I began this thinking it would be a cozy mystery, but it's much more than that. Well written, a little dark, suspenseful, and beautiful setting, and lots of twists. It's a first book in a series, so I may continue although I don't generally like series...hate waiting for them to be written and they tend to become predictable. But the characters and setting are interesting, so maybe. ( )

Jimmy O’Reilly is found dead at the base of cliff on the ocean shore in the small town of Dimple, Ireland. A syringe and vial of veterinary medicine was found next to the body. He is dressed in a suit and tie, with the tarot card of the devil tucked in a pocket and the words Last Dance spelled out in 69 black stones in the sand…O’Reilly was 69. Last Dance was one of his race horses who died 25 years earlier. Could the murder be related to something that happened 25 years ago?
The O’Reillys are influential in Dimple, being one of the richest families. O’Reilly’s widow “knows” who did it--veterinarian Eamon Wilde. The Wildes have been at odds with the O’Reillys for decades. However, Eamon is in the early stages of dementia. Could he really have done it?
Eamon’s daughter, Dimpna, also a veterinarian living in Dublin, has been having her own problems, mostly financial. When her clinic is closed down because she couldn’t pay the rent, she must return home, a place she hasn’t been in 27 years…for reasons that will emerge as you read the book. She is faced with a declining father to whom all evidence points as the murderer.
Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien is brought in from Killarney to investigate. As an outsider, it is hoped he is impartial and will not cave to the pressure exerted by the O’Reillys.
No Strangers Here is an easy read. O’Connor is known for her cozy mysteries. However, No Strangers here is midway between a cozy mystery and a hard-core police procedural. There is little to no violence, but the atmosphere is darker than you’d expect from a cozy. And it deals with animals, so what could be bad!
In the book, Dimpna comes across the quote “Forget everything you think you know.” As you read, that is an appropriate suggestion, as the book is full of twists and turns.
No Strangers Here has received several starred reviews. It is full of atmosphere, interesting characters, and an ending that I didn’t see coming. I will warn you that one might need to suspend belief just a little to be satisfied with the ending. However, that shouldn’t stop you from reading it. It’s the journey, not the destination that counts, right? It is suggested for fans of Louise Penny (who I have rad) and Dervla McTiernan and Lucy Foley (who I haven’t read). ( )

Did not read this book.

Tough book to review. Most of the time I felt I was reading a cozy mystery with characters I was supposed to be familiar with. Parts of the story are overly complex and parts of the book drag on, but the two main characters are both enjoyable and very well written.
There is a second book out and I will likely read it. ( )

Dr. Dimpna Wilde, a Veterinarian, has just lived through a horrendous year with the criminal charges against her husband and then his suicide. Now, it seems the horror is only going to continue because a murder has been committed in her small hometown of Dingle and her parents and brother are under serious suspicion. With nothing to hold her in Dublin, she sets out for Dingle to help put things right – if she can.

This is a complex, convoluted tale filled with twists and turns and more red herrings than you can shake a stick at. Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien has been sent from the Killarney station to handle this very high-profile murder in Dingle. The victim, Johnny O’Reilly, age sixty-nine, is a very rich and powerful racehorse owner who was found sitting propped up against a rock on the beach. He was wearing a designer suit and had a taro card showing the devil in his breast pocket – and nearby, on the ground, were sixty-nine shiny black stones spelling out Last Dance.

Cormac learns there is a long-running, complex enmity between the Wildes and the O’Reillys, and the evidence definitely points to the Wildes as the guilty party. However, something seems a bit ‘off’, just too perfect, for Cormac and though there is plenty of pressure from above, he doesn’t want to arrest someone he isn’t truly convinced is guilty. The more he learns of the two families, he wonders if perhaps he isn’t wrong – maybe one or more of the Wildes are guilty. Still, the daughter, Dempna, seems very straightforward, insightful, and honest. She’s sure it wasn’t her parents. If not them, who?

As Cormac tugs on thread after thread, some pull free and add nothing, while others lead him to new knowledge and more threads. How many threads will he be able to pull before he finds the guilty party – or the higher-ups take him off the case and declare their preferred guilty party?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. You’ll enjoy the characters of Dempna and Cormac and a few others, but you’ll be scratching your head and wondering how others are still allowed to live and breathe. It will be interesting to see, in future books, how Dempna and Cormac each manage to deal with an aging, infirm parent and perhaps form a romantic relationship. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, Some of Us Are Looking, releasing October 24, 2023. Also, as a sadly inept American, I must confess that I am sure I butchered the pronunciation of what I am sure are beautiful names – such as Saiorse. I most humbly apologize to anyone with that beautiful name and hope you’ll forgive me – even though the pronunciations were said only in my head. ( )