Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

An Early Wake
An Early Wake
An Early Wake
Audiobook7 hours

An Early Wake

Written by Sheila Connolly

Narrated by Amy Rubinate

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan's Pub in the black as the days grow shorter-but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who'd come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan's salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it's going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 10, 2015
ISBN9781494578732
An Early Wake
Author

Sheila Connolly

SHEILA CONNOLLY (1950-2020) published over thirty mysteries, including several New York Times bestsellers. Her series include the Orchard Mysteries, the Museum Mysteries, The County Cork Mysteries, and the Victorian Village Mysteries. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Society of Mayflower Descendants.

More audiobooks from Sheila Connolly

Related to An Early Wake

Titles in the series (5)

View More

Related audiobooks

Mystery For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for An Early Wake

Rating: 3.717105211842105 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

76 ratings12 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maura Donovan has a lot to learn about Sullivan’s Pub, which she recently inherited. In An Early Wake, she learns that the pub was once a gathering spot for musicians who play traditional Irish songs – and many of those musicians are quite famous. A university student doing research on the pub, and Billy Sheahan, the pub’s elderly “mascot,” start the ball rolling and within days the musicians are back. A night of Irish music draws a huge crowd – the largest since Maura became owner of the pub – and she’s happy about that. Maura is not happy when she comes back the next morning and finds one of the musicians dead in the back room. Whether it’s a murder or not, no one is certain. But, once again, Maura finds herself in the midst of a police investigation. But there’s more for Maura to contend with … all of a sudden two men are interested in her romantically. Not the romantic type at all, Maura deals with it in the same way she deals with everything else in life: head -on and no-nonsense. This “County Cork Mystery” series is a definite winner and I hope it doesn’t end anytime soon. The author has found just the right balance of light and dark, and has developed great characters and concocted wonderful stories. What’s for a fan of cozy mysteries not to like?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have been enjoying this series and really looked forward to the 3rd novel in the series. However, I found this one a little less satisfying than previous novels in the series.

    The highlight was learning that Ol' Mick (original owner of Sullivan’s Pub) was instrumental in bringing musicians together to play their music in the back room in a very informal setting and the timing of the musician gatherings occurring rather magically as it was before cell phones, social media and the like. What a treat to think of Sullivan's Pub as a hot spot for informal jam sessions by such a mixture of Irish musicians playing their music and enjoying themselves as much if not more than the audience who came to listen and drink a pint or two.

    The difficult part of the storyline for me was trying to imagine Lena as she herself says, "isn't particularly interested in music" and has never attended a live concert. Particularly for a young woman with a work history as bartender and waitress from South Boston in multiple establishments, I feel like I would have looked as incredulous as I imagine Old Billy's expression as he says, "Yer not one for the music, are you, now?" If Lena pursues hosting more musical gatherings perhaps the bar revenues will enhance her love of the music itself. Until then...

    This novel does introduce the idea of more than one man vying for Lena's heart so it will be interesting to read how this continues in the next novels in the series. I'm still a fan if not for Lena but who can resist Old Billy's charm in his seat by the fireplace at Sullivan's and the visits with Bridget, dearest old friend of Lena's grandmother and now Lena's neighbor.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A light, fun mystery. I love the Irish setting, and being able to look up the real places mentioned in the book. Maura Donovan is a strong, courageous young woman. I like how she grows and develops over the series, and learns to accept help from neighbors and co-workers.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Maura discovers the pub used to hold musician jam sessions. When she connects with Niall, one of the musicians who used to play there, other musicians show up so she decides to give it a try. One is discovered dead in the back room when Maura shows up the following morning. Since she is certain she locked up, she isn't really sure how he got in until she discovers the former owner gave all the regular musicians keys back in the old days. This installment is short on mystery and goes on too long once the guilty party is captured. I'll probably skip the remainder of the series unless I see others with better reviews. Life is too short to read disappointing books, even if the setting is desirable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maura, trying to make a go of Sullivan’s Pub in Leap, County Cork, hosts an Irish music night with musicians showing up via word-of-mouth. The idea came about from a Trinity College student who had heard of “the old days” of Sullivan’s and was looking for information about the musicians. It’s a big success and Maura’s thrilled with pub’s take for the night but then the next morning she discovers the dead body of one of the musicians in the back room. Too many suspects, strange break-ins and lots of local gossip. Quick, fun read
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maura Donovan, late of Boston, is struggling to make a go of the pub she inherited in County Cork. The numbers aren't looking good for Sullivan's Pub until a Trinity student from Dublin arrives, looking to research a period in the pub's past when it was a center for Irish musicians. Overnight, legendary musicians begin to show up, bringing the music alive again. Murder, mystery and romance follow closely behind.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've enjoyed reading this series and watching Maura become accustomed to her new home in the tiny village of Leap in County Cork. I like Maura even though her personality and mine are miles apart. She's an American who's come to Ireland to live, and she hasn't wasted any time in bemoaning the fact that the Irish don't do things the way they do in the good old U.S. of A. Instead she's worked hard to become accepted; getting to know her neighbors, her employees, and the people who come into her pub. She's got a good head on her shoulders, and something tells me she's going to make a success of Sullivan's, even though she seems to be taking a long time to learn the ins and outs of running it-- like taxes, licenses, and the like. Maura's not the only character in town; the supporting cast is an interesting bunch, but the individuals do need to be fleshed out more.The music sessions in An Early Wake are brilliant, and I could easily see and hear them in my mind as I read. Those scenes alone are worth the price of admission-- which is a good thing because there's really not much of a mystery in the book.I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last book in the series. There's no first chapter of the next book in the back to tempt us, and the last pages seemed to be tying up loose ends. If this is the case and I've read my last County Cork mystery, I will bid Maura a fond farewell. This is an enjoyable three-book series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In Connolly’s mystery novel, pub owner Maura Donovan is determined to keep her newly inherited business, Sullivan’s Pub, profitable especially now that the tourist season is over in County Cork, Ireland. Unexpectedly, she learns that once upon a time, her pub was the place to be if you wanted to hear good music. Is it possible to resurrect those days? After conversations with local patrons, the word is out and soon legendary musicians show up on her doorstep which in turn brings in the patrons. After one fabulous night of music, Maura comes in early to clean-up only to find a dead musician in her back room. Slapping on her sleuth hat, she works with the local officials to find a killer before he strikes again.Another winner in the A County Cork Mystery series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have really enjoyed these cozies, set in Ireland and feel like Connolly has worked hard to give her readers a real feel for life in that country. I was fascinated by the Irish music history lessons that were revealed in this book. But, as with any series, some become more favorite than others and this one just took a little too long meandering to the murder and then the solution. Still, it's a great series and can't wait for the next one.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    AN EARLY WAKE by Shelia Connolly is the 3rd title in her County Cork Mystery series.I do like the sense of place - Ireland, County Cork, the town of Leap - and the characters. I have read the first three titles in the series and enjoyed them.But this particular title fell a bit flat for me. I liked the central idea of bringing the music back to Sullivan’s Pub in the town of Leap (that Maura Donovan inherited). But Ms. Connolly could have given a lot more history and background to the Irish traditional music scene which would have made the story so much more interesting to read.There are very few ‘fleshed out’ characters besides Maura Donovan. And even she seems to lack personality at times. Are there no other inhabitants in Leap? I want more detail - on other community members; Where does Mick live? the countryside; the culture; the music scene past and present. The story and characters are too one-dimensional. Maura has been in Leap for over 6 months and never been to Cork (an hour away)? Hasn’t figured out taxes? licenses? pub closing times? insurance for her inherited pub Sullivan’s? She doesn’t understand that both Sean and Mick are interested in her? She grew up in South Boston and worked for years in pubs and doesn’t know anything about Irish music? It is too much of a stretch to believe it.And the mystery? There really isn’t one or one that warrants an entire book. It is too light-weight to take seriously.I am disappointed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent addition to this series. Maura is starting to get comfortable in her new role as pub owner, but she is worrying about money. When a young man, Tim, comes in to talk about "the old days" and the music, Maura is stumped but Old Billy and Mick both remember the days when Sullivan's was a music hub. Just talking about it seems to bring people back to share their music. One old rock star, Niall, and his buddy are some of the first to show up. What happens is magic, people come back to hear the music.There is a death, and a mystery about the why but mostly this book is about Ireland and its long history of music and the story telling through music.I enjoyed learning about the musical history and also spending time with Maura and her new friends and employees.Looking forward to the next in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am late coming into the County Cork Mystery series, but I'm so happy to have read AN EARLY WEEK. To me this book just serves to prove that author Sheila Connolly is a wonderful writer. This series is so different than her Museum Mysteries and Orchard Mystery series, both of which I love. It's very clear Ms. Connolly is not only knowledgeable of Ireland, but indeed proud of her Irish connection. It truly comes across in her delightful characters and settings and had me captivated.This was a good, solid mystery that kept me guessing until the exciting end when all was finally made clear. While this was my first trip to County Cork, it most certainly will not be my last.