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Torrey Tunet #3
The Irish Cairn Murder
Murder-Irish Style...
It is mid-October and unexpectedly cold in Ballynagh, the small Irish village that Torrey Tunet, the young American translator and sometime amateur sleuth, calls home. She has just built a fire of peat and coal to warm her cottage when a window frame collapses, letting in drafts of icy air. Asking around for the services of a carpenter, she hires local teenager Dakin Cameron to do a few repairs.
Dakin is an unusually helpful and likable young man with something on his mind. When he receives a threatening phone call at the cottage, Torrey resolves to try to help him. It seems that Dakin is the son of Natalie Sylvester Cameron, a beautiful heiress whose husband died tragically two years before. Dakin is distressed because someone is trying to blackmail Natalie-and even more distressed when the blackmail attempts lead to a case of murder. Determined to uncover the truth no matter what the cost-including the ongoing enmity of the local police inspector-Torrey Tunet must call upon all of her wits and courage to find a cunning killer at large...
It is mid-October and unexpectedly cold in Ballynagh, the small Irish village that Torrey Tunet, the young American translator and sometime amateur sleuth, calls home. She has just built a fire of peat and coal to warm her cottage when a window frame collapses, letting in drafts of icy air. Asking around for the services of a carpenter, she hires local teenager Dakin Cameron to do a few repairs.
Dakin is an unusually helpful and likable young man with something on his mind. When he receives a threatening phone call at the cottage, Torrey resolves to try to help him. It seems that Dakin is the son of Natalie Sylvester Cameron, a beautiful heiress whose husband died tragically two years before. Dakin is distressed because someone is trying to blackmail Natalie-and even more distressed when the blackmail attempts lead to a case of murder. Determined to uncover the truth no matter what the cost-including the ongoing enmity of the local police inspector-Torrey Tunet must call upon all of her wits and courage to find a cunning killer at large...
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 3, 2002
10 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Dicey Deere
7 books14 followersDicey Deere (1916-2015) was the nom de plume of Harriet (Adler) La Barre.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 2, 2012
I randomly found this book on a library shelf when the word "Irish" in the title caught my eye. Having recently enjoyed an Irish vacation, I thought this book would be a fun way to "revisit" Ireland. The book didn't jump out and grab me right away, but I enjoyed its many plot twists, and as it neared the end, I was anxious to finish the story as the "who done it" part was the most exciting portion of the book. The only things I found disappointing ab out the book are that it seemed to lack a little depth and that the hero seems to get lucky as often as she deduces anything from piecing facts together. One of the biggest compliments I can give this book is that I enjoyed it enough to want to read the other books in this series (this was the third one in the series, but the first one I read).
August 6, 2019
It's always a pleasure to relax with a well-written cozy mystery. The author, DICEY DEERE, is new to me, a happy discovery at a recent book sale. The word "Irish" in the title made me buy the book. The murder mystery is interesting enough, but the atmosphere and the characters in the small Irish village made it more appealing.
September 13, 2017
Enjoyable read; good mystery.
November 8, 2018
Pretty quick read. Still don't care for the main character.
February 23, 2019
Decent mystery with some twist and turns set in Ireland.
July 21, 2021
Cute, cozy mystery.
December 26, 2022
Cute and cozy mystery set in an Irish village. Interesting protagonist and characters.
February 10, 2014
Dicey Deere has a lovely setting for a cottage series and she illuminates local flavour, families, and diverse personalities exceedingly well. I was drawn to the series as a descendant of Ireland and also because I’m a multi language-speaker myself. Here is a talent and career option, though not one I’ve encountered, to which I could relate. I liked this novel best but am stopping. Every person is unsettled by certain images or habits and this author sets off mine.
I dislike the protagonist and didn’t find her presence in most situations likely or plausible. I say the same of the poet and her publisher. If we put that aside and consider how sharply she deciphers details and isolates truth; the attitude of the police is stupid. It’s a cliché in fiction to resent outside information or assistance. A small town staff regularly answering to Scotland Yard about their progress, would be grateful for leads and volunteered legwork, in manners not jeopardizing ‘Torrey’ safety. Short of blowing an officer’s cover, involving weapons, or chasing a suspect; the police’s reaction to her tips is nonsensical. Unlike many literary sleuths, she brings them to the officers right away.
The notion of rivalry with the chief is lame. Why resent aid? The on-going reference to being a childhood thief is also a stretch. She found a stash of money once when babysitting and the owner got in trouble for tax fraud. That’s the extent of a criminal history, other than clearing herself of blame at the castle in the first novel. This mystery was exceptionally well-layered and uncovered in a methodical manner that could jive. I like that this series oughtn’t pass as a ‘cozy’ and that the subjects are cruder than the covers imply. Additionally I enjoyed all of the other townspeople.
I dislike the protagonist and didn’t find her presence in most situations likely or plausible. I say the same of the poet and her publisher. If we put that aside and consider how sharply she deciphers details and isolates truth; the attitude of the police is stupid. It’s a cliché in fiction to resent outside information or assistance. A small town staff regularly answering to Scotland Yard about their progress, would be grateful for leads and volunteered legwork, in manners not jeopardizing ‘Torrey’ safety. Short of blowing an officer’s cover, involving weapons, or chasing a suspect; the police’s reaction to her tips is nonsensical. Unlike many literary sleuths, she brings them to the officers right away.
The notion of rivalry with the chief is lame. Why resent aid? The on-going reference to being a childhood thief is also a stretch. She found a stash of money once when babysitting and the owner got in trouble for tax fraud. That’s the extent of a criminal history, other than clearing herself of blame at the castle in the first novel. This mystery was exceptionally well-layered and uncovered in a methodical manner that could jive. I like that this series oughtn’t pass as a ‘cozy’ and that the subjects are cruder than the covers imply. Additionally I enjoyed all of the other townspeople.
February 17, 2010
This book was like a cross between and cozy and Agatha Christie. Tory is an interpreter, but is a busybody type amateur detective who embarrass the local police with her cleverness. There are some quite amusing characters, including Captain O'Hare of the police. Although a fair and honest man, he resents Tory upstaging him. He is not mean about it though, and his thoughts are actually quite humorous. Torrey also has two female neighbors who are very entertaining, one of whom remarks on house trouble seems to follow Torrey in several different ways and at different times during the book.
She has a small love interest who plays a minor role in the book; however he is intelligent and smart and suits her very nicely. It has some nice twists and turns akin to the Christie style, although not with Christie's depth. It was a fairly fast read, although slow in spots and choppy in others. It was still not one of those books that I obsessed over. I could put it down without the urgent or even semi-urgent feeling of having to pick it back up again. But it was good enough for me to finish, and the ending was interesting. As I arrived at the last few chapters it was late evening, and although sleepy, I did have to finish it out at that point.
I finished feeling mostly satisfied with the end and the book as a whole.
She has a small love interest who plays a minor role in the book; however he is intelligent and smart and suits her very nicely. It has some nice twists and turns akin to the Christie style, although not with Christie's depth. It was a fairly fast read, although slow in spots and choppy in others. It was still not one of those books that I obsessed over. I could put it down without the urgent or even semi-urgent feeling of having to pick it back up again. But it was good enough for me to finish, and the ending was interesting. As I arrived at the last few chapters it was late evening, and although sleepy, I did have to finish it out at that point.
I finished feeling mostly satisfied with the end and the book as a whole.
July 25, 2011
Not one of her best, but still a good read. The story was good, but seems to get wordy towards the end. She goes back and reevaluates what has happened in the plot to sum up the ending and it gets alittle monotonous. She could speed up at the end to get to the "who done it" part. The regular characters I love, but the players in this one where not that developed. One more left in the series and I will finish it.
March 1, 2013
I'm sad that Dicey Deere only wrote 4 Torrey Tunnet books. I love her character. She's a linguist and that's always a part of the story. The characters are well developed and integral to each story line.I love the town of Ballynagh inIreland. Great mysteries.
May 8, 2013
I liked it kept me going to the point I had to walk away a few time because it was so good and all I wanted to do was read it when I had other things I need to get done. Dicey Deere is an amazing author just keeps me going like crazy wanting more.
June 20, 2011
interesting characters and good mystery.
May 8, 2013
I must say was interesting to find out who really did it considering I would have never guess who the killer was but I kept guessing and when I found out I was completely wrong.
July 18, 2013
Can't decide if I like the sleuth, despite her fab name
August 14, 2014
Enjoyed it.
May 26, 2015
Reading out of order, but I will be reading the others in this series. I like that the main character is a city girl yet comes to love quaint village life.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews