Many a Twist by Sheila Connolly

I started reading this mystery after a long, crazy day at work, and it was the perfect antidote to my high stress level. Even though I have not yet read the earlier books in the series, I was able to immediately catch up without feeling as though I was missing too much background information. The main character, Maura, is a fairly recent transplant from the United States to Ireland, where she is running an inherited pub. Maura’s mother, who abandoned her as a child, shows up unexpectedly as part of an investment group to inspect a hotel which the group owns. As a side benefit, Maura’s mother is hoping to reconnect with her daughter. The characters were all very three-dimensional, with real issues faced by real people. I did struggle with how accepting Maura was of her long-missing mother, after only a minimal hesitation. Her mother’s explanation was a bit simplistic for my tastes, but otherwise the story was well-paced and interesting. The characters were appealing, with back stories that were hinted at enough that the earlier books in the series were not a requirement before reading the book. There was just enough history to make me want to go back to the earlier books in the series in order to learn more about the people and forward to the next one, to see how the author develops Maura’s new relationship, Rose’s future plans, and Gillian’s new house and baby. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to reading more about Maura and her friends and employees!