Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery

Maura Donovan arrived in the village of Leap in County Cork, Ireland less than a year ago. She hadn’t intended to stay but, with the help of her recently deceased Gran, she inherited a cottage and the village pub. While winters in County Cork are not as harsh as those in Maura’s hometown of Boston, an unusual snow storm is about to shut down transportation in and around Leap.

Maura and her staff decide to keep the pub open during the storm. They are joined by friends, neighbors, and a few strangers who get trapped in the village. One stranger, Diane, was once a suspect in an unsolved murder that happened in Leap twenty years ago. Maura decides to rehash the unsolved case with her guests, partly to provide some entertainment for her stranded guests and also because, if Diane didn’t do it, as she insists, then there is a murderer still on the loose. But will Maura and her guests be able to solve a cold case the police haven’t been able to work out in twenty years, all in one night?

This story had everything that makes for a good read: a great plot, interesting characters, an atmospheric setting, and a sense of intimacy that made me feel like I was there in the middle of the action. I can’t think of a better cozy mystery to curl up with on a rainy day.