The Well of Ice

September 14, 2020
Carter’s pleasing third Inishowen mystery (after 2019’s Treacherous Strand) takes solicitor Benedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe on business to Dublin, where she’s startled to run into her sister’s killer, Luke Kirby, recently released from prison. Back in the village of Glendora, Ben’s home on the Inishowen peninsula, the local pub burns down and its barmaid goes missing. People with information are more likely to confide in Ben, a sympathetic listener, than in garda sergeant Tom Molloy, her boyfriend. Ben gradually learns of secret familial relationships and hidden associations over tea, coffee, and warm whiskeys. The tension increases when Ben and Molloy discover a strangled body while on a mountain ramble, and then Kirby appears in Glendora. Carter doesn’t make it easy to decipher the twin mysteries of murder and arson, leaving the motive murky amid plenty of red herrings. However, her charming picture of the Irish countryside and Ben and Molloy’s credible relationship more than compensate. Those seeking a contemporary puzzler in the Agatha Christie tradition will have fun. Agent: Noa Rosen, Susanna Lea Assoc.

October 1, 2020
Lawyer Sarah O'Keeffe's sister was murdered a decade ago by Sarah's ex-boyfriend, Luke Kirby. To try to put the horrible event behind her, Sarah changed her name and moved to the Irish village of Glendara. She's finally relatively content, with a thriving law practice, good friends, and a new boyfriend, Tom Molloy, the local copper. But then she hears that Kirby has been released from prison. This news is quickly followed by two tragedies in Glendara?the popular local pub is torched by an arsonist, and the barmaid, Carole Kearney, disappears. Then, on a Christmas walk with Tom, Sarah discovers Carole's body, strangled and left on the side of a mountain. Worse, Sarah learns that Luke Kirby has located her and is in Glendara. She tries to focus on finding out who burned down the pub and who killed Carole while trying to ignore the fact that her sister's killer might be stalking her. A complex and suspenseful plot with unexpected twists, a brave but tormented heroine, and a shock ending.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)