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Sister Fidelma #36
Grave of the Lawgiver
The thirty-sixth mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.
The year is AD 673. Fidelma accompanies Eadulf to his hometown, Seaxmund's Ham in the Kingdom of the East Angles, to be greeted with the shocking news that Eadulf's uncle, Athelnoth, the lawgiver, has been murdered and his house burnt down. And Eadulf's younger sister is missing.
The locals accuse Fidelma and Eadulf of the crimes, and Fidelma's safety is threatened by the first council of the bishops and kings of the Angles and Saxons, who wish to expel all Hibernian missionaries and teachers from the kingdoms.
Against this opposition, Fidelma and Eadulf must unite to solve one of their most complex mysteries yet.
Praise for the Sister Fidelma
'The background detail is brilliantly defined . . . wonderfully evocative' The Times
'A challenging and unusual but deeply satisfying and enjoyable historical thriller' Booklist
'Tremayne expertly incorporates historical and legal details of the time into the suspenseful plot. This impressive volume bodes well for future series entries' Publishers Weekly
The year is AD 673. Fidelma accompanies Eadulf to his hometown, Seaxmund's Ham in the Kingdom of the East Angles, to be greeted with the shocking news that Eadulf's uncle, Athelnoth, the lawgiver, has been murdered and his house burnt down. And Eadulf's younger sister is missing.
The locals accuse Fidelma and Eadulf of the crimes, and Fidelma's safety is threatened by the first council of the bishops and kings of the Angles and Saxons, who wish to expel all Hibernian missionaries and teachers from the kingdoms.
Against this opposition, Fidelma and Eadulf must unite to solve one of their most complex mysteries yet.
Praise for the Sister Fidelma
'The background detail is brilliantly defined . . . wonderfully evocative' The Times
'A challenging and unusual but deeply satisfying and enjoyable historical thriller' Booklist
'Tremayne expertly incorporates historical and legal details of the time into the suspenseful plot. This impressive volume bodes well for future series entries' Publishers Weekly
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2025
28 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Peter Tremayne
206 books473 followersPeter 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.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2025
This series is one of my favorites. This 36th book of the series is very satisfying as Fidelma finally visits the birthplace of her husband. They are met with tragic news on arrival as the home where he grew up is burned and his sister is missing. A challenging home visit!
Library Loan
Library Loan
October 7, 2025
It’s great to see Fidelma and crew again…
It’s hard to believe that Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma series is in its 36th book, and that means I’m really old! I remember picking up the first dozen or so books in this series in paperback, on business trips to the UK in the 1990s, since they were almost unavailable in the US. Then I more-or-less lost track of the series for a while, picking it back up only when there started to be occasional sales on the e-book titles. But I still maintained my love for Fidelma and her crew, even making my husband stop by Cashel when we were on (you guessed it) a business trip to Ireland. And the visit was well worth it. Although the buildings/ruins that remain date from a few centuries later, you can still sit on top of the big hill and daydream of Fidelma’s time to your heart’s content. I guess I’ve nattered on long enough, though, and this is supposed to be a book review and not a travelogue. So here goes:
Grave of the Lawgiver has all of the elements that I’ve loved throughout the decades: Fidelma’s sharp wits and clear thinking; some nicely-measured doses of Irish history, both political and religious; great Author’s Notes; sharp writing; and, of course, the mysteries to solve. However, these elements seem just teeny bit out of proportion in Grave. Don’t get me wrong – Grave is totally enjoyable, and I read it nearly straight through, in only two sittings. But it felt as if the tale had just a bit too much history (can't believe I'm saying that), even though momentous things were happening, both in Ireland and around Europe. And also a bit too much of Eadulf’s angst - at times, I just wanted to tell him to get over it. And maybe a tad too little of the underlying mystery: the murder of Eadulf’s uncle, who is the Lawgiver of the title, and the disappearance of Eadulf’s younger sister. So…if you are new to the series with this book – be aware that it’s a little more wordy than normal, and give at least one more book a try. And if, like me, you already love the series, you’ll still feel right at home.
If I could knock ½ a star off just for this single book, I would. But since I can’t, I’m rounding up to five stars, because overall the stories and the series are still awesome. And finally, my thanks go to Severn House and NetGalley for my advance review copy.
It’s hard to believe that Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma series is in its 36th book, and that means I’m really old! I remember picking up the first dozen or so books in this series in paperback, on business trips to the UK in the 1990s, since they were almost unavailable in the US. Then I more-or-less lost track of the series for a while, picking it back up only when there started to be occasional sales on the e-book titles. But I still maintained my love for Fidelma and her crew, even making my husband stop by Cashel when we were on (you guessed it) a business trip to Ireland. And the visit was well worth it. Although the buildings/ruins that remain date from a few centuries later, you can still sit on top of the big hill and daydream of Fidelma’s time to your heart’s content. I guess I’ve nattered on long enough, though, and this is supposed to be a book review and not a travelogue. So here goes:
Grave of the Lawgiver has all of the elements that I’ve loved throughout the decades: Fidelma’s sharp wits and clear thinking; some nicely-measured doses of Irish history, both political and religious; great Author’s Notes; sharp writing; and, of course, the mysteries to solve. However, these elements seem just teeny bit out of proportion in Grave. Don’t get me wrong – Grave is totally enjoyable, and I read it nearly straight through, in only two sittings. But it felt as if the tale had just a bit too much history (can't believe I'm saying that), even though momentous things were happening, both in Ireland and around Europe. And also a bit too much of Eadulf’s angst - at times, I just wanted to tell him to get over it. And maybe a tad too little of the underlying mystery: the murder of Eadulf’s uncle, who is the Lawgiver of the title, and the disappearance of Eadulf’s younger sister. So…if you are new to the series with this book – be aware that it’s a little more wordy than normal, and give at least one more book a try. And if, like me, you already love the series, you’ll still feel right at home.
If I could knock ½ a star off just for this single book, I would. But since I can’t, I’m rounding up to five stars, because overall the stories and the series are still awesome. And finally, my thanks go to Severn House and NetGalley for my advance review copy.
October 27, 2025
Soy tremendamente fan de esta saga y leo con ansia cada nueva entrega, pero lamentablemente he de decir que esta nueva entrega me ha aburrido de una manera extraordinaria. Páginas y páginas plagadas de nombres que no hacen sino confundir y que no aportan nada a la trama, tan sólo dejar constancia del conocimiento del autor sobre la historia y la etimología de las palabras en su contexto histórico.
La trama tenía una buena premisa, pero el desarrollo narrativo es tan extenso y difuso que se pierde en nimiedades que luego no conducen a ningún sitio.
Los personajes principales están desdibujados. Fidelma pierde presencia y está como ausente durante toda la novela. Eadulf anda perdido en sus sentimientos y toda su preocupación es que nadie le reconoce en su tierra natal, cuando lo ciertamente importante es que ha perdido a su tío, asesinado, y su hermana (de la que nunca se había oído hablar) ha desaparecido.
Y eso por no hablar del desenlace, que resulta no solo precipitado sino ciertamente absurdo.
Una lástima, de verdad.
La trama tenía una buena premisa, pero el desarrollo narrativo es tan extenso y difuso que se pierde en nimiedades que luego no conducen a ningún sitio.
Los personajes principales están desdibujados. Fidelma pierde presencia y está como ausente durante toda la novela. Eadulf anda perdido en sus sentimientos y toda su preocupación es que nadie le reconoce en su tierra natal, cuando lo ciertamente importante es que ha perdido a su tío, asesinado, y su hermana (de la que nunca se había oído hablar) ha desaparecido.
Y eso por no hablar del desenlace, que resulta no solo precipitado sino ciertamente absurdo.
Una lástima, de verdad.
August 20, 2025
Not my favourite book of the saga. It felt a little disjointed and contrived.
I am an avid reader of the Sister Fidelma books ( having read all previous). I preordered this book and was excited to read.
As always, the two protagonists characters were well developed. The historical references were accurate and well woven into the book and the settings were well described.
However, the plot felt contrived. We were introduced to a sister of Eadulf that had never been mentioned before. There were several threads that were not resolved in a satisfactory manner and a murderer that we never actually met.
I will continue to read subsequent books as I have really enjoyed most of the saga. For me, this was one of the weakest books so far and I will pause before preordering the next one.
I am an avid reader of the Sister Fidelma books ( having read all previous). I preordered this book and was excited to read.
As always, the two protagonists characters were well developed. The historical references were accurate and well woven into the book and the settings were well described.
However, the plot felt contrived. We were introduced to a sister of Eadulf that had never been mentioned before. There were several threads that were not resolved in a satisfactory manner and a murderer that we never actually met.
I will continue to read subsequent books as I have really enjoyed most of the saga. For me, this was one of the weakest books so far and I will pause before preordering the next one.
October 11, 2025
#36 and Tremayne still can think up interesting mysteries and use them (or maybe it's vice versa) to illuminate life in Britain and Ireland in the 600's. As one reviewer noted, quite a bit of angst for Eadulf but then i have not been in his situation of voluntarily so to speak of abandoning family and culture. Then too, he is getting on towards 40, which would definitely be middle aged in those times and so a life retrospective is not out of line. And also true, Fidelma is not the easiest person to live with at times. Still, a very good mystery and complicated by the politics (civil and religious).
August 30, 2025
Wait for each new book in the series
I really enjoy how the author intertwines mystery with history. I have learned a lot about the Irish Catholic Church versus the Roman Catholic Church. It is a part of Church history I did not know until I started reading this series. Thank you for another great story in the Fidelma and Eadalf saga.
I really enjoy how the author intertwines mystery with history. I have learned a lot about the Irish Catholic Church versus the Roman Catholic Church. It is a part of Church history I did not know until I started reading this series. Thank you for another great story in the Fidelma and Eadalf saga.
August 31, 2025
Great mystery and history, too
This story is excellent if you love solving a mystery. Even though solving the mystery is fun, the history about during the time of Fidelma and the depiction of trying to work out a relationship with someone you love and understanding the impact your upbringing has on that relationship. This is a complex and very enjoyable book!
This story is excellent if you love solving a mystery. Even though solving the mystery is fun, the history about during the time of Fidelma and the depiction of trying to work out a relationship with someone you love and understanding the impact your upbringing has on that relationship. This is a complex and very enjoyable book!
November 11, 2025
Not sure why I continue to read these books because I find Sister Fidelma such an unlikeable character. This being said, she was much better this time, since she was in a more supplicant role and her usual domineering and irascible nature was somewhat more suppressed. This made for a much more enjoyable book.
July 15, 2025
I thank NetGalley and Headline for an advance reader copy of Grave of the Lawgiver. All opinions and comments are my own.
Read Grave of the Lawgiver for a continuation of the Fidelma and Eadulf story, and as addition to the series. Other than that, it’s pretty much just a convoluted and lengthy recap of early church history. Taking Fidelma away from home doesn’t do her any favors, and it’s evident in the pages of this book.
There is a murder mystery here, but the “action” pretty much takes place off-stage. Eventually, we have to be content with a scene whereby Fidelma Explains It All; unhappiness and disturbed minds have been present since time immemorial, as Grave of the Lawgiver shows. The story here is interesting for the history buffs in the crowd, but slow-going for mystery fans.
Read Grave of the Lawgiver for a continuation of the Fidelma and Eadulf story, and as addition to the series. Other than that, it’s pretty much just a convoluted and lengthy recap of early church history. Taking Fidelma away from home doesn’t do her any favors, and it’s evident in the pages of this book.
There is a murder mystery here, but the “action” pretty much takes place off-stage. Eventually, we have to be content with a scene whereby Fidelma Explains It All; unhappiness and disturbed minds have been present since time immemorial, as Grave of the Lawgiver shows. The story here is interesting for the history buffs in the crowd, but slow-going for mystery fans.
June 29, 2025
This wasn't as good as I expected it to be with others in the series being much better. I found it repetitive, with lots of explanations repeated more than once unnecessarily. I understand that a lot of it was due to the difference in languages between some of the characters, but it felt like padding in places. There were a lot of characters to remember which at times I found confusing. Other readers might not find that. The story itself was interesting with the local lawgiver being killed and his niece going missing. Eadulf and Fidelma arrived home just afterwards and undertook an investigation in to what had happened which led them through different territories.
I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews