Synopses & Reviews
An aged monk and the priceless relics of St. Ailbe disappear one night from the Abbey of Imleach. The missing monk is a matter of great concern for the abbey, but the missing relics are a disaster for the entire kingdom. The relics are a major political symbol of Muman, one of the seventh-century Irish kingdoms, and their disappearance threatens to disrupt continued peace and stability. Sister Fidelma, an advocate of the Brehon courts and sister of the king, is asked to investigate and recover the missing items. But dark forces are at work and they will stop at nothing to achieve their sinister aims.
Review
"A treat for history buffs who devoured Thomas Cahill's
How the Irish Saved Civilization and historical mystery fans who appreciate strong and intelligent female protagonists." --
Booklist on The Subtle Serpent"Tremayne's heroine is gutsy. She is funny. As she outwits the dull-witted and silences the foolish with a quick comment, the reader is inclined to murmur 'Bravo!' The Spider's Web is the fifth book in the series. We can only hope there will be a dozen more." --Tampa Bay Tribune
"In the simultaneously sharp-tongued and full, womanly figure of Sister Fidelma, Tremayne has created a heroine whom many readers will willingly follow. Even Brother Cadfael might have tolerated her." --Kirkus Reviews on Absolution by Murder
Synopsis
Sister Fidelma-an Eognacht princess and sister to the king of Cashel, a religieuse of the Celtic Church and an advocate of the Brehornn court-is one of the most interesting and compelling figures in contemporary mystery fiction. In this collection of short mysteries, Tremayne fills in many of the background details of Fidelma and seventh-century Ireland not found in the novels, and weaves his always-beguiling mix of history and mystery.
Synopsis
Sister Fidelma-an Eognacht princess and sister to the king of Cashel, a religieuse of the Celtic Church and an advocate of the Brehornn court-is one of the most interesting and compelling figures in contemporary mystery fiction. In this collection of short mysteries, Tremayne fills in many of the background details of Fidelma and seventh-century Ireland not found in the novels, and weaves his always-beguiling mix of history and mystery.
About the Author
Peter Tremayne is the fiction-writing pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, the leading Celtic scholar. Born of Anglo-Irish parents in Coventry, England, and taking his degrees in Celtic studies, he has published over a score of books in the field of Celtic studies. These include
The Ancient World of the Celts (1998),
The Celtic Empire (1990),
Celtic Women (1995),
Celt and roman (1998),
Hell or Connaught: the Cromwellian Colonisation of Ireland (1975),
A Dictionary of Irish Mythology (1987),
The Celtic Chronicle: Retellings of Celtic Myths and Legends (1999) among others. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, which has been translated into more than a dozen European languages as well as Japanese.
He began writing fiction as peter Tremayne in 1977, mainly in the field of heroic and supernatural fantasy, using Celtic myth and legend as background. His Lan-Kern sword and sorcery trilogy (1980-1983) and books such as Raven of Destiny (1984), Ravenmoon [US title: Bloodmist] (1988) and Island of Shadows (1991) secured his reputation in the genre. No less than half a dozen of his short stories have been chosen to appear in collections of Great Irish Stories and his own collection of stories, Aisling and Other Irish Tales of Terror (1992), won high literary praise. He began to write Sister Fidelma mysteries in 1993 primarily to illustrate the role of women as lawyers in seventh-century Ireland. The stories have attracted to a wide following on both sides of the Atlantic and in translation.