The Well of Ice (Inishowen Mystery, #3)

by Andrea Carter

'Haunting, atmospheric and gripping' John Connolly, New York Times best-selling author

'A beguiling heroine - clever, sympathetic and bearing a weight of guilt' The Times

December in Glendara, Inishowen, and solicitor Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keeffe is working flat out before the holidays. But on a trip to Dublin to visit her parents, she runs into Luke Kirby - the man who killed her sister - freshly released from jail. On the surface he appears remorseful, conciliatory even, but his comment as she walks away makes her realise he is as foul as ever.

Back in Glendara, there is chaos. The Oak pub has burned down and Carole Kearney, the Oak's barmaid, has gone missing. And then, while walking the dog up Sliabh Sneacht, Ben and her partner, Sergeant Tom Molloy, make a gruesome discovery: a body lying face down in the snow.

Who is behind this vicious attack on Glendara and its residents? Ben tries to find answers, but is she the one in danger?

Praise for Andrea Carter

'I adored this traditional crime novel; it's modern day Agatha Christie with Ben as Miss Marple' Irish Examiner

'Atmospheric and vivid' Irish Times

'The colourful cast of characters may be fictional, but the landscapes, towns and villages are instantly recognisable' Irish Daily Mail

'. . . filled with well-drawn and engaging characters, lyrical descriptions of the stunning scenery, and intriguing mysteries to be unravelled . . . hugely enjoyable . . .' Irish Independent

'A modern day Agatha Christie . . . it builds to a crescendo in a dramatic and highly satisfying close' Books Ireland Magazine

'A proper old-fashioned crime novel in the best sense of the word' Jane Casey

• ISBN10: 1472125983
• ISBN13: 9781472125989
• Publish Date: 5 April 2018 (first published 5 October 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Constable
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: my link text.

The Well of Ice is the third Inishowen mystery by Andrea Carter. Originally released in 2017 in the UK, this reformat and re-release in the USA by Oceanview Publishing is 352 pages and available in hardcover format (other editions available in other formats).

I was impressed how much the isolated setting played in the entire flavor of the novel. The characters are well rendered, three dimensional, and believable. I liked the way main character Ben is compassionate, intelligent, and loyal to her friends. Although this is the third novel in the series, it worked well enough as a standalone for me to not have any trouble following the story or keeping the characters straight.

The language is relatively clean (there are some assorted "f-bombs", but they're used in context and don't overpower the story). There is implied consensual sexual content but it's -very- lightly written and there's no NSFW content. I did figure out "whodunit" before the end, but it was more a case of reverse-engineering the denouement (which was well written and exciting).

The spellings and slang are UK standard. There's a fair bit of Irish idiom and dialogue sprinkled throughout, but it shouldn't present any problems in context, especially for fans of UK/Scots/Irish crime fiction.

Beautifully written, well plotted, an enjoyable and diverting read. I read a *lot* of books for review in the course of a year, and I fully intend to read the first two books in this series asap.

Four stars. Recommended for fans of Irish crime fiction, legal mysteries, small-town mysteries (though I wouldn't call this one a cozy).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes