Dublin Driver #5
Death by Irish Whiskey is Catie Murphy’s fifth installment in her Dublin Driver Mysteries series. Megan, also known to the town as ‘The Murder Driver,’ is taking some time off from her limo driving job to enjoy one of Ireland’s main specialties: whiskey. Her Uncle Rabbie is taking part in a whiskey tasting event and competition, alongside his business partner, famous Irish star Niahn. Glitz, glam, and whiskey are the only things on Megan’s mind for this big event, but fate has something else planned for her. A competitor and boxer, Angus McConal, suddenly drops dead. If that isn’t bad enough, Uncle Rabbie is under suspicion. Megan has promised her girlfriend, Jelena, that she won’t do any more amateur sleuthing – but saying it and doing it are two very different things. The local Guarda don’t buy her insistence that she won’t nose about, and are quick to warn her away from the case.
However, with Rabbie square in the suspicion spotlight, and a second body dropping, Megan finds herself being pulled in again. Her usual in with the Garda is out, as Paul is banned from the investigation for dating the movie star Niahn. But said Irish actress extraordinaire isn’t about to be kept out of things herself. Determined to clear Rabbie’s name and bring a killer to justice, Niahn wields her fame and influence to help Megan investigate. Megan isn’t without her own measure of fame: everyone is more than aware of her moniker of ‘murder driver’ and expects her to help the Garda wrap things up, despite her own protests. Not an easy task, since the deceased boxer wasn’t exactly a well-loved member of the community.
Catie Murphy did an excellent job of relaying Megan’s personal struggles in this book. I sympathized with Megan as she worked to figure out what it is, exactly, she wishes to do about her love of sleuthing, all while also struggling with the will of the woman she loves. I also very much enjoyed the look into the whiskey making culture of Ireland. I enjoyed the old and new distillers discussing their craft, finding out how whiskey itself is made, and what makes it different from other drinks, such as bourbon. Megan herself does enjoy the beverage, but honestly did not understand much about where it came from or the families that made it. Death by Irish Whiskey is a lovely look into the whiskey world of Ireland, but also gives several more layers and insights into Megan herself. Watching her journey of self-realization and discovery is worth every chapter. I highly suggest Death by Irish Whiskey for anyone who enjoys a thrilling cozy that’s loaded with emotional depth, featuring a VERY reluctant sleuth. Catie Murphy does give enough background and information on all the characters and settings that Megan encounters, so this could be the first book readers pick up and enjoy. However, I do think readers will enjoy some of the twists and turns in Death by Irish Whiskey if they read a few of the previous books. – Carla Schantz