The Mensa Mystery Series Series by Clare O'Beara

Cara Cassidy, a Dublin tree surgeon, is having a tough May weekend. Her landlady has given her notice. Cara’s in the middle of organising an international convention for the high intelligence group Irish Mensa. Visiting American tobacco heiress Laurel Cabot – who has married a Dubliner with the paper title of the Baron of Ballymun – is murdered and her priceless diamond necklace stolen. Both the Gardai and Interpol believe that the killer is among the guests... moreCara Cassidy, a Dublin tree surgeon, is having a tough May weekend. Her landlady has given her notice. Cara’s in the middle of organising an international convention for the high intelligence group Irish Mensa. Visiting American tobacco heiress Laurel Cabot – who has married a Dubliner with the paper title of the Baron of Ballymun – is murdered and her priceless diamond necklace stolen. Both the Gardai and Interpol believe that the killer is among the guests. Amid visits to the National Stud and Trinity College, Cara, newly elected Chairman of Irish Mensa, does some investigating, with the aid of Mike Fraser, a Scottish guest. The Mensa members trust her, but some people would prefer their secrets to remain hidden…. less

Second in the Mensa Mystery Series. Cara Cassidy and Mike Fraser are visiting a Scottish Mensa Weekend held in Stirling, with a medieval costume banquet at the Castle. Cara is assaulted by Danny Dreffin, an unpopular Glaswegian who is trying to get her into bed. Mike has a public row with this man, a Scottish Nationalist, and has no alibi when Dreffin is later found beaten to death... moreSecond in the Mensa Mystery Series. Cara Cassidy and Mike Fraser are visiting a Scottish Mensa Weekend held in Stirling, with a medieval costume banquet at the Castle. Cara is assaulted by Danny Dreffin, an unpopular Glaswegian who is trying to get her into bed. Mike has a public row with this man, a Scottish Nationalist, and has no alibi when Dreffin is later found beaten to death. Central Scotland Police believe Mike may be the killer and Cara turns to a detective friend in Dublin, Ricky Norton, for help. Questioning the guests from various countries is certain to put the couple in danger, and they only have one day to keep Mike from being charged. less

Mike Fraser, a member of the high IQ group Mensa, is renting a central Dublin flat and doing pressured computer work. In autumn his Garda detective friend Ricky Norton disappears undercover. First he asks Mike’s girlfriend Cara Cassidy to investigate the apparently accidental death of an elderly music teacher, Audrey Gregory, in the expensive embassy belt of Dublin Four... moreMike Fraser, a member of the high IQ group Mensa, is renting a central Dublin flat and doing pressured computer work. In autumn his Garda detective friend Ricky Norton disappears undercover. First he asks Mike’s girlfriend Cara Cassidy to investigate the apparently accidental death of an elderly music teacher, Audrey Gregory, in the expensive embassy belt of Dublin Four. Cara, a tree surgeon, makes enquiries as she lops trees on Ailesbury Road, staffs the Young Scientists Exhibition and chairs Irish Mensa. Ricky reappears at Cara’s New Year’s Eve party, having posed as a homeless man to arrest heroin dealers. Soon afterwards the girl follows the dead woman’s cat into its former home – with explosive consequences. By the Amazon No. 1 Bestselling author of MURDER AGAINST THE CLOCK and MURDER AT IRISH MENSA. Clare O'Beara won the Arkady Renko short story competition held by Simon & Schuster in 2014 and judged by Martin Cruz Smith. "Please congratulate Clare O'Beara for me for her clever short, short story 'London Calling.' I appreciate that she treated Arkady kindly, taking his age into consideration, and managed to cross the finish line with a different sort of twist." - Martin Cruz Smith. less

Retired businessman Thomas McGlone is shot dead during a break-in at his home in Co. Kildare, when several thousand euro he’d just won by betting on racing is stolen. His son Tiernan, a member of the high IQ group Mensa, who works for a firm of stockbrokers, is implicated. This man, his sister and brother-in-law from London have lost their savings in the financial crash... moreRetired businessman Thomas McGlone is shot dead during a break-in at his home in Co. Kildare, when several thousand euro he’d just won by betting on racing is stolen. His son Tiernan, a member of the high IQ group Mensa, who works for a firm of stockbrokers, is implicated. This man, his sister and brother-in-law from London have lost their savings in the financial crash. Cara Cassidy, a former showjumper and Chairman of Irish Mensa, agrees to help the family get the deceased man’s racehorse mares to stud. Ricky Norton, her Garda detective friend, forbids her to investigate the death but is covering the case himself, to the displeasure of the Kildare police. Cara’s boyfriend Mike Fraser is running a parachuting event in nearby Clonbullogue and Cara plans to make a charity skydive. But she’s in far more danger on the ground…. less

Cara Cassidy, a Dublin tree surgeon and Chairman of the high IQ group Irish Mensa, discovers two people dead in a house following a vicious knife attack, and their separate lives and families have to be searched for their killer. The victims, William Fleming and Nicola Marr, worked in insurance and were having an affair. Marr’s partner runs a video shop and provides East European girls for porn films, while Fleming’s widow dabbles in art and has resentful teenaged sons... moreCara Cassidy, a Dublin tree surgeon and Chairman of the high IQ group Irish Mensa, discovers two people dead in a house following a vicious knife attack, and their separate lives and families have to be searched for their killer. The victims, William Fleming and Nicola Marr, worked in insurance and were having an affair. Marr’s partner runs a video shop and provides East European girls for porn films, while Fleming’s widow dabbles in art and has resentful teenaged sons. Garda Detective Ricky Norton gains promotion, so by Garda regulations he must return to uniform duties for a year. He enlists his Mensan friends Cara and Mike Fraser to investigate the crimes, meeting the families and visiting an art gallery, and they compare notes while hill-walking in Wicklow. Cara is good at gaining information, but she can’t tell Ricky that she has found someone trying to supply drugs at Mensa meetings… and someone close to the murders believes that she knows too much. less