• An Early Wake

  • County Cork Mystery, Book 3
  • By: Sheila Connolly
  • Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
  • Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (423 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
An Early Wake  By  cover art

An Early Wake

By: Sheila Connolly
Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.47

Buy for $15.47

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan's Pub in the black as the days grow shorter - but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who'd come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan's salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it's going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.

©2015 Sheila Connolly (P)2015 Tantor

What listeners say about An Early Wake

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    249
  • 4 Stars
    121
  • 3 Stars
    47
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    230
  • 4 Stars
    99
  • 3 Stars
    34
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    222
  • 4 Stars
    100
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Repetitious elements and annoyingly fretful

Any additional comments?

I've audio-read the 2 in the series before this. In these, I felt there were many weak spots in the relating of the story line but I liked the Ireland village setting that seemed plausibly portrayed, liked the basically cozy friendly pub atmosphere created and many of the characters. And the plots were decently interesting. But in this one, An Early Wake, the author had the main character mumble on page after page in repeated fretting over things seriously stupid to fret over at all much less for a page. It was like she was just trying to fill pages. It was so irritating I had to force myself to finish it . . for the plot end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great series!

I thought that the books flowed very well from one to the other all the way to the current book. The series has a lot of charm and the narrator added to the charm! I would recommend the series to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery! So, grab your pint or a good strong cup of Irish tea and sit back and enjoy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Accent

Please pay a little more and hire readers from the native country of the books origin!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An interesting, albeit obvious, setup for another sequel

This was a pleasant enough read, though I don't feel it was as strong as the second book. However, it gave some new glimpses into the pub itself, refreshing looks at some of the earlier characters, and, I feel, a lot of promise for future volumes.

Amy Rubinate is inhabiting the characters And the various accents much more comfortably with each book. I look forward to her work in the future.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • CT
  • 03-31-15

A little bit of Ireland

From the title of this book I guess I knew from the beginning that there was going to be some sort of a death. I I enjoyed learning a little bit about Irish music and this book created a desire for me to do some more investigating to find out if this type of thing really occurred in Ireland in the 80s.

I enjoy the way Sheila Conley has begun to develop more depth to our characters. I like that there is intrigue and suspense but without a lot of violence or sex. I can't wait until the next Book in the series is written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

too much emphasis on words

Almost had to put this one down. The performers emphasis at the end of sentences was unnecessary and distracting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Magic of the Music, Memories . . . Murder

With the tourist season over, Maura Donovan is worried about how she will keep Sullivan's Pub open over the lean months . . . and how she will pay her employees. Then a university student from Dublin happens in after hearing about the music scene at Sullivan's in the 1990s, wanting to write his research paper on the subject. Old Billy, who lives at the end of the pub and has his own seat inside every day, knows the story . . . although its news to Maura . . . and soon the pub is alive with chatter and memories of the days when the musicians just showed up at Sullivan's and packed the place . . . it wasn't long until the whole town was talking, and one of the musicians made their way to sit with Old Billy at the pub . . . Then a few days later, just like before, no emails, no advertising, just word of mouth, and the people and the musicians came and filled the house with music and magic . . . Maura was overjoyed and for once believed that the pub might make it . . . until she came in the next morning and found one of the musicians dead in the back room . . . then its up to the Garda (Police) to figure out if it was murder. Maura worries about the pub's patron's not showing up after the man is found dead in her pub, but she needn't worry . . . the gentle, take-it-as-it-comes way of the Irish is soothing to me. I love Maura's relationship with her neighbor, Briget Nolan, who is in her eighties, and a friend of Maura's deceased grandmother. This book is one of my favorites in the series. I see Maura settling into her new home in Ireland and being accepted and loved by the townsfolk in Leap. Good resolution to the mystery. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It Makes Me Want A Pint

Any additional comments?

There is not wall to wall action but there are characters that you find yourself caring about.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Soft Peaceful Slice of Ireland

What did you love best about An Early Wake?

This is the third book in County Cork Mystery. Similar to the first two it is more about Ireland, Irish people than solving a crime. Yes there is a who done it but that is secondary to the story of the folks in this small village

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well written, love the series.

Would you listen to An Early Wake again? Why?

i certainly would listen again, you pick up more detail with a second listen. I have enjoyed the series.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Wanted to continue on, even at moments when my daily schedule got in the way.

What about Amy Rubinate’s performance did you like?

Great.

Any additional comments?

Hopefully there are more books in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful