A nice start to a new series that's more than a cozy. Dimpna, a recent widow, hasn't been home to Dingle in 27 years for a range of reasons but she's back now to help her father in his vet practice-he's struggling with dementia, Unfortunately, she arrives to find the financial situation is worse than she knew and there's a murder that will hang over her family until it's solved. Jimmy owned race horses and someone's killed him and staged the body in a very dramatic way. DI Cormac O'Brian is leading the investigation which feels like it's focused on her so she sets out to find answers. Dimpna's also worried about her son, who has more or less disappeared, her mother (who had ties to Jimmy), and she's got to heal animals. This has small village life, high end horses, regular animals, and a family coping with big changes- all of which elevated it past what I expected. And the mystery is good too. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

No Strangers Here
Carlene O’Connor
October 25, 2022

On the beach of Dingle Island, southwest of Ireland, Detective Cormac O’Brien stands next to the body of Johnny O’Reilly, the wealthy race horse owner. Next to the corpse was written in black stones, Last Dance. Was this a clue to the assailant or a memoir of O’Reilly? The folks in downtown Dingle spread the news like wildfire. In Johnny’s pocket was placed the Tarot Card of a grinning devil while alongside of him lay a vial of Release, a veterinarian’s medication used to put animals to sleep. The call to the Dingle Garda station was made by fisherman, Finbar Malone who had stopped by the beach to have a smoke enroute to his wife. Although it appeared he was the first to find the body, thirteen year old Saoirse Griffin had spotted the dead man before he arrived. She’d left home to find her own way to recognize her birthday as her mum elected to ignore requests for celebration.
O’Connor’s latest Irish suspense is quite a tale of the O’Reilly and Wilde clans. Their history goes way back and from the looks of it they will continue to spar in the future. No Strangers Here will be released on October 25, 2022 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review O’Connor’s latest Celtic mystery via NetGalley. She spins the riddle of her suspense into a Gaelic rhyme amongst her characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to have more in an O'Reilly/Wilde series.

An entertaining mystery set in Ireland. This book has a lot happening—murders, past loves, crimes, illness, dementia, and so on. Unfortunately, I found the characters a bit flat and stereotypical and that the story was too sensational. If you are after a quick and entertaining read, this is the book for you. It is a bit like a telemovie or miniseries. Many people will love it but unfortunately not what I was looking for in a crime novel. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

No Strangers Here is a wonderful start to a new series.

The book was beautifully written and the characters were so well defined and all add to the story.

There is murder, secrets and twists and turns that keep you guessing.

When Johnny O'Reilly is found dead on the beach it is obviously a very personal murder.

We are introduced to DI Cormac O'Brien who certainly has his hands full since everyone knows everyone he has much to figure out.

Dr Dimpa Wilde has returned to Dingle ( loved the setting) after 27 years and finds her own family at are the top of the list of suspects.

No Strangers Here was a satisfying read that kept the pages turning and I will be first in line for Book 2 of the series. Can't wait.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a compelling read and a new series to look forward to following.

Being a fan of Carlene O’Connor’s previous Irish Village Murder series… I was excited to read another book from her! This book really transported me to Dingle, Ireland. I really enjoyed this read - definitely more darker crime mystery. There were plenty of twists and plots in the story with a surprising end! I look forward to reading more from this series. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A new series from a top notch mystery writer.
Vividly transports you to Ireland for a really well written whodunit.
I look forward to further books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This was ok. Not the most suspenseful or fast moving but ok. I liked the location, the depth of the veterinarian detail but the mystery was a bit underwhelming and the ending felt rushed.

I love the Irish Village Mystery series by the author, and was excited to read No Strangers Here. This is not a cozy mystery, but a story with more depth and themes that are more on the heavier side. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The setting of Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland was at times dreary and added to the mystery and darkness of the story. Dingle is a close knit community that isn't always welcoming to newcomers, and can definitely hold grudges.

There were so many twists, and lots of secrets. The idea of protection of family in many different forms was central, and how far we go to protect. When Johnny O'Reilly is found dead on the beach, it is obvious that the murder was personal, but who was the killer? Once the investigation starts, it looks like someone from a local family may have committed the crime. Dr. Dimpna Wilde comes home to Dingle after being gone for 27 years. Is it possible that someone from her family could have killed Johnny? As the investigation continues, the past is brought to light and many deeply held secrets are revealed.

I am excited to read more in this series. Thank you to the author, Kensington, and NetGalley for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐

Being a wealthy and renowned resident of Dingle, Johnny O'Reilly's death (murder?!) causes quite a stir within the tiny coastal Irish town. There's plenty of details around the scene to point to murder as out-of-towner Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien begins his investigation into the possible crime. Dimpna, who hasn't returned home to Dingle in 27 years for various reasons, ventures back home when her parents and brother quickly rise to the prime suspects in this case. All is certainly not as she left things; mainly, her father's vet clinic which is barely staying afloat amid his rapid deterioration into dementia. As the story starts to hit it's stride, and you meet and become acquainted with many of Dingle's residents, it seems as though everyone is harboring their own secrets, many deeply rooted in the past... The question is who's secrets might have led to or played a hand in Johnny O'Reilly's death?

This was the first book I've ever read by Carlene O'Connor. I was immediately intrigued by the murder mystery premise as well as the setting being in Dingle, Ireland. I'll admit when I first started reading, I had some doubts that I was going to get into this book. However, within a few chapters, I could feel my interest building as I got to know the characters and Dingle. O'Connor does a fantastic job of describing Dingle and an even better job of creating a whole cast of multilayered characters and weaving the mystery and story together. It was refreshing to read a book that didn't continually flip back and forth between present day and past, as so many novels tend to do now. I felt like the book was perfectly paced when adding just the right amount of details and information to pique your interest and keep you guessing until the end.

*Thank you to Net Galley, Kensington Books and Carlene O'Connor for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
*No Strangers Here will be released on October 25, 2022.

No Stranger Here is the first in the County Kerry Mystery. All of the characters are very important in telling the story.. The main character is Dr. Dimpna Wilde who lives in Dublin. She is a veterinarian who has not been home in 27 years., She has a son, Ben. Her husband, Niall Flor was in an investment scheme that went bad and he committed suicide. She is now a widow.

The story opens with a 13 year old girl, Saoirse Griffith who was angry because she was not able to celebrate her birthday.. She goes down to the harbor and boards the boat, Dreamscape. She hides.

A man named Johnny O'Reilly was found dead on the beach at the base of a cliff. Next to his body was the words LAST DANCE using 69 black shiny stones. There is a tarot card in his pocket. A vital and syringe with a label saying RELEASE. It is an euthanasia medication used y veterinarians. Johnny is a 69 year old wealthy racehorse owner. He was known for dancing and woman. He is married to Roisin O'Reilly. A fisherman, Finbar Malone found the body..

Ruby is a racehorse who was a first million pound purse winner. She gave birth to Last Dance who died in a road accident before he ever raced 25 years ago.

Inspector Cormac O'Brian is the new to the office. D.S. Neely are on the scene. They notice small footprints going up from the beach as well as a piece of black fabric caught on the rock. He summarizes that he thinks that came ashore by a life raft carrying a body bag. The killer dragged the bag up this rocky finger. The bag ripped. He think s while the killer was dealing with the tarp a young stowaway swam to shore. D.S. Neely gets a phone call that Release was reported stolen 2 weeks ago by a veterinarian clinic which belonged to Eamon Wilde whose wife, Maeve had been dancing with Johnny the night before. D.S. Neely thinks it is suicide. She suggests that she tell the family. As she does so the O'Reilly family arrives at the beach. Cormac finds the widow cold and calculating. Demands to see the body but denied.

The Garda come to Dimpna's office with an eviction notice. She has 72 hours to get out. she is able to sell her practice and have all her staff stay. She gets a phone call from Paul Byrne telling her that Johnny O'Reilly is dead., murdered. He gives her the details of the scene, etc. He tells her that her parents are both suspects.
He also tells her that there are rumors that her father has dementia. Also there is talk that Johnny and her mother were having an affair.. She packs up her bus and her animals and goes back home.

The guard tells Cormac that Eamon and Maeve are an unconventional family. She lives in a caravan on the property in the summer and he in an apartment above the clinic. They have grown children, Donnecha win the summer works as a caretaker for one of the O'Reilly's yachts at the harbor and a daughter who is a vet. Comac goes to the harbor to speak to Donnecha He finds him on the yacht cleaning the boat. All evidence if any has been cleaned away.. He asks who operated the boat last night. Donnecha tells him that O'Reilly reserved it for a friend and told him to leave by noon. He was texted by Tommy Healy. He also told Cormac that there were kid size prints on the boat. The utility closet had the cleaning things pushed back. He also takes him to the bow to show him where there were faint lines about 2 feet long. Also that the rowboat was not tied up as he remembered. Cormac tells him that the boat is a crime scene as Johnny O'Reilly has been killed.

Cormac goes to speak to the Wilde's about the bottles and tarot card, etc. He also finds Roison and Sean O'Reilly there demanding that he arrest Eamon and Maeve for her husband's murder.

Dimpna arrives to find the clinic in complete disarray. Animals are all around and the yard is a ;mess. Sheila, a vet tech who works for her father is outside clinic. Says that Eamon had threw a book and hit her with it. Dimpra goes into the clinic and finds her father confused. He talks him out of the clinic and is taken by ambulance to the hospital. That evening while cleaning up the yard she sees someone across the street. She throws the bag of poop and struck him. He leaves. Before going into the clinic she finds a necklace with the name of Aisling on it. Aisling is Sean's daughter., Dimpna decides she will stay in the apartment over the clinic. She is going through her father's desk when she finds a folder saying :Last Dance. She opens it and finds articles about his death and a picture of the scene. Dimpna was accused of killing the horse.

Saoirse Griffin has been missing. Dimpna help find her. She is found but scared. Keeps saying "I'll never tell." On her back pack was the wording You Tell, You Die.

Dimpna goes to the hospital and finds her father sitting up in bed. Her mother is with him. The doctor has diagnosed him as early dementia. Her mother is taking him home to their home in the town.

Dimpna has asked Niamh to come to the office. She was the former house manager. She kept a journal of the goings on in the clinic. She goes over the calendar and tells her that on the day she had a dentist appointment her father told her to cancel his patients. He seemed to be waiting for someone. When she got back she ran into Johnny as he came out of the clinic. Found her father crying. Her father had been one of the vets who worked for Johnny for years.

While talking to Niamh Mr. and Mrs. Collins with a cat dying comes in and asks for help. Dimpna is not sure she can but she does. Niamh tells Dimpna that she should keep the clinic open. She thinks she should try. Mr. Collins rents the auto shop across the road from the O'Reillly's. He offers it to her for extra space if she will clean it up, etc. as thanks for saving their cat.

A man comes into the clinic and tells Dimpna that his donkey is stuck in barbwire. Could she come and help. She goes and finds that the donkey in distress, She asks if they have a herding dog. He doesn't but his neighbor does. They get the dog and eventually gets the donkey into the bard and free of the wire. Dimpna takes the dog back and realizes it is Finbar. He says the dog isn't his, just showed up. He is digging hole in the ground The dog goes and starts digging. Brings back a mobile phone. Finbar told the police he did not own a phone. He doesn't want the dog so Dimpna takes the dog with her..

Niamh helps her get the clinic up and running. They hire another vet just out of school, Patrick Kelly. They also hired a work crew to haul the junk away from the building across the street.. When she comes back to the clinic she sees LIAR painted on her bus. A postcard in the wiper says HE KNOWS. She calls Cormac and Neely come out to check everything..

As they are closing Helen O'Reilly and Aisling come into the clinic with their puppy who needs his shot. Dimpna gives Aisling the necklace she found but realizes they did not recognize it. Apologized saying thought you lost it. She takes the puppy and Aisling into a room. When in the room Aisling asks her about lying. Tells her that dogs are good listeners. Aisling tell her about what she is concerned about. Helen tells Dimpna that Sean would like to talk to her. He is a different man than he was in his youth.

Dimpna gets a call from Paul telling her that Sheila and Donnecha are going to be there. Could she come. She goes and is surprised when they tell her that Ben had come to Dingle and was there for 8 months. That he was on the boat the night before Johnny was found dead. They give her the two letters that her husband had left. One for her and one for Ben. In Ben's letter he tells Ben who his father is, etc., Dimpna is shocked to hear about Ben and the fact that her secret she had been keeping that Sean had raped her was no longer a secret. She leaves upset. She calls Ben by video and speaks to him. Ben is angry at her for not telling him the truth. She does not believe that Ben killed Johnny.

Dimpna gets a call from Tommy Healy that one of their mares is having problems delivering a foal. She and Patrick go and when arriving Tommy is surprised to see the other vet. She wonders if Tommy had other motives. It is a difficult delivery but the colt is born. Tommy is trying to tell her that he is not who she thinks he is and that she is in danger. He mouths Ben. Aisleiy arrives in time to see the colt born. Her father finds her there and takes her back to the house. He tells Dimpna that he would like to talk to her and could she come to the house after they clean up. Both vets take showers at the barn. When she gets out of the shower she finds Tommy dead on the floor. Next to him is the purple vital, The monster. She gets dressed and then calls for help. She finds Roisen and Cormac at the entrance to the barn. Dimpna tells them that Tommy is dead poisoned.

There is so much that I was not able to relay in the story. The reader is taken on an exciting adventure of whodunit and the reasons why Johnny was killed. The story has a happy ending for the Wilde family.

I loved this book. I look forward to the second book to see where the story goes.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.

This Irish girl’s heart was happy to get her hands on this one! I’d heard great things about this author and her cozy mystery series set in Ireland and couldn’t wait to discover it for myself. This is book one of her new darker crime mystery series set in County Kerry.

What’s not to love? County Kerry, horses, veterinarians, murder to solve, the fighting Irish, and a great book stuffed full of Irish expressions. I’ve been to Dingle and seen Fungie, enjoyed the music scene and savored their famous seafood chowder, so the charming and vibrant village setting was one I fell right into. Being born in the North of Ireland, I know about the foreboding atmosphere of the land and, for those who haven’t been there, O’Connor brings the setting to life for readers.

O’Connor has a full cast of characters, but I sympathized with Dr. Dimpna Wilde. She’s the widowed veterinarian whose return home to Dingle is two-fold: clearing her family’s name and helping her ailing father with his practice. I felt for her leaving heartbreak and financial troubles in Dublin only to come to Dingle to fix something beyond her control, and, in the process, face her past being put under a magnifying glass. She’s got lots of baggage to unpack; some of it physical but most of it mental and emotional. O’Connor maintains credibility with her new amateur sleuth; she has a personal and compelling reason to get involved in the mystery and exemplifies the strong Irish pull of family obligation. Her return to Dingle gives the author a foot in the door to introducing the villagers and their backstories.

Focused on coming to terms with life, death, family dynamics and secrets, this book is a great mystery and police procedural with plenty of red herrings and suspense. It would make a great mini-series for TV. I’m already looking forward to book 2, Some Of Us Are Looking.

I was gifted this advance copy by Kensington Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The first book (I hope) in a new series by Carlene O’Connor is a knockout. She had a previous cozy series also set in Ireland, but this one is so steeped in setting and character, she’s pushed her writing to another level. Set in tiny Dingle in County Kerry, the book opens with the suicide – or murder – of one of the town’s leading citizens, a wealthy racehorse owner named Johnny O’Reilly. His body is found on the beach and next to it, spelled out in shiny black stones, are the words “Last Dance.” This could refer to many things but all the locals are familiar with his spectacular horse, Last Dance, who was killed shortly before he could run his first big race.

The inspector called in from Dublin to take on the case is not a local – and while this gives him some perspective, it also places him at a disadvantage, as there are many details of local connections and long held attitudes that he is not familiar with. He’s the perfect insider/outsider, a mystery staple. Cormac, the inspector, is sure of one thing, however: he’s looking at a murder, not a suicide.

Into this situation comes the chaos of the Wilde family – Dimpna Wilde, a vet practicing in Dublin, hasn’t been home in years, but when her clinic is shut down because of debts left by her dead (and infamous) husband, she heads back to Dingle, where she has a mountain of baggage to clear away. Part of this baggage is her father: he is a vet but he has dementia and it’s begun to affect his practice. Her mother appeared to have had a romance with the dead man, and her son, Ben, has never been to Dingle. She’s kept him away for a reason.

When it turns out her father’s clinic is in crisis and she – and her dogs – need somewhere to stay, it seems natural that she move in and take over. Her veterinary skills are a part of the book and a part of her character, and O’Connor uses various animal situations to both advance her story and to deepen Dimpna’s character. They are memorable and make Dimpna both special and specific.

Dimpna’s trauma, based in her past, takes most of the book to unravel and the interlocking fates of the O’Reilly and Wilde families take center stage, as does the investigation into O’Reilly’s death. This is both a procedural investigation novel, with a wonderful and very human inspector at the helm, as well as a deep character study of Dimpna and a 360 degree view of the community of Dingle, warts and all.

There is beautiful writing here, and the characters are rich and complicated, as is the well told story behind the murder of Johnny O’Reilly. The setting of Dingle itself is also lovely and adds to the atmosphere of the novel. The mystery part of the book was well set up and beautifully resolved. I loved the characters – especially Dimpna - and I cannot wait for another book in what I hope will be a very long lived series.

I was expecting a little better. Somewhat interesting, but i don't think the police did a very good job investigating and if I have to hear one more time how short the vet is...ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is a very well written mystery, set in the beautiful Irish setting of County Kerry. Filed with descriptive passages, interesting characters and a huge cast of animals. When the body of a wealthy, local man is found on a beach, police discover a large list of suspects, from the local vet, his wife and his son. Is this a personal vendetta against the family, or are they guilty? The story went back and forward through a period of 27 years and there were plenty red herrings along the way. I enjoyed this read and hope it is the start of a new series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I am a fan of anything Irish, including Irish authors and books set in Ireland. I have read a few of Carlene O'Connor's books in the An Irish Village Mystery and loved them. I was offered a copy of No Strangers Here, the first in a new series by Carlene O'Connor. Jumped right on that offer. Glad I did too!

The story starts off right out of the chute with a murdered man, Johnny O'Reilly, found on the beach with his suit and dancing shoes on. The O'Reilly's are a prominent horse racing family in Dingle, Ireland. Of course, there is a lot of speculation as to who did it and why he was killed. This is a family with lots of secrets and enemies. It is up to the garda to determine what happened. Enter Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien from Killarney is sent in to investigate.

Dr.Dimpna Wilde, a vet who has come home to Dingle, where she worked in Dublin has not worked out and she has found out that her father, the local vet, is suffering from dementia and as it gets worse, she feels that her place is at home helping her father. Her brother is nowhere to be found so it is up to her to clear her family of any suspicion in the murder of Johnny.

Out of the list of suspects, there are rumors of jealousy, theft, and greed and it is up to the detective inspector and Dimpna to uncover the clues that lead them into something deeper than they had thought.

Knowing this author's work, the suspense was expected. Just when you think you know who the killer was, more clues send you in another direction and have the reader trying to figure out the who and why. This is a well-written story that will be sure to please fans of Carlene O'Connor. I know that I am a fan and eagerly await the next in the series. In the meantime, I will catch up on the books in other series that I missed.

I give it 5 stars

The first book in a new series by Carlene O’Connor, I was instantly drawn in due to its setting in beautiful Dingle, Ireland. Dr. Dimpna Wilde, a veterinarian, needs to return to Dingle after a 27 year absence when a murder investigation there has her parents and brother in it’s sights as suspects. A bit chaotic at times with a lot of characters, but overall an enjoyable mystery with a number of layers to it, from past traumas, a child with an alcoholic parent, dementia, and hidden stories and lies. The ending sets the next book up for some romance, I’ll look forward to returning to Dingle.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advance copy.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC copy of "No Strangers Here". This is a review of the complete book and I say that because I had been sent a sample by the author which was just the first 6 chapters a few months back. and had left a review of that sample on Goodreads. This is a new series with new characters for Carlene O'Connor. I am a fan of her other series but this series may become my favorite. Carlene has written a multi-layer story which I love. If you are a fan of Louise Penny you will love this series. The story for the most part takes place in Dingle Ireland and that is one of my favorite places. Carlene is true with her descriptions of the area which I love too. I can't wait for more of this wonderful new series.

I received an ARC of, No Strangers Here, by Carlene O'Connor. Dimpna's life is not really working out for her, she goes back home to, Dingle, to save her family name. Can Dimpna solve the murder?

This is a new series by the author set in Ireland and focuses on newly widowed veterinarian who must return to her hometown to help prove that her family was not involved in the murder of the wealthiest man of the town. There are twists and turns as the darkness in each of the characters' lives is revealed. Dimpna, the female vet, faces her own demons as she struggles in telling the truth to her son and also must deal with a father facing dementia. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Carlene O'Connor and I sincerely hope that 'No Strangers Here' is the start of a new series for her. Dr. Dimpna Wilde comes home to Dingle, Ireland to help her veterinarian father who is suffering from dementia and is potentially a suspect in the murder of a very prominent member of the community. The p[lot is multilayered, with twists and turns that are fantastic. I could rhapsodize incessantly about how much I like this, but I will just recommend it highly to anyone who would enjoy a deep look into life in an Irish community.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.