of a Jack Russell terrier along with her two pups that were discovered in the kitchen of Canan’s. When another death occurs at Canan’s, Megan is sure they are connected. Can Megan steer the investigation towards the killer? Dead in Dublin takes readers to Dublin, Ireland with her vivid descriptions of this charming city. Megan lives just outside Dublin in an apartment in Rathmines where she must make sure her landlord and boss, Orla does not discover the mama dog and her two puppies (which Megan keeps saying she has no intention of keeping). I appreciated the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book for the various characters names (Niamh is pronounced Neev). It was very helpful. Megan is a Houston native who wanted a fresh start after retiring from a twenty year career in the military. She enjoys ferrying people around the city, though, she is not fond of her boss, Orla Keegan. I like that Megan is intelligent as well as friendly with a unique profession for a cozy mystery. Detective Paul Bourke is in charge of the case, and he likes that Megan is determined (though he does wish she will quit meddling). There is definite chemistry between them. There are a variety of eccentric characters from Niamh O’Sullivan who is an actress and activist to Megan’s Uncle Rabbie with his varied connections. The mystery was multifaceted and suited the Irish setting. We follow Megan as she questions various people searching for answers. I believe readers will enjoy this challenging whodunit. I was surprised by the foul language present in Dead in Dublin since it is not normal for it to be present in cozy mysteries. Dead in Dublin is a stimulating new cozy mystery with darling dogs, ineffable Irish charm, a dashing detective, a rash of rumors, and one determined driver. ...more

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Jan 13, 2020 Carole Jarvis rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-cozy, 2020-cozy-mysteries, 2020-new-authors

Reviewed at The Power of Words: https://bit.ly/2Rcwub2

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is a refreshing addition to the cozy mystery field and I enjoyed it very much overall. Several things set it apart from other cozy mysteries … The setting, for one. What’s not to like about an Irish setting? And then there’s the lead character, Megan Malone, whose very name alludes to the legendary Molly Malone of Dublin fame. Megan is an appealing and original character, with her Army medic background and ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Tari rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2020-ebooks

A well-written and plotted mystery set in Dublin, Ireland with a Texan limo driver made for a really interesting and intriguing read. I fell in love with the little Jack Russell who had two puppies. Meg was babysitting them, and as she kept telling them that she wasn't keeping them but was growing closer and closer to the little dog family, I was hoping she'd weaken. I sure didn't like her boss much. That lady needs an attitude adjustment lol. Meg's friends were fun, but she was more of a loner ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 The Cozy Review rated it really liked it

Series: The Dublin Driver Mysteries – Book 1
Author: Catie Murphy
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Exotic Location
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 304

Publishing Date: December 31, 2019

From Kensington Books comes the new cozy series “The Dublin Driver Mysteries” by Catie Murphy and the debut book, Dead In Dublin. It is a fun, entertaining, traditional mystery with offbeat characters with a great location.

Megan is an original character, ex-military, American, and a limo driver. She cares about her ...more

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Dec 31, 2019 Lisa Morin rated it really liked it

Dead in Dublin is a good start to a new cozy mystery series.
Set in Dublin, the story is well written and fast paced.I’m looking forward to reading more.

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Jan 12, 2020 Lesa rated it really liked it

Shelves: cozy-mysteries, mystery-series, amateur-sleuth, crime-fiction, international-crime-fiction

Well, I found a new cozy mystery series to love. Dead in Dublin may be a debut mystery, but Catie Murphy has written science fiction/fantasy as C.E. Murphy, so it's quite polished. It doesn't hurt that it's set in Dublin with actual buildings and monuments. Murphy's debut did send me down a rabbit hole as I looked at pictures of Dublin and listened to several versions of "Molly Malone".

Megan Malone's client dies at the feet of the statue of Molly Malone. Megan is an American transplant who Well, I found a new cozy mystery series to love. Dead in Dublin may be a debut mystery, but Catie Murphy has written science fiction/fantasy as C.E. Murphy, so it's quite polished. It doesn't hurt that it's set in Dublin with actual buildings and monuments. Murphy's debut did send me down a rabbit hole as I looked at pictures of Dublin and listened to several versions of "Molly Malone".

Megan Malone's client dies at the feet of the statue of Molly Malone. Megan is an American transplant who drives tourists around for Leprechaun Limo Service. The former army medic enjoys chatting with people, asking them about their stories, so the job is perfect for her. Elizabeth Darr, a renowned restaurant critic and food blogger has been a regular client for three months as she and her husband, Dr. Simon Darr, explore restaurants and Ireland. But, when Liz dies after eating dinner at Canan's, owned by Megan's friend Fiann Canan, the detective garda Paul Bourke asks Megan if her friend regularly poisons guests.

Fiann knows she's ruined if it turns out Liz died of food poisoning. In Ireland, the chef is responsible, and that's Fiann. But, Megan knows Simon, Liz's husband, and she's willing to help him get through the next couple days, helping with Liz's website, picking up her parents at the airport. And, of course, Megan will do what she does best. She'll ask questions, and she'll listen. Megan and Simon are both shocked, though, when they suddenly hear Liz' voice. It seems she had a blog ready to go live. And, in the background, she's softly singing "Molly Malone".

Megan has been in Dublin for three years, and she has quite a few friends, and even family members to call on for help. Megan is a loyal friend, and she won't let Fiann or Liz' parents down as she looks for the person who killed the restaurant critic. She's not even willing to disappoint a mother Jack Russell terrier and her two newborn pups. Megan Malone is a sucker for needy people.

Dead in Dublin is a polished, enjoyable debut. And, it's wonderful to read about a mature, forty-year-old amateur sleuth with life experience. However, three-quarters of the way into the book, Megan disappointed me. She took some actions, pushing her own investigation, that could have been dangerous for anyone, let alone an amateur sleuth. The world Megan Malone was investigating could be dangerous. It was risky just asking questions because she could have asked the wrong people.

It struck me after I finished that there were actually a few loose ends that weren't tied up. Believe it or not, one has to do with the song, "Molly Malone". However, that's a minor point. And, I was very pleased that she has a pronunciation guide to some of the Irish names at the front of the book.

Murphy already has the next two books in the series written, and I can't wait. I love Ireland, and this book, despite the murders, makes me ready to go back. It doesn't hurt that I looked at pictures. Murphy takes readers to sites from the book on her site, mizkit.com/DublinDriverPhotography. Start with the statue of Molly Malone, and you'll feel ready to read this mystery. And, you really should listen to a version or two of the song "Molly Malone". ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Fee (Ebook Addicts) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, read-in-2020

Megan Malone is an American expat living in Dublin and drives limos and town cars for Leprechaun Limo Service, her current charge is food blogger Elizabeth Darr and her husband Simon. When Elizabeth drops dead shortly after dining at a local restaurant, owned by Megan's friend who is not only distraught that someone has died after eating at her restaurant but also worried how it will impact her business, she begs Megan to look into Elizabeth's death. Was it food poisoning or something more ...more

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Jan 18, 2020 Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cozy-british-isles

PHEW! I thought this was going to be a gentle read over a couple of evenings, at 02.00 hours I turned the last page and wanted more!

Megan Malone did 20 years in the US military and she has now ended up in Dublin, renting an apartment and being a driver for the Leprechaun Limo Service and is working one day when she sees one of her clients collapse under the bronze statue of Molly Malone, the client's husband is frantically doing CPR when Megan comes to assist (she was a Medic whilst in service), ...more

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Jan 07, 2020 Kav rated it really liked it

So much to love about this new series (and new-to-me author.) Love the Dublin setting, the unusual occupation for a cozy mystery heroine, Megan's larger than life friends and the subtle hints at something developing between Meg and a certain garda detective. And there's puppies!!!!

The mystery is a bit darker than the usual cozy fare but very cleverly developed with plenty of surprising twists. Love Megan's dogged determination to make sense out of the chaos. Her army medic background stands her ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 Eden rated it really liked it

Shelves: country-ireland

2020 bk 37. A new author for me and a new mystery series. Set in Dublin, ex-pat Megan Malone is a hired driver for tourists, her latest charges being food critic sensation, Elizabeth Darr and her husband. When Elizabeth dies, Megan promises to help her husband and later his in-laws, despite orders to the contrary from her boss. A lovely mystery with the clues bunched up more at the end rather than spread out. The early part, however, does a terrific job at introducing the characters who will be ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Patty rated it liked it

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the 1st book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Megan Malone recently retired from the military, and moved to Dublin. She has a duel citizenship with US and Ireland. Megan is working for Leprechaun Limo driving tourist around, and enjoys it. When one of Megan's regular customers, a restaurant critic, dies suddenly on the sidewalk after eating at her friends restaurant, Megan is determined to find the truth. I really wanted to ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 Sandra Berryman rated it really liked it

This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries, I hope, with interesting characters and a solid plot line. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

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Dec 12, 2019 Toni rated it liked it

3.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Dublin Driver mystery series by Catie Murphy.

There was quite a lot of build-up in this story. I had a hard time grasping the entire scenario. It wasn’t until the halfway point I had my feet under me and was understanding the concept of this book. I am not certain what had me stymied.

I didn’t get the lush sense of Dublin like I thought I would and I understand that you can’t do that constantly. I probably missed all the Ireland-esque build-up when I was so ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Katreader rated it really liked it

DEAD IN DUBLIN by Catie Murphy
The First Dublin Driver Mystery

Originally from Texas. Megan Malone now calls Ireland home. Enjoying life abroad, Megan works as a driver for Leprechaun Limo Service. For months she'd been the regular driver for Liz Darr, noted American restaurant critic and blogger, and her husband when they visit Dublin. Leaving dinner one night Liz dropped to the ground and died at the foot of the famous statue of Molly Malone. Surely food poisoning couldn't have killed that ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Nina Silva rated it really liked it

Dead in Dublin is a fun read and a great start to a new series by author, Catie Murphy. Let’s get straight to the meat of the matter.

The mystery we have to solve is who killed Liz Darr, travel blogger and food critic. At first it doesn’t seem as if there will be many suspects, with her and her husband being on vacation and all, but the tale starts spinning and motives and possible suspects start popping. Megan’s involvement in the case isn’t too unrealistic as she simply promises to help find a Dead in Dublin is a fun read and a great start to a new series by author, Catie Murphy. Let’s get straight to the meat of the matter.

The mystery we have to solve is who killed Liz Darr, travel blogger and food critic. At first it doesn’t seem as if there will be many suspects, with her and her husband being on vacation and all, but the tale starts spinning and motives and possible suspects start popping. Megan’s involvement in the case isn’t too unrealistic as she simply promises to help find a few answers for Liz’s family. She’s also trying to help a friend clear her restaurant’s name of any wrong-doing. Along the way, Liz meets a sweet and competent detective, who just happens to be quite good-looking too! The clues are revealed at a good clip and enough red herrings are placed to keep the reader guessing. The plot does, at times, get more intricate and it’s only when certain connections are made that it’s possible to figure out the key to this murder-mystery puzzle.

In terms of characters, we meet several animated and interesting folks. Megan’s closest friends are a restaurateur, Fionn and an actress, Niamh, both of whom lend an element of sweetness and hilarity to the story. Their friendship will be a fun one to enjoy as the series progresses. Readers also meet the surly Orla, Megan’s boss, and the quirky Brian who runs a small-press publishing house out of his spare room.

The show-stealers, however, would have to be Mama dog and her adorable newborn puppies who manage to worm their way into Fionn’s restaurant and Meg’s heart. I can’t wait to find out if/ how Meg is going to keep these guys.

The Dublin setting is described in just the right amount of detail. Readers get a very real sense of the location and ambiance.

My only peeve is the constant ‘American comparisons’. One of the reasons I chose to read this story is that I was excited to read the Irish setting. I don’t need to know how everything from street sign locations to temperatures to ground floor locations compare between the countries. I’m happy to simply explore and enjoy the setting for what it is. Hopefully, as the series continues there will be less need to constantly compare U.S. versus Ireland.

That said, I really did like that the story is prefaced with a pronunciation guide for common Irish names. It is super informative and I’m pleased to be able to pronounce the names correctly! And I was thrilled to learn about the hauntingly beautiful Sinead O’Connor version of the Molly Malone song, which features quite prominently in the story.

Overall, Dead in Dublin is a clever beginning to what promises to be an intriguing series with quirky characters and an old world setting. ...more

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Feb 07, 2020 Laura rated it really liked it

I don't often read cosy mysteries because they can be insufferably twee, but this wasn't at all. It's a fun romp through (accurately described) Dublin with interesting characters and a decent mystery. Can't wait for the next one!

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Jan 10, 2020 Mary Anne rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this cozy mystery quite a bit. Enjoyable, interesting characters and a nice sense of pacing in a colorful setting.

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Dec 12, 2019 Diana Francis rated it it was amazing

First, so you know, I got Dead in Dublin from Netgalley. Also, Catie's a friend and I love her books in general, and pounced on this one super fast because it sounded so good and did I say I love her books? She's an amazing writer.

Now, onto the book. Here's the backcover copy:

In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty, murder occurs at the feet of sweet Molly Malone . . .

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. First, so you know, I got Dead in Dublin from Netgalley. Also, Catie's a friend and I love her books in general, and pounced on this one super fast because it sounded so good and did I say I love her books? She's an amazing writer.

Now, onto the book. Here's the backcover copy:

In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty, murder occurs at the feet of sweet Molly Malone . . .

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. Still, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland. She likes the scenery, the easy pace, the quirky, quick-witted locals. Everything—except having one of her clients drop dead at the statue of fabled fishmonger, Molly Malone.

Most restaurant critics notch up their share of enemies. Elizabeth Darr, however, was a well-loved international star. She and her husband, Simon, had just had dinner when Elizabeth collapsed, and spoiled seafood is the first suspect. The restaurant’s owner, worried her business is doomed, begs Megan to look into it. Between her irate boss and a handsome Garda who’s both amused and annoyed by her persistence, Megan has her hands full even before she’s cajoled into taking care of two adorable Jack Russell puppies (which she is almost definitely not keeping). But if cockles and mussels aren’t to blame, can Megan find the real culprit . . .before another fishy death occurs?

I'm going to start with why I wanted to read this book. Catie lives in Dublin. Having her character be an American living in Ireland really grabbed me, because I felt like it would give me a really good sense of the place from an American perspective, but without any obnoxious judginess. Megan appreciates Dublin and the Irish people and culture. Her point of view makes it so an American reader can easily understand the differences and sometimes quirkiness of Ireland, but without it being condescending and obnoxious. I felt like I was in Dublin and I could almost hear people speaking.

This is a cozy mystery, so it moves at a slower pace than other mysteries, and yet this one felt like it moved at a quick clip. I was hooked by the mystery and hated having to set the book down to do anything else. I appreciated that Megan's involvement in the mystery happened so organically, and that she wasn't looking to horn in at all. She was a fresh take on the amateur sleuth. But then between her boss and the grieving relatives, she feels compelled to help solve Elizabeth's murder. The little bits of information she tracks down for them pull her deeper and deeper into the mystery.

I really liked her developing friendship with Detective Bourke. He's very real and takes the information she gives him without a lot of bitching about how she shouldn't be involved. He points out she shouldn't be, but he's the type of detective who wants to solve a case and so the clues she finds are useful. Also, she doesn't get in the way or 't withhold information from him, or treat the Gardai like an enemy.

Megan is a really likeable character. She's good at her job, reasonable, thoughtful, generous, and a good friend. She cares about people, even strangers, and she's smart. I really loved this book and I strongly recommend it. It's perfect for a rainy day by the fire. By way of teasing me, the first chapter of the next book was included, and I was very very very disappointed that I couldn't get it right now. Sigh. ...more

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Nov 22, 2019 Mary rated it it was amazing

This is the first in a new Dublin Driver Mystery series. The main character Megan Malone has been living in Ireland for the last 3 years and has been a limo driver taking all sorts of tourists around the city and surrounding area. Being an American she often has American tourists and she has been driving around for the last several weeks food blogger Elizabeth Darr and her husband Simon. Megan is waiting for Elizabeth and Simon outside the Canan restaurant where her friend Fionn is the chef and This is the first in a new Dublin Driver Mystery series. The main character Megan Malone has been living in Ireland for the last 3 years and has been a limo driver taking all sorts of tourists around the city and surrounding area. Being an American she often has American tourists and she has been driving around for the last several weeks food blogger Elizabeth Darr and her husband Simon. Megan is waiting for Elizabeth and Simon outside the Canan restaurant where her friend Fionn is the chef and part owner. She sees that Elizabeth has collapsed right by the famous statue of Molly Malone (also Elizabeth’s favorite song) and her husband Simon who is a doctor is doing CPR. Megan rushes over to help as she is a former military medic but nothing can save Elizabeth. The police (Garda) arrive and shut down the restaurant. Fionn is freaking out as in Ireland the chef is responsible if it is food poisoning and her business partner Martin and owner of the bar upstairs is freaking out that the places must be closed for a few days to clear the restaurant of food poisoning. Megan is also devastated as she like both Elizabeth and Simon. Megan goes to find out more but the cute Garda Detective Bourke will not give her much info so she goes to the hospital to pick up Simon and take him back to the hotel. She also learns Simon ate some of the same food that Liz did so she let’s Fionn know that it is unlikely it is food poisoning. What kills a young healthy woman that quickly? Megan goes to the hotel the next morning to check on Simon and gets a request from him to pick up Liz’s parents that day from the airport. Megan agrees although her boss is not going to like it as she wants to distance herself and Megan from this whole mess. While at the hotel the computer plays a new blog from Liz that is like seeing a ghost. She then goes to the restaurant to check on Fionn. While there she hears a crash in the kitchen and finds a dog and her two new puppies? Fionn can’t keep them with the health inspectors coming by so Megan takes them in and swears she is not keeping them (time will tell on that). The waitress Ciara is devastated that she has done something and Megan again assures both of them it is unlikely to be food poisoning. She is looking for clues as she feels Liz needs justice. The next thing we find out is that Martin is murdered and Megan struggles to see how can the two murders be related. The story unfolds at a good pace and Megan surrounds herself with some colorful characters (Dee) and friends. I did not guess who the murderer was and enjoyed getting to know Megan and her friends. This is going to be an interesting new series and look forward to the next one. Highly recommend. ...more

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Jan 07, 2020 Sharon Tyler rated it really liked it

Dead in Dublin is the first book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series by Catie Murphy. It is currently scheduled for release on December 31 2019.

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. Still, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland. She likes the scenery, the easy pace, the quirky, quick-witted locals. Everything—except having one of her clients drop dead at the statue of fabled fishmonger, Molly Malone. Most Dead in Dublin is the first book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series by Catie Murphy. It is currently scheduled for release on December 31 2019.

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. Still, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland. She likes the scenery, the easy pace, the quirky, quick-witted locals. Everything—except having one of her clients drop dead at the statue of fabled fishmonger, Molly Malone. Most restaurant critics notch up their share of enemies. Elizabeth Darr, however, was a well-loved international star. She and her husband, Simon, had just had dinner when Elizabeth collapsed, and spoiled seafood is the first suspect. The restaurant’s owner, worried her business is doomed, begs Megan to look into it. Between her irate boss and a handsome Garda who’s both amused and annoyed by her persistence, Megan has her hands full even before she’s cajoled into taking care of two adorable Jack Russell puppies (which she is almost definitely not keeping). But if cockles and mussels aren’t to blame, can Megan find the real culprit . . .before another fishy death occurs?

Dead in Dublin is a great introduction to a series. I liked Megan's character, and the fact that she had friends and a community that felt real- and while there is much more background that could be explored for her and her friends, I felt like readers got just enough to hook them. I also liked that Megan was more mature that the typical twenty something that is found in current fiction. I could relate to her love of sleep, food, and routine more than I usually relate to lead characters. I like that there were hints and bits about Megan's past and family that were revealed through the entire book, there was no huge information dump to overwhelm readers- which sometimes happens in first books of intended series. I loved getting to meet people right alongside Megan as she gets caught up in answering questions that Liz's death stirred up, and getting to know her circle of friends as well. I love that the group was eclectic in the way many of our chosen family are, and could only be envious of the friends that Megan has. The mystery was well plotted and paced, and I was thrilled to be surprised with the culprit, method, and motive of the murder. The addition of a grumpy boss, super cute puppies, and the possibility of romance for friends kept the read even more interesting and enjoyable. I look forward to whatever comes next from Murphy.

Dead in Dublin is an engaging and entertaining read. This is a series that I look forward to following. ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Caitlyn Lynch rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cozy-mystery

After twenty years in the US Army as a driver and a combat medic, Megan Malone is settling into the quiet life as a driver for a luxury car service in Dublin, Ireland. When a client unexpectedly drops dead just outside her car, her own empathy for the deceased’s husband means she can’t just walk away, and she’s drawn into the police investigation by insatiable curiosity.

Dublin’s a fascinating setting for a cozy mystery series, with its old-world architecture and atmosphere combined with the After twenty years in the US Army as a driver and a combat medic, Megan Malone is settling into the quiet life as a driver for a luxury car service in Dublin, Ireland. When a client unexpectedly drops dead just outside her car, her own empathy for the deceased’s husband means she can’t just walk away, and she’s drawn into the police investigation by insatiable curiosity.

Dublin’s a fascinating setting for a cozy mystery series, with its old-world architecture and atmosphere combined with the cosmopolitan realities of life in a capital city. Megan has a wonderful network of friends, a delightfully diverse one with Niamh the leading actress who’s black and still proudly Irish, Fionnula the chef, Brian the small publisher and Orla, Megan’s nightmare of a boss. Some animal colour is added with the stray Jack Russell and two newborn puppies Megan ends up taking in ‘just until a rescue can take them’ which, somehow, I can see evolving into a much longer-term relationship than Megan currently anticipates. There’s maaaybe just the hint of romantic interest between Megan and a detective, even though she tries to set him up with Niamh at one point, I think I detected a few sparks and I’d really like to see how that plays out.

One murder turns into two and Megan develops an impending sense of urgency when her client is arrested for a murder she’s pretty sure he didn’t commit. She’s tenacious and refuses to give in, which leads her eventually into danger when someone decides she’s too close to the truth. I didn’t see the eventual solution coming at all, but it absolutely made logical sense considering everything Megan learns throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this first in a new series. Dublin makes a really nice change of pace from the mostly-American set cozy mysteries I’ve read to date, and Megan’s a really interesting heroine. There’s obviously a lot more backstory to be revealed about her; we learn just enough about her here to want to know more. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next in the series! Five stars for a great addition to the genre.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
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Jan 15, 2020 Ashley Cate rated it really liked it

Shelves: craving-for-cozies-challenge-2020

Dead in Dublin is the first book in the new Dublin Driver mystery series by author Catie Murphy. Apparently this author has published several books under another name in the sci-fi/fantasy genre and you can definitely tell because her writing already has a great polish to it. I picked up a copy of this book after reading a synopsis on Amazon and thought that it sounded like a really interesting book. I am so glad that I did! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future books in ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-craving-for-cozies-challenge

This new series is off to a great start. The setting was the first thing to catch my interest. Set in Dublin, one of my favorite cities and then to have a very believable character and a engrossing mystery, well it wasn't hard to find a place for this series on my must read list.
Megan Malone moved to Dublin three years ago when she left her military life as a medic after putting in twenty years, It was time for a change and as her family roots are there, she headed for Dublin. Taking a job as a ...more

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