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Burren Mysteries #11
Verdict of the Court
A festive celebration turns into a fight for survival when Mara and her clan come under attack . . .
Christmas 1519 is the twentieth anniversary of King Turlough Donn's reign over the three kingdoms of Thomond, Corcomroe and Burren, so Mara and her scholars are spending the festive period in her husband's principal court, the castle of Bunratty in Thomond. However, in the midst of celebrations, the Brehon of Thomond is found dead, slumped across a table with a knife protruding from below his shoulder blade, while all around him Turlough's relations and friends dance and feast.
Mara's difficult task in probing the motives of the multiple suspects, made worse by her suspicion that someone near and dear to her is involved, is interrupted by a dramatic attack on the castle. Turlough's cannon has been sabotaged and now a trebuchet batters the castle with huge rocks and the lives of all are at risk. Has this treachery and betrayal anything to do the mysterious death of the Brehon, but most importantly how will Mara's husband answer the call for surrender . . .?
Christmas 1519 is the twentieth anniversary of King Turlough Donn's reign over the three kingdoms of Thomond, Corcomroe and Burren, so Mara and her scholars are spending the festive period in her husband's principal court, the castle of Bunratty in Thomond. However, in the midst of celebrations, the Brehon of Thomond is found dead, slumped across a table with a knife protruding from below his shoulder blade, while all around him Turlough's relations and friends dance and feast.
Mara's difficult task in probing the motives of the multiple suspects, made worse by her suspicion that someone near and dear to her is involved, is interrupted by a dramatic attack on the castle. Turlough's cannon has been sabotaged and now a trebuchet batters the castle with huge rocks and the lives of all are at risk. Has this treachery and betrayal anything to do the mysterious death of the Brehon, but most importantly how will Mara's husband answer the call for surrender . . .?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Cora Harrison
91 books218 followersCora Harrison worked as a headteacher before she decided to write her first novel. She has since published twenty-six children's novels. My Lady Judge was her first book in a Celtic historical crime series for adults that introduces Mara, Brehon of the Burren. Cora lives on a farm near the Burren in the west of Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 5, 2020
Loved it!! Set during Christmas 1519 western Ireland. Such a rich story of the culter of the Gaelic culture and Brehon law. The characters, especially Mara, are very complex and well written. This series makes you want to travel back in time and visit the Burren. Only a few more books in the series. I will be sad when it is done. Start with book one of series My Lady Judge.
November 27, 2019
I had missed a few Burren mysteries prior to reading this one, so I was a little lost for awhile with all of the new students and people in Mara's life. While the assault on the castle added some military spice to the story, I didn't enjoy Verdict of the Court as much as the other Burren mysteries that I've read because Mara's judgement regarding the murderer's identity seemed to come out of the blue and made the previous parts of the investigation seem irrelevant.
December 29, 2018
Part 11 of the wonderful Burren series takes us from the time of Christmas in the year AD 1519 into the new year of AD 1520.
The historical Brehon Law details are very well documented at each new chapter and beautiful storytelling takes you into the heart of the Burren which is in the west of Ireland.
The characters within this story come all vividly to life in this mystery full of intrigue, betrayal, treachery and murder.
The story starts when Mara, Brehon of the Burren and wife of King Turlough Donn O'Brien of Burren, Corcomroe and Thomond, finds herself and her scholars at a festive Christmas celebration at the Castle of Bunratty in Thomond when all of a sudden during these festivities the Brehon of Thomond is found dead, stabbed with a knife.
During Mara's investigations the Castle is attacked and all lives are at risk, while at the same time Mara is wondering if the death of the Brehon of Thomond has anything to do with the betrayal and treachery that is taking place within the Castle now.
What will follow is an exciting mystery with a lot of suspense and a mystery which is told in a splendid way and that will end with a thrilling plot.
This great little book and this lovely Irish lady author deservedly get from me a certain "Verdict of Excellence"!
The historical Brehon Law details are very well documented at each new chapter and beautiful storytelling takes you into the heart of the Burren which is in the west of Ireland.
The characters within this story come all vividly to life in this mystery full of intrigue, betrayal, treachery and murder.
The story starts when Mara, Brehon of the Burren and wife of King Turlough Donn O'Brien of Burren, Corcomroe and Thomond, finds herself and her scholars at a festive Christmas celebration at the Castle of Bunratty in Thomond when all of a sudden during these festivities the Brehon of Thomond is found dead, stabbed with a knife.
During Mara's investigations the Castle is attacked and all lives are at risk, while at the same time Mara is wondering if the death of the Brehon of Thomond has anything to do with the betrayal and treachery that is taking place within the Castle now.
What will follow is an exciting mystery with a lot of suspense and a mystery which is told in a splendid way and that will end with a thrilling plot.
This great little book and this lovely Irish lady author deservedly get from me a certain "Verdict of Excellence"!
December 18, 2014
As usual, Cora Harrison sets the scene beautifully and gives us a window into life of 16th century Ireland. I enjoyed the character development, and the addition of some new faces into Mara's life. Overall a good entry into the series, marred for me by only a few small things. Mara seems to shrug off an attempt on her life, and we see no consequences for that. Admittedly the perpetrator pays with his life in another way, but an event that nearly kills her seemed to be used just to further the mystery and not create any consequent effect. There are some dangling threads not resolved, which perhaps will be addressed later, but were relevant to the crisis in this book and should be a priority for the characters to address.
January 8, 2018
Another strong entry in this series set in the Burren region of Ireland in the 1500's. Mara, Brehon of the Burren, is off to her husband, King Turlough Donn's celebration of his 20-year reign at Castle Bunratty, his residence. It's Christmas too, so she is expecting a very jovial, fun time but what she gets (as always seems to be) is murder. The head Brehon of that county, an elderly man who seems to have lost some of his wits recently, makes some startling accusations about a traitor, someone betraying the King, at the feast. A few short hours later, he is dead, a knife in his back, the deed done in a room full of the King's closest friends and advisors. Mara herself was there, and as the dead man's assistant--one of Mara's former law school scholars--is among the suspects, she takes over the investigation, though she is technically out of her jurisdiction.
October 16, 2020
A locked room mystery with more than the usual number of red herrings, the resolution was acceptable. However, the (attempted) second murder really did not fit into the flow of the story and I found the explanation for it quite thin. However, the solving of the murder was really just an afterthought with all of the other action going on at the end of the story, so I can't complain too much. Cora Harrison is an excellent writer and although this book is very, very different from all others in the series, her writing skills are up to the task!
August 6, 2020
The group of scholars goes to Turlough's castle for a festival. The murder happens. This one has characters, including children, who are even more cartoonish than Cormac. While many of the characters are annoying, the story is good enough to end up with an ok book.
Also, this book jumped ahead 6 years. The previous had flowed closely together, and this jumped to a change in many of the students, though the problems with England remained the same
Also, this book jumped ahead 6 years. The previous had flowed closely together, and this jumped to a change in many of the students, though the problems with England remained the same
June 8, 2018
I just hope there is more to come!
September 25, 2021
As usual I'm kept guessing the murderer, but I had my suspicions throughout the book. I truly love this series.
July 11, 2024
Another new series for me, that I've also started in the middle. This is surprisingly good and full of interesting historical information. I will be reading more of the series.
February 6, 2017
I think this is the best one yet in this series! I'm on to the next one right now!
May 7, 2014
First Sentence: There was a light frost over the landscape when Mara, Brehon of the Burren, set out from that kingdom to spend the Christmas of 1519 at the King’s court.
The Christmas celebration and 20th anniversary of King Turlough Donn’s reign over the three kingdoms of Thomond, Corcomroe and Burran are interrupted by the murder of The Brehon of Turlough. Mara, the King’s wife and overseer of the law, must determine the murderer. An attack on the castle, sabotage on the Turlough’s cannon, and the enemy’s deadly trebuchet and guns may completely overshadow bringing a killer to justice.
A wonderfully descriptive opening provides a very picturesque sense of place while also informing us of Mara and her backstory. It’s wonderful to have a protagonist who is not only a woman, but one of power and respected by men. However, there is nothing strident about the character as her power is based on the actual laws of place and time.
Mara is an interesting, fully-developed character about whom you come to care. Her relationship with King Turlough is one to be envied. Some of the young people are particularly enjoyable.
Each chapter begins with information what explains Brehon law and society. One fact I found particularly fascinating was that there was a law pertaining to satire…”The law regards satire as a very severe attack on a persona because it strikes and cuts a log n-enech (literally the ‘price of his face’-but meaning the ‘honor price.) Anything that causes a person to lose face, injures that person and recompense has to be paid.” There is nothing better than to be entertained and educated at the same time.
The plot is interesting and includes a good red herring, a dramatic and suspenseful battle scene and a look at the price of battle.
“Verdict of the Court” is well done. It’s a fascinating look at different system of law and society.
VERDICT OF THE COURT (Hist Mys-Mara-Burren (Ireland)-1519) – VG
Harrison, Cora
Severn House, 2014
The Christmas celebration and 20th anniversary of King Turlough Donn’s reign over the three kingdoms of Thomond, Corcomroe and Burran are interrupted by the murder of The Brehon of Turlough. Mara, the King’s wife and overseer of the law, must determine the murderer. An attack on the castle, sabotage on the Turlough’s cannon, and the enemy’s deadly trebuchet and guns may completely overshadow bringing a killer to justice.
A wonderfully descriptive opening provides a very picturesque sense of place while also informing us of Mara and her backstory. It’s wonderful to have a protagonist who is not only a woman, but one of power and respected by men. However, there is nothing strident about the character as her power is based on the actual laws of place and time.
Mara is an interesting, fully-developed character about whom you come to care. Her relationship with King Turlough is one to be envied. Some of the young people are particularly enjoyable.
Each chapter begins with information what explains Brehon law and society. One fact I found particularly fascinating was that there was a law pertaining to satire…”The law regards satire as a very severe attack on a persona because it strikes and cuts a log n-enech (literally the ‘price of his face’-but meaning the ‘honor price.) Anything that causes a person to lose face, injures that person and recompense has to be paid.” There is nothing better than to be entertained and educated at the same time.
The plot is interesting and includes a good red herring, a dramatic and suspenseful battle scene and a look at the price of battle.
“Verdict of the Court” is well done. It’s a fascinating look at different system of law and society.
VERDICT OF THE COURT (Hist Mys-Mara-Burren (Ireland)-1519) – VG
Harrison, Cora
Severn House, 2014
April 20, 2014
I try very hard to save five star ratings for books that really make a special impression on me. This was one of those books. I’ve read other books in the series and have always enjoyed them very much, but this one was so full of suspense and tension that it catapulted onto a different level. Mara, Brehon of the Burren, is a female judge in a specific geographic region of Ireland with this story taking place in 1519 and into 1520. Mara is a 46 year old woman who runs a Law School in one of the three kingdoms ruled by her husband, King Turlough Donn O’Brien. Even though she and Turlough live apart most of the time they have had a warm and loving relationship in their ten year marriage and have one son, Cormac. Mara and her students are going to Bunratty Castle to spend Christmas with Turlough and others gathered at the castle to celebrate the season as well as the twentieth anniversary of his reign as the king of the three regions.
Even though Mara is not usually called upon to be the Brehon (judge) in this different region, circumstances push her into investigating a death which happens during the Christmas festivities. In uncovering the reason for that death she happens upon a larger problem which has an impact on everyone involved in this series. This novel had a plot which was so well constructed that I never guessed where the author was leading. The mystery involved would have been entertaining enough by itself, but when the additional plot element was introduced it signaled a change in the whole dynamic of relationships long established and hints at new possibilities for future novels. Needless to say, this author has added material which will enable her to continue to develop this series over a long period of time. Definitely an absorbing reading experience and highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Even though Mara is not usually called upon to be the Brehon (judge) in this different region, circumstances push her into investigating a death which happens during the Christmas festivities. In uncovering the reason for that death she happens upon a larger problem which has an impact on everyone involved in this series. This novel had a plot which was so well constructed that I never guessed where the author was leading. The mystery involved would have been entertaining enough by itself, but when the additional plot element was introduced it signaled a change in the whole dynamic of relationships long established and hints at new possibilities for future novels. Needless to say, this author has added material which will enable her to continue to develop this series over a long period of time. Definitely an absorbing reading experience and highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
June 11, 2014
From the very first sentence this is an enchanting book with careful descriptions of the setting that bring the story to life. Cora Harrison is a wonderful writer. In a world where it seems that we have seen it all, done it all and read it all before, she reminds the reader why they love literature in the first place with her beautiful word choices and compelling plot.
One of my favourite things about this novel, was the way the plot gently unfolded. It felt very natural and not as if the author had to keep coercing it into behaving as she wished it to. One event sprung from another and there was never a time when I wished this story would hurry along.
The dialogue was excellent and interesting and written exactly as one would expect for a book set in this period. The characters each seemed to have their own way of speaking and reflecting their personality, which is really important in any novel, I believe. Being able to distinguish class, education and so forth from the way a character speaks makes the novel feel so much more alive and believable.
I love historical novels, and I appreciated that this one was researched so well and had such a solid foundation for the story. If you are also interested in historical novels, you can't go wrong with this one.
I recommend it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
One of my favourite things about this novel, was the way the plot gently unfolded. It felt very natural and not as if the author had to keep coercing it into behaving as she wished it to. One event sprung from another and there was never a time when I wished this story would hurry along.
The dialogue was excellent and interesting and written exactly as one would expect for a book set in this period. The characters each seemed to have their own way of speaking and reflecting their personality, which is really important in any novel, I believe. Being able to distinguish class, education and so forth from the way a character speaks makes the novel feel so much more alive and believable.
I love historical novels, and I appreciated that this one was researched so well and had such a solid foundation for the story. If you are also interested in historical novels, you can't go wrong with this one.
I recommend it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
April 7, 2015
I love Judge Mara and her group of law students. One day I would love to visit the Burren, setting for her rapidly vanishing 16th-century Ireland. Her world is under attack both physically and culturally by the English power of King Henry VIII She has dedicated her life to the service of brehon law, which puts the focus on reconciliation and compensation for the victim rather than deterrance and punishment. People will make mistakes and commit crimes. Brehon law is designed to reintegrate the guilty party back into society by calling on the clan to make good the damage done by one of its members.
English law is gradually replacing this humane system with a set of laws meant to punish the offender
Judge Mara is paramount in her own jurisdiction, but this story takes her outside her world to spend Christmas with her husband King Turlough, where she has to move cautiously around the authority of other people. When someone murders the crotchety old Brehon abuses his authority and uses his power to feed his own appetites, no one misses him. Lady Mara would investigate his murder as a matter of course, but when suspicion falls on one of her favorite graduates, it becomes personal.
Deeply satisfying.
English law is gradually replacing this humane system with a set of laws meant to punish the offender
Judge Mara is paramount in her own jurisdiction, but this story takes her outside her world to spend Christmas with her husband King Turlough, where she has to move cautiously around the authority of other people. When someone murders the crotchety old Brehon abuses his authority and uses his power to feed his own appetites, no one misses him. Lady Mara would investigate his murder as a matter of course, but when suspicion falls on one of her favorite graduates, it becomes personal.
Deeply satisfying.
April 30, 2014
I so very much enjoy the mysteries of the Burren with Mara the Brehon and her husband the King of the Three Kingdoms. I was thrilled to again be able to review a book from Cora Harrison's Burren series and to visit Bunratty Castle at Christmas of 1519. This particular story was truly a complicated tale of politics, betrayal and family intrigue, a nail biter even!
For a time I was afraid it was going to end with everyone's death or surely imprisonment. I am checking today to see what actually happens to these historical characters so that I know where I might find them in the future. The author has flawless time and period details and the narrative and characters are captivating.Of particular interest to me is that there are ruins of a law school at Cahermacnaghten Clare and that Bunratty Castle, a large tower house, still stands.
A must read for historical mystery lovers as well as those who love Irish history.Soon to be released so preorder now!
For a time I was afraid it was going to end with everyone's death or surely imprisonment. I am checking today to see what actually happens to these historical characters so that I know where I might find them in the future. The author has flawless time and period details and the narrative and characters are captivating.Of particular interest to me is that there are ruins of a law school at Cahermacnaghten Clare and that Bunratty Castle, a large tower house, still stands.
A must read for historical mystery lovers as well as those who love Irish history.Soon to be released so preorder now!
June 10, 2015
The Brehon of the Burren, Mara, is spending Christmas (anniversary of husband's 20 year reign) at Bunratty Castle in her husband's King Turlough Donn O'Brien King of Thomond, Corcomroe and the Burren. Since Bunratty is in the Thomond portion of her husband's realm she will not be acting as Brehon & looks to enjoy her Christmas. With her are her students, which include her son Cormac, her grandson Domhnall and her students. Their she meets the twins Cael and her brother Cian MacMahon. Cael dresses like a boy. They are wild and have no respect for their elders. Especially Thomond's Brehon, MacClancy. There is a bright note, her old pupil l, Enda is his assistant. Mara discovers that Enda, a brilliant scholar is not happy in his position. The Brehon is jealous of Enda, imho, unfair and says that someone is cheating the king.
June 21, 2016
I think I mentioned in my last review that I have grown to like these stories of old Irish law. This one takes place in 1509/1510. Their law and judging certainly is a lot different than ours, but seems to work well. In this case, Mara, the brehon (judge) ends up formally judging her husband, the king, and still all ends well.
September 27, 2014
Really liked the story involving Mara the Brehon and her law school students in 16th century Ireland solving the murder of a supposed religious fanatical, but this story seemed to move slow, a bit tedious.
September 7, 2014
Cora Harrison's series set in 16th century Ireland never disappoints. Even if the mystery is a little to neatly tied up, as it is in some of her books, just being immersed in an historical period about which I know almost nothing is enough for me to be anticipating the next book.
January 19, 2015
I love all of Cora Harrison's books. If you have liked Ellis Peters and Peter Tremayne's mysteries, you will love this as well. I do recommend reading them in order as the character's life progresses and I like this aspect of the books.
July 18, 2014
Another excellent murder mystery solved by Mara. Irish historical crime at its best.
August 9, 2014
Good read
February 14, 2016
I am not tired of these yet. I get them, read them, and pass them on to the other readers I know that are on the hold list.
September 5, 2014
I love historical mysteries so I was greatly disappointed with this one as it reminded me so much of another author that I read over 10 yrs ago.
August 10, 2016
Excellent.Yet another easy read.
October 4, 2015
I really enjoyed this - especially the second half.
July 12, 2015
yikes there was a serious battle. intense...
November 15, 2015
Another exciting read in this terrific series.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews