Book 2 carries on the life and times of Ben O’Keefe, village solicitor in a Northern Ireland hamlet. The story was one of those convoluted mysteries that fall all over themselves with twists and side stories. The narrative structure was often so demanding of the reader’s attention that it was hard to stay engaged and lose oneself in the main plot.

Ben is a well-drawn protagonist but she is written here as a less accomplished professional, considering her blundering around asking unwelcome questions at the most inappropriate moments. The supporting action was carried by two-dimensional characters with little sense of the way they connected to the mystery, a minor flaw carried over from the first installment. The French doomsday cult felt very contrived as a plot device and perhaps a tad too stereotyped. Andrea Carter’s first book in the series proceeded with fewer flaws and less tedium compared to book 2, so I suggest readers give her Inishowen mysteries a chance to develop in the cozy genre. ( )

This is the second book in the "Inishowen Mystery " series. I was lucky to stumble upon the first in the series in my local bookstore. It seems that the series is just beginning to become popular in North America, and after reading the second in the series, I ordered 2 more in the series from BlackWell Books in the UK.

Ben( Benedicta) O'Keefe is a solicitor in the small Irish town of Glendara. One morning while driving, she happens upon a police incident. She recognizes Sargent Tom Molloy and stops to see what has happened. The body of a woman has washed up. Initially the death is thought to be a suicide, but as Ben investigates further, she discovers that the victim once belonged to a French Doomsday cult. A fascinating mystery, with plenty of potential suspects , and very atmospheric.

4 stars ( )

4.5 starsBenedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe is the UK’s northern most solicitor, practicing on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal.

For me, Glendara came across as contrary. It’s cliquish, but not to an extreme. Charming, but isolated, a study in contrasts which made it more interesting.

Ben carries guilt like Atlas carries the World. She drinks too much and in TREACHEROUS STRAND she becomes a tad obsessed with proving her French yoga teacher, Marguerite Etienne, didn’t kill herself. Ben is trying to atone, in her mind at least, for having brushed Marguerite off the afternoon prior to her death. She doesn’t need guilt about another death on her conscience.

TREACHEROUS STRAND is layered, the characters, locale, and the mystery. There was more of the solution that eluded me than I was able to solve; always a big plus for me. Another big plus is Ben herself. She drinks too much, blames herself too much, and carries more than she should, but I like her and enjoyed the time spent with her in County Donegal.

The characters and the Inishowen Peninsula drive and define this mystery. The location left me felling a little unsettled at times, but that only speaks to how atmospheric it is. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Ben in Glendara and wherever her "investigations" take her. ( )

I picked up this book out of curiosity as the setting is taking place in County Donegal, Ireland and I have not read anything so far from there. The book I found via library was large print edition. I haven't read the first part of the series yet, but now I am looking forward. The Treacherous Strand has been published on 2017 and I am surprised it has only 21 reviews and 114 ratings on Goodreads! Why people aren't reading this book, haven't picked it? It's an interesting detective and mostly have got 4 starred reviews. The overall read was interesting as it gave small Irish culture descriptions here and there, it is a fast read and I postponed everything else to later that day ^^

Treacherous Strand is about a French woman death at the coast of Inishowen, in Norh West county of Ireland. In plot the action mostly takes place in even smaller village Malin, and occasionally taking trips to Letterkenny, a regional centre. The main character, Ben, is a local solicitor and French lady was her client, yet to become one from previous night's visit to suddenly halt a will. But as the client was late and it was past the working hours Ben sort of didn't gave much effort and postponed it to later... How often have we had similar situations where we find rushing and not paying attention to something and later finding ourselves a little bit guilty? If you can relate to this, you know why Ben is feeling guilty and unsettled getting to know who's died...and what's more unsettling seems the fact that everyone, including, Garda (police) believes there's nothing more than the suicide. However, Ben feels she wants to know more and is genuinely curious as to what happened and who Marguerite was, what villagers thought of her and did she had any friends... Ben remembers she has once attended a yoga class but that's it, nothing more.

The plot goes into depth of small village life, drawing out "lifestyle" and "who knows whom" setting, creating Marguerite's personality and personal life from fragments and complex the whole picture of her. Her past as being a member of religious cult only stress the mystery and a reader gets to know more about it as well as those who have escaped, often face traumatized experience to life and adapt to change. The finale and finding who did the murder was unexpected, as well as rushed a little bit.

Not only we learn more about the victim and her family, but also about Ben and she has a strong, leading persoanlity who aches to be loved and be into a relationship, so there is a pinch of romance attached to the plot. I am looking forward to read the first and the third book in the series. ( )