13 Charmingly Cozy Irish Mysteries

Quite the contrast from her military service, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland shuffling Dublin tourists around for the Leprechaun Limo Service. The scenery is beautiful, the locals are witty and entertaining, and comparatively, the pace is much more free-spirited. Everything is right…until one of her clients drops dead at the base of the supposed fishmonger, Molly Malone. 

Most restaurant critics are known enemy collectors, but not Elizabeth Darr–the well-loved critic and her husband had just finished having dinner when she collapsed. Spoiled seafood is originally believed to be the culprit, and the restaurant owner is so desperate to uphold her restaurant’s reputation that she begs Megan to look into the problem.

But between a grumpy boss, a handsome but unwilling Garda, and two Jack Russell terrier pups, Megan will have to jump through hoops to uncover the real culprit before another fishy death transpires. 

Murder in an Irish Castle is exactly what you’d expect a traditional, jolly Christmas to look like in 1924: a posh lady journeying to her late uncle’s estate, bulldog and butler in tow, to spend a cozy Christmas by the fireside, with a picturesque Christmas feast that ends in murder. 

Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford arrive at the estate late at night to find a corpse in the snow on the road that leads to the castle. Though the local constable all but accuses the two of murder, Eleanor is determined to get the victim justice. While they both recall the victim’s face from her uncle’s funeral, Eleanor must figure out the connection between the two–and the key hidden under his boot may just be the key to unlocking the secret. 

But when a fire starts at the castle on Christmas Eve, Eleanor begins to wonder if she’s the new target–is someone out to make sure the family line dies with her? And will Eleanor’s first Irish Christmas also be her last? 

Not only is this book the first in an Irish cozy mystery series, but this cozy mystery author is also known for writing other Irish cozies.

 In Irish Castle Murder by Penny Brooke, we meet Annabelle Shannon, who is returning to her ancestral homeland of Ireland to spend some time with her grams at her family’s historic Gladstone Castle. When she arrives, she finds out that grams is planning to retire; and she wants Annabelle to take her place as the castle tour guide. In order to ensure that Annabelle is really interested, the two stay the night at a newly-restored 13th century castle before it opens up at a hotel. 

Everything is going well, until one of the older residents is found dead. As the hotel is situated in a quaint village, natural causes are more believable than murder, but Annabelle has her suspicions…will she be able to figure out who the culprit is before they find another victim? 

This book is not only an Irish cozy mystery, but also a knitting cozy mystery; so buckle up for a double-whammy. The Listers have been prominent in the New Jersey Arborville society for generations, which is why it’s such a surprise when fun-loving Isobel Lister is found backstage dead minutes after performing at the senior center celebration. 

Who would’ve thought murder suspects could be so festive? There’s the Wiccan who didn’t believe in the sainthood of St. Patrick; the woman concerned about cultural appropriation and who feels the commercialization of shamrocks is a sham; the two men Isobel was dating who are green with envy over each other; and that’s just the beginning of the list. But Pamela’s on the case, and the jig will soon be up…

A cozy Irish mystery that will use its wit to transport you to semi-rural Magnerstown, this book begins with the death of a local judge, who was found in the courthouse. The list of suspects is long, but veteran DI Robert Carroll and his (irritatingly) intelligent assistant James Sayder are on the case. 

Despite finding her quite beguiling, Carroll’s efforts to solve the case are being closely covered by Maggie, who is new in town and recently re-established the town newspaper, The Crier. The publication seems to be more up-to-date on civilian life than the law, and Carroll wants it to feel his wrath. 

Despite all the hardship and dead ends, Carroll persists. But then another body is found. What is the connection between the two victims, and can the Garda find the culprit before another victim is eliminated? 

Meet Quinn: 46 years old, recently divorced, and recently retired from her psychology practice. Oh, and she’s currently in the middle of a midlife crisis. Knowing how much Quinn loves Ireland, her best friend Fiona plans a trip for the two of them to help get Quinn out of her rut. On a whim, they decide to move into a little cottage out there permanently, but that’s where things get complicated. Not only does Quinn develop a tongue-tying crush on the building contractor, but she also gets a visit from her ex-husband. 

Looking for a distraction from the mess and missing her psychology work, she volunteers a few hours per week at the local mental health clinic. But things quickly take a dark turn, and she becomes convinced that someone is trying to kill her. Unwilling to forfeit her hard-won new life, she starts looking for answers. But the more she looks, the more dark secrets she finds. 

If you’re looking for a light-hearted cozy murder mystery with witty banter and the beautiful scenery of rural Ireland, this book certainly puts the “die” in “diet.” The goal of the local slimming group is just to get slim; not to get so slim you die. But Jess O’Malley is distraught when her elderly friend dies–even more so considering he’s the third one to perish in less than two months. 

She’s concerned something is amiss in the village, and she must convince local policeman Marcus that there’s a murderer on the loose. If she doesn’t solve the mystery, will another dieter end up dead? And if she can’t keep her mouth shut when it counts, could the next victim be her? 

Just after she learns that her father isn’t actually her father, Mags Murray’s beloved grandmother dies. Now, Mags has to extend her Christmas vacation to Ireland in order to host her wake and sell the cottage she left her. One day, Mags is approached by Finn O’Brien, who believes an old photograph will lead him to the truth about his own father. Missing her adventures with her genealogist grandmother, Mags agrees to help. 

But a simple investigation into family history takes a dark turn when Finn nearly dies in a car crash that didn’t seem to be an accident. Someone out there doesn’t want Finn to find his father, and it’s up to Mags and her childhood friend Biddy McCarthy to find out why. In order to track down Finn’s father and unmask an attempted murderer, the duo stage a fake Irish wake. But the secrets revealed at the event will prove more shocking than they could have ever imagined.

In this wedding cozy mystery, wedding planner Annabelle Archer’s client asks her to find the perfect dramatic Irish setting for her wedding, and her team is excited to take on the task. They always knew it would be a bit chaotic with the winding roads and flocks of vacationers everywhere, but they didn’t expect murder.

A tourist has been found dead in a castle garden, and someone seems to be trying to frame Annabelle’s assistant for the crime. Now it’s a race against time for Annabelle to find the real killer while still planning the perfect wedding. 

When famous Irish dancer Emily McGlashen’s body is discovered in her studio soon after the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, all of Cumberland Creek is shocked. Things get even more out of hand for the ladies of the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop when one of their own, Vera, turns out to be the prime suspect. She wasn’t Emily’s biggest fan, especially since she took business from her own dance studio, but she certainly would never kill her. Eager to defend their friend, the ladies, led by freelance reporter Annie, begin an investigation of their own. 

Every discovery Annie makes just seems to lead to more questions than answers. Frustrated, the croppers are surprised to find the clues they’ve been looking for in an old scrapbook. But their investigation might put them on a collision course with a killer more twisted—and dangerous—than any of them could have imagined. 

If you want a whole series of Irish cozies, look no further than Carlene O’Connor’s Irish Village Mysteries! One year after their parents died in a car crash, Siobhán O’Sullivan and her siblings run their family business, Naomi’s Bistro in Kilbane, County Cork.

An already tumultuous year gets even crazier when the O’Sullivans discover a man, stabbed to death by barber scissors, propped up at a table in the bistro. With the garda suspecting them and their business threatened, Siobhán takes it upon herself to find the real killer. 

After both her personal and professional lives take a nosedive, Maggie Doyle goes to stay with her aunt in Ireland. In exchange for room and board, Maggie just has to make cocktails at the local Movie Theater Café. But when a woman drops dead after sipping drinks at the monthly movie club meeting, all eyes turn to Maggie’s aunt.

As she sets out to clear her name, Maggie is joined by her alien-fanatic friend, a nun, and a puppy. But will they be able to catch the killer before they stir up more trouble?

Related: Talking Poisons with Dr. Neil Bradbury

Perhaps the epitome of a contemporary Irish cozy, Irish Parade Murder has reporter protagonists, a St. Patrick's Day parade, and of course, murder. When part-time reporter Lucy Stone meets the Pennysaver’s latest hire, the ambitious Rob Callahan, she can’t help but feel nervous.

She thinks her anxieties about being replaced are confirmed when she gets assigned Tinker’s Cove’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade only when Rob turns it down. She might see Rob as a rival, but Lucy is still shocked when he’s suddenly accused of murdering a corrections officer. Convinced of his innocence, Lucy begins an investigation. But along the way, she’ll learn truths that may have disastrous consequences for her own life.