Summary

Megan Malone, is an American living in Ireland and working as a limo driver. She has earned herself the nickname of “Murder Driver” because, since she started at her job, she has developed an unfortunate tendency to find herself swept up in murder investigations. It turns out she’s really gifted at solving mysteries, but her girlfriend, Jelena, does not appreciate Megan’s nickname or her involvement in murder mysteries. In fact, it is endangering their relationship.

When Megan and Jelena are at the Dublin Whiskey Festival’s opening party, one of the competitors ends up dead in a punch bowl. Jelena is furious with Megan because she knows that Megan will not be able to resist getting involved. Megan realizes this is likely to be true because her Uncle Rabbie and close friend Niamh are competing in the festival, and they may well fall under suspicion. The question is whether Megan can protect Rabbie and Niamh, solve the murder, and keep her relationship from falling apart.

My Thoughts

This is the 5th in the Dublin Driver Mystery Series.

I very much enjoyed this book.  It had a well-crafted mystery with a good number of suspects, clues, and red herrings. The characters were well-developed, and the recurring ones were very likable. The plot was nicely developed and nicely paced.

Because I hadn’t read the other books in the story, the first chapter felt a bit overwhelming because of the number of characters, but I quickly figured out who everyone was. 

Megan is a great lead character. She’s smart, funny, charming, nurturing, and compassionate. I was touched by the wise advice she gave to some of the younger characters. Her self-control is impressive because though she was willing to speak her mind, she knew when holding her tongue was better for the investigation. Fluent in Spanish since her childhood, she also knows some Polish, is studying Yoruba, and wants to learn Irish. Before moving to Ireland, she was an army medic, so she’s also willing to offer medical assistance in emergencies. Plus, she’s got great fashion sense. All around, an amazing character. 

The story has a great Irish atmosphere. The author does a magnificent job of writing the Irish accent. She incorporates details about Dublin and Irish culture in a very natural and authentic way. The author lives in Ireland, and had I not known she grew up in the US, I wouldn’t have suspected she had. Too often I find people writing stories based in countries other than their own go so over the top with “local color” that the book actually feels inauthentic – a tourist’s view of what the place is rather than a local’s. That was not the case here. Catie Murphy clearly knows what it is like to live in Ireland. 

I was a little bit concerned with having whiskey as a central theme because I know very little about whiskey. I feel like I learned, and actually would enjoy learning more.

I will definitely be seeking out the other books in this series!

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating 4/5

About the Author

Catie Murphy also writes as CE Murphy. She was born in Alaska and has since relocated to Ireland. She is the author of several series and stand alone novels. To lean more about her, be sure to check out her website