In Cruel Winter, book five in Sheila Connolly’s County Cork Mystery series, Maura Donovan, owner of Sullivan’s Pub, opens the Irish pub on a day when the worst snowstorm in years is due to arrive. As customers trickle in, before long, they all find themselves snowed in. Most are locals who know each other, but one woman from England, Diane Caldwell, comes in because she can’t travel due to the storm. Soon, Mick Sullivan, one of Maura’s employees, privately points out to Maura that Diane was the chief suspect in a notorious murder 20 years earlier. Soon, everyone in the pub is whispering with suspicion and fear about Diane. But though Diane was interrogated several times for the murder, she never was even arrested yet has borne the stigma of the crime for all these years.
Maura suggests that the people in the pub spend their evening snowed in by holding an unofficial, impromptu trial of Diane to allow her to air her side of the story. The group begins with most people presuming Diane’s guilt, but they agree to discuss the murder of Sharon Morgan and see if they can find some answers. So as the snow falls and locks them all into the pub, they create their own inquest.
Cruel Winter comes with a creative premise, a unique variation on the locked room mystery. It has an interesting plot, but at times it moves a little slowly. The parsing out of the case can get bogged down periodically. However, I enjoyed the development of the plot as it unfolds. The flavor of Ireland comes through clearly, especially in teaching readers about the legal system, both of the courts and the investigative branch.
Amy Rubinate performs the audio edition of this book, doing an effective job of making the book come alive. This is especially true with Rubinate’s convincing accents of the Bostonian Maura, the English Diane, and the Irish other characters. The portrayal of the informal trial makes these scenes more interesting.
I appreciated listening to Cruel Winter, though at times things got a little tiresome. With all the action’s having taken place within one setting over the period of a day and night, the book does a good job of keeping my attention for the most part, but at times I got a little bored. Overall, this book was very interesting, and I give it four stars.
To purchase this book for yourself, click here on Amazon.
