Review: A Classic Murder in Contemporary Ireland
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2014
At heart, Murder at Irish Mensa is a variation on the classic "country house" whodunit theme… a group of people, some known to each other, some strangers, are gathered in a relatively closed setting, and one of their number is found dead, obviously the victim of foul play.Here, the setting is an international convention of brainy Mensa members, held over a long weekend in a suburban Dublin hotel. The chief point-of-view character is Cara, the efficient but somewhat harried young Mensan who organized the affair and is charged with making it run smoothly – not an easy task since, as she recalls ruefully, organizing Mensans is like herding cats.Clare O'Beara skillfully keeps us guessing. There are plenty of possible motives for this murder, lots of guests with secrets, red herrings galore, and what seem at first to be firm alibis keep falling to pieces. The police are not as helpful as they might be…. Even Cara becomes a suspect, and although we know she's not the murderer, she's the ONLY one we can be sure about. Plus, through it all, we're given fascinating glimpses of Dublin and the surrounding countryside.American readers will encounter unfamiliar terms and spellings, all of which become clear in context. If you love a classic murder mystery in a contemporary setting, this one's for you. I'm ready to start on the next book in this Mensa series!