The O'Brien

A Ballysea Mystery

Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
198 Pages
Reviewed on 03/01/2017
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

The O'Brien (A Ballysea Mystery) by Frances Powell is a captivating sleuth mystery. After her life takes an unexpected turn, Catherine Murphy is rescued by two unexpected heroes. One is a larger than life Irish Wolfhound, and the other is Jeff, a lawyer, and her neighbor. Cat keeps the colossal dog and names him O'Brien, and Jeff becomes her closest friend. When Jeff inherits a cottage on the coast of Ireland, Cat, in the process of making a new life for herself, decides it is fate. She packs up her belongings and O'Brien and moves to Ireland, taking possession of the vacant cottage. While getting acquainted with the local villagers, Cat discovers that in the past few years two girls have mysteriously vanished. One of them was married to the eldest son of the Lord of the Manor. Cat is intrigued by the enigma of the missing lady and determines to solve the mystery. The mystery deepens when O'Brien uncovers some remains with questionable origins. Cat delves deeper into the lives of all those who live at the manor. Was one of them responsible for the lady's disappearance? Has the discovery endangered Cat and O'Brien?

The O'Brien (A Ballysea Mystery) by Frances Powell is an intriguing sleuth mystery. The Irish seacoast makes a fantastic backdrop for a murder mystery. The seaside village and surrounding shoreline are enchanting, and the villagers seem friendly and relatable. Cat and Jeff are interesting protagonists and great sleuths, but to me the star of the book was O'Brien. I fell head over heels in love with him. His understanding of a person's distress and his instincts for danger were uncanny. This is a fantastic mystery that has a surprising conclusion, and is a great read for those who are fans of cozy mysteries and great big friendly dogs!