Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery by Sheila Connolly

Maura was from Boston.  When the locals start warning her about the snow storm coming, she's not real concerned. After all they had snow all the time at home.  But home in Boston her house wasn't on top of a steep hill.  She decides to get a few supplies in and then wait to see what happens.  She sure never expected what would actually happen...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 14th.  

Maura and her work crew are all on duty.  Billy, an old man who had a room in the building, joined them.  Various customers straggled in.  Many couldn't get home, the bed and breakfast and hotel were full, so she told them they could stay in the pub overnight.  One lady keeps to herself and is real quiet.  As the night goes on, Maura finally gets her to chat.  She finds out she was accused of murder here in town over 20 years ago.  She states she's not guilty.  Maura believes her but others are hounding her as if she's getting away with murder.  Maura decides to hold an informal court and see if it can be proved one way or another.  Maybe somebody saw something that they never brought up before.  Twenty years is a long time, though.

I found it fascinating to watch a group of about twenty go through their memories and discuss what happened and how she became suspect.  Maura tries to keep it reasonable but some get angry and some get mean.  However, by piecing it together, Maura finds the truth.  It won't lessen the years of hurt but it will make the woman sleep better to know everyone now knows she was telling the truth.

This was an interesting mystery with an odd solution and I liked it.