Always enjoy finding a new British Police Procedural. This did not disappoint. Looking forward to the next

Having recently read the first two titles in this series, I was eager to spend more time with Ben(edicta). She is a solicitor in a small town on the Inishowen Peninsula in Ireland; her work brings her into contact with many in her community so the series features a number of recurring characters. One of these is a police officer to whom Ben becomes close. There is also a backstory having to do with the death of Ben’s sister.

This time, as usual, a lot is going on. Who set fire to The Oak, the village’s pub and where is the woman who worked behind the bar? And then, of course (no surprise), there is a body.

Come to Inishowen during the Christmas season. Catch up with the regulars and solve the case. I am glad that I did. I will soon be on to book four in the series, Murder at Greysbridge.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Great thriller, kept me turning the pages and I would highly recommend to other people. Look forward to reading more by this author.

I don't know how the heck I didn't get book two of this series! I thought I had it and it wasn't until I was writing these reviews that I realized it wasn't here. Quite peeved with myself for being so careless...there are things that happened in book two, Treacherous Strand, that form the basis of the mystery in this entry. Author Carter quite competently fills me in, I'm not left wondering what the devil's up or why, but I'd've enjoyed getting here the old-fashioned way.

Don't make my mistake! But let it be said that I'm not in any way feeling deprived in my enjoyment of this book's plot, characters, or action.

The story isn't a straight-forward one: there are threads that tie things together that we aren't so much tipped to, but whose...wrongness...is a clear indicator that your inner sleuth should be engaged in this read at all times. The relationships among the good burghers of Glendara are not the uncomplicated "rural places are full of the salt of the earth charming lovely folk" types. There's adultery, but ya know what that's no biggie; there's bigamy, and that IS a biggie; then there's bastardy, and this ancient uncrime becomes the weight on the loom of Disaster's tapestry.

As is expected, too, the law-enforcement officer and the sleuth are challenged as a couple. Their own trust issues, springing from different places but with similar power, are foregrounded by every development in the several awful, violent crimes. It can't be helped. When each person is in a position of community trust, a couple is going to be hard put to fulfill their required roles at every turn—frequently starting from the internal question "what is my actual appropriate role right now?" No one can always get it right, and with all the best intentions, getting something catastrophically wrong is inevitable.

This does not in any way mean that I wasn't shouting "ARE YOU MENTAL DO <B>NOT</B> DO THAT" at my Kindle on multiple occasions. I honestly wanted to find the place on the map, book a flight, and go hand out some ass-chewings. Luckily for me I can tell you Author Carter really did make these places up.

While there's no story without some characters (plural) making bad decisions, the sheer obliviousness to the stakes of inaction that each and every one of them demonstrated at various times frightened me. Decisions to act in foolish ways are always easier to fix than failures to act in appropriate and timely ways. "Least said soonest mended" is NOT THE WAY FORWARD with criminals. Worrying about someone's feelings when there is a murderer in the vicinity is stupid. Blurt it out, fix it later! And even if you can't *at least they're alive*!

There are people no longer alive at the end of this book but, in the approved fashion for cozies, they are not people I myownself mind being dead. Not one little bit. Though, to be honest, the conclusion of this entry in the series does not include a vital piece of confirmation that suspicious ol' series-mystery consumer me seriously feels the lack of. The story is one of those that contains a credible motive for the resolution by discussion, but this feature could easily become a bug if it takes place every book.

What I'll delight in seeing more of is the way the community of Glendara continues to be willing and able to face down its dissension, hurts, and divisions. What I'll anticipate...not for much longer, Oceanview Publishing brings out <I>Murder at Greysbridge</i> on the second of November!...is learning how the huge sea-change, the La-Palma-landslide tsunami-level surprise plays out in this modern-world-problems involving series. I'm always happiest when reading books that don't cocoon the characters away from reality without reasonable care being taken to explain why they should be. I'm extra happy that Author Carter decided not to do that at all in this series.

Yes, I wish I'd read book two before this and am annoyed with myself that I carelessly failed to check the series list before starting this one. No, I'm not at all saddened by the way I was brought up to speed. And most of all, I'm so happy I got to read Andrea Carter's Inishowen series. Seek it out in paper, download a digital copy, <I>read them in order!</i>, but definitely read them soon.

Suspenseful and packed with characters who feel like real people. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with our Strong Sense of Place audience during the 2021 holiday season.

I felt a little lost reading this book whether it was because I'm new to the series or whether it was all the characters. I did struggle at times to keep them all straight .I did enjoy Ben and the setting and I am going to read the first books in the series to see if this is a series I'd like to continue.

This was what I would call more of a cozy mystery. I liked the main character and that she was a solicitor and not a police officer. I liked how her past and the past of other characters came to meet the present. I liked how many of the characters had secrets and were lying. I thought the pacing overall was good, but that the last 7% was a little rushed and should have been spread out more. I like how it wasn’t an entirely wrapped up in a bow ending. Although I thought the killing of one of the characters might have been a bit premature. I also wasn’t a fan of the small town this never happens narrative.It was an overall enjoyable read.

Synopsis/blurb .....

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?
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My take....

A bit of Irish crime to brighten up an otherwise dull and dreary month, with a series book from Andrea Carter - The Well of Ice.

Small town, coastal setting, amateur detecting, a secret (not really a secret) romance, a missing person, a fire, a dead body, Christmas and New Year, tangled family histories, community, wills, inheritance, death, disappearances, imprisonment, children, an unwelcome blast from the past, control, manipulation, investigation and outcome.

I enjoyed this one. I like the main character. I've seen her likened to a modern day Miss Marple and despite only ever reading some short stories featuring the character, I get the reference and think it's quite apt.

Ben O'Keeffe is a bit of a shit magnet and can't help but be drawn into the problems of other people. As the local solicitor she's the confidant of many and her relationship with the local cop kind of draws her closer to police investigations, though her fella does his best to keep her out of things. Unlike Marple, she actually is the target of one of the other characters in the books. Their connection and history is frequently referenced, so not having previously read any of the earlier books, wouldn't be a hindrance to enjoying this one.

While O'Keeffe is the focus of some of the events in this books, her discovering the body of a missing woman, gives us other things to ponder.

Great setting, decent plot, a busy book, lots going on, satisfying outcome.

4 from 5

Treacherous Strand, an earlier book in the Inishowen Mystery/Ben O'Keeffe series has been enjoyed before. The next in the series, Murder at Greysbridge waits on the kindle.

Read - May, 2021
Published - 2017
Page count - 336
Source - purchased copy (Net Galley previously, but link expired before I read it)
Format - paperback

http://col2910.blogspot.com/2021/05/andrea-carter-well-of-ice-2017.html

An interesting story that keeps you involved from the beginning right through until the final page. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of mystery.

Sarah O’Keeffe is a lawyer living on the Irish peninsula of Inishowen. This is a special area with a strong sense of community and loyalty. Since Sarah’s arrival, she has been using the name “Ben”, a shortened version of Benedicta. The headlines have faded, but she does not want anyone to know about her past. She is putting together a new life, moving on, yet not forgetting her sister.
O’Keeffe is a complicated yet determined character, and the story unfolds in her first person narrative. She is professional yet empathetic and dedicated to justice. She wants to get along and is flexible -- but within limits. She talks directly to readers, sharing what she sees, hears, and feels. She rationalizes her past, (she does not know what she was thinking) and second guesses her actions, (she wonders if she has made a mistake). Readers get to know her well.
Carter scatters ordinary activities throughout the narrative, noise issues, schedule changes, food, dogs, books, and Christmas. Then, in sharp contrast, traumatic events in the past are uncovered, and a mysterious murder in the present is discovered to have connections to that past. Inishowen is a unique geographic section of Ireland. While some of the locations are fictional, many of the landmarks can be found on Google maps. This offers readers a unique opportunity to follow the actual geography throughout the imagined journey of the characters.
“The Well of Ice” is a compelling look at the struggles of one person and the lifestyle of an entire area. I was given a review copy of “The Well of Ice” from Andrea Carter and Oceanview Publishing. It is book three in the “Inishowen Mystery” series, but as a first-time reader, I was immediately drawn to and the characters and easily followed the storyline. Now I must go back to the first two books and explore more, while I look forward to the new books arriving in the months ahead.

Excellent mystery novel! Ben O'Keeffe is a solicitor in a small Irish village in County Donegal. The story is set right before Christmas, and everyone in the village is shocked when the local pub burns to the ground. Was it arson? If so, who was responsible? I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters are unforgettable. Great storyline, great characters , great mystery - what more could you ask for? I loved it!

A murder mystery - set in Glendara.

This is Book 3 in a 5 series, but it was the first one that I have read. I was able to follow the story without too much difficulty but had to look up the name of Ben's (short for Benedicta!) new love interest as he is called Molloy throughout this book. Apparently, it is Tom.

I really enjoyed this book, the description of the scenery in this part of Ireland is beautiful, and the plot was interesting. However, I feel the ending was left a little bit up in the air presumably because there are 2 more books to follow.

Ben is a solicitor in a small town called Inishowen and is rebuilding her life after the murder of her sister, Faye, by Luke Kirby. We discover that Luke had initially had a relationship with Ben, but she had been dumped for her sister. Luke is accused of manslaughter although Ben is convinced it was murder and at the start of the book he has been released from prison and has supposedly gone to England. On a quick visit to Dublin, Ben is horrified to bump into Luke and although he appears very remorseful, he shows his real self to Ben.

Although disturbing, this meeting is banished from Ben's mind temporarily when the village pub is burnt to the ground and Carole, one of the barmaids go missing. Ben's burgeoning relationship with Molloy and her legal background led her to investigate the mystery surrounding the disappearance. The local people tend to confide in her, and various secrets about their relationships are revealed. When Molloy and Ben are on a walk in the moorland just before Christmas they discover Carole's body, she gets drawn into investigating the murder.

The landlord of the pub that has been destroyed, Tony Craig, was away at the time because he has had to go to Madrid to bring back his wayward daughter, Susanne. Ben is horrified when Susanne turns up at a Christmas dinner with her new boyfriend, none other than Luke Kirby.

There are various twists and turns regarding the small community's various inhabitants, and eventually, the murderer is discovered mainly due to Ben's information.

I have given this book 4 stars instead of 5 purely because I got a little confused with all the different characters and what had happened to them presumably because I have not read the first 2 books. I also felt the ending was a little lacking but again, presumably because the story will continue. However, I would be extremely interested in reading the next book in the series as soon as possible.

Dexter

Elite Book Group received a copy of the book to review

Interesting murder mystery! Ben is a good character that is surrounded with new interesting friends. Her law practice is a busy place so she is touching the lives of many in the neighborhood. Molloy is not one of the more likable characters. I don't like how he seems to use Ben rather than care for her. As the town has more death, fire and small incidents Ben has her history come back into her life. I liked the pace of the book. The scenery sounds amazing for the outdoor lover. But that icy rain made me shiver. Overall a good book,,,I liked it.

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

The first in this series that I've read, which meant it did take me a bit to connect with the characters and figure out who is who. Although my preference tends to be with historical mysteries, the strong sense of place in this title did pull me in. This atmospheric Irish mystery is gritty but not too graphic, with lots of twists and turns. A good read for a cold winter night.

It’s the holidays, and solicitor, Benedicta ‘Ben’ is trying to close as many accounts as she can before the break. While visiting Dublin to finish one, she runs into Luke Kirby, the man who killed her sister, just out of prison. She’s shaken, but makes it back to her small town only to find that the Oak Pub in town burnt down and Carol the barmaid missing. When Kirby makes an appearance in town, Ben suspects he is behind it all. Now she just has to prove it.

I enjoy this action packed mystery. Well of Ice us full of twists and turns throughout the story. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, nor did I feel that they were very developed or understood. Overall, an entertaining and suspenseful read.

Well, I will start from the end. I gave this book 4 stars partly because I was hoping for a better development in the main characters' relationship.

Too bad I came into the series at book 3. I would have loved to learn more about characters' backstory. I would have loved to be on their journey with them. But...Book 3 is put together in a way that accidental passenger like myself can get the gist of who is who pretty quickly.

I loved Ben (Sarah) and her friends and colleagues. I loved her cat. I felt for Ben with her living alone, recovering from tragedy, soldiering on. I was 100% with her when she, irrationally and not at all 'lawyer-like' wished for things to be different and for people (bad people) to be punishe for the rest of their lives. I do not want to spoil the story but...

The Well of Ice (the Well of Eyes - landmark in Glendara surrounds) is about old secrets, false identities and allegiances, addictions and obsessions, hurt we cause other people and their payback. And it all happens during Christmas holidays, a season to be jolly... in this case not.

The book was dear to my heart beacause of the settings, Ireland (I've never been but always wanted to), winter with snow, Christmas in the air, budding love - a good ingredients list for something truly interesting and captivating. 4 Stars for mystery, suspense, characters development, plots and sub-plots (minus one star for... you will have to read the book to find out)

Ben O'Keefe is a solicitor in a small town in rural county Donegal. She moved there for a fresh start after the murder of her sister. On a work trip to Dublin she bumps into here sister's killer, recently released from prison. REturning home she finds the local pub burnt down and the barmaid disappeared. When a body is found on Christmas Day she tries to help her police sergeant boyfriend to work out who has caused all the carnage. Is there more to come? An exciting read, it portrays the claustrophobia of a small rural town and how many secrets lie beneath the surface

The Well of Ice is the third book in the Inishowen Mysteries series by Andrea Carter. Ben (Benedicta) O’Keeffe is a local attorney in Glendara, a small town in northern Ireland. She has been involved with a couple of mysteries, and is drawn into a new one in The Well of Ice.

Glendara is a very close-knit community, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. For instance, everyone seems to know about Ben and her “secret” boyfriend Sergeant Tom Molloy… so, it’s a surprise when no one knows anything about the local pub burning down and the missing barmaid. Fortunately, Ben has a talent for uncovering secrets and solving mysteries.

I recommend reading the first two books in this series (Death at Whitewater Church and Treacherous Strand) before this one. While the mystery and some of the characters are new, the recurring characters have a history that progresses between books.

An atmospheric mystery with an isolated and wintry setting. The Well of Ice has similarities with cozy mysteries – small town setting, quirky characters, and an amateur sleuth, but it is darker than most cozies. Intriguing mystery that has me looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was just an okay read. Lot of characters who were involved haphazardly with the disappearance and subsequent murder of a female bar maid and mother , and the burning of a pub. Then there was the introduction of the murderer of the main character sister who served prison time. All in all is was just a meh read that often became bogged down with irrelevant events and characters.