This is the fifth book in the Inishowen series and even though I haven't read the previous books in the series, I will do so soon. This was a murder mystery, well written and entertained until the twisty end. Recommended for anyone who loves a well written series.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

A Worthy Addition.....
Book five in the Inishowen Mysteries finds Ben returning from the Florida heat to the rain of Glendara, Inishowen. Amidst torrential weather conditions a body is discovered and, with the village cut off, it’s down to Sargeant Tom Malloy with Ben’s help to get to the root of the matter. Enjoyable, nicely plotted mystery with a credible cast. A worthy addition to the series.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not realise that this was the 5th instalment in the Ben O'Keefe series by Andrea Carter. But once I delved into 'The Body Falls', I realised this did not matter. So, rest assured, you can read this as a standalone without missing out too much on background. Indeed, I enjoyed this book precisely because I did not have any preconceived notions about the characters and setting, which were both well-drawn. The mystery, revolving around a charity event cycle race, and the murder of the event's organiser, Bob Jameson, unfolded at a good pace, and I found myself more invested in the outcome of the book the more I read on. O'Keefe and Molloy undoubtedly carried the story with some aplomb, and there was more than enough potential suspects for the murder to make this a good whodunnit. On the whole this was an enjoyable read, but there was something missing. Whether this was the structure of the book and the lack of explicit 'hooks' - I don't know. But there was something lacking in the execution of the plot which would elevate this from a good read to a great one.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

I love reading the Inishowen Mysteries, especially when I hear the local vernacular in the speech of the characters, e.g. 'It was a wile handling, so it was.' I laughed when I saw that well-used phrase pop up. The community spirit in Inishowen really shines through in this book as the townlands of Malin grapple with severe flooding and unexpected death of a visitor to the area.

The investigation is slow and centred around chats with various characters. I got a little muddled on who was related to whom at one stage as there were so many new faces in Glendara.

I felt that this mystery lacked the suspense of the previous book however I am very intrigued to find out what is happening with Ben's parents as well as any mysteries her job connections in America might present for her in the future. I would love to see Molloy develop more as a character and get some background information on him. We know a lot about Ben but not so much Molloy. He is very closed off and not much craic, a typical garda I suppose but I'm hoping he comes out of his shell a wee bit as the romance hots up.

I loved this book, it's a traditional mystery with many elements of a cosy mystery series (the small town, the quirky characters, the romance). I would define it an excellent cozy or good traditional mystery.
I read it in two setting and I loved what I read: the well thought cast of characters, the plot that flows, the descriptions of the setting and of the flood.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and the solution came as a surprise.
The characters are interesting and I love Ben (Benedicta) as she is a strong willed woman who never takes any unnecessary risks.
It's the first I read in this series and it can be read as a standalone. I will surely read the other instalments.
It was a gripping and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was a nice easy read and whilst I read it in the sunshine I did feel the rain falling on the poor Irish folk in the story. I liked Ben and Malloy but I’m not sure it was an interesting enough plot to leave me wanting more and the end of the book did seem like there was another book to follow on.

With thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the ARC.

This is the 5th installment of Carter's Inishowen Mystery series. The first I've read but that in no way detracts from the story. There is enough back story of the main characters to make sure you know where you are. This can easily be read as a standalone.

Lawyer Ben(edicta) O'Keefe is heading home from a 6 month stint in Florida. It was a work trip but she was also using it to get her head straight.
On her return to Inishowen , there is a large charity cycle race in town, due to set off the following morning. However, the heavens open and the rain falls...... and falls and falls.

Very quickly the small town of Glencara is cut off. Roads are flooded, bridges washed away and businesses flooded out. No one is going anywhere.

Then one of the visitors is found dead.

There are family secrets, old rivalries and bitter feuds among the visitors. Is this what led to the killing? And can Ben work out what happened before the roads open again and everyone leaves.

The atmosphere, the setting, the characters, the writing. All top class.

A hugely enjoyable book and I'll certainly be catching up on the rest of the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of The Body Falls, the fifth novel to feature lawyer Ben(edicta) O’Keefe, set in the Inishowen peninsula, Donegal.

Ben returns to Glencara from a six month working sabbatical in Florida to find the town overrun with cyclists at the start of a charity run. The run doesn’t get started as the weather takes a bad turn and storms and flooding cut the town off. That evening the local vet is out on a call when a body hits her jeep. The body is Bob Jameson, organiser of the charity bike run and man of many secrets and enemies, presumed murdered by a snake bite.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Body Falls which is an easy read with a good mystery attached. I loved the anarchy of a body rolling down a hill and hitting a vehicle, most unusual and attention grabbing and then the snake. I had forgotten that there are no snakes in Ireland, so more subversion. The scene is finally set by the weather conditions, torrential rain and flooding. It’s like something out of a gothic novel and all that’s missing is the thunder and lightning or do power cuts count?

Set against this gothic background the investigation is fairly gentle and yet, compulsive. Bob Jameson is an extremely unpleasant man and it would appear that many people in town for the cycle race would have reason to kill him. As the secrets are gradually revealed it seems that nobody mourns him and some go as far as to applaud the killer. This latter is well concealed and I didn’t have a clue until the denouement. In fact, I gave up trying to guess with so many potentials.

This is a novel about people and I found it engrossing. With the storm there is no forensic investigation so it’s all about talking, information gathering and deduction. The characters are well drawn and believable, if a little helpless and cowered. Ben and her friends are their usual nosy selves and this gives the novel a warm and homely feel.

The storm and its effects pervade the novel, cutting the town off and making them self reliant. It can’t help but feel normal almost in these times of quarantine. It can’t be anything but accidental but it certainly feels relevant.

The Body Falls is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Body Falls is the latest book in the Ben O’Keefe series by Andrea Carter.

I had read all the previous stories in this series, however, I felt that they were becoming a little stale and boring but decided to give the series one last go.

The Body Falls starts well but then seems to meander before moving to a rushed “explanation” and finish that is clearly designed to set up the next book.

Whilst there is nothing to overly dislike I found myself losing interest in the who, what and why.

Overall it was ok but not the best crime novel I have read

Andrea Carter takes us back to Inishowen, the small town of Glendara, in Ireland with her latest in her solicitor Ben O'Keefe crime series. It begins with the end of a 6 month stint for Ben in the coastal Sarasota resort town in Florida, a sun soaked time, learning about and practicing elder law. It was in part a way to escape a personal dilemma that she was unsure how to react to, a marriage proposal that didn't feel right from Sergeant Tom Molloy, when they hadn't even been together. She arrives in Dublin, to spend a night with her parents, only to find a strange man, Stuart Chambers, staying with her parents which leaves her feeling worried and concerned. She returns to Glendara, only to find the place overrun by cyclists in colourful lycra getting prepared for a charity race starting the following day, and her locum solicitor replacement, Marina, far more haphazard in her working practices than she is.

A number of the cyclists and organisers are staying with Mary McCauley at her 10 bedroom bed and breakfast guest house. The sunshine of Florida is to become a distant memory for Ben as in sharp contrast, Inishowen comes to be pounded by merciless and relentless biblical rains that culminate in broken bridges and Glendara becoming completely cut off from the rest of the country. With people stranded and the cyclists unable to begin their race, the police, Molloy and McFadden, are under severe strain. Their pressures are exacerbated when mud landslides result in a body falling on vet Maeve's jeep at night. The body turns outs to be Bob Jameson, the head of the charity benefiting from the cycling fundraiser, and oddly, given there are no snakes in Ireland, he has been bitten by a snake on his hand and no post mortem can take place until the rains subside.

According to Derek, Bob's twin brother, and his wife, Amanda, Bob is a good man with no enemies, but how then did he end up being murdered? Molloy and Ben work the case together whilst organising help and support for the community in their hours of need. As they dig deep, it soon begins to emerge that the only mystery is that the odious Bob managed to live as long as he did and that whoever killed him deserves a medal. This is a series I have really enjoyed reading, although there is an unevenness in the narrative at times here, it is entertaining, with a host of local characters that are wonderful to catch up with, such as the bookseller, Phyllis Kettle. Ben and Molloy work through their issues to settle into a relationship that they have become comfortable with going public. A great read. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.