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'Her best yet... Andrea conjures up a phenomenal sense of place. She is such an assured, stylish writer and The Body Falls is remarkably gripping' Jo Spain
'Tense, atmospheric - it grips the reader ever tighter as the mystery deepens' Brian McGilloway
April in Florida and Ben O'Keeffe is enjoying balmy temperatures, working the last few days of a six-month stint with her old law firm. A week later she returns to Glendara, Inishowen where a charity cycle race is taking place. But it starts to rain, causing the cyclists to postpone the start of their event and stay overnight in the town. But the rain doesn't stop; it increases to become relentless, torrential.
April in Florida and Ben O'Keeffe is enjoying balmy temperatures, working the last few days of a six-month stint with her old law firm. A week later she returns to Glendara, Inishowen where a charity cycle race is taking place. But it starts to rain, causing the cyclists to postpone the start of their event and stay overnight in the town. But the rain doesn't stop; it increases to become relentless, torrential.
In the middle of the night, Sergeant Tom Molloy is called out to Mamore Gap, where a body, dislodged from a high bank by the heavy rain, has fallen onto the vet's jeep. It is identified as Bob Jameson, a well-known local charities boss, and the organiser of the cycling event. Stunned, the GP confirms that the man has suffered a snakebite.
Terrible weather persists and soon bridges are down and roads are impassable. Glendara is completely cut off, with a killer at the heart of the community. Who is responsible for Bob Jameson's death? One of the strangers in town or someone closer to home? It's left to Molloy, with Ben's assistance, to find out what is going on.
'Starting a new Inishowen novel is like settling in for a gossip with a really good friend. Ben O'Keeffe is a totally engaging main character and her adventures are as convincing as they are gripping. The Body Falls is a hugely entertaining small-town mystery with a very satisfying resolution; I can't wait to read the next in the series' Jane Casey
Praise for Andrea Carter's Inishowen Mysteries series
'Atmospheric and vivid' The Irish Times
'I adored this traditional crime novel; it's modern day Agatha Christie with Ben as Miss Marple' Irish Examiner
'The colourful cast of characters may be fictional, but the landscapes, towns and villages are instantly recognisable' Irish Daily Mail
'A beguiling heroine - clever, sympathetic and bearing a weight of guilt' The Times
I love reading the Inishowen Mysteries, especially when I hear the local vernacular in the speech of the characters, e.g. 'It was a wile handling, so it was.' I laughed when I saw that well-used phrase pop up. The community spirit in Inishowen really shines through in this book as the townlands of Malin grapple with severe flooding and unexpected death of a visitor to the area.
The investigation is slow and centred around chats with various characters. I got a little muddled on who was related to whom at one stage as there were so many new faces in Glendara.
I felt that this mystery lacked the suspense of the previous book however I am very intrigued to find out what is happening with Ben's parents as well as any mysteries her job connections in America might present for her in the future. I would love to see Molloy develop more as a character and get some background information on him. We know a lot about Ben but not so much Molloy. He is very closed off and not much craic, a typical garda I suppose but I'm hoping he comes out of his shell a wee bit as the romance hots up.
This really is a lovely series.
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