A murder in Dingle…

It’s only fitting that my first blog post in AGES is a book review. And more appropriate that I focus on a book, No Strangers Here, from a favorite writer and friend, Carleen O’Connor. Dingle, Ireland is the lush setting of a staged murder scene and Dr. Dimpna Wilde leads a cast of locals determined to set things right…each according to their individual, potentially homicidal perspectives.

Dr. Wilde returns to Dingle after a long absence and isn’t just facing physical danger. Her parents are estranged from one another, her father—the original Dr. Wilde—let his veterinary practice fall into disarray, and Dimpna’s son is none to happy with the secrets she’s keeping about his real father. O’Connor handles these swirling emotional currents with sincerity and insight that pulls the reader in as they keep turning pages to find out who the culprit is. There’s no shortage of suspects with the wealthy O’Reilly clan manipulating the town. And the inspector assigned to the case is a stranger which makes it harder for Dimpna and everyone else to trust his abilities. The fact that he’s charming and handsome is a distraction.

No Strangers Here (A County Kerry Novel, Book 1) is a true novel of suspense and mystery, not just a love letter to Ireland. The stakes are high, the danger palpable, the dialogue crisp, and the ending satisfying.

Early praise for this latest release is well-deserved. Fans of O’Connor’s cozy series The Irish Village mysteries will find even more to sink their teeth into with her latest work.