Mystery set in INISHOWEN, County Donegal

5th April 2023

The Well of Ice by Andrea Carter, mystery set in Inishowen, County Donegal.

This is no. 3 in the Inishowen Mystery series but can be read as a stand alone.

The Irish Daily Mail says of the work of Andrea Carter “The colourful cast of characters may be fictional, but the landscapes, towns and villages are instantly recognisable” and that feels like a good summary of the author’s depiction of place and people.

Ben is a young woman working as a solicitor in fictional Glendara, She is secretly dating the local policeman – Molloy – and, given small community gossip, their relationship doesn’t remain hidden for very long. Her sister Faye was murdered several years ago, subjected to a brutal attack, and the perpetrator, she learns, has been released from prison. On a trip to Dublin, she sees him, an encounter which proves to be extremely unsettling; then when he pops up closer to home, she clearly becomes even more concerned.

The Oak is a local pub which she occasionally frequents and it burns down. At the same time, the barmaid Carol goes missing. Ben recalls that she sat with her on the flight down to Dublin, with hardly any conversation and noted, as she left the arrivals hall, that Carol was picking up a suitcase, which perhaps indicated her intention to be away for some time.

A body then turns up and DNA from the murder instrument throws up a real curve ball. Ben inevitably becomes involved and adds her sleuthing prowess to the proceedings. She is a very likeable character, who dotes on her cat, Guinness.

The author manages a good cast of interesting characters, who add real depth to the storyline (although they do seem to eat an awful lot of sandwiches) and does a wonderful job with bringing the location to life. This is a story anchored in the period around Christmas and New Year, which adds a distinct edge to the storyline. The tension ratchets up towards the ending, with a fast and furious slant and perhaps credibility at that point becomes stretched.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Catch the author on Twitter @andysaibhcarter

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