Thrillers & Suspense
![Carlene O'Connor - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B01BJ1KOFY.jpg)
No Strangers Here: A Riveting Irish Thriller (A County Kerry Novel)
Set in Ireland's striking, rugged countryside, the USA Today bestselling author's unsettling, atmospheric new crime fiction novel combines the eerie mood of Tana French and Louise Penny with the compulsively taut plotting of Dervla McTiernan and Lucy Foley, as an Irish veterinarian grapples with life, death, family dynamics, and the secrets at the heart of her small community…
BookBub Best Mysteries and Thrillers of Fall
On a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of Johnny O'Reilly, sixty-nine years old and dressed in a suit and his dancing shoes, is propped on a boulder, staring sightlessly out to sea. A cryptic message is spelled out next to the body with sixty-nine polished black stones and a discarded vial of deadly veterinarian medication lies nearby. Johnny was a wealthy racehorse owner, known far and wide as The Dancing Man. In a town like Dingle, everyone knows a little something about everyone else. But dig a bit deeper, and there's always much more to find. And when Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien is dispatched out of Killarney to lead the murder inquiry, he's determined to unearth every last buried secret.
Dimpna Wilde hasn't been home in years. As picturesque as Dingle may be for tourists in search of their roots and the perfect jumper, to her it means family drama and personal complications. In fairness, Dublin hasn't worked out quite as she hoped either. Faced with a triple bombshell-her mother rumored to be in a relationship with Johnny, her father's dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls-Dimpna moves back to clear her family of suspicion.
"Compelling…this is the best of O'Connor's Irish mysteries to date."
-Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
BookBub Best Mysteries and Thrillers of Fall
On a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of Johnny O'Reilly, sixty-nine years old and dressed in a suit and his dancing shoes, is propped on a boulder, staring sightlessly out to sea. A cryptic message is spelled out next to the body with sixty-nine polished black stones and a discarded vial of deadly veterinarian medication lies nearby. Johnny was a wealthy racehorse owner, known far and wide as The Dancing Man. In a town like Dingle, everyone knows a little something about everyone else. But dig a bit deeper, and there's always much more to find. And when Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien is dispatched out of Killarney to lead the murder inquiry, he's determined to unearth every last buried secret.
Dimpna Wilde hasn't been home in years. As picturesque as Dingle may be for tourists in search of their roots and the perfect jumper, to her it means family drama and personal complications. In fairness, Dublin hasn't worked out quite as she hoped either. Faced with a triple bombshell-her mother rumored to be in a relationship with Johnny, her father's dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls-Dimpna moves back to clear her family of suspicion.
"Compelling…this is the best of O'Connor's Irish mysteries to date."
-Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
Editorial Reviews
Praise for No Strangers Here
"This solid series launch from O'Connor takes a more somber approach to crime solving than her Irish Village mysteries…O'Connor adds plot twists that many won't anticipate. Judicious use of Irishisms ("I swear to ye") adds color. Readers will eagerly await what happens next in County Kerry."
-Publishers Weekly
"Exciting, convoluted, and rich with compelling characters, this is the best of O'Connor's Irish mysteries to date." -Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
"Known for her cozies, O'Connor moves into darker territory here. For fans of Louise Penny."
-Library Journal
Praise for Carlene O'Connor
"Outstanding…O'Connor reinforces her place as the queen of the cozy police procedural."
-Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Murder in An Irish Bookshop
"Murder at an Irish Christmas has elements of a police procedural that add more detail, atmosphere, and humor than are often found in the cozy subgenre." -Christian Science Monitor on Murder at An Irish Christmas
"Fully realized characters enhance this skillfully plotted tale as it builds to a twist ending." -Publishers Weekly on Murder at An Irish Christmas
"Exceptional… readers will have a hard time putting this one down." -Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Murder in An Irish Cottage
"[An] atmospheric story filled with Irish superstitions, legends, and colorful characters. Vivid descriptions of the countryside will appeal to lovers of Ireland." -Library Journal on Murder in An Irish Cottage
"The intricate puzzle and continuing Irish atmosphere make this the series' best to date." -Kirkus Reviews on Murder in An Irish Pub
"A delightful read that put me right into the atmosphere and local...
"This solid series launch from O'Connor takes a more somber approach to crime solving than her Irish Village mysteries…O'Connor adds plot twists that many won't anticipate. Judicious use of Irishisms ("I swear to ye") adds color. Readers will eagerly await what happens next in County Kerry."
-Publishers Weekly
"Exciting, convoluted, and rich with compelling characters, this is the best of O'Connor's Irish mysteries to date." -Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
"Known for her cozies, O'Connor moves into darker territory here. For fans of Louise Penny."
-Library Journal
Praise for Carlene O'Connor
"Outstanding…O'Connor reinforces her place as the queen of the cozy police procedural."
-Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Murder in An Irish Bookshop
"Murder at an Irish Christmas has elements of a police procedural that add more detail, atmosphere, and humor than are often found in the cozy subgenre." -Christian Science Monitor on Murder at An Irish Christmas
"Fully realized characters enhance this skillfully plotted tale as it builds to a twist ending." -Publishers Weekly on Murder at An Irish Christmas
"Exceptional… readers will have a hard time putting this one down." -Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Murder in An Irish Cottage
"[An] atmospheric story filled with Irish superstitions, legends, and colorful characters. Vivid descriptions of the countryside will appeal to lovers of Ireland." -Library Journal on Murder in An Irish Cottage
"The intricate puzzle and continuing Irish atmosphere make this the series' best to date." -Kirkus Reviews on Murder in An Irish Pub
"A delightful read that put me right into the atmosphere and local...
Readers Top Reviews
C. TrussellAdvent
This IS a riveting DARK Irish mystery. Veterinarian Dr. Dimpna Wilde’s world is falling around her after her husband’s suicide following financial misdeeds which have depleted her financially. Now she learns that not only are her father and mother suspects in a murder in her hometown, but her father has begun to show signs of dementia. After closing her own practice, Dimpna returns home to check on her father and his veterinary practices. There, secrets from her past seem to be tied into the murder. Everyone knows everyone in the small town, but not everyone knows all the secrets that have been hidden. And they’re not willing to share what they do know with the new detective assigned to the high-profile murder of a wealthy local. Strong characters and complex histories make this is great read. And there are loose ends for the next book.
JustGinaC. Trusse
A good cozy mystery starts off O’Conner’s new series. I like the characters, and the storyline moves along nicely. I am looking forward to the second book.
carol tJustGinaC.
An ok book, but a little confusing in parts. I got the book because I like mysteries and because I’ve been to Dingle. A quick read.
Mtlnativecarol tJ
I’ve read so many cozies that were poorly written with what used to be called “purple prose”: too many adjectives, characters that are too “cute”…. If you’ve ever been turned off by a cozy, you’ll understand what I mean. So I wondered if this would be like it. Happily, it isn’t. This is a great story, true to what I encountered in Ireland, the quirkiness, the darkness, the uniqueness of their small towns, the sea and the mountains. Although this story, about a man whose body is found on a beach, the name of a long-dead racehorse etched beside him, whose death brings a haunted vet back from her refuge in Dublin to her hometown of Dingle, this story is very, very good. It’s a thriller, has a bit of romance, and it’s also a story that will give you a taste of Ireland and perhaps make you want to take a trip over, to see the Valley of the Mad (it’s real, you can see photos of it if you Google) and to listen to trad music.
TXdaimMtlnativeca
First off, to some of the reviewers of books in general, please, stop giving away the storyline and spoiling the book for everyone before we/they have even read it. A review of a book, in particular, is to share opinions, what we liked and/or disliked, not a detailed description of the plot and storyline that ruins the whole thing! Utterly annoying. And I can't imagine the the authors appreciate it either. Having said that, I liked this book, and have already pre-ordered the next installment. It was quirky here and there but it held my interest, flowed nicely, and had good development of characters. I love Dingle Ireland, and enjoyed revisiting parts of the Dingle Peninsula through this book!
