Killer Croquet on the Emerald Isle

Book 4 in The Cardboard Cottage Mystery series, Killer Croquet is a murder mystery set in Ireland.

Four friends - Amy, Zelda, Gemma and Rian- come to Ireland for a holiday. They are part of a delegation from Arkansas. While they settle into their beautiful hotel and explore County Cork, a maid is found murdered outside their room. While the murder is being investigated by the Garda (the Irish police force) the four friends - no stranger to death - discover anomalies and get drawn into the search for the killer.

Who was this maid that the hotel didn’t have a record of? Why was she in a uniform so uncomfortably tight? Why was she wearing expensive Italian shoes? What was her connection to the rich banker/ toxic white man in the group?

And what is the reason for the underlying tensions in the wider group?

When the detestable Dick Collins encounters bees in his room one day, and has an allergic reaction to something another day, it seems like someone is out to get him. And there is no dearth of suspects considering how poisonous Dick has been in his climb to power.

And when Dick does collapse, seemingly from an allergen, even the jab from the epi pen is not able to revive him.

Was this murder times two? Are the deaths related?

I loved the Irish setting, the easy banter and close friendship between the Arkansas Four. I could read this book as a standalone.

I would definitely look for the other books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Jane Elzey for a free advanced copy.

3.5 stars

My love and fascination for all things Irish, especially after my recent visit to Ireland is what initially drew me to this book. I was quickly engaged in the story and did not want to put it down. I found that this is the fourth of a series. I was able to jump right in and lose myself in the story.

Amy and her friends Genna, Zelda and Rian had earned a trip to Ireland with their local Chamber of Commerce in Bluff Springs Arkansas. They were looking forward to two weeks of sightseeing, finding Irish roots and enjoying the culture. They were able to shop, crash a wedding, play a game of croquet, and oh yes, and find a dead body!

Amy had a premonition of what was to come and is determined to solve the murder, even if a certain handsome local police officer has told them to not meddle in the case. There are plenty of suspects and a lot of shenanigans going on.

I also loved that you felt as if you were traveling and seeing Ireland right along with Amy and the crew. This has become one of my favorite cozies. My only complaint is that now I have to go find the first three books and read them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scorpia Cartus Press for the opportunity to read this book.

When four friends win a trip to Ireland they are looking forward to a good time, beautiful landscapes, adventurous days out and Irish mythology. There dream holiday soon turns into a nightmare after a premonition like dream becomes reality and a wild wedding turns into murder. The four amateur sleuthers befriend the local police and find themselves on the hunt for a killer before the time runs out and they become the next targets.

This book is the next instalment in the cardboard cottage series and although I really enjoyed the book, I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the previous books prior to reading this one. That's not to say that you cant read it as a standalone because you can but I think I would have felt more connected to the characters if I had and I do plan on going back and the reading them.

This contemporary cosy mystery had me hooked from the very beginning the plot was fantastic and the story was filled with twists and turns that I didn't see coming, every time I thought I had guessed what was happening another part of the puzzle would slot into place to make you think something entirely different.
As well as the brilliant mystery component the story was also filled with beautiful descriptions of the Irish landscape, the history and culture of Ireland, hilarious scenes of the groups antics and a truly wonderful connection between friends and chosen family.

I highly recommend this book and cant wait to get started on the rest of the series.
Thank you netgalley and Jane Elzey for this Arc of killer croquet on the emerald isle

This is book four in the Cardboard Cottage Mystery Series, a series I have never had the opportunity to read. The first three will be going to the top of my TBR!
This series is the embodiment of a cozy mystery series. The ladies take a trip to Ireland, and it seems that every time they travel a murder happens- it sounds like its always a husband based on the conversations about previous books.
This is the book I read curled up in bed at night when I needed something light but fun to read through that would not give me nightmares or stress.
The ladies have nice banter, the mystery keeps you on your toes and the geography even has you glancing at a map and planning a trip.
I will definitely recommend to my mother and friends who love cozy reads.

The embodiment of the entire cozy mystery genre. I absolutely adored this book - I gobbled it up in 2 days! I was hooked by the first chapter; but the cover and title are what drew me in initially. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this as an ARC! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity!

This uses the elements perfectly with what I was hoping for in this type of book. It had a great mystery element perfectly and thought it had a strong concept overall. The characters felt like they were supposed to and enjoyed how everything that that suspenseful atmosphere that I wanted. It left me wanting to read more in this Cardboard Cottage mystery series. Jane Elzey has a great writing style and it left me wanting more in this series.

This was a good book to read during the St. Patrick’s day weekend. I really enjoyed the characters, and the mystery held my attention. I definitely will check out the earlier books in the series.

I had not realised this was part of a series and so have not read the others so I must say I didn't really manage to get into it as much as I may have done if I had read the others. But having said that is was still a fun cosy book to read and I enjoyed it.

It has everything you want from a cosy mystery, is a bit charming but has far too many characters to keep up with. A good book, a bit of fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Scorpius Carta Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Killer Croquet on the Emerald Isle was a solid three-star read. Good mystery, lovely location, and entertaining characters. The slight 'supernatural' addition is quite intriguing.

However, this is perhaps the wrong book to enter into the series though. The Arkansas 4 seem like a great group, but I kept getting muddled up since there were so many characters to keep up with. It was only towards the end that I could distinguish the friends.

In the end, I give the book 3.5/5 stars. If only because I definitely do want to read this series.

Very entertaining cozy mystery. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more by her. I normally would start at the beginning of the series, but I had no issue jumping right into this book. 4 friends, two murders and Ireland! I loved the interplay of the characters, the amateur sleuthing, and a cozy isolated resorted. This book has something for everyone and even includes found family. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read, review and discover a great new series.

A murder mystery set in Ireland. The descriptions of Ireland and the people were well done. The main character is four characters instead of focusing on just one. A group of people won a contest to take a trip to Ireland. Besides describing Ireland, the author also adds the main characters home town and the jobs/buildings where they work. If you like a book that has many characters, then this will be the book for you. Way too many for me to keep track of who is who and who is doing what. The murder mystery was rather drawn out and there was a twist at the end but I saw it coming about 2/3 of the way through the book. Overall, I would rate this as a middle of the road mystery.

A delightful contemporary cozy mystery from the Cardboard Cottage Series (number 4 and I am very much inspired to read the previous books!)

Amy and her friends fly over the big Atlantic puddle to Ireland on a trip of a lifetime, excited to experiene Ireland and seek out Rians roots. Amy, Genna, Rian and Zelda (and Doris) all play a role in this book and let's not forget Garda O'Shannon. Croquet, Murder and Mysterious Maids abound!

It is always fun when Americans tour Ireland as we are reminded of the wonder of the ancient history we take for granted in the UK. Aside from the fantastically woven storyline that kept me guessing all the way, I found myself chuckling at the antics and comentarry of the friends. The descriptions of the landscape were breathtaking and the connections between the ladies heartwarming.

A delightful read and another author to add to my contemporary cozy tbr!

Thank you to Netgalley, Jane Elzey and Scorpius Carta Press for this delightful arc. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A group of folks from Arkansas win the trip of a lifetime to Ireland. Amongst those are four close friends: Amy, Zelda, Rian and Genna. Amy has premonitions of bad things to come and soon thereafter a maid is murdered and a husband dies.

This cozy mystery is the fourth in a series but is also listed as a standalone book. If you’re considering reading, I would recommend reading the first three prior. While not necessary to understand this story, I think it might be nice for character development to have the history. It seems, the friends take trips and a husband dies on each. What follows is this group of amateur sleuths investigating to solve the case.

The descriptions of Ireland were wonderful. If you enjoy light-hearted mysteries and warm friendships then you’ll likely enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun light hearted mystery set in Ireland. Amy, Zelda, Rian, and Genna and several other Arkansas business owners are awarded a trip to Ireland. A woman dressed as a maid is murdered and the four friends get involved in yet another murder investigation. This was a cute whodunnit that started out kind of slow but picked up speed about halfway through. I look forward to reading the next book in this series

Book 4 in the series, but first one I've read. A group of four friends from Arkansas head to Ireland. Murder happens and they work together to help solve the crime in this cozy mystery. Liked this one and would recommend it, now want to read the other books.

Cute fun and friendly. Adorable characters and good plot, made me laugh out loud. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I jumped into this book a little quick only to find out it was book four in a series. It really didn't matter and only a few references to similar crimes in previous books were used so it could be used as a stand alone book too. I found the book disjointed. There was a lot of details in the book that just didn't have a lot to do with the plot. A murder happens and they are discussing the suspects then out of the blue lets go shopping or to an Irish pub and find men. The added storyline about finding a long lost family line was fun, but just buried in the added fluff. I felt like it jumped around a lot then when a pertinent fact about the murder came up it was mentioned then the story jumped to some inert touristy stuff. The murder mystery was fun and well thought out but got a bit lost with all the side tangents.