The Carousel of Time by Bernard O’Keeffe

 The Carousel of Time

by Bernard O’Keefe



The Carousel of Time by Bernard O'Keeffe was published on 16th February 2026 by Muswell Press.

My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Resources for inviting me onto the tour.




Synopsis

What goes around comes around on the carousel of time. Every summer four friends gather at Barnes Fair to ride the carousel in memory of Esther, the school friend they lost in a car crash they were all involved in as teenagers.


This year, the morning after the fair, one of those friends, Shelley Gregory, is found murdered on that very carousel. DI Garibaldi has questions to ask. Who killed Shelley, and why there? Is her death linked to the tragedy the friends commemorate each year, or do the answers lie closer to home in the quiet Thameside village of Barnes, where Shelley was well known but not always well liked?

As Garibaldi pieces together the events of that summer night, he uncovers dark undercurrents beneath Barnes's genteel surface and begins to see the truth: what goes around comes around when you ride the carousel of time.




My Thoughts

As the quote on the front of the cover states “A first class mystery” . This is a murder mystery that delivers on all levels and will keep you guessing right until the very last pages. Bernard has created an intriguing storyline that weaves its way through all the different characters that were part of Shelley Gregory’s life , each with their own story to tell, or hide, as D I Garibaldi has questions to ask of each of them in his pursuit of the truth.

As you build a file for each of them in your head you will find yourself asking “What are they hiding ?”, over and over again and “Why?”.

I really like DI Garibaldi and his side kick Gardiner, both of whom remind you of many famous detective duos like Morse and Lewis , DCI Barnaby and DS Troy to name but a couple. In fact this story would lend itself well to a television adaptation and it would be good to see some new detectives on the screen.

Now that I know that this is the fifth book in the DI Garibaldi series I will be going back to read the others and find out what crimes have previously been solved around Barnes.


About Bernard





Bernard O’Keeffe worked in advertising before becoming an English teacher, most recently at St Paul’s School in London.

The first four titles in the D I Garibaldi series are: The Final Round, 2021, Private Lessons, 2023, Every Trick in the Book 2024, and The Masked Band 2025.

He lives in leafy Barnes where the series is set.

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