No Comfort for the Dead: An Irish Library Mystery
Historical International Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – 1988, West Cork, Ireland
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : February 11, 2025
Print length : 288 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8892420563
ASIN : B0D3YDWSZP
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 979-8892420570
ASIN : B0D3Z3VHLL
Audiobook
ASIN B0DP5JFTVJ
Audio CD
ISBN-13 : 979-8228489042
ASIN : B0DZ3XCY1B
After witnessing a murder, a small-town librarian is forced to act when the local police arrest the wrong man, perfect for fans of Dervla McTiernan and Carlene O’Connor.
1988, West Cork, Ireland. Emma Daly has returned to her home in Castlefreke, a small and peaceful village where everybody knows everybody. She has taken over the local library and is trying not to think about the scandal she left behind in the city. But when the richest man in the village is murdered and the main suspect is the mysterious son of a local family, her charming small-town life is turned upside down.
Emma knows for a fact that there is more to the story, and when the family asks her to investigate, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Teaming up with a stubborn widow, an elderly hypochondriac, and her high school sweetheart, it is up to Emma to solve the mystery before either the police or the murderer can stop her.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Emma Daly had a dream of rising through the ranks of the Garda, but an upsetting end of a romance and the following scandal ended any chance of her dream coming true. All the drama brings her home to Castlefreke, a small town in West Cork, where secrets are plenty, and everybody knows your name, and thinks they know everything about you. Emma takes on the job of managing the library, which has only survived through her endless efforts.
Then, the wealthiest man in Castlefreke is murdered, and the top suspect is a man who left town thirty years ago without a trace, shaking up the entire village, including Emma. She knows there was another person involved in the shootings. The only one who knows the truth is the suspect, and he’s in a coma. So, when the accused’s family asks her to investigate, she teams up with her high school boyfriend and a couple of unlikely residents of Castlefreke to throw the book at the killer.
We settle into 1988 with Emma. No cell phone, no quick internet searches, investigating a murder takes legwork, observation, and creative questioning. Her legs take her to Nolan’s Pub, where information is served up with a pint or two. Emma is a strong, intelligent woman. She was the first to arrive on the scene, and she knows what she saw, even though the police don’t believe her. Determined to prove them wrong, she channels her inner Sherlock Holmes. Through her investigation, we travel the town, meeting the residents of Castlefreke. They are a large eclectic group. I used the highlighting feature on my Kindle Paperwhite to keep everyone and their connections straught until I became comfortable with the vast cast of characters. The author does a good job of making each character unique. For being a debut novel, I was surprised by the depth he built for his characters. While I enjoyed the character development, some of the stories and flashbacks bogged down the flow of the book.
The murder mystery is complicated. There is much more going on than the death of an elderly man. Emma digs in hard to get to the truth. With the help of a woman who is basically overlooked and unliked, Emma finds a huge twist to the mystery. It opens up a door to years-long unknown corruption. Another murder shakes Emma’s resolve, but she couldn’t give up. She and her cohorts had talked to many people. They had researched and uncovered evidence. Soon, all the clues fell into place, and the true villain was confronted. It was a pleasure to see them and others involved taken down.
No Comfort for the Dead is a strongly character-driven, complex whodunit, set in a small town coming to terms with the realities of their village’s dwindling economy and younger people leaving as soon as they are able. The book blends scores of social commentary with the mystery to be solved. Emma is a relatable protagonist who cares greatly for her community. I am intrigued to see what Mr. O’Donnell has planned for Emma and the people of Castlefreke, as there are some threads left hanging.
*Book contains explicit language.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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