No Strangers Here
A County Kerry Novel
by Carlene O’Connor
Veterinarian Dimpna Wilde returns to her hometown of Dingle, in County Kerry, Ireland, to clear her mother of a murder charge.
On the same day veterinarian Dimpna Wilde loses her clinic to foreclosure, she finds out
her father may be suffering from dementia, a prominent member of her hometown was murdered, and her mother was the last to see the murder victim alive, meaning Dimpna’s mother is a murder suspect.
The murder victim is Jimmy O’Reilly, a wealthy racehorse owner. He was propped up against a boulder and staring out to sea. Beside him was an empty vial of medication used by veterinarians and “Last Dance” spelled out in shiny black stones. Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brian is dispatched from Killarney to Dingle to solve the case. An outsider, he’s at a distinct disadvantage on several fronts. He doesn’t know the dark intertwined history of O’Reillys or the Wildes, the family suspected of being involved in Jimmy’s murder. It’s a complicated case and becomes more complicated when Dimpna returns to the village she left 25 years ago.
She returns to a father suspected of suffering from dementia, a brother refusing to return her calls, and a mother suspected of having an affair with the dead man. She doesn’t really trust the detective inspector to properly investigate the case and knows she must clear her mother’s name with or without the DI’s help. The killer, however, has no wish to be caught, and will silence Dimpna to keep their identity secret.
I read this book in two days. O’Connor does a fantastic job with the twists and turns of the plot. She immerses the reader into Irish village life. Because the people, their issues, and keeping secrets from those closest in their lives transcends cultures, the book’s setting and characters feels familiar.
O’Connor is a cozy mystery author, but this book isn’t a cozy. It’s darker than her previous books, but just as well written. The characters are complicated, the tangled plot keeps the reader guessing, and the Irish setting all work together to draw the reader in. I’m look forward to reading the next book in this series. Highly recommend.
Previous books by this author:
Irish Village Series:
1) Murder in an Irish Village
2) Murder at an Irish Wedding
3) Murder in an Irish Church Yard
4) Murder in an Irish Pub
5) Murder in an Irish Cottage
6) Murder at an Irish Christmas
7) Murder in an Irish Bookshop
Publisher: Kensington
320 Pages
ISBN: 9781496737540
FICTION / MYSTERY & DETECTIVE / INTERNATIONAL MYSTERY & CRIME
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