Death Writes: An
Inishowen Mystery by Andrea Carter
Reviewed by Jeanne
Benedicta O’Keeffe, better known as Ben, is a solicitor in
Glendara, a town on the Irish Inishowen Peninsula. When a concerned neighbor contacts her
expressing concern that there are strangers living in Ben’s parents’ home. Ben and her boyfriend, police officer Tom
Molloy, travel to Dublin to see exactly what is going on. She finds her parents
to be somewhat evasive about their lodger, who seems to be exerting a great
deal of influence on the older couple. Ben talks her parents into coming to
Inishowen for a visit, hoping they will open up if the stranger isn’t
around. As an enticement, she tells them
that reclusive author Gavin Featherstone is going to make an appearance at the
Glendara literary festival—the first time he’s done a public appearance in
years. Unfortunately, Featherstone collapses while on stage and is pronounced
dead. But is it natural causes or murder?
The Inishowen mysteries are all solid mysteries with a strong
sense of place, but cozy readers might not find them as warm and fuzzy as they
expect. They’re not especially dark,
just more straightforward mysteries. Relationships certainly play a role but
aren’t necessarily central to the plot, but the solution is character
driven. It’s not exactly a “follow the
clues” sort of mystery, but the solution makes sense. There are also a couple of
neat plot twists thrown in for good measure.
While I have read others in this series, I don’t think you
have to have read any others to enjoy this one. The story arc about Ben’s
family relationships has extended over other books, but there’s enough
information that a new reader would not be lost. I like the series for the Irish setting from
an Irish point of view. Carter’s pacing
is good; she balances the two mysteries and the personal relationships well, so
that the storylines never drag. I like Ben;
she’s level-headed, professional, and competent, and her participation in the
mysteries are always related to her profession, so her involvement is
plausible.
Others in the series are:
Death at
Whitewater Church
Treacherous
Strand
The Wall
of Ice
Murder at
Greysbridge
The Body
Falls
Death
Writes
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