Classic complications in a modern manor house

“Murder at Greysbridge” is part of the “Inishowen Mystery” series, but as a new reader, I was immediately pulled into the story, and all I needed to know about the characters was part of the narrative. Readers quickly get to know the community through the first-person narrative of solicitor Benedicta (Ben) O’Keeffe. The previous year she assisted Ian and Abby Grey with their purchase of the Greysbridge Estate, now a small hotel. Ben is attending a wedding there, and it is a typical wedding, well, until it is not. Readers meet the bride and groom, wedding guests, relatives, house employees, and a couple of paying guests.

The story unfolds like an Agatha Christie “country manor tale” but with a modern twist. The Greysbridge estate is the star of the story, and the masterpiece-like atmosphere is detailed and complete. It is a classic setting complete with strange grounds and sculptures, but the grand staircase makes it a perfect venue for a wedding. There is something secretive about the mansion, of course, something dark and hidden from the world. Some houses are like that; bad things happened there, so bad things continue to happen there. And of course, there is an old library, a family burial plot, a rumor of a ghost, and that strange yet inaccessible bridge.

“Murder at Greysbridge” is filled with modern problems that evolve like classic complications. Readers wonder what else could possibly go wrong during this wedding, and then they find out. I was given a review copy of “Murder at Greysbridge” from Andrea Carter and Oceanview Publishing. It combines the atmosphere of a classic mystery with the tension of a modern thriller; it “bridges” the gap.

I enjoyed all parts of this book,,, the location and surroundings, the characters, the plot, the mysteries in mysteries, in mysteries... Very interesting backgrounds, and very well written. I will be reading more by this author! Thank you for presenting this book for review!

Nice satisfying mystery with a good amount of twists and turns. The Irish setting was nice to imagine. I especially liked that even though this was a book in a series it was completely stand alone, references to the past were nicely explained and intrigued me enough that I might start at the beginning of the series. The only critique was that the mystery about the relative in the graveyard was a little open ended.

This is my first time reading a book by this author as well as my first book in the series. I was especially interested in a mystery set in Ireland and this book worked well for giving me the atmosphere of small Irish villages and how their populations are tied so firmly to the land, sea and weather. I think the crimes are well written and interesting, the descriptions of the location and the large manor house easily made me visualize the scenes.

Normally I have very little trouble treating a story within a series as a stand-alone book. This one was slightly more difficult because of the romantic interest which evidently follows from book to book. At least it followed from the previous book to this one. Unfortunately, my pet peeve of having a big relationship misunderstanding came right up front and center and kept on bothering me through the whole book. And I was proven correct once again; this was an easy problem to solve if only the characters had talked to one another like adults. So, I will say the crime/mystery aspects were good even if they could have been even better if the romance (which is now a triangle) had not taken up so much page space. This was a very imaginative form of murder which I had not come across in my mystery novel reading but, sadly, the romance element bogged it all down too much for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.

Solicitor Ben O'Keefe is off to her office assistant's wedding at a country home turned into a boutique hotel. Ben did the legal work for the owners. She is planning to meet her new potential boyfriend there too.

When she and her friend Maeve arrive, neither is impressed with the building or the atmosphere. There's a strange bridge linking two parts of the house. There is also a ghost story attached. According to the story, a young woman starved to death and haunts the place. And Ben is given Lady Louisa's room.

The place is filled with guests for the wedding. Except there are two holdovers; one is a young pre-med student on a solo bike tour of the country; the other is a man who is enthusiastic about the family history and eager to have her movie producer son make a film of the story he has discovered. Also, the groom's family lives on a nearby island and are staying on their boats.

The wedding goes off well, but the reception is marred by the drowning death of the young pre-med student. Ben's significant other is a doctor who manages to pull him from the water but isn't able to get him breathing again.

When the police arrive, they are accompanied by Sergeant Tom Molloy who had a close relationship with Ben until he ghosted her. Now he's back and investigating the death which might fit into the case that he disappeared to investigate. Things escalate when the man intrigued with the family history is also found dead. He apparently died of poison.

As Ben and Molloy investigate, they learn a lot of family secrets about the former owners of the house and also about the island where the groom's relatives live. There was a lot of action and smaller mysteries surrounding the larger one of the poisoning deaths. This is the fourth book in a series and has quite a few characters I'm assuming were introduced in earlier books. However, it does stand alone well.

This excellent mystery would make Agatha Christie proud. An accident and a murder during a wedding in an isolated mansion. A cast of suspects, every one of them hiding secrets. In the middle of it all is Ben, a female attorney who is best friends with the bride and knows the owners of the titular Greysbridge house. There are many side stories and red herrings, and every one of them kept my interest. I loved the seemingly supernatural incidents, and some very creepy parts. This is part of a series that I hadn’t read before, so there were allusions that I didn’t quite get, but the author does a great job filling in the blanks so that newbies can read it as a stand-alone. There are lots of twists and the novel is so easy to read, that I kept falling into the “one more chapter” trap. I will be reading the rest of the series now, since this is a very solid mystery.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Oceanview Publishing!

Ireland, law-enforcement, lawyers, island-life, relationships, relationship-issues, relatives, poisons, cosy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, family, family-dynamics, friction, friendship*****

Solicitor Benedicta O’Keeffe of County Donegal is invited to be a principal in the wedding of one of her best friends in the windswept coastal inn-under-severe-renovation, Greysbridge, in Inishowen. Although this is the first I've read in this series (it won't be the last) that did not impact my enjoyment. Unlike most, there is no buildup where you are hoping that whatever villain will be murdered. In this one, both the first and second murder victims are a total surprise. Enter a mystery in the family history of Greysbridge, a group of interesting characters from the small island off the coast there, a surprising cause of death, and the improbable return of former love interest, Sgt Tom Malloy. 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!

Murder at Greysbridge is the fourth book in the Inishowen Murders series set in Donegal, Ireland. This is my first time reading a book by Andrea Carter. The series stars Solicitor Benedicta “Ben” O’Keefe of Glendara, who, in this installment is preparing to go to her legal assistant’s wedding over the weekend at a local country home turned hotel. None of the attendees have any idea of what is ahead.

Greysbridge itself, the site of the wedding, has a reputation for being haunted and there is a guest present, separate from the wedding party, who is researching the house and Grey family history. There are also some guests from the “other” side of the family who live remote lives on a nearby island. The ground is somewhat set and what could possibly go wrong. Well…murder goes wrong. I’m not going to go deeply into plot; there are many places to get that.

What I liked—the mix of characters, the setting, the basic plot which kept me reading until the end.

What I didn’t like as much—the story seemed overwritten at times. I wanted it edited down a bit. I liked the story but there was too much of it. And sometimes Ben simply doesn’t behave like a real person (maybe I’m being curmudgeonly here).

Rating is 3.5* rounded down.


A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When the Inishowen series came onto my radar, I decided to read the first in the series. I immediately fell in love with the book, and, knowing that #4 was available on Netgalley, I raced through the other books as well so I could read them in order. The series is now one of my favorites, and I can't wait to read more and see the planned TV adaptation. The book could be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that one reads the books in order. In previous books, readers got to know the quirky people in the village where Ben, the main character, lives and works, and this book moves the action to a wedding in a creepy hotel. As always, the book is very atmospheric and made me want to visit that part of Ireland. I liked the complexity of the mystery and that all the loose ends related to it were tied up. I enjoy the continuing story of Ben's personal life, and that part of the series reminds me of Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series, another of my favorites. I will promote the series to other mystery lovers, and I hope that this hidden gem gets the attention it deserves. I highly recommend this book.

Ben O'Keeffe attends to a wedding at Greybridge House which is said to be haunted. When two bodies are discovered she is trying the detectives to solve the case. Unfortunately, I could not connect to the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for this Arc.

Even if this is not the best in this series it's a compelling and highly entertaining read.
There's plenty going on in Ben's life and there's a lot of twists in the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The characters are relatable and fleshed out as usual, the setting is vivid and the mystery is well plotted.
My only note: the plot sometimes drags a bit and some less pages would have helped.
It can be read as a stand alone but it's better to read the entire series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Good Murder Mystery
This is a good murder mystery that is part of a series. The location and characters remain the same in these books, but the mystery plot changes. There is also a romance going on and that part of the plot is left with a major cliff-hanger. The mystery was very good with lots of moving pieces. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Murder at Greysbridge by Andrea Carter is the fourth book in the series “Inishowen Mysteries”. I had not read any book in the series prior to this one and had no problem understanding. This can be read as a stand alone though I imagine it would be most enjoyable while reading it in order.

Benedicta O’Keeffe or as she likes to be called, Ben, a solicitor, has shut down her office for a week, since her assistant and friend Leah is getting married at Greysbridge, a property that Ben had helped Abby and Ian Grey buy. This old but grand house used to be in Ian’s family till his grandfather had lost it in a game of gamble. Leah’s wedding would be the first and the couple is hoping that this will drive more customers towards them.

However things take a turn for the worse when not one but two of the guests are found dead, possibly murdered, within hours of each other. Are these murders connected? What are the the haunting secrets of this tragic manor? Do the islanders have something to do with this? These are just some of the questions that fill Ben’s head as she also deals with the possibility of a betrayal from someone close to her.

Add to this is the fact that her ex Seargent Malloy suddenly returned to solve this case just as she was trying to move on. Not to forget the new job offer she has for which she would have to move to US. Ben easily has a lot on her plate.

Overall this story has all the key features of a good murder mystery especially one involving an old manor. Despite that I this book falters in a few ways.

Firstly the beginning is a bit slow, with just lots of references to the previous book and not a lot going on. It does pick up pace and I found it hard to put down the book once that happened.

Secondly I did not like the motive behind everything that happened. (This might be a little bit of spoiler but not that much). For me it sort of seemed detached to the what Ben had spent a huge chunk of the book investigating , the Grey family secrets.

So while I absolutely loved reading about Louissa Grey and her story (it was honestly my favourite part) I am confused as to its direct connection and why we spent so much time on it.

Nevertheless the characters and the overall environment were wonderful and I am going to go on and read the rest of the books in series, Andrea with her writing has drawn me to Ben’s character and now I'm curious about her an her past. I am definitely interested in her and Malloy especially with that cliffhanger. Overall this book is a good read.

My rating is 3.5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy.

This is the fourth of Inishowen series featuring Solicitor Benedicta O’Keeffe of
County Donegal. It is the first one I have read and I am glad I discovered this little gem. The comparison to Miss Marple and description as a “cozy”mystery I read in some reviews almost put me off. While there was not a lot of overt action and certainly there was tea, I thought it a step up from cozy mysteries and Ben is certainly no elderly spinster doddering around.

The murders do not occur until one quarter through the book. What occurs instead is good character development and wonderful atmospheric descriptions of Greysbridge Hotel, the Irish seaside, and the nearby island. As the plot develops, what may initially seem like a very simple case has much more to it.

While this is part of a series, it worked fine as a standalone although I would have liked to know more about the death of Ben’s sister. There are references to that case and the perpetrator, but it is never explained or summarized. At the conclusion, some life decisions for Ben are left hanging and now I can’t wait until the next book to find out the resolutions.

Murder at Greysbridge is the fourth book in the highly entertaining mystery series featuring Benedicta (Ben) O'Keeffe, Solicitor. I recommend reading the series in order to follow the development of our main character, Ben, but it can be read as a stand alone.

Ben is contemplating a move to America, but before that can happen she will attend the wedding of her assistant, Leah, at the newly refurbished Greysbridge Hotel. The hotel is rumored to be haunted by Louisa Grey, who died young, daughter of the hotel's builder, Linus Grey. He was a member of the House of Lords and had a "questionable" reputation. It so happens that Ben is staying in Louisa's old room.

Two deaths occur. A man drowns in front of some hotel guests followed by another death. Some of the wedding guests behave strangely and Ben thinks someone was in her room. Sargent Tom Molloy comes to investigate. Molloy and Ben have a complicated relationship, he left and did not contact Ben. He tells her he was working a case and cannot discuss.

This is a well written mystery. Andrea Carter gives us a few twists, a strong supporting cast of characters, an atmospheric setting, resolution to the mystery, and leaves us wondering to the fate of Ben and Tom's relationship. I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

Fourth in the series is a dangerous passage for a writer. The temptation is to let things get samey, or to overcomplicate things; seldom does one find the writer whose abilities include knowing what makes a series work for the long haul. I think we might have a winner in Author Andrea Carter.

Ben O'Keeffe is glad that Leah, her assistant, will have the very first wedding at Greysbridge. It's a fine old landed-gentry house that Abby and Ian Grey have brought back into their family after a profligate ancestor lost in a card game! What they needed was an event, and a locally beloved soul's wedding is perfect. Until, of course, it isn't...there are disasters piling up on the day, and the deaths of two seemingly unconnected men from different countries occur in such close time and physical proximity that the Garda gets involved.

Which means Ben's ex, Tom Molloy, returns to Inishowen. Which means her casual thing developing with new-to-Glendara Harry Dubois, the new G.P., is suddenly complicated. Which means that Ben's nosy neighbors will quickly be weighing in on which path she should choose...Phyllis the bookstore owner (who's also now a Reverend of some sect or another) and Iain the estate agent aren't likely not to share their ideas with her. Not to mention bestie/vet Maeve. Wouldn't be at all surprised if Guinness the cat doesn't weigh in soon.

What happens next is a bolt from the blue regarding her clients, the Greys...there are more secrets than just the ones we were made privy to in the last installment! And they get...intense. Add to the ordinary parent/child tensions within the Grey family the unusual way their son came to them, then top that off with a revelation or two about their business lives...that's enough for a book, but not for this book.

While the Greys are stewing, and their adopted son running, the issues surrounding the deaths of two people who are apparent strangers to each other are coming together with the odd little island community off Malin Head and directly across the North Atlantic from Greysbridge. There are so many things swirling in the waters between the locales that it becomes a bit wearing to keep track of them. And there are threads that get dropped...Harry Dubois vanishes early and reappears in Ben's thoughts and the investigation barely often enough to keep the name from requiring a bit of flipping to recall...but in the end, his presence and involvement are such worthwhile additions to the story that I'm inclined to be forgiving.

The problems I had with this read were mostly around the pace of the story. When Author Carter put all these pieces together, I think she underestimated how complex machinery needs time to spool up and find equilibrium. In this case, that meant a lot of scene-setting that wouldn't obviously pay off until later. The time we spend following Ben and Maeve around, then Ben and Tom around, is not badly spent. You won't necessarily think that as it happens, but I encourage you to sit with the situations you're seeing and let the slow accretion of facts do their work. Remember the way you learned to solve puzzles as a kid? One piece fits with another, then another after that, and finally there's a whole new pattern at the end. This story's about the best illustration of that truth as any I've read this year.

I don't know much about the Irish relationship to the UK's corner of it, or of Ireland's interest in Scottish independence, but they're clearly coming to a head as Brexit squashes the livelihoods of people too poor to matter to the Tories. And it's not really a surprise that the primary beneficiaries of the situation will be organized criminals, is it.

The actual solutions to all the crimes are plausible, and are just going to keep the local criminal classes thoroughly on the hop, so they're working to our advantage. While these books really can be read as stand-alones, since we're given more than enough information to follow along with who's who and what's what, I don't recommend it. I skipped (inadvertently) book two, Treacherous Strand, and after the spoilers for it in book three felt there was no need to or profit in my urge to go back. We have another year to wait for book five, The Body Falls, to come out.

Why does a year sound like such a long time....

Benedicta “Ben” O’Keefe, a lawyer in Glendora, Ireland, has been offered a position in the United States. Before committing to the offer she has to attend the wedding of her legal assistant Leah. The wedding is being held at the Greysbridge Hotel. Ben recently represented the owners in the purchase of the property and this is the first event to be booked there. Beside the families of the bride and groom, Leah also invited the other two guests staying at the hotel, a young American traveling through Ireland and a librarian who is researching the history of Greysbridge and the Grey family. Before the day is over the American has drowned off the property’s pier and the librarian is later found dead in his room.

Ben had been seeing Sgt. Mallory, but he was sent on an assignment and had not talked to her in months. Now he has shown up to investigate the deaths. The American’s death was suspicious but the librarian was definitely murdered, making everyone at the hotel a suspect. Andrea Carter provides a full slate of interesting characters whose actions are questionable and a location that adds to the suspense. The Grey family history is one of abuse and a questionable death and there are claims that the ghost of Louisa Grey walks the halls of the hotel. Mallory warns Ben not to get involved, but the librarian’s widow asks for her help and when Leah’s younger sister goes missing she has no choice. The Irish scenery, a solid mystery and well-developed characters make this a story that will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie. I would like to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing this book for my review.

The fourth of the Inishowen Mystery Series, Murder at Greybridge was read as a standalone novel. This time Ben (Benedicta) O'Keeffe attends her assistant’s wedding at Greybridge House which is said to be haunted. A young American visitor drowns, then another dead body is discovered. What connects them and how does it relate to the family tragedy a century ago? Then two teenagers disappear and a visit to a nearby island further complicates things. An enjoyable enough cosy country house murder mystery with a three-star read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

Murder at Greysbridge is the fourth book in the series. It can be a stand alone but is best read at the beginning of the series.

This is a nice mystery based in Ireland. The mystery is featured at a wedding where there are plenty of suspicious characters involved in the who done it.

Murder at Greysbridge by Andrea Carter
(Inishowen Mysteries #4)

This is the forth book in the Inishowen Mysteries series and now I have to wait for the next book to be published in the US. Ben and company always leave me wanting more because I've come to love Glendara, the area around it, and the people we've come to know through the first three books. Benedicta (Ben) O'Keeffe's solicitor office will be closed for most of a week, as her assistant is getting married. Ben will be attending the wedding, held at the newly renovated Greysbridge Hotel. New hotel owner, Ian Grey, is trying to make a go of the business after buying the hotel back, long after a relative lost it to gambling debts. The man who had it build, his long ago ancestor, Linus Grey, a powerful man with a seat in the House of Lords, was the subject of disturbing rumors and the hotel is also rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Louisa Grey, Linus's daughter, who died as a young woman.

But we know nothing is simple in the life of Ben. The wedding festivities are shattered by the drowning of a young guest of the hotel and then, another death of the only other non wedding related guest of the hotel. Ben was already very interested in the ugly rumors regarding shady Linus Grey and his daughter's mysterious death. Then there are the odd acting residents of the nearby island, attending the wedding on the side of the groom. Rumors follow this group too and they don't improve on the rumors by acting secretive and unfriendly. Oh, and Ben is pretty sure someone was in her room the first night she was at the hotel. And what about that blocked off passage that leads to an eyesore of a later addition to the hotel, an addition that is accessed by a horribly ugly bridge?

Ben and Sergeant Tom Molloy's shaky relationship continues to get a workout. These two are so bad at communicating with each other that they just need to get married and make their misery permanent...ha ha We have Ben sticking her nose where she's not wanted, as usual, Tom nagging her to stay out of official business, and other's asking for Ben's help in regards to what is going on. It's not her fault she seems to be in the thick of things! As usual, these stories are slow burn, lots of thinking and pondering and trying to figure out the mystery of the tangled web of clues and non clues. Each story leaves me hankering for the next one, as if the lives of the community continue on even after each book ends. I can't wait for book number five!

Thank you Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.