Yule Pay Dearly

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Blarney Green, Ireland, and recent transplant Penny Cavanagh can’t wait to experience Christmas in her new hometown alongside her cousin Nora Murphy and their grandmother, Nan. Situated at the heart of the action, the family tearoom offers Penny a front-row seat for all the local festivities, including performances by a visiting troupe of talented mummers—but the holidays go from merry to murderous when one of the actors, a TV star named Nolan Gilmore, is discovered stabbed to death. 

Concerned about a good friend’s proximity to one of the suspects, Penny feels compelled to comb Blarney Green for clues as to who killed the arrogant actor and why. From jilted exes to jaded colleagues, the naughty list of potential murderers keeps Penny guessing . . . and the stakes skyrocket when another homicide befalls somebody close to the case and Penny winds up in the villain’s crosshairs. 

To complicate matters, Penny’s heart tugs her toward something more than friendship with clever, kind Detective Inspector Finn Campbell, but her involvement in the murder investigations may jeopardize her hopes of future romance. Will she manage to help solve the crimes without alienating Finn—and without getting herself killed in the process? If not, Penny’s Christmas night might be silenced . . . forever. 

The Characters

When professional matchmaker Penny  Cavanagh gets caught up in the scandal of a high-profile breakup, she decides it’s time for a vacation. She travels to Blarney Green, Ireland, to visit her grandmother, Nan Murphy, and her favorite cousin Nora. She plans to stay only for a few weeks. Unbeknownst to Penny, they intend for her to stay in Ireland indefinitely to take over Nan’s tearoom, The Merry Teapot. But none of them could know how much trouble is about to fall on Blarney Green.

Nan has barely missed a day of work at The Merry Teapot in 70 years, but she won’t be able to keep up that pace forever. It’s time to ensure the future of her family’s tearoom is safe in the hands of the next generation, and if she can kill two birds with one stone by convincing her granddaughter Penny to move to Ireland and take it over, all the better. Unfortunately, the suspicious death of a tearoom guest is not making for a warm welcome.

Professional artist Nora Murphy is delighted when her favorite cousin arrives in Ireland. Maybe it’s because she grew up with six brothers, but she and Penny have always been close, even when they were far apart. She knows they’ll have all kinds of fun together, especially if Nora can convince Penny to stay in Ireland and move into the tower house she calls home. But when English master gardener Colin Bexley, whom Nora knows from her time in London, is dead within hours of leaving the tearoom and kissing the Blarney Stone, things aren’t looking so good.

Finn Campbell has spent years working his way up through the ranks of Ireland’s police force, Garda Síochána. Now he’s heading the station in his hometown of Blarney Green. He’s near his widowed mother, Linda, who insists that she doesn’t need his help, but he likes being on hand just in case. He’s dated casually, but he’s never found the right woman—until Penny Cavanaugh arrives in town. As the 1384th heir in line for the royal throne, he might just turn out to be her very own Prince Charming. He’d love to ask her out. If he can just keep her out of danger long enough. . .

Irresistibly cute, Earl and Grey come and go as they please between Nan’s cottage and the nearby tearoom. Earl is spunky and sweet but a little on the clumsy side and not quite as good at sneaking around as the typical cat. Grey on the other hand is wise, stealthy, and clever. They have both been known to help their humans uncover clues and solve mysteries.