Author Topic: RIP Sheila Connolly  (Read 27087 times)

JRob

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RIP Sheila Connolly
« on: April 23, 2020, 10:08:07 pm »
I'm sad to report that author Sheila Connolly has passed away. She wrote the County Cork, Victorian Village, Orchard, Relatively Dead and Museum mystery series as well as many other works.

You can read more HERE!

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2020, 01:26:33 am »
I was shocked to see this. She was two years older than me, so of course I think of her as being very young.

Janet Rudolph wrote about this: https://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2020/04/sheila-connolly-rip.html?fbclid=IwAR2Og9nxMkl7XPiwtE-a5xtL8YiV-IyZj6rzMILvxa-i3dKJ5IEDcnxM5CQ

And this was on the page of the Facebook group SAVE OUR COZIES:

Posted by Maddie Day

10 hrs

It is sadly true that Sheila Connolly has died. We were waiting for her daughter to give the go ahead to make the sad news more widespread, but someone edited her Wikipedia page, and now we can grieve publicly. Sheila has been ill with cancer for a while and did not want anyone to know. At least our friend died in her beloved cottage in her favorite place on earth. May her soul rest easy knowing she was loved by so many.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2020, 08:42:51 am »
I was shocked to see this. She was two years older than me, so of course I think of her as being very young.

Janet Rudolph wrote about this: https://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2020/04/sheila-connolly-rip.html?fbclid=IwAR2Og9nxMkl7XPiwtE-a5xtL8YiV-IyZj6rzMILvxa-i3dKJ5IEDcnxM5CQ

And this was on the page of the Facebook group SAVE OUR COZIES:

Posted by Maddie Day

10 hrs

It is sadly true that Sheila Connolly has died. We were waiting for her daughter to give the go ahead to make the sad news more widespread, but someone edited her Wikipedia page, and now we can grieve publicly. Sheila has been ill with cancer for a while and did not want anyone to know. At least our friend died in her beloved cottage in her favorite place on earth. May her soul rest easy knowing she was loved by so many.

Becke, the link in my original post is the same one you posted. And the quote from Maddie Day is poignant. Maddie is Edith Maxwell, an author I'm a big fan of. It was when I went to a signing for her that I got to meet Sheila for the one and only time. It was nice to be able to chat with someone about Ireland who'd actually been there.

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2020, 04:17:01 pm »
Jay - I realized we shared the same link after I posted it. Great minds think alike, I guess! ;-)

I think I met Sheila at Bouchercon, but I met so many authors there, I'm not sure. Either way, she will be a great loss to the writing community.

I didn't realize Maddie was Edith! I just noticed one of Edith's books in my to-be-read pile. I'll get to that one soon.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2020, 08:32:21 pm »
Jay - I realized we shared the same link after I posted it. Great minds think alike, I guess! ;-)

I think I met Sheila at Bouchercon, but I met so many authors there, I'm not sure. Either way, she will be a great loss to the writing community.

I didn't realize Maddie was Edith! I just noticed one of Edith's books in my to-be-read pile. I'll get to that one soon.

I've been reading the reactions to Sheila's death on Facebook and yes, she is definitely going to be greatly missed. I hadn't gotten around to starting her Apple Orchard and Museum mystery series but I think I'm going to order the first book in each series.

I also read that she has two books done that haven't come out yet. I don't know which series these books are set in but it is nice that there will be at least two new books from her for fans to read and enjoy.

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2020, 01:07:27 am »
That is the worst thing when an author dies. Unless there are finished manuscripts that haven't been published yet, it's heartbreaking to realize there will be No More Books by this author.

I was living in England when Agatha Christie died, and I just couldn't get my mind around it. Luckily she and her publisher had arranged for a few more books to keep us going. I sure wish there were more Mary Stewart books.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2020, 09:06:00 am »
I did some minor Net surfing and apparently the two books that haven't been released yet are in the Victorian Village series. The first book has already been out but there's a 2nd one supposedly due for release on May 26th and the third book is tentatively set for May 1st, 2021.

Last night/early this morning, I ended up ordering a copy of the first book in the Orchard Mysteries, One Bad Apple.

The last book in the County Cork series (because of her passing, not because she was done with the series), Fatal Roots, came out in January so whenever it gets released in paperback I'll pick that one up as well.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2020, 09:10:19 pm »
I had planned to read a different book this weekend, but I decided to honor Sheila by reading the next book, the fourth, in her County Cork series A TURN FOR THE BAD.

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2020, 11:39:08 pm »
That's a wonderful idea, Jay!

adamcole

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2020, 01:17:32 am »
This was a shock to me as well, didn't knew about it till today. Such a loss.

« Last Edit: June 11, 2020, 02:05:02 am by Becke Davis »

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2020, 02:05:50 am »
I've got two more of Sheila's apple books to read, but I'm giving Edith/Maddie's books the priority this month.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2020, 03:44:13 am »
I'm pretty sure that Adam Cole post is a spam account.

As for Sheila's Orchard series. The fourth book, A KILLER CROP, finally arrived a few days ago and I'm likely going to be reading it after I finish the book I'm currently reading.

JRob

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2020, 06:57:44 pm »
My local Barnes and Noble reopened yesterday. I took a trip over because I wanted to grab up some of Sheila's books that I didn't have yet. I remember them having a large selection of books from her various series.

Imagine my disappointment to see that during the time they were closed, the store re-arranged the layout. Worse yet, they've even further condensed the mystery section down and now there were just a few of Sheila's books. Three of them I already have but I did pick up MURDER AT THE MANSION, the first book in her Victorian Village series and A LATE FROST which is one of her latter Orchard mystery series.

But I had hoped to pick up a bunch more of the books. Now, I might be forced to look to eBay again for used copies so I can afford more at once.

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2020, 07:00:03 pm »
My local Barnes and Noble reopened yesterday. I took a trip over because I wanted to grab up some of Sheila's books that I didn't have yet. I remember them having a large selection of books from her various series.

Imagine my disappointment to see that during the time they were closed, the store re-arranged the layout. Worse yet, they've even further condensed the mystery section down and now there were just a few of Sheila's books. Three of them I already have but I did pick up MURDER AT THE MANSION, the first book in her Victorian Village series and A LATE FROST which is one of her latter Orchard mystery series.

But I had hoped to pick up a bunch more of the books. Now, I might be forced to look to eBay again for used copies so I can afford more at once.

How frustrating! Our local B&N store just reopened - my husband and daughter went there the other day. I didn't go with them since I've got a couple of big orders with ABE.com. I have found a couple of Sheila's books recently but I'm saving them to read until I read the books of Edith's that I ordered. I'll let you know what the titles are - I think they were all apple orchard books.

Becke Davis

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Re: RIP Sheila Connolly
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2020, 01:00:46 pm »
I'm sad to report that author Sheila Connolly has passed away. She wrote the County Cork, Victorian Village, Orchard, Relatively Dead and Museum mystery series as well as many other works.

You can read more HERE!

I have two of her books in my waiting-to-be-read pile, and both of them are in her Orchard series - A LATE FROST and RED DELICIOUS DEATH. I want to read books in her other series, too. Do you have a favorite book or series?