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Inishowen Mysteries #1
Death at Whitewater Church
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.
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.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2015
413 people are currently reading
1615 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Carter
7 books240 followersAndrea Carter graduated in law from Trinity College, Dublin. She qualified as a solicitor and moved to the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal where she lived and worked for a number of years. In 2005 she transferred to the Bar and moved to Dublin to practise as a barrister. She grew up in Ballyfin, Co. Laois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
January 30, 2025
This is a first novel set on the wild Inishowen Peninsula in the Republic of Ireland. It’s known as Malin Head, which I only knew previously from the shipping forecast.
The abandoned village of Whitewater is close to Malin, and the only building there of any note is the church, deconsecrated years ago. Benedicta O'Keeffe, known as Ben, is acting for the present owners of the church, the Kellys, who live mainly in America. Ben is the local solicitor in Glendara, the nearest small town. The Kellys hope they have at last found a buyer for the church, and she is accompanying the surveyor, who has come to examine the structure of the building.
It is a grim evening in November, and rapidly growing dark. Paul, the surveyor, has completed his survey of the actual church, but also has the keys to the crypt. Ben waits outside, but is startled to hear cries of fright from Paul, the surveyor, a few moments later. He emerges looking dishevelled and petrified. Just inside the crypt he found a bundle wrapped in a blanket. It contained a skeleton. Ben contacts the local small Garda station. Both the two officers stationed there are good friends of hers.
When the news reaches Glendara, it causes a sensation. Everyone jumps to the conclusion that the remains are those of Conor Devitt, a well-known local character who disappeared on his wedding day a number of years ago, leaving his bride waiting for him at the altar.
The plot is a complicated one, and I found I sometimes got a little confused with the identities of the numerous characters, nevertheless the characters were interesting and it was a really atmospheric mystery.
The abandoned village of Whitewater is close to Malin, and the only building there of any note is the church, deconsecrated years ago. Benedicta O'Keeffe, known as Ben, is acting for the present owners of the church, the Kellys, who live mainly in America. Ben is the local solicitor in Glendara, the nearest small town. The Kellys hope they have at last found a buyer for the church, and she is accompanying the surveyor, who has come to examine the structure of the building.
It is a grim evening in November, and rapidly growing dark. Paul, the surveyor, has completed his survey of the actual church, but also has the keys to the crypt. Ben waits outside, but is startled to hear cries of fright from Paul, the surveyor, a few moments later. He emerges looking dishevelled and petrified. Just inside the crypt he found a bundle wrapped in a blanket. It contained a skeleton. Ben contacts the local small Garda station. Both the two officers stationed there are good friends of hers.
When the news reaches Glendara, it causes a sensation. Everyone jumps to the conclusion that the remains are those of Conor Devitt, a well-known local character who disappeared on his wedding day a number of years ago, leaving his bride waiting for him at the altar.
The plot is a complicated one, and I found I sometimes got a little confused with the identities of the numerous characters, nevertheless the characters were interesting and it was a really atmospheric mystery.
October 30, 2023
Ben O’Keeffe has her own solicitor office in a small town on the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Ben is running from the sadness and guilt of her past but has made a comfortable home and business in this little town. Much to the irritation of Guard Sergeant Tom Molloy, Ben is also a nosy busybody, always trying to get Tom to spill the goods on whatever is going on in town. There seems to be an attraction between Tom and Ben but things can run hot and cold between them. It seems the two could do with a really heartfelt conversation but they both hold back too much to make headway in their friendship (or more).
Ben is visiting an old deconsecrated church in Whitewater, with a land surveyor, when they come upon a pile of bones on the floor of the church crypt. This starts an investigation into the identity of the body, which then starts a massive avalanche of events. The area has quite the history, lots of secrets, and folks who won't say what they know. Things get violent, homes and a business are broken into, Tom has his hands full with all that is going on and Ben can't keep her nose out of any of it. The story gets very involved and confusing at times because something big is behind everything that is happening.
This is the first book of five in the series, with a sixth book on the way, hopefully. The books are just coming to my side of the world (the US and Texas) and I love to dig into a series where I can get to know the people and the area. The story reminds me a bit of the Midsomer Murders TV series, with more depth and more time to get to know the people and the town. I have the next two books on hand already and I hope that #4 and 5 will become available here, in the not too distant future.
Pub September 4, 2018
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing/Independent Publishers Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
Ben is visiting an old deconsecrated church in Whitewater, with a land surveyor, when they come upon a pile of bones on the floor of the church crypt. This starts an investigation into the identity of the body, which then starts a massive avalanche of events. The area has quite the history, lots of secrets, and folks who won't say what they know. Things get violent, homes and a business are broken into, Tom has his hands full with all that is going on and Ben can't keep her nose out of any of it. The story gets very involved and confusing at times because something big is behind everything that is happening.
This is the first book of five in the series, with a sixth book on the way, hopefully. The books are just coming to my side of the world (the US and Texas) and I love to dig into a series where I can get to know the people and the area. The story reminds me a bit of the Midsomer Murders TV series, with more depth and more time to get to know the people and the town. I have the next two books on hand already and I hope that #4 and 5 will become available here, in the not too distant future.
Pub September 4, 2018
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing/Independent Publishers Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
May 5, 2016
This is a charming Irish murder mystery set in Innishowen. It is well plotted and constructed by Andrea Carter. It is one of those quintessentially warm hearted village crime novels. You know what I mean, a great and eccentric cast of characters, everyone knows everyone yet there are buried secrets within the community! Ben, a solicitor is present at a church when a skeleton is discovered in the crypt. It is widely expected that it will be Conor Devitt, who disappeared some time previously. Not so, and a very curious Ben, investigates. She is helped by the never ending visits from locals who drop by and regale her with information. Garda Sergeant Tom Molloy is in charge of the case. The two of them uncover secrets from the past. There are twists and suspense aplenty. Super murder mystery which I recommend. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via netgalley.
December 6, 2023
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A terrific series-starting book, also an excellent publishing debut. Author Carter is a talented writer and was well-served in her editor. The flourishes rhetorical were agreeable:
Pretty, also useful, also informative. A good writer takes that kind of direction from a good editor..."make the infodump into a confession!" resounds to a truly wickedly attuned writer like Author Carter is.
There are many twists and turns in Ben's trip through Whitewater's past. Her beautiful world of small-town solicitor worries, conveyances and wills and the like, is completely upended by the toothy rocks she's clung to while getting herself out of the North Atlantic after one of her truly daft February swims. Her local knowledge makes the stakes of learning her new community's older secrets all the more poignant and relevant.
I'll offer a mild criticism here: There is very little sense of the Love Interest's appeal. He's a blank canvas with some sketch-lines showing what he can possibly be. Even the moments that are the most intimate between Ben and Tom, before the fire and after the wine, aren't so much said as reported in the past tense.
It's a minor whinge. It niggled slightly and I noticed it, so I bring it up. But the *important* bit is the crimes that were and are committed in this small town. It's quite the surprise as to who's been bad and why. I found the resolution quite unimpeachably witnessed and for reasons I was completely sure were logical. The resolution fit the facts, and the way it's told to us is well within my suspension of disbelief.
Bravo, Author Carter, for making this series-starting novel a career-starting one as well.
My Review: A terrific series-starting book, also an excellent publishing debut. Author Carter is a talented writer and was well-served in her editor. The flourishes rhetorical were agreeable:
Being an outsider in a town where most people have spent their whole lives is not the easiest way to live. Sometimes, in my darker moments, I felt as if my role here was limited to that of an observer and facilitator for other people. That my own life was a sort of half-life, as if I didn’t really count because no one knew my “people.” But I have my reasons for being here.
Pretty, also useful, also informative. A good writer takes that kind of direction from a good editor..."make the infodump into a confession!" resounds to a truly wickedly attuned writer like Author Carter is.
There are many twists and turns in Ben's trip through Whitewater's past. Her beautiful world of small-town solicitor worries, conveyances and wills and the like, is completely upended by the toothy rocks she's clung to while getting herself out of the North Atlantic after one of her truly daft February swims. Her local knowledge makes the stakes of learning her new community's older secrets all the more poignant and relevant.
I'll offer a mild criticism here: There is very little sense of the Love Interest's appeal. He's a blank canvas with some sketch-lines showing what he can possibly be. Even the moments that are the most intimate between Ben and Tom, before the fire and after the wine, aren't so much said as reported in the past tense.
It's a minor whinge. It niggled slightly and I noticed it, so I bring it up. But the *important* bit is the crimes that were and are committed in this small town. It's quite the surprise as to who's been bad and why. I found the resolution quite unimpeachably witnessed and for reasons I was completely sure were logical. The resolution fit the facts, and the way it's told to us is well within my suspension of disbelief.
Bravo, Author Carter, for making this series-starting novel a career-starting one as well.
July 5, 2019
This was a very enjoyable introduction to a new (to me) series.
Benedicta (Ben) O'Keeffe is a solicitor living and working in a small town on the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The author used to do exactly the same thing herself so she must have a pretty good idea of what she is writing about. The town is small enough for everyone to know everyone else's business but it also holds plenty of secrets.
Having a solicitor as the main character works well as her job involves her in many of the issues going on in the town and gives her some insider knowledge. She happens to have a handy relationship with the local police force and she is basically nosy. This all means that when a skeleton is discovered at the church Ben is at the forefront of the investigation.
The story is good, the characters are interesting and the writing is well done. Apparently I have discovered another good series to follow!
Benedicta (Ben) O'Keeffe is a solicitor living and working in a small town on the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The author used to do exactly the same thing herself so she must have a pretty good idea of what she is writing about. The town is small enough for everyone to know everyone else's business but it also holds plenty of secrets.
Having a solicitor as the main character works well as her job involves her in many of the issues going on in the town and gives her some insider knowledge. She happens to have a handy relationship with the local police force and she is basically nosy. This all means that when a skeleton is discovered at the church Ben is at the forefront of the investigation.
The story is good, the characters are interesting and the writing is well done. Apparently I have discovered another good series to follow!
August 16, 2015
This is the start of a new mystery series, set in a small, rural community in Inishowen – a peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. Although the actual town the author uses is fictional, Inishowen is not and is a beautiful part of the world. Ben (Benedicta) O’Keefe is a solicitor, with her own small – but successful and busy – practice. When we meet Ben, she has taken some paperwork to Paul Doherty, who is currently carrying out a survey of Whitewater Church, when they discover a skeleton in the crypt. Only this skeleton certainly should not have been there and, before long, Ben is deeply involved in the mystery of who the bones belong to.
The consensus among the community is that they belong to Conor Devitt, who disappeared the day before his wedding, some years before. Of course, much of this first mystery helps set the scene for (hopefully) future reads and so we are introduced to many of those who help flesh out the storyline – Sergeant Tom Molloy, who Ben is attracted to, Phyllis Kettle the bookshop owner, local publican Tony Craig and others all help to create a warmth to the book and the setting. This is, obviously, a small community and so Ben finds that she knows many involved – for example, Conor Devitt’s sister, Claire is in her drama group and many of those touched by events come to Ben’s office, for various reasons, throughout the book.
This was a very involved storyline, although the author managed to keep me engaged and interested throughout. There is the mystery of the body in the crypt and who it belongs to, the drama of Conor Devitt’s disappearance just before his marriage and the recent marriage of his former fiancée, events in the past history of Inishowen which still affect the community and those in Ben’s own life. For Ben has secrets of her own and she fears that the past will not only impact on her future, but on her possible relationship with Molloy.
This was an excellent mystery and will appeal to readers who enjoy less violent crime novels, with an interesting setting and characters. I certainly enjoyed this first outing of Ben O’Keefe and hope she will return in future novels. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The consensus among the community is that they belong to Conor Devitt, who disappeared the day before his wedding, some years before. Of course, much of this first mystery helps set the scene for (hopefully) future reads and so we are introduced to many of those who help flesh out the storyline – Sergeant Tom Molloy, who Ben is attracted to, Phyllis Kettle the bookshop owner, local publican Tony Craig and others all help to create a warmth to the book and the setting. This is, obviously, a small community and so Ben finds that she knows many involved – for example, Conor Devitt’s sister, Claire is in her drama group and many of those touched by events come to Ben’s office, for various reasons, throughout the book.
This was a very involved storyline, although the author managed to keep me engaged and interested throughout. There is the mystery of the body in the crypt and who it belongs to, the drama of Conor Devitt’s disappearance just before his marriage and the recent marriage of his former fiancée, events in the past history of Inishowen which still affect the community and those in Ben’s own life. For Ben has secrets of her own and she fears that the past will not only impact on her future, but on her possible relationship with Molloy.
This was an excellent mystery and will appeal to readers who enjoy less violent crime novels, with an interesting setting and characters. I certainly enjoyed this first outing of Ben O’Keefe and hope she will return in future novels. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
October 29, 2018
Ben O’Keeffe has the only law practice in town, and is working as the attorney for the land owners who are trying to sell an old church. While inspecting the church, a skeleton is discovered. The townspeople all assume it to be the body of Conor, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years earlier. When the bones are determined to not belong to Conor, a real mystery begins. Whose remains were found in the church? And what happened to Conor?
Ben, short for Benedicta, has the most northerly law practice in Ireland. She moved to town several years earlier and opened her law office. With the recent developments of the skeletal remains, plus other happenings going on around town, Ben helps the police sergeant slowly uncover secrets from the past.
This was an entertaining mystery. Very atmospheric. Interesting characters.
I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ben, short for Benedicta, has the most northerly law practice in Ireland. She moved to town several years earlier and opened her law office. With the recent developments of the skeletal remains, plus other happenings going on around town, Ben helps the police sergeant slowly uncover secrets from the past.
This was an entertaining mystery. Very atmospheric. Interesting characters.
I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2024
Example of the writing style, which while lovely, didn't quite draw me in, and my mind tended to wander away:
"The gravestones were simple and weather-beaten, and all the more dignified for that. Some of the gravestones were half-buried, some half-fallen maybe. It was hard to tell with the snow. Others were taller, or on higher ground. These sombre grey soldiers cast long shadows across the white. They were covered in lichen, demonstrating, if at all necessary, the purity of the air."
My favorite quote is: "as expected the tea was strong enough to chew." This reminds me of the dark tan colored 'builder's tea' in my past. Back in the 1980s I would bake goodies and walk them up to the place where my husband worked and brew them a cup of tea to go with it. The staff would take turns to brew tea on their tea breaks. When I worked at the bank we did the same. It's a lovely memory.
"The gravestones were simple and weather-beaten, and all the more dignified for that. Some of the gravestones were half-buried, some half-fallen maybe. It was hard to tell with the snow. Others were taller, or on higher ground. These sombre grey soldiers cast long shadows across the white. They were covered in lichen, demonstrating, if at all necessary, the purity of the air."
My favorite quote is: "as expected the tea was strong enough to chew." This reminds me of the dark tan colored 'builder's tea' in my past. Back in the 1980s I would bake goodies and walk them up to the place where my husband worked and brew them a cup of tea to go with it. The staff would take turns to brew tea on their tea breaks. When I worked at the bank we did the same. It's a lovely memory.
November 12, 2020
"Death at Whitewater Church" marks my first time reading the work of Andrea Carter and my 6th title for "Reading Ireland Month".
This mystery, a first in a new series set in Inishowen, is a well wrought novel with likeable characters. The protagonist is Ben O'Keeffe a country solicitor. Her law practice is the most northerly solicitors's office in Ireland. 'Ben' is short for Benedicta, though that is not her real name... She has been in this small rural community for the past six years following a family tragedy. Here she has made friends. Leah, her secretary/office manager, Maeve her best friend who works as a veterinarian, Phyllis, who runs the bookshop, and of course Tom Molloy. Ben lives just out of town in a cottage which she shares with her black tomcat whose name, fittingly, is Guinness. The reader is made aware that before she came to this small place, she worked in a large law firm in Dublin - and that she suffered a personal tragedy, and that now she is somewhat estranged from her parents.
"Guilt is a hard thing to live with, Ben. It can eat away at you like a cancer if you bury it."
Ben accompanies a land surveyor as he measures the property of Whitewater Church. The church had been deconsecrated and an English couple want to buy it and renovate it into a dwelling. While there, they discover a crypt - complete with the skeletonized remains of a man.
Six years previously a local man had gone missing on the day of his wedding. Everyone assumes that the remains found in the crypt are of him, Conor Devitt.
The Devitt family were not strangers to loss. Many years before, the father committed suicide after a cargo ship was bombed by the IRA. Now, just days after the crypt remains are found, another Devitt brother is found dead after a traffic accident. Coincidence? Then it is determined that the remains are NOT those of Conor Devitt! Who could it be? Is Conor still alive?
This is a mystery with themes of betrayal and guilt - written in a believable way, with well rendered prose. The author is a solicitor herself, so that part of the narrative is knowledgeable and convincing. Not gritty by any means, yet somehow more serious than a 'cozy'. The dash of romantic tension between Ben and policeman/Guard Tom Molloy only slightly impacted the story, but in a good way. I can see how Ben's 'nosiness' coupled with her line of work and her romantic interest in the town's policeman will engender many more interesting stories for this series. It is a series I intend to follow when time permits. Recommended. ♣
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Oceanview Publishing via Edelweiss - at my request, for my own reading enjoyment and the writing of this review.
This mystery, a first in a new series set in Inishowen, is a well wrought novel with likeable characters. The protagonist is Ben O'Keeffe a country solicitor. Her law practice is the most northerly solicitors's office in Ireland. 'Ben' is short for Benedicta, though that is not her real name... She has been in this small rural community for the past six years following a family tragedy. Here she has made friends. Leah, her secretary/office manager, Maeve her best friend who works as a veterinarian, Phyllis, who runs the bookshop, and of course Tom Molloy. Ben lives just out of town in a cottage which she shares with her black tomcat whose name, fittingly, is Guinness. The reader is made aware that before she came to this small place, she worked in a large law firm in Dublin - and that she suffered a personal tragedy, and that now she is somewhat estranged from her parents.
"Guilt is a hard thing to live with, Ben. It can eat away at you like a cancer if you bury it."
Ben accompanies a land surveyor as he measures the property of Whitewater Church. The church had been deconsecrated and an English couple want to buy it and renovate it into a dwelling. While there, they discover a crypt - complete with the skeletonized remains of a man.
Six years previously a local man had gone missing on the day of his wedding. Everyone assumes that the remains found in the crypt are of him, Conor Devitt.
The Devitt family were not strangers to loss. Many years before, the father committed suicide after a cargo ship was bombed by the IRA. Now, just days after the crypt remains are found, another Devitt brother is found dead after a traffic accident. Coincidence? Then it is determined that the remains are NOT those of Conor Devitt! Who could it be? Is Conor still alive?
This is a mystery with themes of betrayal and guilt - written in a believable way, with well rendered prose. The author is a solicitor herself, so that part of the narrative is knowledgeable and convincing. Not gritty by any means, yet somehow more serious than a 'cozy'. The dash of romantic tension between Ben and policeman/Guard Tom Molloy only slightly impacted the story, but in a good way. I can see how Ben's 'nosiness' coupled with her line of work and her romantic interest in the town's policeman will engender many more interesting stories for this series. It is a series I intend to follow when time permits. Recommended. ♣
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Oceanview Publishing via Edelweiss - at my request, for my own reading enjoyment and the writing of this review.
August 27, 2019
Solicitor Ben O'Keeffe is acting for the owners of a desecrated church, when a discovery of some old ..human..bones were found in a hidden crypt.
Every assumes it is the remains of Conor Devitt who went missing on the morning of his wedding day six years ago.
Conor's brother comes to see her, and dies in strange circumstances soon after.
And then Connor walks through town with his sister, Clair.
So whose skeleton was in the crypt? How did it get there? And why was he killed?
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.
This is a most interesting mystery with twists and turns and characters who seem to all have secrets of their own. Ben is a super series character ....but she is known as being nosy. Just ask Sergeant Tom Molly .. who goes to great lengths to keep Ben out of trouble ...and out of his case.
This is first of a series that takes place in County Donegal in Ireland. I am excitedly looking forward to Book 2.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss for the copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 6, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery set on the wild coastline of County Donegal. When local solicitor Ben O’Keefe (a woman by the way) accompanies Surveyor Paul Doherty whilst he surveys a local disused church before it is sold, neither of them expect to find skeletal remains that definitely do not belong there. Local feeling is that it is Conor Devitt who disappeared six years ago on his wedding day. Are they right and if so, who put him there and why?
It is a story that just flows as we meet the locals in a story that combines the “kiss the blarney stone” storytelling magic that I really love about Irish fiction with its small town communities, characters, dialogue and storylines with a good old fashioned murder mystery. I cannot say that I was changing my mind constantly about the suspect, as the author deliberately seems to have kept me short of potential culprits and motives right until the end. I just did not have a clue as to what was behind it all in this tale that had a number of twists and turns in it.
There are some long held secrets that are going to be disclosed here, including those of Ben herself. We pretty soon realise that she is a woman with a past that she is keeping well and truly hidden, but what that past is, we do not know. I really liked Ben, especially her nosiness and the fact that she is not afraid to poke that nose in where it doesn’t belong to find out what she wants to know. Combine that nosiness with the fact that the locals seem to be drawn to her doorstep to talk about what is going on and pretty soon she finds herself embroiled in the whole saga as it unfolds.
The sale of the old church does feature quite heavily in the story and because I work for a surveyor I was really interested in that part. However, I have to put my pedantic hat on and say that it would not normally follow that a surveyor would survey a property and give the report to the vendor and his solicitors. He would act for the purchaser only. That is only a minor matter though and it doesn’t affect the outcome of the story in any way, shape or form.
In short, this is a really good mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end and is well worth a try. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
It is a story that just flows as we meet the locals in a story that combines the “kiss the blarney stone” storytelling magic that I really love about Irish fiction with its small town communities, characters, dialogue and storylines with a good old fashioned murder mystery. I cannot say that I was changing my mind constantly about the suspect, as the author deliberately seems to have kept me short of potential culprits and motives right until the end. I just did not have a clue as to what was behind it all in this tale that had a number of twists and turns in it.
There are some long held secrets that are going to be disclosed here, including those of Ben herself. We pretty soon realise that she is a woman with a past that she is keeping well and truly hidden, but what that past is, we do not know. I really liked Ben, especially her nosiness and the fact that she is not afraid to poke that nose in where it doesn’t belong to find out what she wants to know. Combine that nosiness with the fact that the locals seem to be drawn to her doorstep to talk about what is going on and pretty soon she finds herself embroiled in the whole saga as it unfolds.
The sale of the old church does feature quite heavily in the story and because I work for a surveyor I was really interested in that part. However, I have to put my pedantic hat on and say that it would not normally follow that a surveyor would survey a property and give the report to the vendor and his solicitors. He would act for the purchaser only. That is only a minor matter though and it doesn’t affect the outcome of the story in any way, shape or form.
In short, this is a really good mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end and is well worth a try. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
August 20, 2015
I would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK via Net Galley
This is the start of a new series and judging from what I have just read, its going to be an excellent page turner.
This is set in a small village in Ireland.
Ben is a solicitor, he has a business there. Its small, busy and compact.
Ben is short for Benedict.
We also meet Paul. He is doing a survey on a church there called Whitewater.
A skeleton in the crypt is found and wondering what/whose it could be, Paul is endeavoring to try and find out.
The neighbors of the small village say its Conor Devitt who disappeared the day before his wedding and was never found.
This is the start of the substance of the story.
There is intrigue surrounding this. And if it was Conor who disappeared, what happened?
It is sure to keep you guessing.
Its not an horrific blood bath investigation so far, its a mild mystery, so I am looking forward to book 2 in the series also because I want to learn more of the other characters in the village which have made an impact on me so far.
I am also wondering about Paul and Benedict. Will they get together? Who knows.
I would recommend this book to other readers that love a good mystery and page turner.
February 20, 2021
Interesting start to this series set in Donegal. Old churches, bones found in crypts, isolated villages and gorgeous coastal scenery, yes please!
Loved the setting, the dark edge and the independent main character. Ben, a solicitor is delightfully nosey, and I loved the way she bravely and plausibly got to the bottom of the mystery.
I’m looking forward to the rest of this series now.
Loved the setting, the dark edge and the independent main character. Ben, a solicitor is delightfully nosey, and I loved the way she bravely and plausibly got to the bottom of the mystery.
I’m looking forward to the rest of this series now.
December 26, 2021
This story was not my usual 'breakneck speed' type of contemporary mystery, but good nonetheless. In fact, if I could label it as anything I would say it was more a lawyer/police procedural within a small-town community. There were lots of flawed characters and secrets. Even the MC, Solicitor Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keefe, had a past she hadn’t shared with anyone.
What I probably enjoyed the most was the setting: the fictitious town of Whitewater on the northernmost tip of Ireland, the Inishowen Peninsula. It was wintertime with the winds blowing in from Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly and the Atlantic Ocean. The days were short. There was an almost gothic-like quality in the atmosphere with a deconsecrated, abandoned church. A skeleton was found in the crypt wrapped in a blanket with a pillow to support the head .
The center of the mystery concerned itself with two questions. What would happen if a former life returned from the dead and threatened the hard-earned safety of the present? What persons could afford the cost of exposure and survival? Ben O’Keefe intended to find out.
3.5 stars
What I probably enjoyed the most was the setting: the fictitious town of Whitewater on the northernmost tip of Ireland, the Inishowen Peninsula. It was wintertime with the winds blowing in from Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly and the Atlantic Ocean. The days were short. There was an almost gothic-like quality in the atmosphere with a deconsecrated, abandoned church. A skeleton was found in the crypt wrapped in a blanket with a pillow to support the head .
The center of the mystery concerned itself with two questions. What would happen if a former life returned from the dead and threatened the hard-earned safety of the present? What persons could afford the cost of exposure and survival? Ben O’Keefe intended to find out.
3.5 stars
March 21, 2016
3.5 stars. Good story, well developed, believable setting and characters.
What I didn't like (my problem with the main character):
I was also surprised to what extent Tom Molloy (and other people) satisfied Ben's curiosity and poking around in this book. I doubt people, and especially the Garda, would be that forthcoming in real life.
What I didn't like (my problem with the main character):
I was also surprised to what extent Tom Molloy (and other people) satisfied Ben's curiosity and poking around in this book. I doubt people, and especially the Garda, would be that forthcoming in real life.
January 10, 2018
This was a really good murder mystery set around the Whitewater church near to Inishowen, Co. Donegal. Whitewater was a thriving village until a boat was blown up by terrorists during the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland. People drifted away and all that was left of the thriving community were a few cottages and a disused church.
When Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe returns to her home town to set up as a solicitor she soon becomes embroiled in a series of very strange events and murder.
Ben is a very likeable character and the story was really well written, it was hard to work out what had happened to the body found in the old church crypt and I was still guessing until right near the end of the book.
I liked the relationship between Ben and Sergeant Tom Molloy and I look forward to reading more in this series.
When Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe returns to her home town to set up as a solicitor she soon becomes embroiled in a series of very strange events and murder.
Ben is a very likeable character and the story was really well written, it was hard to work out what had happened to the body found in the old church crypt and I was still guessing until right near the end of the book.
I liked the relationship between Ben and Sergeant Tom Molloy and I look forward to reading more in this series.
July 3, 2016
(Audible; Melanie McHugh, narrator) Many secrets among the populace of the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal. This mystery has one good short story embedded in it, the story about why Benedicta O'Keeffe left Dublin for Inishowen. Perhaps because this is a first book in a series, author introduced too many characters, some of whom will likely reappear later. Author should have skipped the subplot about the home invasions, which really distracted from the main story.
January 27, 2020
There's a blurb on the back cover where The Irish Times compares this book to "classic Agatha Christie", but I don't remember Poirot or Miss Marple fannying about and mooning over the local cop who, to be fair, seems as exasperated as I was at the main character's behavior. It's hard to tell what age Ben is supposed to be; at times she acts like she's in her twenties, other times her sixties, apart from when she's hiding in her car outside the police station (see "about, fannying" above) getting annoyed that the local cop hugged someone. At that point you think she's maybe nine.
But an unlikeable/daft protagonist does not a two-star book make. That happens when you combine unlikeable/daft protagonist with lackluster plotting.
Nice windswept scenery at times, but honestly, at one point Ben exits a conversation "wondering if I'd just committed myself to something" when not two minutes earlier, during said conversation, she commits herself to something OUT LOUD AND IN THE TEXT. Also one subplot did not make sense at all, in any way, shape or form and no one worried about the dog whatsoever. BOO.
But an unlikeable/daft protagonist does not a two-star book make. That happens when you combine unlikeable/daft protagonist with lackluster plotting.
Nice windswept scenery at times, but honestly, at one point Ben exits a conversation "wondering if I'd just committed myself to something" when not two minutes earlier, during said conversation, she commits herself to something OUT LOUD AND IN THE TEXT. Also one subplot did not make sense at all, in any way, shape or form and no one worried about the dog whatsoever. BOO.
April 4, 2025
IN A NUTSHELL
'Death At Whitewater Church‘ is a low-key murder mystery set in rural Donegal and featuring a local solicitor as an amateur sleuth tangentially involved in the police investigation. It offers a strong sense of place, convincing dialogue and a solid, if slightly complicated mystery.
'Death At Whitewater Church' is the first of six books set in Donegal on the Inishowen Peninsula and featuring local solicitor Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe. Ben is insatiably curious (nosey is how most people would describe it) and she’s from Dublin so she has to have the history of the close-knit local community explained to her as she digs into things that might be better left to the police. Ben also has a tragic incident in her past which resulted in her leaving her relatively high-powered job in Dublin and making a fresh start running her own small legal practice.
This was a gentle if complicated mystery, calmly told but with some moments of great tension. I liked the sense of place and I admired Andrea Carter’s talent for realistic dialogue.
The plot was a little more convoluted than was necessary but it provided a good introduction to Ben O’Keefe and the region that she has chosen to make her home in. It set the groundwork for a series with an engaging ensemble cast in a unique environment. It wasn't a book that excited me but it did keep me entertained so I’ll be visiting Ben again sometime soon.
'Death At Whitewater Church‘ is a low-key murder mystery set in rural Donegal and featuring a local solicitor as an amateur sleuth tangentially involved in the police investigation. It offers a strong sense of place, convincing dialogue and a solid, if slightly complicated mystery.
'Death At Whitewater Church' is the first of six books set in Donegal on the Inishowen Peninsula and featuring local solicitor Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe. Ben is insatiably curious (nosey is how most people would describe it) and she’s from Dublin so she has to have the history of the close-knit local community explained to her as she digs into things that might be better left to the police. Ben also has a tragic incident in her past which resulted in her leaving her relatively high-powered job in Dublin and making a fresh start running her own small legal practice.
This was a gentle if complicated mystery, calmly told but with some moments of great tension. I liked the sense of place and I admired Andrea Carter’s talent for realistic dialogue.
The plot was a little more convoluted than was necessary but it provided a good introduction to Ben O’Keefe and the region that she has chosen to make her home in. It set the groundwork for a series with an engaging ensemble cast in a unique environment. It wasn't a book that excited me but it did keep me entertained so I’ll be visiting Ben again sometime soon.
February 5, 2022
Unsure how genuine some of the 5 star reviews are for this book....one of them informs us that the local solicitor, the primary character is called Ben and that HIS name is short for Benedict....doesn't inspire me to believe that they have read the book as the main character is actually a woman called Ben - short for Benedicta. One could have learned that from the blurb on the back...
This is a classic, light entertainment crime novel, well-written and set in Co. Donegal in Ireland.
I look forward to reading another one of hers.
This is a classic, light entertainment crime novel, well-written and set in Co. Donegal in Ireland.
I look forward to reading another one of hers.
November 16, 2022
I was needing a break from my usual romance novels and decided that a good mystery was just what I wanted. One of Andrea Carter’s later novels was reviewed on Goodreads by one one of my friends and he suggested starting with the first one.
I loved the mystery of who’s body was left in the crypt at Whitewater Church. I found Ben’s personal drama drug the story down a bit. I took off one star for that. Otherwise this would certainly be a 5 star read for me. I love mysteries that take place in the British Isles, and this certainly was a well written story.
I was ready to start book two, but after reading the description that said Ben’s is still dealing with her own demons, I decided to pass for now.
I loved the mystery of who’s body was left in the crypt at Whitewater Church. I found Ben’s personal drama drug the story down a bit. I took off one star for that. Otherwise this would certainly be a 5 star read for me. I love mysteries that take place in the British Isles, and this certainly was a well written story.
I was ready to start book two, but after reading the description that said Ben’s is still dealing with her own demons, I decided to pass for now.
April 7, 2019
Excellent start to mystery series. Northern Ireland, small town in Derry. Ben O'Keefe has escaped from Dublin - we gradually learn the story of her sister's death and why she doesn't want to see the pathologist. She has a solitary solicitor's office. Apparently a general practice. Maybe that's how it is in small towns. There is a troubled family - the husband committed suicide after a ship is blown up offshor and several crewmen die, although most of the crew was evacuated. One son is believed dead, especially after a set of bones are discovered in a crypt in an abandoned church. Another son and daughter are both troubled.
It was a good story. I didn't get it. We discover answers along with Ben. She appears to have a developing relationship with the head cop/guard.
It was a good story. I didn't get it. We discover answers along with Ben. She appears to have a developing relationship with the head cop/guard.
February 19, 2020
I thought it a reasonably well written mystery and I enjoyed it, especially the setting in inishowen. However I have marked my review low because of the seemingly constant reference to the size of Ben's 'good friend' Phyllis Kettle. At every opportunity, she is described as a fat, large, ample figure of fun dressed in unusual clothing....why? It's gratuitous in my opinion and somewhat snide and it became an issue for me as a reader and it lessened my enjoyment of this book. I wouldn't be too interested in future books featuring this character. I'm an average size 14 woman myself and I don't have issue with my size or that of other women. Curiously we are not told about the size of anyone else in any detail - Sally Rooney similar imo but too much focus on thinness! I'm hard to please
February 1, 2018
Ben is a solicitor in a small town in Ireland. She’s changed her name and moved away from the big city to escape some very bad memories, but finds that in this small town, people have lots of secrets, too. What happened to the man who disappeared 6 years ago? And whose skeleton is found in Whitewater Church? Evocative of Ireland’s landscape and with well-drawn characters and a compelling plot, this book was an enjoyable read.
September 25, 2019
What a good story. Having a country solicitor in Ireland as the heroine is a fun twist. I think this was a really good start to a new series. I a,ready reserved the next book at the library. :)
August 19, 2019
I thought this was a excellently crafted mystery. It reminded me of old school mysteries where each detail provided by the author becomes part of the eventual sleuthing conclusion. You know how when you realize the tiniest little background detail that had been provided along the way becomes the catalyst for putting all the pieces together? That's what this book does and it does it really, really well. I very highly recommend this read for people who really like to play the detective as they are reading. I read this book for free through Edelwiess and the publisher and have provided my honest opinion in this review.
August 24, 2015
This is a very promising start to a new series of mysteries set in the small community of Inishowen in Ireland and featuring Benedicta O'Keeffe a solicitor - always known as Ben.
Conor Devitt disappeared on his wedding day nearly seven years ago. A skeleton is discovered in the crypt of a disused church which is about to be sold and renovated and turned into a holiday home. Conor's family believes the skeleton could be the missing man.
Ben is curious about the skeleton not least because she was with the surveyor who discovered it and she starts asking questions about Conor's disappearance which was before she arrived in Inishowen. Then Conor's brother dies unexpectedly and Ben's curiosity is well and truly aroused.
The book is well written and well plotted and certainly kept me guessing until almost the last chapter. I liked Ben as a character and the taciturn Sergeant Tom Molloy. I thought the descriptions of small town life and the people in it was realistic too. Everyone knows everyone and you can't do anything without someone seeing you and forming their own conclusions.
This is a promising start to what I hope will be a long running series and I look forward to reading the next instalment. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
Conor Devitt disappeared on his wedding day nearly seven years ago. A skeleton is discovered in the crypt of a disused church which is about to be sold and renovated and turned into a holiday home. Conor's family believes the skeleton could be the missing man.
Ben is curious about the skeleton not least because she was with the surveyor who discovered it and she starts asking questions about Conor's disappearance which was before she arrived in Inishowen. Then Conor's brother dies unexpectedly and Ben's curiosity is well and truly aroused.
The book is well written and well plotted and certainly kept me guessing until almost the last chapter. I liked Ben as a character and the taciturn Sergeant Tom Molloy. I thought the descriptions of small town life and the people in it was realistic too. Everyone knows everyone and you can't do anything without someone seeing you and forming their own conclusions.
This is a promising start to what I hope will be a long running series and I look forward to reading the next instalment. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
June 23, 2019
I love these small town mysteries where everyone in a small town knows everyone else’s business nd the person you expect solves the mystery. This appears to be Andrea Carter’s debut novel. Certainly I look forward to the next installment. The dialogue is crisp, clear and real. The plot and sub-plot is very well developed and you are kept guessing until the very end. This is like a Midsommer mystery but a little better. Keep up the good work Ms. Carter.
October 4, 2016
Liked it a lot. Looking forward to the next one.
April 15, 2024
Nothing new or surprising in this book. I've read so many books with the same plot (except for the Sadie bit which was not really important)
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