December in Glendara, Inishowen, and solicitor Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe is working flat-out before the holidays; the one bright spot on her horizon is spending her first Christmas with Sergeant Tom Molloy.
But on a trip to Dublin to visit her parents, she bumps into Luke Kirby – the man who killed her sister – freshly released from jail. He apologises to her; remorseful, conciliatory … but as she walks away, he whispers something that chills her to the bone.
Back in Glendara, there is chaos. The Oak pub has burned down and Carole Kearney, the Oak’s barmaid, has gone missing. And then on Christmas morning, while walking up Sliabh Sneacht, Ben and Molloy make a gruesome discovery: a body lying face-down in the snow … Soon it becomes clear that these events are part of a plan for revenge that will have devastating consequences for Glendara’s residents.
But on a trip to Dublin to visit her parents, she bumps into Luke Kirby – the man who killed her sister – freshly released from jail. He apologises to her; remorseful, conciliatory … but as she walks away, he whispers something that chills her to the bone.
Back in Glendara, there is chaos. The Oak pub has burned down and Carole Kearney, the Oak’s barmaid, has gone missing. And then on Christmas morning, while walking up Sliabh Sneacht, Ben and Molloy make a gruesome discovery: a body lying face-down in the snow … Soon it becomes clear that these events are part of a plan for revenge that will have devastating consequences for Glendara’s residents.
Reviews
The colourful cast of characters may be fictional, but the landscapes, towns and villages are instantly recognisable
A moving - and exciting - well-observed account of crime, innocence, gullibility, and a determination to get things right ... the ideal novel to read curled up in front of a good fire while storms rage outside
Another thriller full of twists from the solicitor turned author
A proper old-fashioned crime novel in the best sense of the word
There's gripping suspense in contrast to the warm and well drawn Irish country community in solicitor sleuth Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keefe's third case
Death at Whitewater Church is a charming debut that bodes well for Andrea Carter
Carter writes very much in the village mystery tradition, with a likeable amateur detective, an atmospheric and vividly rendered sense of place and engagingly drawn series characters ... The Well of Ice moves towards a spectacular and explosive conclusion
I adored this traditional crime novel; it's modern day Agatha Christie with Ben as Miss Marple
A pure delight, featuring a lively crew of memorable characters, action aplenty and stunning scenery
A beguiling heroine - clever sympathetic and bearing a weight of guilt . . . This is Andrea Carter's first book; she'll go far
A promising start
