This a cracking good yarn. Plenty of mystery. Plenty of secrets.

Dimpna Wilde left Dingle 27 years ago. After she was raped and after the racehorse in her care was killed in a traffic accident.

She has established a career as a renowned vet despite her diminutive size. But her husband committed suicide a year ago and really she has nowhere to go but Dingle where she has family.

She arrives in time to hear of the murder Johnny O'Reilly, wealthy race horse owner, and to witness the arrival of Cormac O'Brien, Detective. Cormac will be challenged as he tries to crack the secrets of the town.

There is a lot for the reader to get up to speed on, and Dimpna becomes our eyes and ears, as we delve into the past and the present.

I'm impressed enough by this book to be looking for the next in the series SOME OF US ARE LOOKING. ( )

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. ( )