Inishowen Mystery
5 primary works • 7 total works
Book 1
When a skeleton is discovered, wrapped in a blanket, in the hidden crypt of a deconsecrated church, everyone is convinced the bones must be those of Conor Devitt, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years previously. But the post mortem reveals otherwise.
Solicitor Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keeffe is acting for the owners of the church, and although an unwelcome face from her past makes her reluctant to get involved initially, when Conor's brother dies in strange circumstances shortly after coming to see her, she finds herself drawn in to the mystery. Whose is the skeleton in the crypt and how did it get there? Is Conor Devitt still alive, and if so is there a link? What happened on the morning of his wedding to make him disappear?
Negotiating between the official investigation, headed up by the handsome but surly Sergeant Tom Molloy, and obstructive locals with secrets of their own, Ben unravels layers of personal and political history to get to the truth of what happened six years before.
Book 2
A woman's body washes up on a remote beach on the Inishowen peninsula. Partially-clothed, with a strange tattoo on her thigh, she is identified as Marguerite Etienne, a French woman who has been living in the area.
Solicitor Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keeffe is consumed by guilt; Marguerite was her client, and for the second time in her life Ben has failed someone who needed her, with tragic consequences. So when local Sergeant Tom Molloy dismisses Marguerite's death as the suicide of a disturbed and lonely woman, Ben cannot let it lie.
Ben uncovers Marguerite's strange past as a member of a French doomsday cult, which she escaped twenty years previously but not without leaving her baby daughter behind. Disturbed by what appears to be chilling local indifference to Marguerite's death, Ben pieces together the last few weeks of the French woman's life in Inishowen. What she discovers causes her to question the fragile nature of her own position in the area, and she finds herself crossing boundaries both personal and professional to unearth local secrets long buried.
Praise for Treacherous Strand:
'Carter creates a real page-turner with this, her second novel, giving us a wonderfully feisty, clever and warm character in Ben' Irish Times
'. . . a richly drawn palette of suspects. Andrea Carter's second Inishowen mystery copper-fastens the promise of the first Ben O'Keeffe adventure published last year' Irish Independent
'. . . the ending is satisfying . . . there's plausibility, there is that moment where you say "that was good" . . . It would appeal to a lot of people. Definitely a holiday read' Arena RTE Radio 1
Book 3
'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
Book 4
'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
Accident or murder? A perfect day hides the perfect crime . . .
Summer has arrived in Inishowen and solicitor Ben O'Keeffe is greatly tempted by a job offer she's received from a law firm in America.
Yet before making any life-changing decisions there is her friend Leah's wedding to attend at the newly restored Greysbridge Hotel, with its private beach and beautiful pier. It's the perfect location, everyone agrees, but the festivities are brutally cut short when a young American, a visitor also staying at the hotel, drowns in full view of the wedding guests.
And when a second death is discovered the same evening, Ben finds herself embroiled in a real country house murder mystery, where all the guests are suspects . . .
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
'An engaging read' Irish Independent
'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
Book 5
'Carter's novels hark back to the halcyon days of Agatha Christie... [her] bending of the classic tropes into the bleak, raw-boned setting of the Inishowen Peninsula sets her books apart' Irish Times
'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.
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
'Hugely enjoyable, a proper mystery novel in a glorious Donegal setting' JANE CASEY
'Brilliant, beloved characters, a setting to die for and a sensational, twisted plot. I loved this one!' JO SPAIN
'A perfect summer read' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The next gripping book in the Ben O'Keefe series.
A very public death in front of an adoring crowd... or something more sinister?
Early summer in Glendara and the town's literary festival, Glenfest, is about to begin with Phyllis Kettle, the bookshop owner, at the helm. The big news is that Gavin Featherstone, the peninsula's bestselling but reclusive writer, has been persuaded to take part.
An eager crowd awaits his first public appearance in ten years. Unexpectedly charming, he is just about to read from his new memoir when he collapses and dies on stage.
Ben discovers that she holds Featherstone's will at the office, drafted by her predecessor. But just as it is confirmed that the author's death was murder, his assistant appears in Ben's office, brandishing a rival will which is very different from the one Ben has.
Ben and Molloy are thrown into an investigation where they are pitted against a killer who has nothing left to lose. And although working together, there are secrets Ben has to keep from Molloy... but is he keeping his own secrets from her?
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