Scandal in Skibbereen is the second in the County Cork Mystery series. It is a cosy mystery, warm hearted and full of information about village life in modern Ireland. It doesn't really qualify as a genealogical mystery but the word is mentioned and I am a genealogist who thoroughly enjoyed it. We get to know more about the protagonist, Maura, in this book.

I am loving this series. Great mysteries without the blood and gore. :) ( )

I really do enjoy this series. It's set in Ireland in a small town in County Cork. Moira is a young 20-something American who inherited an Irish pub from a dear friend of her grandmothers's. After her grandmother has died, Moira decided that staying in Boston wasn't going to help her get on with her life, so she left for Ireland to see the pub she had inherited in the hopes of selling it. Once there, she decides that she loves Sullivan's Pub and the people in the town, and there she has stayed for a few months. Moira is a vey likeable protagonist - no nonsense, sensible and warm. The people in the village like her and she quickly fits in to village life. In this second book Moira meets a young American woman who happens to walk into her pub, and then the adventure begins. Althea is trying to track down a possible original Van Dyke painting that she has heard about in New York. Althea is an art historian, and is hoping to find this painting in order to further her career at the gallery where she works. Moira connects her with some of the locals, and Moira, Althea and Gillian, a local painter, are on the hunt. Of course, other people are also interested, and before long a dead body is found on the grounds of the estate where the painting might be. The book moves along quickly from there. I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator, Amy Rubinate, does a wonderful job of reading this little gem. For fans of cozy mysteries set in cozy villages in the UK, this series would be worth checking out. ( )

With the second of this series done, I'm thinking it's just not for me. I found this installation's narrative slow and repetitive, and I still don't like the main character. It's possible the slowness is yet another way to hammer on the message of "everything is slower in Ireland," but if that's so I feel it does a disservice to the country. I also find it off-putting that nearly every character over 70 is portrayed as frail and in need of frequent naps. I work with multiple people who are nearing 100, and their stamina and drive is more like the 50-year-old characters in these books. ( )

In my review of the first book of the County Cork series, I mentioned it was refreshing to have Maura Donovan become a sleuth so seamlessly within the storyline and still work at her new job. Many of the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries that are either a business owner or employee at a local business in the town/city setting of the story never seem to be actually working at their business or job. Well, that comment can now only apply to the first novel in the series. Maura spends more time helping a fellow American from New York than she does taking care of her business this time around. There does seem to be an opening in future novels in the series for Maura to become a mentor to 16-year old employee Rose but this time around Rose is the mentor for a little fashion advice before Maura has a dinner date. In fact, I'm wondering if Rose will become the cook if Maura decides to offer a limited menu later in the series.

I've always wanted to visit Ireland and this novel allows one to learn a little about Irish history, hear about the local scenery, and of course hear a few stories of yesteryear. I look forward to reading more of the series especially to learn if any of my own predictions will come true. ( )