Review

For fans of:  Ann Purser’s Lois Meade Mysteries, Sheila Connolly’s Museum Mysteries
 
When art historian Althea Melville arrives in Leap looking for a long-lost (and incredibly valuable) painting, Sullivan’s Pub proprietress Maura Donovan feels compelled to offer her assistance; Althea's brash American attitude won’t get her anywhere with the locals, and if her search is successful, the publicity it garners could be great for business. The closer the women get to finding the missing masterpiece, though, the stranger Althea’s behavior becomes. And when a man turns up dead not far from where they believe the painting to be hidden, Maura’s forced to wonder if Althea’s been less than honest regarding her intentions...
 
Scandal In Skibbereen is the second of Sheila Connolly’s County Cork Mysteries, and it’s a carefully crafted, intelligently plotted tale of love, loss, class, and greed. While this book does feature a murder, it’s less a whodunit than it is a story about secrets and the lengths people will go to keep them, and as such, there’s not a whole lot of action to be found here. Connolly’s latest does, however, have an incredibly strong sense of place, a remarkably well developed cast of characters, and an abundance of information about Irish history and culture, so if you’re looking for a tale that’ll enrich as well as transport, you’ve met your match.   

My biggest complaint about the first book in this series, Buried in a Bog, was Maura, herself; I found her cranky, bitter, and impatient – not unlike Maura views Althea, actually. I had difficulty rooting for her, and that’s not a great quality in a series protagonist. I’m happy to report, however, that Ireland seems to be changing Maura for the better. Now, don’t get me wrong – she’s still a bit abrasive and judgmental, and she hasn’t quite managed to shake her superiority complex, but she’s happier, more relaxed, and finally seems to appreciate the place she’s in and the people she’s with, and that counts for a lot.  I like it when authors allow their protagonists to grow and change over the course of a series – it keeps things interesting and fresh, and based on what I’ve seen in Scandal In Skibbereen, I’m eager to see what Connolly has in store for Maura Donovan.

Reviewed by Kat