by: L.C. Winters
Series: Half Moon Bay Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: January 13, 2025
“Wedding dresses, ex-fiancés, and a whole lot of murder—just another day in Half Moon Bay”
Therapist Clementine Moriarty thought her return to the whimsical seaside town of Half Moon Bay, nestled in cozy Donegal – would be a chance to reconnect with her roots, spend time at her parents’ charming little seaside art gallery and heal from heartbreak. But her homecoming is anything but peaceful when she stumbles upon an unwelcome surprise—her ex-fiancé, Greg, is getting married to her best friend, Charlotte, on the very beach where Clementine was supposed to say “I do.”
Through a series of unexpected twists and turns, what starts as a personal nightmare soon spirals into an intriguing mystery. An anonymous email had lured Clementine back home, but who sent it and why? As the wedding unfolds, tensions simmer, secrets surface, and Half Moon Bay’s picturesque façade begins to crack. When someone turns up dead with a series of baffling clues and puzzles, Clementine finds herself the role of unlikely detective as she becomes the prime suspect.
With the help of a heartwarming, blue-haired artist and her sharp intuition, Clementine must navigate a maze of jealous exes, local gossip, and buried betrayals to uncover the truth amid the charming and Whimsical backdrop of Donegal. But in a village where everyone has something to hide, will this quirky crime-solving team be able to unmask the killer before it’s too late?
Perfect for fans of small-town mysteries, vibrant characters, clever clues, and a touch of romance, Murder at an Irish Wedding will keep you guessing until the final page.
Of course! I’m Clementine Moriarty—thirty-something, psychologist by training, amateur sleuth by necessity, and former Half Moon Bay resident returning after many years to find myself knee-deep in murder and coastal gossip.
These days, I divide my time between freelance therapy work, attending village book clubs, trying to coax my frizz into submission, and figuring out why people keep getting themselves murdered in such scenic surroundings. Oh—and I have a mild addiction to coffee, wool cardigans, and old detective novels.
Your story takes place in Half Moon Bay. Can you please tell me about it?
Ah, Half Moon Bay. It’s a small, salty little village on the Irish coast—equal parts charming and chaotic. I moved back here when I was called back for my father’s birthday, only to find an unexpected wedding taking place (don’t ask), and I decided to stay. Okay, okay, the handsome, clever, and downright refreshing artist/detective Mason Hughes (don’t tell him I said he was handsome) had a little to do with it.
But I was thinking I’d find peace, quiet, and a scenic sea view, and I was mistaken. Instead, I found secrets, scandals, and more bodies than I care to count.
The village itself is picturesque, filled with cobble-locked streets, colourful shop fronts, and locals who could rival Poirot for nosiness. It’s technically a tourist town, but the real characters are the ones who live here year-round. Eccentric, fiercely loyal, and a little too enthusiastic when it comes to knowing everyone’s business.
Please tell us about some people we’ll meet in your story.
You’ll meet Mason Hughes—musician, folklore enthusiast, and wearer of ironic t-shirts like Folking Folklore. He has opinions on everything and tends to show up when things get weird, which is often.
You will meet Peter, the pedantic know-it-all bookshop owner who has an answer for everything and a theory for everything else. He fancies himself a bit of a detective, but I feel like he has something to hide.
Then there is Sherry, a local estate agent who seems to have taken a strong dislike to me. She doesn’t appreciate me investigating a murder, even when I need to do it to find out who framed me before it’s too late. Expect saltiness and sarcasm from her!
Jerome, the local doctor, is around my age, and I remember when we were about fifteen years of age, he got stuck in a hole in the sand after his roguish brother Toby buried him up to his head in it. Myself and my friends Jeff (who you will meet in some of the later stories) and Charlotte had to drag him out of there. I think he fell in love with Charlotte that day, and they were dating within the year. Jerome is sweet-natured, a little forlorn and melancholic.
Last but not least, there is Daniel, a local druid (celtic priest) with an obsession with gardening, herbal remedies, and even poisons. Daniel is a quick witted fast talker with a dark sense of humour, an opinion on everything, and a love of all things mystic.
What’s your most prized possession?
A battered old leather-bound notebook given to me by my mother. I keep it in my room and I never show anyone. It travelled the world with me. Wherever I went I created maps of all the local towns and cities as well as maps of where I would go in each country.
I used to be a tour guide in Dublin (after I finished studying Psychology, but before I did my postgraduate degree to become a therapist), and I planned out my tours in that notebook too. It’s also full of sketches and phrases that I like. I write them down so I can read them again. I don’t share my creativity with the world the way Mason does, this is just for me.
So there is that, and my grandmother’s teacup collection, which has survived everything from a house move to a crime scene. It’s got the story of the discovery of tea on it laid out in pretty pictures.
Has there ever been a time in your life when something didn’t go your way? If so, how did you deal with it?
Oh, absolutely. I did a degree in Psychology only to find out that I couldn’t get a job afterwards, and I had no money to do a postgrad, so I had to think on my feet. I realised that I could set up a tour company and do walking tours around the city, as I have a natural love for history and research.
Of course the most profound loss I had so far was my breakup with Greg. We were going to be married. I had all the wedding magazines, and we had already planned our beach wedding and put down a deposit on the Bayside hotel. Then it just came crashing down. I got my tarot cards read shortly before that by a fortune teller, and a card called the Tower came up. The reader told me that meant things would change, that disruption would enter my life, because on some level I could no longer abide the status quo.
Greg got more and more nasty, critical, and aggressive, and I always felt that I was letting him down, as I am forgetful, unpunctual, I have messy hair, and I lose things all the time. Eventually, the weight of that got to me, we fought all the time, and on a whim, I took a break from him and went travelling.
Looking back after everything that happened during this murder investigation and the revelations it brought, I know I did the right thing.
Why do you feel the need to put on your sleuthing hat and investigate murder?
Because sometimes no one else will. Small towns have a way of protecting their own—of brushing secrets under the carpet. But the truth matters. And once you've seen patterns in behaviour as a psychologist, you can't unsee them.
I got into this business because I was framed, but I stayed in the murder solving business to bring truth and justice to Half Moon Bay. I also feel most alive when I’m solving mysteries. There is nothing quite like using your brain to figure out difficult puzzles.
Also, I have a deeply inconvenient sense of justice and an inability to mind my own business.
What can readers expect from Mystery at an Irish Wedding?
Murder, mayhem, and matrimonial mishaps. A dead bride, a devastated fiancé, and a seaside town full of suspects. There’s gossip, crossed wires, and plenty of twists—and maybe even a bit of romance, if you’re paying attention.
But most of all, it’s a story about finding your footing, trusting your instincts, and solving puzzles that aren’t always what they seem.
There was a ringing sound behind her as the gallery door opened. Clementine turned to see the man with bright blue hair she’d spotted earlier on the shore front, the artist.
She couldn’t look away, there was something magnetic about him. Perhaps it was the way his well defined cheekbones swept down to his chin, his beautiful sky blue eyes which seemed to be filled with wonder and enthusiasm or his radiant smile which matched his eyes in their love of life.
She realised that she was staring at him. He was staring too but turned away when he made eye contact, almost embarrassed by the intimacy of the moment.
How strange, she thought, that someone so bold in his performance art, so self assured and able to create change and inspire thought would turn away, embarrassed and vulnerable.
“You will never guess what I just saw on the beach!” Mason said in a lively tone, turning to Clem’s parents Bridget and Arthur.
“You know the wedding down on the beach, the showy one with the screeching bridezilla and the nervous groom? It was well and truly interrupted!”
He barged into the gallery, a larger than life figure, taking up all the space he needed. Arthur and Bridget both greeted him with smiles but Bridget tried to butt in before he continued.
He ignored the social cue and how Clem’s facial expressions were turning from intrigued to horrified.
“I mean, talk about a ‘does anyone object’ moment! Ha! Ha! Talk about a jilted ex!! It was hilarious. I thought that Bridezilla was going to climb on top of the Bayside hotel and take the groom with her screaming ‘He My Man, He My Man’. She looked like she was about to burst and then the tirade started, I’ve never heard such a high pitched scream from anyone let alone a bride!”
Clem’s face turned a darker shade of red.
“I mean, I heard several dogs howling. I think one of the delivery drones malfunctioned. It was like a Captain Crunch hack or something but in a bridal scream. And who was the ex girlfriend? Eh? I mean, who interrupts a…?”.
His voice trailed off as he looked first at Clementine, then at her parents and then at the beach and once again back to her.
“You” he said “you’re the wedding interrupter!”
“I overreacted,” Clementine said, looking away.
“So, is he, like your ex or something?” he asked “Did you decide you’d object at the last moment? Hoping for a jilting? You were, weren’t you?”
“No! I wasn’t hoping for a jilting” Clem snapped “Well, maybe a jilting. But not because he’s my ex. It’s not that simple. I didn’t know about the wedding, I just got back today, she was my friend. She was supposed to be my best friend and it turns out..”
“I’m sorry” he said “I didn’t realise. Are you alright? That sounds like a horrible ordeal”.
“Do you want me to go and say ridiculous haikus at them? I could do it, I could clear the wedding in a few moments with my poetry, I’ve actually done it before!”.
Clem couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, amidst all of this, she was grinning.
She couldn’t look away, there was something magnetic about him. Perhaps it was the way his well defined cheekbones swept down to his chin, his beautiful sky blue eyes which seemed to be filled with wonder and enthusiasm or his radiant smile which matched his eyes in their love of life.
She realised that she was staring at him. He was staring too but turned away when he made eye contact, almost embarrassed by the intimacy of the moment.
How strange, she thought, that someone so bold in his performance art, so self assured and able to create change and inspire thought would turn away, embarrassed and vulnerable.
“You will never guess what I just saw on the beach!” Mason said in a lively tone, turning to Clem’s parents Bridget and Arthur.
“You know the wedding down on the beach, the showy one with the screeching bridezilla and the nervous groom? It was well and truly interrupted!”
He barged into the gallery, a larger than life figure, taking up all the space he needed. Arthur and Bridget both greeted him with smiles but Bridget tried to butt in before he continued.
He ignored the social cue and how Clem’s facial expressions were turning from intrigued to horrified.
“I mean, talk about a ‘does anyone object’ moment! Ha! Ha! Talk about a jilted ex!! It was hilarious. I thought that Bridezilla was going to climb on top of the Bayside hotel and take the groom with her screaming ‘He My Man, He My Man’. She looked like she was about to burst and then the tirade started, I’ve never heard such a high pitched scream from anyone let alone a bride!”
Clem’s face turned a darker shade of red.
“I mean, I heard several dogs howling. I think one of the delivery drones malfunctioned. It was like a Captain Crunch hack or something but in a bridal scream. And who was the ex girlfriend? Eh? I mean, who interrupts a…?”.
His voice trailed off as he looked first at Clementine, then at her parents and then at the beach and once again back to her.
“You” he said “you’re the wedding interrupter!”
“I overreacted,” Clementine said, looking away.
“So, is he, like your ex or something?” he asked “Did you decide you’d object at the last moment? Hoping for a jilting? You were, weren’t you?”
“No! I wasn’t hoping for a jilting” Clem snapped “Well, maybe a jilting. But not because he’s my ex. It’s not that simple. I didn’t know about the wedding, I just got back today, she was my friend. She was supposed to be my best friend and it turns out..”
“I’m sorry” he said “I didn’t realise. Are you alright? That sounds like a horrible ordeal”.
“Do you want me to go and say ridiculous haikus at them? I could do it, I could clear the wedding in a few moments with my poetry, I’ve actually done it before!”.
Clem couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, amidst all of this, she was grinning.
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The Half Moon Bay Mystery Series:
Death Note (Book 4) releases July 1, 2025
As avid mystery fans (we love the classics like Agatha Christie as well as modern cozy authors like Richard Osman), we love deciphering clues and trying to beat the detective to figure out who commited the crime. So we decided to create mysteries with a complex set of interrelated clues which are delivered in an easy to follow story. We hope that the ending of each of our mysteries is both a surprise and, at the same time, feels inevitable and ‘right’.
Laura has a degree in Psychology and this is reflected in our protagonist Clementine who uses her Psychology know-how to figure out the motives, secrets and inconsistencies in each suspect.
With our cozy fiction, we aim to create heartwarming stories with lovable, quirky characters in a nice, soothing environment. Wherever you are when you are reading our stories, we hope to whisk you away to beautiful, picturesque Ireland to the seaside county of Donegal!
Places to find L.C. Winters:
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Hi Kim. Thank you so much for showcasing our novel Mystery at an Irish Wedding. We are delighted to be on your fantastic blog.
ReplyDeleteL.C. Winters (Laura & Colin)
You're welcome. Thank you so much for the interview and for stopping by.
DeleteThis sounds like a good read. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDelete