Penance of the Damned

May 15, 2017
Treymane’s strong 27th whodunit set in seventh-century Ireland (after 2016’s The Second Death) combines significant developments concerning the Irish legal system with a seemingly impossible crime. Law advocate Fidelma, whose brother is Colgú, king of the region of Muman, is stunned to learn of the murder of an old friend, Abbot Ségdae, “a pillar of the stability of the kingdom as well as the church.” The evidence against the man accused of the crime, Gormán, who’s the commander of Colgú’s guard, is overwhelming. After a cry was heard from the locked room where he and the abbot were conferring, the door was broken down. Inside, Ségdae was lying dead on he floor from two stab wounds to the chest; next to the body was Gormán, clutching a bloody knife. Gormán’s claim that he was knocked unconscious by the real murderer is discounted, and he faces imminent execution unless Fidelma can find evidence to exonerate him. The added question of what system of justice is to govern Gormán’s case elevates this above some other series entries. Agent: Charles Schlessiger, Brandt & Hochman.

June 1, 2017
Midsummer in the year 671 is a time for sorrow, nefarious schemes, and murder in ancient Ireland.Colgu, King of Muman, sends for his sister, Fidelma of Cashel, a seasoned advocate of the law (The Devil's Seal, 2015, etc.), when he learns of the murder of Segdae, Chief Bishop and his adviser at the stronghold of Donennach, Prince of the Ui Fidgente, with whom they've only recently made peace. Fidelma, her husband, Eadulf, and the warrior Enda are shocked to be intercepted along the way by Ciarnat, a young woman who informs them that Gorman, a commander of Colgu's bodyguard, has already been found guilty of the crime. Fidelma steps into a wasp's nest of religious disagreements between followers of the current Irish law, which emphasizes monetary payments for misdeeds, and Abbott Nannid, a rabid leader of the Penitentials, a group that decrees punishments should follow the unforgiving rules of the Old Testament. It's no wonder that Gorman has been convicted, since he was found unconscious in a locked room with the body. Certain, despite the evidence, that Gorman is innocent, Fidelma sets out to prove it, even if it means fighting Nannid and his cohorts every step of the way. When Gorman escapes, Fidelma, setting out to find him, comes upon a string of ruthless murders carried out by outlaws whom she eventually sees meeting with Nannid. Fidelma is a cool and canny advocate who is deeply disturbed by Nannid's efforts to force his new rules on Donennach. Her country's rich legal tradition is important to her, and it will take all her knowledge and the force of her personality to free Gorman and keep her own people from having to fight another war with the Ui Fidgente. History buffs will enjoy Tremayne's account of life in early Ireland. Casual readers may find the easily solved locked-room mystery swamped by the period detail.

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Starred review from June 1, 2017

Set in seventh-century Ireland, the 25th entry (after The Second Death) in the "Sister Fidelma" series once again demonstrates the author's (renowned Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis) thorough knowledge of both ancient Brehon (early Irish) law and human nature. Fidelma and her husband, Eadulf, return to the Ui Fidgente court to investigate the murder of an abbot who had been attending a council to discuss replacing traditional law with Roman Catholic doctrine. The crime is apparently a locked-room case with Fidelma's friend accused of killing his adviser, which would cause a rupture between two Celtic kingdoms. Lovers are torn asunder and reunited and battle lines are drawn with marching armies, while Fidelma's unswerving logic and application of the law uncovers not only the murderer but a conspiracy against the Prince of the Ui Fidgente. VERDICT Those who enjoy a rich historical setting, wish to learn more about ancient Ireland, and relish a perplexing puzzle will be well rewarded. [See Prepub Alert, 1/30/17.]--Cheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA

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