| Title | : | How to Fake an Irish Wake (Mags and Biddy Genealogy Mystery #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1950786013 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781950786015 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 234 |
| Publication | : | Published October 19, 2020 |
Shortly after the funeral, a young man, Finn O’Brien, arrives at the cottage with an old photograph. Finn believes the boys in the photo are a clue to his father’s identity. Mags can sympathize with him, and because she often helped her genealogist grandmother uncover skeletons in people’s closets, including herself, she agrees to assist Finn.
But searching for Finn’s father stirs up trouble. Finn is in a near-fatal car crash that wasn’t an accident. So Mags and her childhood friend Biddy McCarthy investigate why someone wants to prevent Finn from finding his father. Questioning the quirky locals proves a wee bit difficult as several of the suspects were victims of Mags and Biddy’s childhood shenanigans.
It might take a fake Irish wake to reveal Finn’s father and the would-be murderer.
But what if the two turn out to be the same person?
How to Fake an Irish Wake (Mags and Biddy Genealogy Mystery #1) Reviews
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Genealogy
The book open with Maggie having a waking for her recently passed grandma in her Grandma home in Ireland. While people are visiting a young man name Finn interrupts not realizing what he walked in on. Maggie takes him outside to only to discover he was sent to her because he is looking for his father . The only information he has is a old picture with a phone number on it. The picture was taken in front of the home she is living in taken many years before. He was told she was a genealogist and might be of help.
So the rest of the book is a quest to fine out who his father was. I love the Irish accent that comes threw as you read.
In the mean time she discovers what is true to her own heart. She realizes that she were she should be.
Nice quick read -
A light hearted mystery with very lovable characters.
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The story is fast-paced and well written, humorous, maybe rather zany. The two ladies are a good fit as best friends. This series has potential if the writer will just rein in her protagonist's active imagination a bit. Hopefully in the next book.
As Maggie starts helping Finn find his father, it seems every tall blue-eyed man she sees must be his mother's long-lost lover, plus a couple of men no longer living. Her active imagination fleshes out a backstory for each "This is the one" to explain the how and when -- and who's responsible for Finn's accident. After half a dozen candidates I started to feel like Biddy: "How many fathers does he have anyway?"
The part about genealogical research interested me, but I wondered -- I'm sure Finn did, too -- about Maggie's rambling explanation of surnames. DNA doesn't give you the names of ancestors, doesn't matter if they're adopted, remarried, or changed surnames. DNA results give you the names of people who have taken the test and their genetics match yours. My own "matches" have dozens of different names, only a few have my grandparents' surnames.
One minor point: Daffodils grow from bulbs. To "pull them up by the roots" you must pull the whole bulb out of the ground -- not so easy to do. "Cutting off the roots," bulb and all, would soon kill the flower. And I don't blame someone for being "nasty about it" if neighbor girls pulled up her two long rows of daffodils. -
I've read a few other novels by Eliza Watson and enjoyed them a lot, so it saddens me to say that I didn't love this novel. It felt too light and the characters weren't quite developed yet. I do like the genealogy aspect, although she has used this in another series she has written. I'm saying that this was like a rough draft of a series, and she needed another pass or two to strengthen the connection to the reader. If I come across the next book being offered for free, I would read it. I have bought quite a few of this author's other works so I think if this series improves, I would be glad to buy more novels.
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"May you get all your wishes but one so you always have something to strive for."
This was such a fun start to this cozy mystery series! Mags and Biddy are a hilarious duo and get into some very funny situations.
I love that Mags solves genealogy mysteries. That makes this series unique in the cozy mystery world. Instead of solving a murder they help a man find his father.
I loved that this was set in Ireland! -
HOW TO FAKE AN IRISH WAKE is a typical cozy mystery. It's fun, upbeat, light-hearted, and entertaining. Other than a few utterances of "Jaysus" (which I consider a swear word, although others may not), it's also a clean book with no profanity or sex and only a little violence. I enjoyed the small-town Irish setting and could feel a lot of warmth between its residents. Genealogy is a love of mine, so I especially dug the family history aspect of the novel. Watson infuses the tale with genealogical tips and tricks, but never bogs down the story with long, overly-detailed explanations. The "Tips & Quips" section at the back also offers helpful advice on researching your ancestors.
Mags and Biddy are likable enough heroines, but neither woman has much depth or personality. I never felt like I really knew either of them. Some fleshing-out would go a long way toward making them more interesting and relatable. Watson's story-telling also gets a bit frenetic as she tries to weave a plethora of characters and plot details together, giving the novel a confusing, all-over-the-place feel. Naturally, HOW TO FAKE AN IRISH WAKE also has some silly, far-fetched antics thrown into the mix. While those are a trademark of the genre and something cozy readers know not to take too seriously, they definitely add to the already-frenzied feel of this story. Still and all, the novel has good bones; some sharp editing could have easily whipped it into a more focused, fuller, better-formed novel.
All this considered, I still enjoyed the novel for the most part. I would probably read another one in the series with the hope that it gets better as it goes. -
How to Fake an Irish Wake by Eliza Watson is the first book in the Mags and Biddy Genealogy Mystery Series. In this first book, we follow Mags Murray as she is in Ireland wrapping up her grandmother’s wake when Finn O’Brien arrives hoping to get Mags’ grandmother's help in finding out who his father is from an old photograph. Mags’ grandmother is the local genealogy sleuth and Mags has helped her in her research over the years and decides to help Finn.
As Finn starts asking questions, he ends up in a near-fatal car crash, which looks like it was not an accident. Mags and her best friend Biddy, whose father owns the local pub, are on the case. Will they find out who the father is before someone else gets hurt?
This book is so cute, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is mystery, romance, hilarious antics, friends, and family. The characters are lovable with a touch of zany-ness thrown in.
It is a short book and overall is fast-paced with a nice wrap-up at the end. There are also a couple of twists to keep you guessing. It was like a nice glass of iced tea on a warm summer’s day. -
What a fun book. I've read all the Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw books and loved them so was happy to see the author has started a new series.... especially since it involves genealogy and Ireland!
Mags inherited her grandmother's home in a small Irish town. Though Mags, raised in America, spent many summers with her grandmother learning genealogy at her knee, she was sure she couldn't afford to keep the home and make all the needed repairs. So in spite of the townspeople, including her best friend Biddy, wanting her to stay, Mags put the house on the market. In the meantime she was approached by a young man who wanted help to find his biological father (setting up her future business as a genealogist).
The story was delightful, humorous, and full of love. I look forward to more in this cozy mystery series. -
How to Fake an Irish Wake
Eliza Watson
Review by Author Roy Murry
Mags and Biddy solve a genealogy mystery by accident. Mags' grandmother, a genealogist, died in Ireland, and she is there directing her wake, giving the reader insight into Irish mores - charming.
In the course of things, Finn arrives in town looking for his father, whom he has never met. Unfortunately, Mags doesn't know who her father is either.
This adventure is book one in a series, so it's a setup. First, Finn shows a snap (photo) to everyone around town, which lands him in the hospital. Next, Mags, who just met Finn, gets involved in investigating his mishap and genealogy.
She brings Biddy, her life's friend, into a hilarious adventure that leads to another wake. Those encounters lead to a sobering ending the reader will enjoy.
The writing and characters are endearing, capturing the readers' attention and wanting to buy the series. I know I will buy another in the series. -
In Ireland to celebrate Christmas with her grandmother, Mags Murray is heartbroken when she has to hold a wake for her beloved relative instead. During the visitation, Finn O'Brien arrives at Mags' inherited cottage trying to find his long-lost father. When Finn is run off the road, Mags realises there's more at stake than just genealogy and vows to track down his past before the villain strikes again.
Mags and her friend Biddy are madcap fun. I loved their misadventures but thought that their approach to some of their difficulties stretched the limits of imagination at times. I was thrilled to see hints and tips for genealogical work scattered throughout the story as well as a good sprinkling of trivia.
This is a series I will be following. -
This was a fun book to read. It all started with a funeral for Mags grandma and ended with a fake Irish wake. In between there was a mystery to solve. Who is Finn's dad? He had an old photo with a phone number on the back. So Mags and her best friend Biddy decided to go in search. From an old teacher to some of the boys in the photo. It seems the best advice was given by Biddy's dad. Just ask. Any dad would want to know. So that was the plan. Also, they needed to catch the person who tried to run Finn off the road and knock Mags out. Nothing turned out as plan but still mission was accomplished. I look forward to reading more stories about Mags and Biddy.
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Too rushed..
Too many names and what-ifs and may-bes.. circling around and around until it's just a mass of similar names with no real research or actual genealogy.
Mags and Biddy aren't really particularly likeable.. lacks description of them as characters.. we know how Finn looks, we know that there's allegedly a spark, we're told frequently, but there's no actual evidence of one to back it up..
Most oddly written, feels like a plot that got completely out of hand and turned into a book by accident. We have description we don't need and where it would help just too much talking about the lengthy list of similar names.
Wish I hadn't bought all of them in one go. -
I would like to read a prequel of this series to include Mags as a girl spending time with Biddy and her grandmother.
I laughed out loud a few times and mainly enjoyed this genealogy mystery. The nickname Mags was fine; Biddy made me think "old lady" even though they're the same age. I could relate to Mags, a single woman hopeful about a potential relationship and living in an old house that needs work (wondering how to pay for the repairs). Loved the setting in Ireland, picking up the phrases like "Janey Mac!" -- much tamer than Tana French's language in her books. 4.5/5 stars would be more accurate. -
An Irish lad searches for his dad.
Mags is just finishing her own grandmother’s wake when a stranger, Finn, appears with a photo in hand. One of the lads in it is his father, a stranger to him who is apparently unaware he even has a son. When Finn is injured in a car accident, Mags becomes involved in his search for his father. Her best friend Biddy helps in whatever way she can, but it is Mags who uses her genealogy prowess to try to search for both Finn’s father and her own. There are no deaths involved in this search, although there is a fake wake. Not so much humor here as just a light-hearted mystery. -
Poorly written. Some plot points telegraphed early and WAY too frequently. Others unrevealed until the last few pages. Yes, I understand that the main character's insistence on misplaced blame is going to be proven wrong in the end, but for the love of Mike, give me half a clue as to where the blame might truly lie. A reader wants the chance to solve the mystery and delight in twists and turns along the way. This book doesn't do that.
And take notes if you want to try to remember who's who and why we should care.
Someone else in the book club says the books in this series get better, but I'm disinclined to test it. -
I was drawn to this book because of the connection to genealogy. I am a genetic genealogist and I use DNA matches to create trees for those who were adopted in order to identify biological parents. The author did mention this type of work, but did not go in to any detail about the process. I hope she is aware of the work of CeCe Moore and will dig deeper in to the possibilities of this process in future books. I love books set in Ireland. An interesting look at detective work to try to identify the biological family of a young man.
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A fun story set in Ireland. Mags and Biddy are childhood friends who have kept in touch and even though Mags moved to America she would come back and visit her beloved Grandma. This time she is planing the wake for her beloved Grandma. In walks a handsome man looking to find his father and who better to help him but Mags. Mags and Biddy are great fun to watch solve this mystery. I will be reading more in this series. I received this book as an ARC but this review is my own.
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I recived this book as an ARC.
What a great book to read. It was fun to go into the world of genealogy.
Maggie is back in Ireland visiting her Grandmother. While she is here her Grandmother passes away and Maggie has to plan the Wake for her.
While she is there a man approaches her to ask for her assistance in finding his biological father.
With the help of her longtime childhood friend Biddy they jump into to finding his father.
The story is a great start to a new series. -
Not bad, but rather convoluted (even though I come from a small town with a big, related Irish population). For much of the novel, I felt I was being schooled in genealogy at the expense of the mystery. Indeed, the "mystery" is some nebby girl following a single clue that may or may not be an indicator, and getting the story part right.
