Shroud for the Archbishop

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1466814020
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Book Description
An Ancient Enigma Wrapped in a Web of Deceit Immerse yourself in the riveting world of Peter Tremayne's Shroud for the Archbishop, a masterful tale of intrigue and suspense set against the atmospheric backdrop of 7th century Rome. The novel centers on the sharp-witted Sister Fidelma, an Irish nun and advocate of the ancient Brehon Law. This brave female sleuth dives headfirst into the dangerous political undercurrents of Rome's Lateran Palace when Wighard, Archbishop designate of Canterbury, is found brutally murdered. With a trail of bodies, labyrinthine motives, and stolen treasures, Fidelma must unravel the seemingly impenetrable knot of intrigue before the killer strikes again. This gripping story will transport you back to the Dark Ages, a world where religious tensions simmer beneath the surface. With a setting that extends from ancient Ireland to old England, this absorbing tale artfully combines elements of religion, crime, suspense, and history.

Absolution by Murder

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0312139187
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 293

Book Description
In the 7th Century, King Oswy of Northumbria convenes a synod to hear debate between the Roman and Celtic churches. He has to decide which shall be granted primacy in his kingdom. When an abbess from the Celtic church is murdered, an investigation is launched by Sister Fidelma, Celtic, and Brother Eadfulf, Roman.

Atonement of Blood

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1466846240
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
Winter, 670 AD. King Colgú has invited the leading nobles and chieftains of his kingdom to a feast day. Fidelma and her companion Eadulf are finally home for an extended stay, and have promised their son, Alchú, that they'll be able to spend some time together after months of being on the road, investigating crimes. Fidelma and Eadulf are enjoying the feast when it is interrupted by the entrance of a religieux, who claims he has an important message for the King. He approaches the throne and shouts ‘Remember Liamuin!' and then stabs King Colgú. The assassin is slain, but does enough damage to take out Colgú's bodyguard, and to put the king himself on the verge of death. As King Colgú lies in recovery, Fidelma, Eadulf, and bodyguard Gormán are tasked with discovering who is behind the assassination attempt, and who Liamuin is. They must journey into the territory of their arch-enemies, the Uí Fidgente, to uncover the secrets in the Abbey of Mungairit, and then venture into the threatening mountain territory ruled by a godless tyrant. Danger and violence are their constant companions until the final devastating revelation. Atonement of Blood is a mystery of Ancient Ireland from Peter Tremayne.

Suffer Little Children

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0312156650
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Book Description
In the seventh century A.D., the murder of a high cleric threatens to result in war between two of Ireland's kingdoms. Sister Fidelma is summoned by the dying king to both solve the murder and prevent war. But Fidelma soon discovers that there are far more sinister forces at work than mere political intrigue.

Shroud for the Archbishop (Sister Fidelma Mysteries Book 2)

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 0755372638
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Book Description
Set in a Rome riven by religious and political conflicts, SHROUD FOR THE ARCHBISHOP is the second compelling novel in Peter Tremayne's gripping Celtic mystery series. PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FIDELMA SERIES: 'A compulsive readable whodunit fronted by one of the most reliably intriguing characters to grace the pages of the genre' Booklist Wighard, archbishop designate of Canterbury, has been discovered garrotted in his chambers in the Lateran Palace in Rome in the autumn of AD 664. The solution to this terrible crime appears simple as the palace guards have arrested Brother Ronan Ragallach, as he fled from Wighard's chamber. Although the Irish monk denies responsibility, Bishop Gelasius is convinced the crime is political and that Wighard was slain in pique at the triumph of the pro-Roman Anglo-Saxon clergy in their debate with the pro-Columba Irish clergy at Whitby. There is also a matter of missing treasure: the goodwill gifts Wighad had brought with him to Rome and the priceless chalices sent for the Holy Father Vitalian's blessings have all been stolen. Bishop Gelasius realises that Wighard's murder could lead to war between the Saxon and Irish kingdoms if Ronan is accused without independent evidence. So he invites Sister Fidelma of Kildare and Brother Eadulf to investigate. But more deaths must follow before Fidelma is finally able to put together the strange jigsaw in this tale of evil and vengeance. What readers are saying about SHROUD FOR THE ARCHBISHOP: 'A fascinating insight into the politics of the early Catholic Church' 'As with his other novels, Peter Tremayne manages to combine a superbly tense mystery, with historical accuracy, making the novels both entertaining and educational' 'Gripping from start to finish'

The Subtle Serpent

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1466814047
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Book Description
In the year 666 A.D., a headless female corpse is found in the drinking well of a remote abbey in southwest Ireland: clasped in one hand is a crucifix; tied to the other arm is a pagan death symbol. Sister Fidelma--sister to the king of Muman, a religieuse, and an advocate of the Brehon law courts--is sent to investigate. En route, she encounters a Gaulish merchant ship under full sail off the Irish coast--one whose crew and cargo have vanished without a trace. Faced with a tense local situation, Fidelma must discover first the identity of the body in the well and uncover who was responsible, then find out what happened to the missing crew of the adrift merchant ship, and, finally, determine how these bizarre events are connected. For these events are more than simply disturbing--the peace of the entire kingdom rests upon their solution.

Behold a Pale Horse

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250014832
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
A perplexing case of murder and conspiracy in the pagan wilds of Northern Italy In 664 A.D., just after the events detailed in Shroud for the Archbishop, Fidelma of Cashel takes a unexpected detour on her trip home from Rome. While in the port at Genua (modern day Genoa), Fidelma—sister of one Ireland's kings and an advocate in her country's law courts—receives word that one of her old teachers, Brother Ruadan, is reaching the end of his days. Determined to see her old mentor one last time, Fidelma takes the treacherous journey to a remote abbey in the countryside—a place where the old pagan religion still has a hold and where even the Christians are often in bloody conflict with each other. But after she hears her dying teacher's last words, Fidelma's most dangerous adventure has just begun. With one murder after the next and a vicious war in the offing, it is up to Fidelma, alone and on her own, to unravel an extraordinary conspiracy before it is too late.

The Sister Fidelma Novels, 1-3

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250108055
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1510

Book Description
Peter Tremayne's Fidelma of Cashel mysteries, set in ancient Ireland, will delight readers with their confounding puzzles and brilliant characters. Here together for the first time are the first three books in the series. Absolution by Murder: In A.D. 664, someone murders the Abbess Etain, a supporter of the Celtic way, during the synod between the Roman and Celtic churches. Sister Fidelma, of the Celtic Church, is assigned to use her legal training and mental smarts to find out who wanted the abesss dead, and why. Along the way she is paired up with Brother Eadulf, who belongs to the Roman Church, and it becomes immediately apparent that there might be more between them, as they work together to find the killer and prevent civil war. Shroud for the Archbishop: Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf travel to Rome to deliver a message to his Holiness. But then the Archbishop is found dead, strangled in his chambers, and a monk is observed fleeing the scene of the crime. Convinced of the monk’s innocence, Fidelma pledges to help reveal the truth, but instead she stumbles across far too few clues, an abundance of motives, and a trail that is strewn with bodies. Suffer Little Children: Fidelma, sister of Colgu, who has just become the king of Muman, the largest of the five Irish kingdoms, is tasked with solving the mystery of who murdered the Venerable Dacan, a highly respected elder from a nearby kingdom. This death has far-reaching implications for the peace between the kingdoms, and Fidelma must work to find out what happened to Dacan before a bloody war breaks out between the many factions and families of sixth century Ireland.

The Sleeping Witness

Author: Fiorella De Maria
Publisher: Ignatius Press
ISBN: 1621640760
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 174

Book Description
In this unusual murder mystery, the tranquility of Saint Mary's Abbey is shattered by the discovery of a gruesome crime in a cottage on the abbey grounds. A foreign artist and war hero seeking refuge from the world has been murdered. Marie Paige, the frail, sickly wife of the village doctor, lies beside him beaten into a coma. The police arrest Marie's husband, convinced that they are looking at a crime of passion. But Dr. Paige finds himself with an unlikely champion: Fr. Gabriel, a blundering but brilliant Benedictine priest who believes in his innocence and feels compelled to search for the truth. In a country struggling to come to terms with the devastation of the Second World War, even a secluded English village has its share of secrets and broken lives. It is not long before Fr. Gabriel and his companions find themselves embarking on a dangerous journey into the victims' troubled war histories and a chapter of Europe's bloodiest conflict that is almost too terrible to be acknowledged.

Master of Souls

Author: Peter Tremayne
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1466803886
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Book Description
In January of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel - sister to the king of Muman, an advocate of the Brehon law courts and a religieuse in the Celtic Church - is called to investigate the brutal murder of Abbess Faife and the mysterious disappearance of six young female religieuse accompanying her on a short pilgrimage away from her abbey. When Sister Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf, arrive they find that there has been another death under mysterious circumstances, one of the senior scholars of the abbey has been bludgeoned to death. These two seemingly unrelated deaths - and the further mysteries of the trade ship lured to its doom on the rocky western shore of Ireland and the rumored figure of "The Master of Souls" wrecking havoc and raising rebellion - combine to create on the the most perplexing mysteries ever faced by the redoubtable Fidelma.