The Jig is Up - A Review

Review

THE JIG IS UP by Lisa Q Mathews
The First Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery

After an urgent, but distinctly vague text from her sister, Kate Buckley packs up her two daughters and cat and leaves New York City for her parents' bed and breakfast in Shamrock, Massachusetts. Upon her arrival something seems off, but Colleen refuses to tell her why she needed her, shrugging the whole thing off. But when the two find Colleen's best friend Deirdre dead backstage in Our Lady of Angels parish hall, the trouble really begins. While her father is the former chief of police, and acts as if he still holds that title, and her brother is currently on the force when Colleen becomes a person of interest Kate starts investigating herself.

Family is at the heart of the first Irish Bed & Breakfast mystery, with all the foibles, drama, and love. I like Kate, but some of her behavior is off putting. She may be somewhat of a germaphobe, but her attitude comes off as snobbish. Colleen really tested my patience. I just wanted to smack her most of the time. She may be quite talented, but immature and irresponsible are better adjectives. The other characters are well drawn and multifaceted making for an interesting and engaging read. I particularly liked Garrett McGavin and look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

I really enjoyed the whole ambiance of Shamrock. Celtic flair brings an added dimension to the story and including details about Irish dance brought verisimilitude. Plus, I just found it interesting!

A solid mystery with family drama wrapped in an Irish flag make THE JIG IS UP an enjoyable and solid start to a new series.