With the fate of the town in her hands, and rumors that Rayne’s uncle’s death wasn’t actually an accident, she can’t possibly go back to her old life in L.A. As the devastating truth about her uncle dawns on Rayne, it’s not just her reputation that’s on the line, it’s her life.
Rayne McGrath wakes up in a good
mood on her thirtieth birthday.
Unfortunately, the day goes downhill from there. Rayne discovers that her business partner and
boyfriend has drained their business account and emptied the store of its
inventory. Rayne is a bridalwear
designer with a shop on Rodeo Drive. She
then receives a call that her Uncle Nevin has passed, and Rayne needs to be at
the reading of the will. Rayne discovers
that her uncle has left her the family castle and estate, but there are a few
caveats. Rayne cannot leave for one year
and she needs to find a way for the castle as well as the village to turn a
profit. Rayne has twenty-four hours to
make her decision. She also learns that
she Uncle Nevin had recently discovered that he had a daughter. Rayne’s new cousin expected to inherit the
property. Rayne’s cousin is a curt woman
with a large chip on her shoulder. The
two need to find a way to work together if they are to receive the monetary reward
at the end of the year. Can Rayne find a
way to make the estate turn a profit while making the wedding gowns for the
brides who have already put down their deposit?
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| A unique Irish barn |
Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan is the debut of An Irish Castle Mysteries. I had trouble getting interested in Murder at an Irish Castle. The story became easier to read as Rayne settled into Ireland. I was not a fan of Rayne and her hostile cousin, Ciare Smith. Rayne comes across as spoiled while Ciare is resentful and cruel. Ciare’s nastiness quickly becomes tiring. She seems to be irritable all the time even with her fiancé who works on the estate. We get to meet the staff at the castle and some of the villagers. I do feel that the author could have done a better job at capturing the beauty of Ireland.
The whodunit had several suspects, a red herring or two, and obvious
clues. The mystery can be solved early
in the book. Certain details are
reiterated to make sure we did not miss them (I could envision a giant neon
arrow with the words “killer” pointing at the guilty party). Rayne who was just
ditched by her duplicitous boyfriend begins admiring estate employee,
Amos. I could understand Rayne finding
him attractive, but it seemed too soon to think about dating (considering she
is still dealing with the aftermath of the two-timers underhanded
actions). She admired Amos’ physical
attributes many times (I cringed every time she mentioned his long locks—I am
not a fan of men with long hair). My favorite
character is the adorable Blarney. I
loved his antics especially when he took off with one of Rayne’s expensive
shoes. I could envision the trail of
crystals around the castle. I am on the
fence about reading the next An Irish Castle Mystery. Murder at an Irish Castle is a sásúil story
with a blackguard beau, an unimagined inheritance, a churlish cousin, a playful
pup, spotty internet service, designer duds, a cold castle, and a course of
crystals.
Murder at an Irish Castle is available from Amazon*. You can follow Ellie Brannigan on Amazon and they will let you know when she publishes a new book. Thank you for stopping by today. Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Every Good Gift by Kelly Irvin. It is the third Amish Blessings novel. I hope that you have a happy day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post
contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying
purchases.
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