The Devil's Seal

Sister Fidelma #25

by Peter Tremayne

Super sleuth Sister Fidelma returns in a brand-new historical mystery by Peter Tremayne, acclaimed author of Atonement of Blood, The Seventh Trumpet and many more.

Ireland, AD 671. When a curious deputation of religieux arrive in Cashel, death follows close behind. Sister Fidelma and her companion, Eadulf, seem unable to stem the bloodshed.

Is one of the deputation responsible? What was the Venerable Verax, the scholar from Rome, hiding? Was there an evil secret behind the austere Bishop Arwald? Indeed, what was the real reason behind Eadulf's brother Egric's unexpected appearance at Cashel - could he be the culprit?

Victims and suspects combine to make a tangled skein of mystery more complex and bloody than Fidelma and Eadulf have ever faced.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Ireland, Historical, Medieval

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 17, 2014

About the author

Peter Berresford Ellis (born 10 March 1943) is a historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories. His non-fiction books, articles and academic papers have made him acknowledged as an authority on Celtic history and culture. As Peter Tremayne, he is the author of the international bestselling Sister Fidelma mystery series. His work has appeared in 25 languages.

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is an art to reading these Fidelma novels: the art of skipping over vast tracts of irrelevant Irish history. Let's practice!

Eadulf: Fidelma, what time is it?

Fidelma: The Eogannach learned the measurement of time during the reign of [[random Irish name]], when [[random Irish name]] from the abbey of [[random Irish name]], in the kingdom of [[random Irish name]], to the south of the river [[random Irish name]], ...

Eadulf: But ...

Fidelma: ... west of the [[random Irish name]] mountains, to preside at the conference of [[random Irish name]] about the matter of the dispute between the [[random Irish name]] and [[random Irish name]] regarding the ownership of the valley of [[random Irish name]] ..

Eadulf: But I just want to know ...

Fidelma: ... [[random Irish name]] had traveled to [[random European place]] where he learned the idea that ...

Well, you get the picture. This kind of thing can go on for paragraphs, and if you don't want to drive yourself crazy you need to scan past all the historical references: they are rarely of any importance to the story. The publisher makes this fairly easy, by the way: if a paragraph is more than 10% italics, you can skip it. You will never remember all those random Irish names, so you might as well save your sanity.

The actual story, the murder mystery, is interesting enough, I guess. Plenty of red herrings. lots of suspects. The actual culprit seems pretty obvious from near the beginning, but there is no confirming evidence until Fidelma does her summing-up at the end. Still, there are no major gaffes in the story (as far as I could tell), and Tremayne plays by the rules of the mystery game.

Overall, this is about on par with the rest of the novels in the series - and that's saying something, because most mystery series tend to degrade over time.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very fine book is another thrilling mystery of the Sister Fidelma series and it's already the 25th volume of this series which include 2 omnibuses with short stories.
The book has been thoroughly researched by the author and again it contains a lot of historical details about 7th Century Irish society and it's Brehon Law system.
As ever the storytelling is absolutely wonderful and the author has the capability to let you keep guessing right till the end about the identity of the culprit.
The book is set in the year AD 671 and the story itself comes really into action when a deputation of religieux arrive in Cashel, the capitol of the Kingdom of Muman (Munster), when death follows behind them.
Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, come into action by investigating these murders, and try to discover the reason behind it, and in doing so trying to find who's responsible for all these actions of mayhem, death and bloodshed.
What follows is a murder mystery with a lot of twists and turns, before Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf will be able to determine in a fascinating and exciting plot at the end who's the culprit of all these deadly crimes.
Very much recommended, for this is another "Devilish great mystery"!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of all the Fidelma series so far, in my opinion.
It's an unusual story with many interesting historical details about the twists and turns if early Roman Christianity.
The author seems also to have relieved us of the burden of name similarity that was present in the last few volumes.
I almost couldn't put it down. As it is the twenty-fifth of a long running series that is quite an accomplishment

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the opportunity to visit ancient Ireland and depictions of its legal and religious foundations. There is always great civility to be found in these stories of Cashel in the company of interesting intrigues behind murders that must be unwound by Fidelma with the help of her husband Eadulf. I won't say more on the plot in this latest book of the series. I look forward to the next.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5. Not bad, but not one of the best in the series, either. As usual, the mystery plot was intricately woven and each time I focused my suspicions on one person, another had to be considered. The problem came in other areas. While I enjoy the history learned in this series, Tremayne relayed most historical details and, worse, plotlines from previous stories in the dialogue between characters. This proved awkward and bogged down the story. I realize dialogue is not Tremayne's strong suit, but it seemed worse than usual here. I still enjoy the characters and, as stated above, the mystery was quite strong. I only wish the journey had proved a little smoother sailing.

[Rev. M. M. Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many authors who can take a theological dispute and turn it into a novel; there are even fewer who can take the dispute and turn it into a murder mystery. Yet that is what Peter Tremayne manages to do in his novel. The Devil's Seal. Peter Tremayne is the pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis a notable scholar of Ancient Irish History. He has created a character, Sister Fidelma, who is a dalaigh (advocate) of the Irish Court System and the sister of the King of Muman (Munster). Tremayne uses Fidelma to illustrate not only Celtic law but also Celtic religious and secular traditions. Fidelma began her career as a nun but eventually left the religious life as it proved too constraining to her work. She is married to Eadulf, a monk from England (an Angle, although he is often called a Saxon). The fact that Fidelma and Edulf are married while both were in religious life is but one of the differences that Tremayne points out throughout his Fidelma series.

The theological dispute which lies at the base of this story is the jurisdiction of residential bishops. The Roman model has a strict hierarchy of bishops who are subjects of Archbishops who are subjects of the Pope. The Celtic model was built on independent abbeys presided over by abbots. In this story, the Pope sends a delegation to investigate the claim of the bishop of Ard Macha (Armagh) to be Archbishop since his see was founded by St. Patrick. The documents creating this are stolen and the robbers are themselves killed and the documents destroyed. One robber (who was not known to be a robber at the time) was left for dead but was nursed back to health - he turns out to be Edulf's younger brother who he has not seen in many years and had presumed him dead.

There are many twists and turns to the story. It seems like every time Fidelma has things figured out something happens to show her solution inadequate. Unlike most of the previous stories in the series, this one seems to have a higher than usual body count. Although one has to plough through some of the ecclesiastical arguments, it is still a worthwhile read.

[jammaster_mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very longstanding historical fiction series that I very much enjoy.

This series centers around Fidelma and Brother Eadulf. She was a, what we would call now nun, and is still a legal advocate based on the ancient Brehon law system of Ireland. She is also the sister of the King of Mumman. Her husband is, what we would call a monk, and is from England. They work together to solve mysteries and bring about justice.

So, there are lots of unusual names for people, places, and even just events. There is a lot of descriptions so that a reader can follow what is going on. Brehon law is about repayment for wrongs and not imprisonment or death for the perpetrator. At this point in history there were very different views on what those who chose to follow a life in the Church were expected to behave. In Ireland nuns and monks and priests at all levels could marry and have children. They even had mixed houses of both nuns and monks were they would raise their families together. In Rome and England they were expected to live a celibate life. This conflict went on for years and some of that is reflected in this book.

I enjoy the historical background and details that Mr. Tremayne puts into his books. I do find that it does bog down the overall pace of the book at times. By this point in the series there are events in both Fidelma and Eadulf's lives that the reader does not know about or just doesn't remember. There is not very much action in this book and a lot of talking and thinking through the facts as presented. This is an engaging series and an interesting book for those who enjoy historical fiction.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a big blockbuster of a medieval mystery thriller. I've read several books in this series featuring 'lawyer' Sister Fedelma--now a married woman with a child--and her husband/partner Eadulf. The setting is Cashel in old Ireland, AD671. The plot is somewhat familiar in our modern day--religious persecution, greed, murder--in order to rise and succeed. There are several murders, shocking ones, at that, attempted murder--Fedelma and Eadulf had a winged statue crash down missing them by inches and much mayhem with visiting religious factions from Rome and neighbouring territories, if you will. Fedelma is terribly clever, sharp-witted and energetic; Eadulf is thoughtful, an outsider but welcomed to Cashel, and knowledgeable in the ways of clergy and healing. Fedelma's brother is King Colgu of Muman, a man who is kind, assertive and seemingly well-liked. What befalls his kingdom in this fast paced mystery is astounding and he holds his own as does the ever resourceful Fedelma and Eadulf. A fine cast of supporting characters from warriors, stewards, apothecaries to servants. Sherlockian premise gets a nod: 'When all the possibilities have been eliminated, that which remains must be the solution,' she replied gravely." Can't wait to read the next installment!

[Sunsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auch wenn der Fall in sich abgeschlossen ist, rate ich dazu, den 25. Band nicht als ersten zu lesen, sondern möglichst viele, wenn nicht alle vorhergehenden Bände gelesen zu haben, denn so versteht man besser Stellungen, Zusammenhänge und die Rückblenden in die Vergangenheit.

In diesem Buch wird uns hervorragend dargebracht, wie die Iren im 7. JH bereits mit Indizien umzugehen verstanden und sogar in der Lage waren, ohne Zeugen und großartige Beweise dennoch eine Gerichtsverhandlung abhalten zu können, in welcher der Beschuldigte sich selbst verrät und gesteht.

Somit lohnt sich die Lektüre, obwohl sie schon über so einige Längen verfügt. Alles plätschert eher so vor sich hin, obwohl nacheinander mehrere Morde geschehen. Der Spannungslevel ist eher niedrig, eben weil es erst am Ende des Buches zur Aufklärung kommt. Gut, auf manches wären wir wohl auch gekommen, aber im Großen und Ganzen präsentiert Fidelma uns wieder die Lösung mit aller Raffinesse, die uns so nicht während des Lesens gekommen wäre.

Einige Verwicklungen und Wendungen sind gegeben. Langweilig wird das Lesen trotz der Längen nicht.

Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte.

https://sunsys-blog.blogspot.com/2023...

[D.R. Oestreicher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 7th-century Ireland, The Devil’s Seal by Peter Tremayne is the 25th Sister Fidelma novel. Sister Fidelma is a dalaigh (district attorney), sister to the king, and married to Eadulf (a Saxon from England). The story opens with an unexplained murder, followed by more murders and attempted murders, mysterious and seemingly unrelated. Fidelma observes, “A tangled skein can be untangled if one has patience.”

If you have the patience to read through lengthily digressions on Catholic dogma (the middle third of the book), the mysteries are solved through tortured logic that I feel has logical Fidelma rolling over in her grave. If you don’t have a strong interest in early Catholic and Irish history, you probably want to take a pass on this one.

For my book club report: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2018/0...

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20... for book recommendations.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of a series, but works well enough on its own. There are references back to previous adventures, but you can follow this one without having read any of them. I liked the fact that the book is set in 7th century Ireland, where followers of traditional beliefs are viewed with suspicion by Christians - who themselves are split between those who follow Rome and those who follow the faith as it was first brought to them. This rivalry underpins much of the story and shows the differences in the Irish and the less tolerant Romans.

The mystery itself is a complex one - at times you struggle to keep track of who everyone is and where their allegiances lie, but it's a decent and fairly quick read if you want something to pass the time. It will also appeal to people with an interest in Ireland of that era. The frequent use of Irish terms helps to add an air of authenticity as well as an educational aspect.

[Roslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

7th century Ireland - its basic history and customs which I found very interesting, but I couldn't follow the detailed comings and goings of the different people and localities within the five kingdoms because I couldn't remember most of the ancient Irish names . Fidelma is a powerful female (lawyer) as are some of the Abbotess but I wonder how characteristic that was of female in general. Surprising amount of education, both secular and ?religious at the time.
This is a time when the Roman pope was trying to centralize Christianity under his control and dogma. Each of the Irish kingdoms had different Christian styles depending upon when and by whom they had been converted. There is not much religious observance by the main characters of the book.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoy this series and am enjoying the twists and turns of each book. He dropped the heavy intro of the history of the 7th century. Which I had skipped in the earlier books. As the reader progesses in the novels they become more complex.

In this story line we see several character changes. Some characters have been retired to the background. New characters have emerged and some characters show hidden flaws. There is a new threat from the west that could change the face of how the faith is received in Ireland. Add in a complicated and potential bloody murder that could cause a war between the reigious of Ireland and Rome and you have an explosive and mind boggling myster. I'm not sure if he has a book coming out in 2021, the author has a limited web presence.

[Mary Warnement · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wondered if the series would continue to be called the Sister Fidelma mysteries, but I guess the publishers' marketers or common sense won out over accuracy. And scholar Peter Berresford Ellis admires accuracy. I enjoyed this mystery even though there's a lot of political debate using religious arguments, and I would have liked a little more historical explanation in an afterward. I'm not familiar with which Irish institution did become primary. I was aware that Patrick wasn't the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, but I did not know the details. Now I'll have the fun of follow up--unless doing so will ruin the plot of his next? Perhaps that's why he did not explain.

[Menno Beek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought four of these in a thrift shop, and bought one online, the one missing in the consecutive line the four where . This one was OK, not as good as the previous one, and after I've read the fifth and last one I have lying around claiming shelf space, I'll probably take a break from the sister for a while. The missing dept in the other characters is starting to hinder me a bit, and although Sister F. is rather fascinating, I think she has a bit weird and colorless marriage with Eadulf, and that hinders me in believing the books. I maybe should try and find the earlier episode where she meets him and where they get married, maybe that will help. But not any time soon.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a complicated mystery set in ancient Ireland. In addition to a story that sustains the suspense until the very end, it also reveals many very interesting facts about the laws and religious practices of Ireland in the time before Rome gained authority over the entire Church. The characters are colorful and well-developed. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys history and mysteries.

[Steve Pillinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripped me from the start. The central mystery was very well built up. Also, Eadulf showed much more initiative, and was even deferred to in places by Fidelma. (Maybe a response to disgruntled male readers!)

My only disappointment was that the mystery, when revealed, turned out be rather less than overwhelming. Serious enough in one sense, but not of the calibre one had been led to suspect. Hence the missing star.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Sister Fidelma series. She is a great, feisty, smart woman so what not to love? This book however is not one of my favorites. The books are always complex and the mysteries hard to figure out. But this book was too complex and too confusing. There are always a lot of characters but it felt like there were too many this time. With this being the next to last book I was hoping for it to knock my socks off. I hope the last one is better. But it has the necessary components and it is still one of my favorite series.

[Ana Elena Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si bien la cantidad de personajes que intervienen en cada entrega hace que a veces sea un poco farragosa de seguir, las tramas y la resolución de los misterios siguen manteniendo esta saga a un alto nivel.
Magnífica ambientación, como siempre, y unos personajes que se consolidan en cada nueva novela.

[Groucho42 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the better ones. Far too many people die to move the plot and far too much time is spent on showing us how much Tremayne knows about early problems in the Catholic Church trying to take control of Christianity. They both get boring. Two groups of priests head to town for mysterious reasons and show the typically overblown nature of religion. Not bad, but yawn...

[Kathy Nealen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the novels in this series so far and many of the short stories. I like how Fidelma's behavior is less patronizing than it used to be. More respect is shown for Eadulf. I would like a resolution that doesn't involve the big meeting with the dramatic reveal.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 25th mystery set in Ireland in the 600s AD. Less formulaic than the last few it had a fast and twisting plot. I got a bit confused at times but perhaps it was the Celtic names and the fact that I was reading it just before going to sleep!

[Cindie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I actually started to read this book it was quick. As a reader of the whole series, I found myself skipping the parts explaining past situations. This was a bit frustrating. Overall a good read.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

And that’s the last book I’ve got to read in this series....I’m going to miss feisty Ms Fidelma and her cast of sidekicks

[Leorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visiting friend left this book with me. An adventure from start to finish.

[Ginger Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf would finish Irish Anglo Saxon clergy

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done. Fidelma is more human and less quarrelsome and selfish in this story. The story was well plotted and the Perry Mason moment at the end moved quickly and got to the point.

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

TBA

[Michael Wojciehoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayhem, corruption, convoluted

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was very good- I really liked figuring out the relationship between Eadulf and his once thought dead brother.