Dial P For Poison

Movie Club Mysteries #1

by Zara Keane

“My career in the San Francisco PD ended the day I arrested my husband.”

Maggie Doyle gives her cheating ex and crumbling career in the San Francisco PD the proverbial middle finger, and moves to the Wild West…of Ireland.

Lured by her aunt’s promise of a restful Irish vacation, Maggie agrees to help out at the Movie Theater Café in exchange for bed and board. Things are looking up—until the most hated woman on Whisper Island is poisoned at the café. With her aunt as the prime suspect, Maggie and her rock-hard muffins are hurled into the murder investigation.

With the help of her UFO-enthusiast friend, a nun, and a feral puppy, Maggie is determined to clear her aunt’s name. Can she catch the murderer before they strike again? Or will her terrible baking skills burn down the cafe first?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Crime, Contemporary, Romance

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2017

About the author

Zara Keane is a USA Today bestselling author of Irish cozy mysteries and romantic comedies.

Zara grew up in Dublin, Ireland, but spent her summers in a small town very similar to the fictitious Ballybeg and Smuggler's Cove.

She currently lives in Switzerland with her family. When she’s not writing, Zara loves knitting, running, unplugged gaming, and adding to her insanely large lipstick collection.

Don't miss a new story! For news, giveaways, and TWO free stories, sign up for Zara's Mailing List at https://zarakeane.com/newsletter/

Zara can also be found in her Facebook Reader Group, the Mystery Mavens.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Maggie Doyle’s marriage crumbled, and she filed for divorce, she also left her job with the San Francisco police department – she needed a break; a fresh start and when her Aunt Noreen offered her sanctuary at her home on Whisper Island, Maggie immediately accepted. She’d never worked in a café before, but the Movie Theatre Café which her aunt owned was a balm to Maggie’s soul. Until the night the group of islanders were together and one of them ended up dead…

The island’s local cop was more interested in his golf game than solving a crime, so Maggie decided to find the answers. With her aunt as the main suspect, Maggie had much more incentive to find the killer – but could she? What would be the outcome on this little island where the residents all knew and trusted each other?

Dial P for Poison – first in the Movie Club Mystery series - was a thoroughly enjoyable cosy mystery by Irish author Zara Keane. I had absolutely no idea who the perpetrator was until the reveal – and then I was shocked! Intriguing, mysterious, with great characters, I’ll be looking for the next in the series as soon as I can. Highly recommended.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very charming mystery with a likeable cast and a great setting. I liked Maggie right away and her embracing the opportunity to return to a place that had (mostly) happy memories from her childhood when her life blew up. There are newly-refound friendships and some old animosities and characters that were quirky without being over the top. I particularly liked how investigating the unexpected murder of one of the least-liked people on the island lead to the discovery of sordid details of the people of the island without making it seem like you'd somehow found yourself on monster island.

Indeed, the complexity of the interwoven plot was fun to navigate, even if some of the side characters verged on caricature. Which sounds worse than it is as all the central characters had all the complexity they needed to be engaging while still serving the needs of their respective plot roles.

And now I'm sounding clinical. The truth is that I was charmed from the start and couldn't wait to pick up the next in the series. So I'm giving this a solid four stars and I'm happy I found an engaging mystery with characters I want to spend more time with.

A note about Chaste: Maggie isn't looking for (or finding) a romantic relationship. Her marriage just blew up and divorce proceedings are underway so there's not really room for new intimacy. So there's not so much as any kissing so this is very chaste. Not unusual in the genre...

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Such a good mystery. Even though I started this book not expecting to like it that much, I loved it. In fact, I just bought the next one.
One thing I would like to see is a book showing when she lived in the U.S. and worked as a cop.

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

San Francisco PD officer Maggie Doyle has left the police under a cloud, after attacking her cheating ex. She takes a break, returning to Whisper Island off the Irish coast, where she spent many of her childhood/teen holidays with aunts and her cousin. One of her aunts, Noreen, owns the Movie Theatre Café, a venue favoured by many of the social clubs on the island. During the screening of a Hitchcock classic, “Dial M for Murder”, the vindictive local gossip columnist Sandra meets an untimely end, with the bumbling Sgt O’Shea arresting Noreen as the prime suspect.

Normally, I am not a big fan of “cosies”, but I really enjoyed this character-driven whodunit – where it seems half the island had a motive to kill the victim. This was a story with everything, animals, humour, a fledgling romance, bad cooking, secrets and skeletons, and of course the scenery and vagaries of the weather. Maggie Doyle is a wonderful MC (not some ditzy airhead) and even gets drawn into a fight scene with the murderer.

Verdict: Well recommended, and I will look out for others in the series.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This didn't work for me. The main character is the quintessential obnoxious American. She arrives in the tiny Irish town her father is from to lick her wounds from a cheating jerk of a soon-to-be-ex husband and help out her aunt with the island's movie-theatre themed cafe. She should be trying to acclimate and fit in with the locals.

And yet, when the island bitch turns up dead after a themed movie night in the cafe she immediately starts telling everyone - including the local guard - what they should be doing about it because they don't immediately accept her suspicion it was murder. While I assume she is right - this is a cozy mystery after all - the way she immediately starts throwing her "smarter-than-thou" opinions around with no recognition of or respect for how things work on the island at all.

I didn't like the main character too much to keep reading this.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, 77% of readers here awarded 4 or 5 stars. We can't all like the same things. This is a cozy and the beginning of a series with this first book free from Amazon. Thus...easy decision to try it out. I did want to read it because of the Ireland setting and the idea of a transplanted San Francisco police woman going back home to the island of childhood after a nasty divorce. It is a very simple story with simple assumptions and silly action. In a nutshell. But it costs nothing to try, a good thing.

[Penny Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming introduction to this cozy mystery series! I can't wait to read the next installment.

Keane is a lovely writer, and she does a wonderful job bringing this quaint Irish town to life. It includes plenty of quirky characters, a likable protagonist (Maggie), and an engaging mystery to solve. The pace is brisk and the story doesn't get bogged down with too many mystery-solving details (my pet peeve with many cozy mysteries).

I am hooked!

Grade: A

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie, reeling from her recent divorce and suspension from SFPD, goes back to the Irish island where she spent summers as a child to help her Aunt Noreen. Shockingly, Noreen is accused of murdering a nasty islander. There are secrets on Whisper Island--blackmail, bigamy, embezzlement--and Maggie is determined to clear her aunt's name, since the island's incompetent policeman is more interested in playing golf. Three and a half stars for this enjoyable kindle freebie.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine who-done-it. The author kept me guessing about who committed the murder until the end. Well plotted out with decent character development. The main character was compelling and I look forward to reading further novel by the author.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received for an honest review

A new series from Zara Keane? Let me at it!

I have reading Ms Keane since I first stumbled across her with the Ballybeg series, and I have enjoyed everything I have read since, and Dial P For Poison is no exception.

I adored Maggie from when we first meet her. I like her take no prisoner, don't mess with me attitude. I love that she doesn't take any of the small town crap that is thrown at her.

There is a rag tag bunch of characters that are just a hoot. Some I just loved, some, well, let's just say I felt that may get what the deserve.

There were so many twists and turns in this whodunnit, that we are kept guessing right up until the last minute who our culprit is.

This book is just the right mix of humour, drama, mystery and suspense. There wasn't any romance in this story, which I was kind of expected. However, it looks like we are getting set up for some in the next book in the series, The Postman Always Dies Twice.

Can't wait to see what adventures Ms Keane takes us on next.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle freebie at the time of download. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and not affected by the giveaway.

Maggie Doyle loses her husband and her career all in the same day. OK so maybe she shouldn’t have punched him…twice. And kicked him in the groin, but he deserved it, the cheating bastard! After losing everything and drowning her sorrows in junk food, Maggie heads to Whisper Island, Ireland to stay with her aunt Noreen for a bit while she figures out her next move. Maggie is enchanted by her aunt's Movie Theater Café and the various activities that happen there but is horrified to discover her aunt expects Maggie to learn to cook in one day to cover for Noreen while she has her wisdom teeth removed! Sure Maggie loses one of her aunt's cats, can't make a decent cup of tea, burns the scones and nearly the café but she has everything covered. There was no need for Noreen to return right away. Noreen does return and with a prescription for opioid pain pills that will prove to be fatal for someone on the island. That night, at movie night, Maggie is busy slinging cocktails and trying to deflect nasty barbs from Sandra Walker who is eager to put the Movie Theater Café out of business. Maggie never dreamed Sandra would do it by dying! While close the Movie Theater Café, Maggie discovers Sandra's lifeless body and assumes foul play. Garda Sergeant O’Shea says otherwise. Dr. Reilley pronounces Sandra's death natural causes by heart attack and Sergeant O'Shea is eager to stick to that pronouncement and get back to his golf game. Maggie, once and always a cop, is incensed. She knows how to conduct a proper investigation and she's going to make sure that pompous police officer does his job! Unfortunately, that means Noreen becomes the number one suspect when it is proven that her pain pills killed Sandra! Maggie knows her sweet aunt would never harm a fly and is determined to solve the mystery, even after the handsome Garda Sergeant Liam Reynolds arrives on the island to take over the investigation.

This story was a pleasant surprise. Usually Kindle freebies are mediocre and ruined by grammar mistakes and typos. This one was mercifully well-edited and entertaining. The writing style is fast paced and funny. The opening paragraph made me laugh and hooked me in. I enjoyed both the cozy local color and the mystery. I haven't read much about modern Ireland and nothing about an island, just a few silly romcom movies. Whisper Island or Inis na Cogar is an interesting place. It's well described and I feel like I was there in the cold and damp. I like the concept of the café but was disappointed the recipe was for a cocktail that would be up my alley if there was a non-alcoholic version. I stayed up late to finish reading it because I couldn't put it down! The murderer was a surprise and I thought their motive was rather strange and unrealistic.

I like Maggie. I wasn't sure about her as the sleuth at first because she is a trained police officer but in Ireland she is not and she's seen as a nosy busybody like the regular cozy mystery sleuths. Maggie has a good heart and loves her family no matter what. She's determined to see justice done and help everyone with their problems. She does need to learn how to bake though. She's already the butt of the joke of the fire department after one day. Maggie gets her big heart from Aunt Noreen. Noreen is a sweetheart of a woman who can't resist an animal in need and mothers everyone she can. She is so happy to have Maggie with her and tries to fatten Maggie up with her good Irish cooking. Noreen is the grandmother figure of this story. I could do without all her cats, especially a pregnant cat sleeping in my bed! I love her dog Bran, though and was happy he ends up playing an important role in the story while the cats Roly and Poly take more of a backseat as they stay on the property.

The murder victim, Sandra Walker, mother to Maggie's nemesis Melanie, was the most hated woman on the island. Sandra was wealthy, snobby and nasty. She never missed an opportunity to put someone down, insult them openly and is believed to have been the writer behind the anonymous malicious gossip column in the local paper. Her daughter doesn't seem to have known Sandra at all. I kept reading Melanie as a stereotypical southern belle. She claims she was close to her mother, yet her public grieving was all for show with the focus on her. She claims everyone loved her mother and no one would want to harm her. Yet, we know Sandra was trying to shut down Noreen's business to benefit her own family interests. We also know there was no love lost between Sandra and her son-in-law, Paul Greer. Paul, Maggie's high school summer boyfriend, was the richest man on the island. He is weak and selfish. It's no wonder Sandra hated him. I think the gossip note about a powerful man having an affair is about him. I'm convinced one of these two killed Sandra for her money and to silence any rumors she may have started.

Maggie's cousin Julie, a teacher, is a bit naïve but very sweet. She's eager to impress a man who probably won't look twice at her and I don't approve of that but she's also contributing to a good cause while she does it, so that's OK. Julie was at the café that night but she doesn't seem to be a strong candidate for murderer. Her parents, Philomena and John, are nice people but Philomena seems to be hiding something. Everyone believes she's having an affair which is difficult to believe as she and John seem like such a loving couple. He comes across as less intellectual and more of a hearty country soul. She's a librarian. I think she's hiding something but it's not murder. A librarian would be too smart to be so clumsy, plus why would she frame her sister? It would be too obvious to point the blame at the family using Noreen's pills. No, that doesn't fit.

A stronger suspect is Paddy Driscoll, the cranky farmer next door to Noreen. He has a good reason to hate Sandra and want Noreen to stop bothering him. He doesn't seem to like anyone though and is very curmudgeonly. He owns a gun and I suspect if he was going to kill someone, he'd use his gone AND freely admit to it for some excuse. Could he have used the pills to throw suspicion off himself? It would get Noreen out of the way but I would think she would need him to care for her animals while she's in jail! Cormac Tate, the principal of the island’s elementary school, seems awfully upset at something in the gossip column. He's a fussy, somewhat vain man who wants to protect his private life. Could the rumors be true? Did he kill Sandra? I think he has the capacity to do so and the motive. Sister Pauline is a friend of Noreen's. She had a life before she became a nun and I'm sure it was colorful. There's rumors flying around about her past based on malicious gossip in the paper. What was it and would a woman who has devoted her life to God really murder someone? I hope not.

Maggie's friend Lenny Logan, a stoner and alien conspiracy enthusiast, is a very fun character. He's quirky and extremely eccentric even when he's sober. We never see him high, actually. Lenny is a tech guru with access to Sandra's laptop. Lenny is a good friend to Maggie and helps her investigation even when he believes it was aliens. His friend, Mack McConnell, a pharmacist, is a little more grounded than Lenny. Mack also believes in aliens but he also knows the dangerous nature of opioids and how many people abuse them. He has access to names of people with legitimate prescriptions though and access to the drugs. Did he kill Sandra for some reason? Well, no, because he wasn't at movie night but perhaps she was drugged earlier?

Garda Sergeant O'Shea should be sacked. He's super lazy and incompetent. He's quick to dismiss Sandra's death as natural causes because he doesn't want to take the time to investigate. He claims sending her drink in for testing would cost resources the department doesn't really have. Maggie thinks it's because it takes time. The time Sergeant O'Shea would rather spend on the golf course. I think he might actually be the murderer. Everyone is gossiping about him too. How would he get so far in his career if he's really that lazy and incompetent? I think there's an off chance he might be covering up his own crime.

Other fun locals include Miss Murphy and Miss Flynn, an elderly couple who sometimes can be snippy but can also be helpful and kind. One of the gossip column notes may have been about the two elderly spinsters, claiming they were a couple, something they hotly deny. I believe they are a couple but no one really cares. Everyone is used to them as eccentric old ladies who happen to live together as spinsters of a certain age often do. I liked them. I also liked the Two Gerries, the Irish Waldorf and Statler from the Muppet Show. They're not so grumpy as the Muppets. They're more of a joking grumpy. One is really grumpy and the other one just likes to tease his companion, I think. Joan Sweetman, a local gallery owner, is an elegant widow. She's a bit cold but kind to Maggie. Jennifer Pearce, a lawyer and girlfriend of Joan Sweetman's stepson, is kind of rude at first and she gets put in a tough spot. She turns out to be nice enough and good at her job. Garda Sergeant Liam Reynolds is not local but he comes to town to solve the murder. He's sexy, rides a motorcycle and is quite cheeky. I like his sense of humor because Maggie takes herself a little too seriously at times. He seems to trust her even if he finds her a pain in the neck and wants her to butt out of his investigation. I sense a potential love interest. (I know she has one, from a later story I read, but I can't remember his name!)

This is a great start to the series and I hope to read more about Maggie in the future.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good cozy mystery. I liked the main character Maggie. She was smart, loyal, and kind and has an interesting internal dialogue. At the novel's beginning, Maggie arrives at Whisper Island, Ireland to stay with her aunt. Maggie quit her job as a police officer after catching her husband cheating on her. After the divorce, Maggie decides to go to her aunt with whom she used to spend summers. Within days the murder of the town gossip soon puts Maggie's deductive skills to the test as she tries to clear her aunt's name. This was a better-than-average cozy. I liked all the side characters and thought the writing was well done. The mystery held my interest and liked the hint of potential romance for the next book. I will most likely continue on in the series.

[Cecilia Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cozy mystery novel. The story kept me guessing, I was totally surprised in the end! Add in a snarky, tell-it-how-it-is leading lady and a crazy cast of islanders and you have a book that exemplifies the genre. I'm very much looking forward to spending more time with Maggie on Whisper Island.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute cozy set on a small island. Fun cast of support characters

[Trader (RedHotBlueReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

In this new release from Zara Keane, she crafts a delicious little mystery around what she does best -- small town life. Maggie Doyle runs back to Ireland after a rather nasty divorce, hoping to get her life back together, and help her aunt while she's taking care of some minor medical issues. It's all very calm, that is until someone is murdered in the Movie Theater Cafe.

Maggie can't stay out of it as a former police officer. When the local garda doesn't really want to investigate, Maggie decides she needs to take the situation in hand and investigate herself, which ruffles quite a few feathers.

I thought this was a great start to this series. The characters were quirky and fun (including Maggie) and the mystery was well crafted. I thought I knew who had done the crime, but there are enough twists that I was surprised by the end result. I like that in a mystery.

There are also some hints to a potential romantic entanglement for Maggie, which is awesome and I can't wait to see how that all works out for her too after the final scenes in Dial P for Poison. I wish there had been more of the romantic tension earlier in the book, and that's really the only critical thing I can say about this book. Zara Keane writes about small town life in a way that makes you want to be there with the characters and I love that.

I'm ready for the next book in this series, like now!

ARC provided for review.

[EmmyT · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could Not Finish. Not only is she the Ugly American thinking she's all knowing and wonderful, she is an obnoxious person in general. This is her dad's hometown, she has relatives and friends there, yet she doesn't know how to act. Did not like author's explanation that she would be using American spelling. Good grief! Readers can deal with Irish spelling.

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in the Movie Club Mysteries series introduces us to American Maggie Doyle. Formerly of San Francisco, Maggie’s career with the San Francisco Police Department went up in smoke when she arrested her creep of a husband. She may or may not have made those handcuffs excessively tight, but he totally deserved it. With her career out the window, Maggie accepts her Aunt Noreen’s offer of a place to stay on Whisper Island in Ireland. In exchange, Maggie will help her Aunt with her café. The only problem is Maggie isn’t much of a baker and hopefully Maggie’s help doesn’t drive off all of Noreen’s customers.

While working at the movie theater café for the monthly movie night event, the body of a local resident is found dead. Did she die by her own hand, natural causes or was she poisoned? After the local law enforcement appears to write it off as either a suicide or heart attack, Maggie’s investigative skills go into overdrive and before she knows it, her Aunt has become the prime suspect. Now Maggie, with the help of some of the locals are racing the clock to find out who wanted this woman dead. The list of suspects is lengthy as the victim had made plenty of enemies.

I enjoyed this story and meeting Maggie. When life goes pear shaped, picking up and starting over in Ireland sounds divine. Being half-Irish on her father’s side is a good thing so Maggie won’t have to go through the red-tape bureaucracy of staying like I would if I wanted to relocate. I liked her tenacity, but I think it’s going to get her into more trouble with the local police Seargeant, who is not receptive to Maggie investigating, because it makes him appear incompetent, which he is.

I enjoy Zara Keane’s writing and am pleased to see her branching out into other genres. There are some humorous moments in this story as well as the possibility of romance for Maggie down the road. This made me happy as the last thing she needs to concern herself with right now is romance. However, I hope Liam Reynolds continues to appear in the series, as when the time is right for Maggie to entertain romance, he would be a great choice. The mystery was fleshed out very well. I was unable to decide on the killer’s identity so when it was finally revealed, I had a giddy moment of surprise and the explanation of why the murder occurred was quite interesting.

I thought the story moved at a good pace, giving me the time I needed to get to know all of the characters and follow along. Dial P For Poison is a good start to this series, which is currently at seven books. Each book is a play on classic movie titles, which is very appealing to me. I recommend this series be read in order so that the reader gets to experience the character’s growth and development throughout the series.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this series to fans of cozy mysteries as well as stories with interesting and charming characters. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series, getting to know Maggie better and finding out what she gets involved in next.

Thank you to the author, Zara Keane, for the invitation to read and review.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Doyle has left her life in San Francisco to help her Aunt Noreen with her Movie Theater Cafe in Smuggler's Cove on Whisper Island off the coast of Ireland. Maggie had to arrest her wealthy lawyer husband for DUI. At the time of his arrest she discovered he was sleeping with his paralegal and proceeded to kick him where it hurts the most. Not waiting for her superiors in the San Francisco Police Department to stick her on desk duty, she quit and started divorce proceedings. Noreen's cafe provided space for small groups to have meetings. The Movie Club rotated weeks with the Book Club and showcased classic films. When the most disliked woman on the island is found dead after the film is over, Noreen becomes a prime suspect. With all her police training, Maggie is determined to find the real killer and save her aunt's business. I really enjoyed meeting all these lovable characters and following the clues to find the killer in this well plotted murder mystery. This is a series to be enjoyed by everyone and I am looking forward to the next book.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first in a fun filled cozy mystery series set in Ireland.

Maggie lost her temper when she caught her husband cheating on her when his car was pulled over for a traffic stop. Not only did she lose a spouse, she lost her job as a San Francisco Police Officer.

Returning to her ancestral homeland of Whisper Island, Ireland, to help her aunt while deciding what to do next, Maddie finds herself running the Movie Theater Cafe for Aunt Norrine and living in the petting zoo cottage.

Finding a dead body and solving the murder to clear her aunt involved a lot of great characters, beautiful scenery and laugh out loud craziness.

Maggie's first adventure on Whisper Island has me hunting for another one, especially when St. Reynolds will be her new neighbor.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie runs to Ireland and the arms of family when her life as a detective in San Francisco falls apart. There she tries to relax and figure out what to do next. But when a woman is murdered and the local police blame her Aunt, Maggie needs to use her detective skills to figure everything out.
This is a delightful cozy mystery. Although Maggie isn't an amateur, I loved the sleuthing and the mystery is great. The characters are everything you could want on a small island in Ireland and the 'local' colour is wonderful. I couldn't wait to read the next book so it is already on my reader.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The story is set in Ireland and is about Maggie Doyle, a former San Francisco police officer who is on a break from her job and her now ex-husband. As Maggie goes to Ireland to stay with family and regroup, a woman is found dead and her aunt is a prime suspect.

Maggie has no use for the local police chief who is more concerned about his golf game than finding a killer. Maggie enlists the help of some local friends and does her own investigation.

I thought it was a fun idea that our heroine has actual criminal justice experience, as usually in a cozy mystery they are a bookseller or baker, etc. This was a fun diversion that I really enjoyed. I am excited to read the next books in the series.

[Nancy Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Setting and Story

Another book I bought on a whim a while back and another winner. I loved Maggie and the supporting cast, and I'm eager to read the next installment in the series !

[Hayley Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ Typically, I love a small town murder mystery but this didn’t quite pull it off. Everything was all a bit convenient and the dialogue felt overly simplistic. I realised that I couldn’t really care less about solving the murder, or who had committed it, and it lacked any sense of anticipation or oomph.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. Maggie is great. Will be reading all the rest.

[marcia mccoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

My ancesters are Irish, so I was excited to read about a young woman going to Ireland from the US. Of course, she was supposed to relax and help her aunt run her specialty restaurant while getting thru her own problems. This cozy is well written with great detail when required and just enough information and description o therwise. I look forward to reading more! Of course, the story includes the requisite hottie in law enforcement!

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the Movie Club Mysteries Series and the first Zara Keane book I'd read. WHAT FUN! I loved the heroine who is sassy and offbeat and very beliveable.

Maggie has just lost her snake of a husband and her job as a San Fran cop so she goes back to her father's village on Whisper Island, Ireland, to spend a few months recovering from the twin disappointments.

Her aunt Noreen welcomes her with open arms and immediately puts her to work in hre Movie Club cafe. Too bad Maggie can't cook or make coffee. However she does make a mean cocktail and unfortunatley her aunt's swon enemy dies of poison during the first movie club she bartends for.

So Maggie can't resist investigating and it's good she does because the Garda on the island is none too sharp!
FUN! FUN! FUN! I'd rate this as PG13 but I wasn't offended. I was entertained.

[SuperWendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the gamut in mystery/suspense and I enjoy mysteries that are a bit on the lighter side - but there are certain tics in cozies that get on my last hot nerve. But here I am, keeping on keeping on.

Like a lot of cozies, I found this fairly slow in the beginning. I like the high stakes to show up right away, and the author takes her time setting the stage with her world-building and introducing us to residents of Whisper Island, Ireland. And it's the world building that kept me invested. This is a very warm and fuzzy sort of cozy - like drinking hot chocolate next to a fire on a cold winter's night. The concept of the Movie Theatre Café was fun and Maggie is your prototypical "pushy American" who is now surrounded by Irish locals who think she's daft - seriously, murder?! Surely the victim simply keeled over from a heart attack. Crime in America might be outrageous but this is Whisper Island for goodness sake!

A bitchy, terrible victim = plenty of suspects with credible motives and it kept me guessing. Fun, light and a solid listen on audiobook. I'll continue on with the series.

[Scot · Rating 2 out of 5]

A former lady cop moves to a small town on an Irish island to get away from fast paced San Francisco and help her aunt run a small tea shop, However, when someone dies at Movie Night Maggie's investigative skills tell her foul play is at work. She sets out to find out what really happened, though the local officials are quite ready to let sleeping dogs lie.

I thought I would like this. Great setting, small town interactions with the surfacing of family secrets and long standing feuds. However, the main character, who thinks of herself as quite sassy and brassy, is actually rather obvious and mediocre, certainly a far shot from clever. Dialogues are often insipid, returning to go over facts already uncovered again and again. Her investigative strategy has two steps: first, she confronts someone and says you must tell me what really happened and what you know, and they deflect; second, she says I am going to get it out of you so you just better tell everything -- and they do. This makes for a dull and plodding plot.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author, she has a very good sense of humour that shows up in her characters. Maggie Doyle is a wonderful character that has her strengths and weaknesses. Lots of lies and secrets that come out in this book. You meet Sergeant Hottie aka Liam Reynolds, can't wait to read more about him. Each character you meet brings more to the story. This series is going to be fun.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star rating: 4.5 stars

After filing for divorce from her cheating ex-husband and quitting her job at the San Francisco PD, Maggie Doyle decides she's overdue for a vacation and flies overseas to help her aunt run her movie theater cafe. What Maggie wasn't expecting was for Whisper Island's most hated gossip columnist to be found murdered in her aunts cafe, and for her aunt to become the main suspect. With an incompetent chief of police unwilling to look at other suspects, Maggie will have to rely on her own background of police training to uncover the real culprit before her aunt winds up behind bars.

I had so much fun reading this cozy mystery. Maggie is a great main character and I found myself relating to her very easily. Due to her background as a police officer, Maggie is a more then believable amateur sleuth. And even though we have the typical mystery trope of an incompetent main detective, Maggie handles him with aplomb. I also genuinely enjoyed the supporting cast, especially her Aunt Noreen and UFO-enthusiast Lenny. The mystery really left me guessing and when I thought I had figured out who the murderer was... It turned out I was wrong! I love being thrown a curve ball in mysteries, especially when it's as well written as this one. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series sometime soon.