Okay, the story starts slow, then a body comes tumbling down, then the rest of the story is about who did it and why. I figured it out the culprit early. If you read it simply as a story, with a beautiful part of Ireland being flooded with a dead body thrown in and all the drama that the event entails, then you will enjoy the book. I look at it as a human drama, not a murder mystery. However, I am difficult to please when reading mysteries. I tried to give it a 3 1/2.
I recommend. Thank you, @Netgalley #Oceanview #TheBodyFalls
carolintallahassee

I was eager to read this after reading great reviews of Andrea Carter's work. The Body Falls is atmospheric and intriguing with in-depth characters. Fans of thoughtful suspense reads will enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is a mystery murder whodunit kinda book. It was a quick ready. I would recommend, Good book.

Ireland, law-enforcement, lawyers, relationship-issues, relationships, relatives, charity-event, cosy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, family-drama, family-dynamics, family, friendship, inclement-weather, flooding, murder, murder-investigation, friction, closed-circle-mystery, small-business, small-town, rural*****

Ben or Benedicta is a solicitor in Ireland and has a rather uncertain romantic relationship with Garda Police Sergeant Tom Molloy. The weather has been unusual and major flooding has been a problem for the residents as well as for the cycle racers in town for a charity event. The the body of one of the participants comes sluicing down on the local veterinarian's jeep and things get really interesting, what with the limited number of suspects and changing dynamics. I totally agree that this closed circle whodunit is riveting! The plot is a bit convoluted, but not difficult to follow. Very engaging and well done!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Oceanview Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Definitely need to read the first 4 books before reading this one. This is a locked room murder mystery. The killer is among us.

The Body Falls
by Andrea Carter
4 Stars

The latest gripping tale in the Inishowen series.

Lawyer Benedicta (Ben) returns home to Ireland to rain and flooding cutting the town off from the rest of the world. Charities boss Bob Jameson is killed in the middle of the night, and the suspect is trapped in the flooded town. Ben along with her boy friend, Police Sergeant Tom Molloy investigate.

Full of twists and turns that leaves the reader wondering just who is the killer, and what the relationships between all the characters are.

I found this to be an easy read, that was engaging.

This title has been reviewed by www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#TheBodyFalls #NetGalley

The Body Falls
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (Rounded to 4 ⭐️ for rating)
Genre: Mystery / Crime
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 11/1/22
Author: Andrea Carter
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 4.02

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Ben O'Keeffe returns to Glendara, Inishowen where a charity cycle race is taking place. But it starts to rain, 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 Bob Jameson, dislodged from a high bank by the heavy rain, has fallen onto the vet's jeep. The local GP confirms that the cause of death was a snakebite. When the continued terrible weather causes Glendara to be 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.

My Thoughts: I live in Florida and can see a possibility of this occurring. Even if some of the thoughts are off the chart, I still enjoyed this book. This is part of a series, while I did okay with just this as a stand alone, it would be a better reading experience to read the whole series in order. This is No. 5 in the series. The characters are well developed, were mysterious, had some depth, and were well written. Even though Bob is a victim, we soon find out that he is not very liked, as a result, the amount of possible suspects mounts high. The author’s writing style was complex, provided the character nuances, twisty and full of tension, and was just written nicely. The author was extremely detailed, you felt as if you were there in Ireland with Malloy and O’Keeffe. I would recommend the entire series, a good mystery read.

Loved this book, such a well written book from start to finish with lots of twists and turns which made you not want to put the book down, loved the way the story unfolded page by page giving you little snippets of information that made you just carry on reading. I recommend this book to anyone you loves an easy read but all so likes to be on their edge of their seat.

This is the fifth book in the series, set in a small village in Ireland named Inishowen - which is an actual small village in Ireland! I didn’t know going into this that this was the 5th in a series. Unfortunately, it did matter a little bit - there was a lot of unspoken history - or things touched on that I would have preferred to know the full background of. So, the moral of the story is - read this series in order!

Now, to this particular book….

Ben is the main protagonist. She is a female solicitor - with a pretty cool name in my opinion. This is a classic locked-room murder mystery, although in this case a locked-town, or rather a town surrounded by downed bridges and flooded roads due to a biblical rainstorm. This rain and flooding did actually happen in the “real” Inishowen too, back in 2017.

This all sets a delicious atmosphere to tell the tale, which I loved. Part cozy mystery, part good solid murder mystery - I’d definitely recommend.

Oh, and a wonderful little twist right at the end. It looks like I’ll be waiting for the 6th book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Main character Ben or Benedicta who works in a legal firm and decided to go home in Ireland. Finding out that' there's a crime that took place in her town while the weather is hammering which starts the overall mystery to the one of the organizers of a certain charity.

I didn't know this was part of the Inishowen series which I'm not familiar same with the author. However I find the story interesting, though at the start was slow, it picked up half way. It's a good storyline not complicated and easy to follow which you can read in one sitting.

Thank you at Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC.

3.5/5 stars

What a coinkydink, we have a victim hated by everyone and who many wanted to kill. With so many lies by omission, it only caused obstacles in the path of the investigation for Seaargent Malloy. I believed Benedicta’s spell in America cemented how much she missed her home and Molloy. Their working together helped their relationship move in the right direction, allowing them to untangle the puzzling facts relating to the investigation. It was entertaining, intriguing, and captivating.

THE BODY FALLS is Andrea Carter’s fifth novel in the Inishowen Mystery Series. Ben (Benedicta) O’Keeffe returns home to her law practice in the small Irish village of Inishowen after six months working in Florida. As extremely heavy rains begin and quickly overwelm the area and roads, Ben is adjusting to being home again, and reconnecting with friends and neighbors. She is also trying to figure out what to do about her romantic relationship with Molloy, head of the local Garda Station. The rain continues for days, cutting off the village and surrounding area by flood waters. The charity bicycle ride cannot start because of the flooding, and the cyclists are forced to extend their stay at the B&B and hang out in the village pub. Ben becomes involved in the investigation when the body of the wealthy head of the fundraising organization slides down a cliff crashing onto the local veterinarian’s car late at night during the continuing rain.

The book moves at a slow pace, but is easy to follow. Since it is the first novel I have read in this series, there was a lot of area information and many characters that were new to me, but may have been in some of the previous books.

Sometimes Ben does not behave as I would expect from an attorney. I cannot say more without revealing spoilers. Perhaps solicitors in Ireland fuction differently than in the U.S. The part that I found most concerning was how easily Ben overlooks a glaring issue when she spent a night at her elderly parents upon arriving in Dublin before driving home the next day. On the very last page of the novel, Ben receives a telephone call that sends her racing off – end of story. It was total cliffhanger and a ridiculous way to end the novel.

Ben (female) is a solicitor, who having taken time out to work in the US is now back in Ireland. A charity cycle race is coming throigh the town, but is held up by terrible weather and floods. Then one of the organizers is found dead out in the hills, presumed murdered .
Ok on the whole, the book dragged a bit in the middle. Definately felt the depression of all being cut off by the floods and damage to the bridges. Not really an action book, relationships were quite complicated. The role of Ben in the investigation also seems a bit strange. Some characters are fine, others seem a bit too 2 dimensional. Scenery sounds lovely.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Body Falls is the first book I have read, but the 5th book in the Inishowen series that features Benedicta "Ben" O'Keefe, a local attorney and is set in Ireland.
Returning from a stint with her old law firm in the United States, and reeling from potential changes in her personal life, Ben returns to find that a cycle race is taking place, and her hometown is one of the stops along the way.
When the weather takes a turn for the worse, and the members of the cycle group are forced to take shelter in Glendara, her friend Maeve, the local vet, makes a grisly discovery on a secluded road when a body falls onto her car (hence, the title "The Body Falls", clever). It turns out to be the brother of one of the organizers, and a very influential person in the charity which organized the cycle event.
As the local police, led by Molloy - Ben's on-again-off-again beau - begin to untangle the mystery behind the death, Ben also begins her investigation; uncovering a tale of resentment, disloyalty, greed and revenge.
This is the first book in the series that I read, but I have every intention of going back to the beginning for the full series; however, the book does work as a standalone read.
Recommended.

I’m always on the lookout for Irish mysteries that may also have a touch of thriller in them. I avoid cozies at all costs when I spot them. Unfortunately, my need for a story that moves along rapidly with main characters who are intriguing was not satisfied by The Body Falls. I kept wondering when all the details about persons, places, and things would pull together as a whole that propelled the plot. I’ve been spoiled by Adrian McKinty (both series and stand-alones), Patricia McGibney’s Lottie Parker, all of Tana French, and John Banville’s “Snow” and early Quirke books. “Snow”, for example, has what I think of as the perfect balance of strong setting and atmosphere as well as non-central characters that serve the plot. Its subplot only enriches the main story and is rewarding in itself. For me, The Body Falls doesn’t have the elements that pull me into a mystery, but many readers don’t share my taste.

I enjoyed this book!! I didn't even realize until part way through that this was the middle of a series, because Andrea Carter writes so naturally with so much detail. This book is PERFECT for anyone who enjoys an atmospheric mystery.
There were so many fun, quirky characters in this story that made it even more fun to read!
This book has an almost unbearably slow start. It was almost 20% before we even realized what the mystery was. But sticking around and reading the rest of the mystery was worth it!
This is the perfect book to read for a stormy, rainy afternoon.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

The Body Falls is told in the first person. Ben O’Keefe (those who know her, call her Ben, those who do not, Benedicta) has been working in an American legal firm, has enjoyed it, and the firm wants to maintain ties with her when she returns to her business in Ireland. Ben appreciates the confidence in her skills but is keen to return to her own legal practice, her parents, and an unresolved relationship with a person known only to the new reader of what I understand to be a series, as Molloy.

Amongst all the detail, I was rather disconcerted that the protagonist was not named until Chapter 3, and then only with a mistaken given name. Although this set the scene for the unsettling relationship she finds her parents have formed with a man, now a guest in their house, for a reader new to this series to have an unnamed main character for this length of time, seems unnecessary. Ben does not like the newcomer and resolves to visit her parents more frequently. However, on her return to her practice, she finds that mysteries there take up all her time. Again, I found this an odd plot structure. Why dangle the possibility that the mystery is going to be woven around the parents, Ben’s newfound commitment to them, and the stranger?

The book is full of detail, references to other writers or events that demonstrate Angela Carter’s familiarity with a range of subjects but add little to the novel. For me, there needed to be more clarity about the major plot, with the detail illuminating the plot, characterisation, and Ben O’Keefe’s story. Although Molloy features, and adds to her story line, I saw little character development in the main protagonist. Ben becomes involved in a murder mystery, the body of the title, which falls during a storm onto the local vet’s vehicle.

Solving the murder becomes Ben’s main activity, frustrated by the deluge of rain which floods the town, destroys property, and creates a difficult timeline for the investigation. At the same time, it provides clues to the identity of the murderer. This is a good plot device, and would have held up well if there had not been the flaws I refer to earlier in this review.

At the end of the novel, the mystery is solved. However, there is brief return to the parents and stranger development with which Ben’s return home began. Possibly this will form the basis of the next novel. However, a new reader will need some background, not only to the new mystery, but to Ben and her relationships with Molloy and her parents. Although I found this an unsatisfying read in some ways, I would be prepared to try another, perhaps beginning with an earlier book in what I perceive to be a series.

Who wouldn't want to kill Bob Jameson?
The twin brother he bullied?
His decades-long lover?
The accountant he ruined?
Just as Inishowen solicitor "Ben" O'Keeffe returns to her practice from a six-month exchange in Florida the heavens open up. Torrential rain washes out a charity bicycle race. leaving the riders and locals to find dry beds where they can.
While Ben and Police Sergeant Malloy answer some questions left at the end of the last book in this series, they also search for the murderer.
Andrea Carter creates likeable characters in a scenic spot. It's always a pleasure to see a new Inishowen mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Returning home to Inishowen after tragedy, solicitor Benedicta (Ben) O’Keefe finds herself drawn into the mystery of a murdered local visitor. As the town is battered by a torrential flood, all entries and exits to the town are washed out and impassible— with the real killer trapped in the town. Now, Ben and her partner, Tom Molloy, must race to uncover the murderer before it’s too late.

This was my first book by Andrea Carter, and I enjoyed it. It’s always a little hard stepping into the middle of a series without having read the previous books— I definitely think that there were points where additional context for some of the characters and their relationships would have been helpful. So, in that sense, although it’s a good story, I might not necessarily recommend readers starting with this book if they have not read any previous books in the series. However, I’m a sucker for a good ‘locked-room’ type of mystery, so I loved the set up of this book, especially as you realize that there is more to the murdered man than it initially appears and many people may have wanted to kill him. Even without the additional context of the other books, I soon settled into the story and was caught up in the mysterious death of the victim. I was also really intrigued by where Carter left the story, which I’m hoping is a teaser for the next book in the series. All in all, I would say that this is an enjoyable read for fans of Irish mysteries, especially those who are looking for something a little more realistic than a cozy mystery without getting too gritty. 3.5 stars.

Found myself bored and skimming pages to get through it. I was expecting more of a thriller and was disappointed. Ben seemed to be fairly nosey and the town was very gossip focused. In the end everyone confessed on their own without much prompting.