A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford

 

"...But I do believe that hypocrisy and/or willful blindness are wonderful tools when used correctly. In fact, I can honestly say that if more people engaged in those practices, life would be a great deal smoother."

                  -Sean Simmons, from the novel

           

This quote is one I don't buy into, if I understand it correctly. The character it is spoken to didn't agree either. This novel is pretty short on profound ideas and memorable quotes.

The book was a gift a few years ago. With St. Pat's Day approaching I decided to pull it off the shelf and give it a try. At first, I thought of it as "fluff" and didn't know if I wanted to continue. After several chapters I became more interested and needed to see how it would end.

An assumed murder at the beginning of this mystery was pretty far-fetched---a guy is drowned in a barrel of green beer outside a pub. It turns out he has lost a lot of people's money in a very bad investment so there are many suspects. 

The Simmons family runs a cafe called A Little Taste of Heaven but they do some sleuthing on the side. An influential acquaintance hires Sean, a former investigator, and daughters Bernie and Libby, to find the killer when her nephew is arrested for the "beer barrel" murder.

Though not a literary masterpiece by any stretch, the novel was entertaining enough. The sisters are catty at times and share some sisterly jibes which adds some humor to an already pretty silly premise. I am rating this one a 2.5.