Murder at an Irish Auction

In the village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, the ever-expanding O’Sullivan brood has just grown by two more precious ones. Detective Sergeant Siobhán O’Sullivan couldn’t be happier as the proud mother of twins. For once, police work can wait. That is, until an auctioneer ends up going, going, gone…

Siobhán’s siblings James and Grainne encourage the new mam to take a break and join them at a can’t-miss auction of the contents of an old Irish farmhouse which was the scene of a famous unsolved murder and kidnapping twenty years ago. The auctioneer’s reputation as a character precedes him, and there’s even a ghost hunter filming a documentary. Surely Ann and Ciaran can watch the wee ones for a few hours.

At the auction, James and Grainne win a bidding battle for a pair of ceramic bunnies that they want to gift to the twins, while Siobhán finds herself reviewing the details of the decades-old murder. Then, during a break, the auctioneer is killed in the same manner as the original murder victim—and he’s clearly struck his last gavel.

Is his death related to the past murder or some kind of copycat crime? Was it the ghost hunter, the auctioneer's estranged wife, the sister of the cold-case murder victim, a local with ties to to the missing mother, or a fan of the ghost hunting series who collects haunted objects? It’s up to Siobhán to sort through the suspects and reveal who made a bid to get away with murder . . .

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

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The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs