Der Lohn der Sünde

Sister Fidelma #26

by Peter Tremayne, Irmhild Brandstädter (Translator), Otto Brandstädter (Translator)

Das Geheimnis des goldenen Steins

Irland im Herbst 671: Bunt bemalte Wagen fahren nach Cashel, zur Burg des Königs von Muman. Die Akrobaten, fahrenden Sänger, Zauberer wollen am Jahrmarkt zur Sommersonnenwende teilnehmen. Doch dann werden in einem der Wagen die Leichen eines jungen Mannes und einer jungen Frau gefunden. Ein geheimnisvoller goldener Stein und eine Messingscheibe mit dem Kopf eines Raben sind die einzigen Hinweise, die Fidelma und Eadulf auf die Spur der Mörder führen könnten.

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

448 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2015

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

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been some time since I picked up a book from the Sister Fidelma series. I love these and I knew I would be in for a treat. The lush depiction of 7th century Ireland, the well-drawn characters, and cunning mysteries draw in and keep me there.

Sister Fidelma, sister to the King of Muman, a former religious, and renowned dalaigh (court lawyer/investigator) and her husband, Eadulf the Briton and former Roman monk are back in action with a new mystery when Eadulf stumbles on two puzzling deaths connected to a caravan of entertainers for the Fair of Cashel and maybe a connection to the old Druid faith.

The mystery was fascinating as I tried to puzzle out how the pieces fit together because they seemed totally random at first. Later in the story, the clues came easier and faster.

The blend of historical detail and mystery is such a strong point. This series reads much like a historical fiction with a mystery and that is good to keep in mind so expectations are in the right place. Religion is in flux in Ireland as is the ancient law codes and political atmosphere so it makes for good philosophical portions and action packed plots for the wife and husband detecting team to show their stuff.

I loved the story, but I did have one little niggle. Fidelma gets really crotchety at one spot with Eadulf dismissing that he might have a good idea now and then. She never apologizes for being a beast to him. Was it bad of me to enjoy seeing her discover that Eadulf was the one to get her on the right track more than once?

Anyway, this has me rarin' to go and continue with the series plus go back for the ones I still haven't read from earlier in the series. Those who enjoy well-researched historical fiction with an equally strong mystery should pick these up.

[Mary Munroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A New Sister Fidelma

This is a very satisfying and a bit bloody tale of the conflict between the Old Faith (Druidism) and the New. The transition between the Druid Faith and Christianity had many layers. There were atrocities on both sides. And then there were the conflicts between the Roman and Celtic Christian Faiths. Against this rich background, Peter Treymane weaves a tale of intrigue and romance. Sister Fidelma solves the mystery and Enda gets the girl. Highly recommended.

[Angela]

1 March 2020: $2.99 on Kindle

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very exciting and thrilling "Sister" Fidelma mystery is already the 26th volume of this wonderful series.
Once again the book has been thoroughly researched historically, and explained in a very clear fashion within the author's note, and as well you'll find a map of Fidelma's world of Muman (Munster) in the 7th Century AD.
Storytelling is as ever of an absolute top-quality, and because of that ability the author will keep you spellbound right till the end of the book.
All the characters come vividly to life within this thrilling mystery, and the story takes you smoothly along through all kinds of twists and turns to the point of accusation and guilt.
The book is just like its predecessor set in the year AD 671, and it starts around the time of the Great Fair of Beltain in the Kingdom of Muman.
The mystery itself really starts when a party of painted wagons arrive at the fortress of Cashel, when all of a sudden one of the wagons is set alight and two corpses are later found poisoned and dead within.
"Sister" Fidelma and her companion Brother Eadulf are summoned to start an investigation to the circumstances of the deaths of these two people, and while investigating this case it will finally take them to the marshlands of Osraige where the bloody origin of a certain revenge originates with the Abbey of Cainnech.
Fidelma and Eadulf have to face the symbolism of the Golden Stone as well as the mysterious members of the Fellowship of the Raven, before they can start identifying the culprit by entangling one by one the threads of this web of mysteries.
What will follow is an exciting and mysterious murder mystery where Fidelma and Eadulf have to use their wits to survive the mortal danger they have to face themselves, before they can finally indentify and accuse the person of all this evil against them and the Kingdom of Muman.
Highly recommended, for this is another "Superb "Sister" Fidelma Mystery"!

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-sixth in the Sister Fidelma historical mystery series set in the Ireland of A.D. 671 and revolving around Sister Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf.

My Take
The Second Death was fascinating in terms of how Fidelma solves this mystery (we're not privy to a number of the clues) and rather bland in terms of the action. Which I don't understand about myself, as there is a bit of turmoil — heck, just ask Eadulf about his problems! Part of me suspects it's because of Saran and the guards and monks within Cill Cainnech and their attitudes toward Fidelma. Petty of me…

It's layers of plots within plots, and betrayals at different levels. And Eadulf is sadly naive in some aspects of this story. I certainly didn't like Abbot Saran. Guilt was all over him like a cheap suit, and he certainly was nasty toward Fidelma. Interesting that Saran had all this money to economically improve the abbey and Cill Cainnech.

It's an intriguing look at how the Catholics destroyed an equal opportunity Ireland with its protection of women (as evidenced by Ríonach's plight), its fair laws and standards, and the reasonable punishments meted out to one more like the Penitentials wanted with their pain, cruelty, and insecurities.

Fidelma can be preemptory and snide, and I love that she is so confident and willing to accept her weaknesses.

"We are all beginners at another person's profession."

It is frustrating trying to read these names and keep track of who is who and what is a where. Fidelma and Eadulf are easy enough, but when I start getting into the characters involved in the individual stories…oh, boy.

"Arrogance is a sign of inferiority, for a true prince of his people is secure enough in his station not to need to assert his rank." … "a mask to hide one's deficiencies."

A sentiment that should apply to anyone, no matter their station in life.

I don't understand the awe in which one of the kidnappers views the Eóganacht, Fidelma's people. Sure, I grasp that Fidelma is quite formidable in her intelligence, but how does this religious angle work in?

Despite all our technology (maybe because of it?), it seems that we're not alone in gossip and twisted angles in the news. Even ancient Ireland got their news twisted to suit the prejudices of those who gossiped.

It's yet another tale of the greed for power hiding behind religion.

The Story
The Great Fair of Bealtain is almost upon the fortress of Cashel, and a line of painted wagons carries entertainers to mark the occasion. But preparations take a deathly turn when one of the rheda is set alight, and two corpses are found, poisoned.

As Sister Fidelma and Eadulf investigate, they are quickly plunged into the menacing marshlands of Osraige — where the bloody origin of the Abbey of Cainnech is wreaking its revenge.

Fidelma and Eadulf must face untold mortal danger before they can untangle the symbolism of the Golden Stone and the evil perpetrated by mysterious members of the Fellowship of the Raven, an evil that strikes at the very heart of the kingdom.

The Characters
The Princess Fidelma is no longer a religieuse, but is still a dálaigh qualified to the level of anruth, the king's sister, and married to Brother Eadulf, originally from Seaxmund's Ham, an Angle trained in their law and a physician who had studied at Tuaim Brecain. Alchú is their young son. Muirgen is his nurse. Aonbharr is Fidelma's favorite horse. Egric is Eadulf's dead brother.

Cashel is…

…the capital of the kingdom of Muman with Colgú its king and Fidelma's brother. Finguine is Colgú's heir. Aidan is the temporary head of the Warriors of the Golden Collar, the king's elite bodyguard, a.k.a., the Nasc Niadh. The lucht-tighe are the elite of those elite. Other Warriors include Luan and Enda who is a great tracker. Dar Laga is the airnbetach, housekeeper, of the castle. Chief Brehon Fíthel is the head of the dálaighs in Muman. Abbot Conchobhar is the physician, apothecary, and medical examiner for Cashel. Rumann is an innkeeper and brewer and related to Ferloga, another innkeeper over at Rath na Drinne, who is appointed the new Fair Master. Lassar is Ferloga's wife. Abbott Segdae is Colgú's spiritual advisor. Ségene is the Abbot of Imleach.

Failbe Flann had been Fidelma and Colgú's father. King Fiachu Muillethan is another ancestor who gave Mogh Ruith some land, Magh-Féne, whose people are the best metal-workers. Máenach mac Fingin, Fidelma's cousin, had been king in the past; his chosen heir was Cathal Cú-cen-máthair instead of Máenach's son, Ailill (The Seventh Trumpet, 23), with Colgú chosen as tánaiste.

Oenach is…
…the Great Fair of Cashel. The Cleasamnaig Baodain are performers who journey from fair to fair and are led by Baodain who tells stories and plays various instruments. His wife is the irascible Escrach, who plays a type of harp. Ronchú is a conjuror; his wife, Comal, is his assistant. Echdae and his wife, Echna, are equestriennes; Tóla is their groom. Maolán, a contortionist, and his wife, Mealla, are new to the troupe. Barrán is the Strong Man. His wife is Dub Lemna. Ultan and Ultana were traveling through.

Lands that owe tribute to Muman include:
Cill Cainnech is a port town in Osraige, a border territory ruled by the Prince Tuaim Snámh who tends to switch allegiances with each breath. Feradach is the cennfeadh of the guard in Cill Cainnech, Coileach's son, and Brehon Ruán's nephew. The abbott is Saran, son of Faelchair and cousin to the prince of Osraige. Brother Failge is the rechtaire, steward, at the abbey. Brehon Ruán has his homestead on the Hill of Ruán just outside Cill Cainnech and serves Coileach, the Lord of the Marshes. Learghusa had owned the Homestead by the Crossing before he and his family succumbed to the Yellow Plague. The shepherd was his cousin. Rechtabra owns a farm and is of the Uí Airbh clan. Ríonach is Rechtabra's abused wife. Rian is her terrier. Brother Finnsnechta is a hermit.

An Sionnach (the Fox) is the prince of Tethbae. No one trusts him. The arrogant Cerball, Lord of Cairpre Gabra, is one of his people. Cerball is working with Febal, Bishop and Abbott from the Abbey of Clochar in Caipre Gabra. Gelgéis is the Princess of the Éisle in whom Colgú is interested (The Seventh Trumpet, 23).

Other of the five kingdoms in Ireland include…
…Uisneach, which is the epicentre of the kingdoms. Its Fair Master is Lord Iragalach of Clann Cholmáin. High King Cenn Faelad has a cousin, Niall, who is the son of Cernach and grandson of High King Diarmait.

The Fellowship of the Raven is…
…an Old Faith cult (based in Druidism) that worships the Mórrigán, (she's a triune goddess with three "faces" including Badh and Macha). Duach and Cellais are members. The Cloch Ór, a.k.a., Cermand Cestach, is the Golden Stone and had been guarded by King Cairpre of the Old Religion. His son, Aedh (a.k.a., Mac Cairthinn), converted to the New Faith and built his Abbey of Clochar and its cathedral around this stone. An Lair Derg had sons, one of whom at least became a sun god, Mogh Ruith (the Slave of the Wheel or the Red Mare), and Donn is their Lord of the Dead.

Abbot Laisran of the Abbey of Darú, a distant cousin, had been the one who suggested Fidelma join the mixed house of Cill Dara all those years ago. And we do learn why she chose to do so. Brehon Morann is an old mentor of Fidelma's. Devil's bread is a plant used as a sedative in small doses. Sister Dianaimh was in a previous story. Beccan had been the weak steward who betrayed Colgú (Atonement of Blood, 24).

Cainnech of the Corco Dálainn and a man of learning was one of the New Faith (Christians) who slaughtered every Druid — man, woman, and child — at what is now Cill Cainnech seventy years ago. Cronan of Gleann an Ghuaill is a great warlord (but whether he's in the past or the present, I don't know). There are five levels to which a dálaigh, a lawyer, can qualify: anruth is second from the top. A brehon is a judge and the first level. Dergthach is what they call Greek fire. It's also known as Tene Gregach. Althair means father. Imagine a gaily painted gypsy wagon when you read about the rheda. A flescach is a person who is less than seventeen years old, under the age of choice. The Penitentials are a group of Christians who believe in flagellation and extreme punishment.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a gorgeous Irish green with Celtic knot side borders and a frame of the same knots around the inset image of the burning rheda on the road to Cashel and its castle up on the hill, a pair of oxen looking on from a closer bend in the road. The title at the top and the author's name at the bottom are in a hammered gold with a white line of information.

I think the title refers to the Old Faith, as it dies The Second Death.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the last one, though I was disappointed Fidelma and Eadulf were separated for most of the story. I did appreciate, however, the way Tremayne kept the tension at a high peak with the alternating storylines.

Since Fidelma normally hides her emotions, the part where she worried herself to tears regarding Eadulf's safety was sweetly, if clumsily, done. Nice to see Aidan and Enda playing a bigger part, but I did miss my favorite warrior, Gorman.

One problem I had with the book. If Ultan and Ultana were trying to travel inconspicuously to find the stone, even going so far as to disguise themselves as religious persons, why travel in a cart that is so memorable? Seemed like a plot contrivance created solely to help make Fidelma and Eadulf's task easier.

All in all, a pretty good entry into the series.

[Br. Thanasi (Thomas) Stama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Sister Fidelma series. Has been a 5 years since I read one and glad to discover my local has the newest couple of his books.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Death by Peter Tremayne

It is April, 671 in Ireland. Sister Fidelma (Fidelma of Cashel), a dálaigh of the law Courts of Ireland, is faced with solving two murders. Brother Eadulf and Aiden of the King’s Bodyguard find a group of wagons on the main road to Cashel. One of the wagons is smoking badly, and a body lies on the ground nearby.

At first it is thought the driver, apparently a young man, was overcome by smoke. Further investigation discloses that the body is actually a young woman. She is pregnant, and she has been poisoned by Hemlock.

More horror lies within the wagon. It is of foreign make, the windows blocked from the inside and both doors sealed from the outside. In the wagon lies the second death, a young man who has been dead several days.

The people in the other wagons are a troupe of performers arriving in Cashel for the Bealtine Fair. They are known as Cleasamnaig Baodain, named for their leader, Boadain. He reports that the wagon of the young people joined their caravan by coming out of a path into the marshes.

Something about the story simply doesn’t add up. The girl had left a clue about a stone of gold, which figures in many of the old Pagan worship services. So Fidelma and Eadulf, accompanied by Aiden and Enda of the King’s Bodyguard set off to retrace the route of the strange wagon.

The trail winds deep into the marshland where Eadulf becomes separated from the rest. He finds himself attacked and kidnapped by a group of men who use a circle of metal marked with a raven as their identification. The men are members of the Fellowship of the Raven. They are determined to return Ireland to the Old Religion, especially to the worship of Badh the Raven Goddess.

This latest book in the Sister Fidelma series delivers another winning dose of mystery in ancient Ireland! Murder, mayhem, intrigue, and a web of lies from a cult of worshipers of the Raven Goddess all come together to make a mystery that will keep the reader’s attention to the end! I admire Peter Tremaye’s way of taking the history of Ireland and infusing the story with little tidbits. The history of the Irish Catholic Church and the struggle against changes made by the Church of Rome makes a background against which to play the mystery out to the final second of Fidelma’s explanation!

Another five star PLUS book!

Quoth the Raven…

[Bobbie N · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 26th of the series, a wagon traveling to the Great Fair of Cashel catches on fire and the driver dies. Brother Eadulf and Aidan, the warrior accompanying him, come across the scene, and discover that the driver was a woman disguised as a boy and that there is a corpse in the back of the wagon.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pagans, secret passages, conspiracy and murder: In other words, a Sister Fidelma mystery. Tremayne's heroine is a wonderful creation. She's intelligent, committed and does not suffer fools gladly. Tremayne's detail is very realistic and it puts us right back into his time frame which is the 1st century in Ireland. Fidelma and her husband Eadulf take us on a journey into the northern wilds of Ireland. There is evil at every corner, and sinister plotting by some of Ireland's leading citizens in this wild area of Osraige. Tremayne's detail and his knowledge of his era always results in a very intriguing and suspenseful book. I absolutely love this series.

[Damien G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series which is a joy to read, books which are escapist allowing one to just enjoy without to much thought. A nice introduction into early Irish history. I do think the plots are easy in this one like the previous two the identity of the baddie is known early on. I would recommend the series to all who love historical mystery books.

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Fidelma and Eadulf with the help of Aidan and Enda set out to solve two poisoning deaths. The plot thickens as the deaths seem to be related to a plot to restore the old religion. Not sure of who to trust they pursue the truth and the murderer. Peter Tremayne has twists and turns in The Second Death. Bring on the next Sister Fidelma.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Sister Fidelma series. It's especially informative about life in ancient Ireland, and, central to this book, the conflict between the Old Religion and the New Religion. If Fidelma would only listen to Eadulf once in a while and not just dismiss his ideas as nonsense.

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

Brother Eadulf and Aidan, acting captain of the King's Guard, observe a wagon train on the highway. As they watch, the last wagon seems to break out in fire. As they arrive, they discover that most of the wagons are part of a circus troop headed to the Great Fair of Cashel, except for the last one which joined the rest on the road. The fire is put out and it seems that it was confined to an overturned bucket on the wagon. They also discover a dead body inside the wagon and the driver dead by the side of the road, a girl dressed as a boy. Eadulf believes she had been poisoned. All the wagons are then taken to Cashel and isolated for further investigation. Enter Fidelma and so begins a new mystery that will place both Eadulf and Fidelma in mortal danger. The context of the mystery is the conflict between the New Faith and some adherents of the Old Faith. This is only gradually revealed and the reader is led along the path of discovery with few obvious clues to what would be coming. All is revealed at the end but not before the main characters experience more trauma than would be expected in the family of a king.

Peter Tremayne is the pen name of Peter Berresford Ellis, an Irish historian and linguist. His Sister Fidelma mysteries are not only good stories in the historical mystery genre but also good introductions to Ireland in the seventh century. Christianity, at the time, was fairly new and there was still some conflict between the Old Faith of the Druids and the New Faith of the Monks. In addition, the Irish Church was decidedly different from the Church of Rome. Efforts to reconcile the two disciplines were somewhat hit and miss for many years until the Roman observance won out. Tremayne/Ellis conveys much information about this throughout all the books. The first Fidelma mystery where she meets Eadulf take place at the Synod of Whitby, a local council that tried to make an accomodation between the two practices, not least of which was a common date for the celebration of Easter.

My one complaint with the series is Tremayne's use of Irish words and names. Some volumes have had pronunciation guides but this one didn't. I think it wuld have been easier if, on the first use of a name of an object or person, there would be a footnote on how it would be pronounced. My knowledge of Irish is limited but I know enough to know that spelling does not always indicate pronunciation. It would also be helpful if the modern names of places were listed.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death comes once again to Cashel. Or rather on the way to Cashel. Eadulf and Aidan come upon a caravan on its way to Cashel. A young woman is found dead and the rotting corpse of a man is found inside the vehicle. The other members of the caravan are on their way to perform at the fair and proclaim that they knew nothing of the girl who had only just joined them. Fidelma and Eadulf must investigate and resolve things prior to the start of the fair. They take 2 warriors with them.

Fidelma gets into a foul mood when they are delayed by a wrong path. Eadulf stubbornly leaves to pursue a separate path. Of course he runs into trouble. Fidelma and the 2 warriors realize the next day that Eadulf's theory about the dead couple's path was correct.

Plots are uncovered by both Fidelma and Eadulf while they are separated. More deaths ensue.

In the end, the mystery is solved and the warrior Enda is smitten by one of the participants.

This book also had some interesting religious twists concerning the burning of several Christian abbeys by Druids. I also find the laws of Ireland at the time to be amazing. Woman beaten by her husband? Well, she should go to the Brehon and the facts will allow her to divorce him and get back her dowry and a fine. Everyone just assumes that it's logical to do things like that because everyone deserves to be treated right

[Anam Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this was one more in a wonderful list of Sister Fidelma mysteries.

This time, a group of wagons is on its way to Cashel for the festival there. Suddenly, the final caravan has a fire in it and the driver, a young boy, dies. Eadulf is on his way to Cashel and sees the fire break out and is there to examine the dead boy - who turns out to be a young woman! In the caravan is a dead body and nothing else. The man is dressed as though he is a member of a religious order but no identification can be found at all. The way the fire began is also very suspicious.

Fidelma and Eadulf set out to try to solve the mystery once it is determined that both were actually murdered. They have only two clues. A medallion on a wrist band worn by the young woman and not written in Ogham.

As they make their search, it seems like they can't get a break - they are captured, released, only to be captured again. Repeat cycle.

The only criticism I have is that the map in the front of the book is basically worthless. One cannot find any of the places mentioned in the book on the map. No rivers are named, places that are named in the book are not identified on the map. I'm not ever certain why it is there is it so useless for the story. If you read the book, it's probably best to just rip out that page before you start so you won't be tempted to waste time looking at it.

[Sunsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spannend, vielschichtig, wendungsreich und sehr informativ.
Hier treffen einmal wieder der alte und der neue Glaube aufeinander. Ich stelle mir diese Zeit nicht gerade einfach vor. Auch, wenn die Christianisierung hier schon Jahrzehnte zurück liegt, aber das ging ja nicht ohne Druck vonstatten. Und wenn man in einen Glauben hineingewachsen ist, vielleicht sogar Druide war und plötzlich zusehen musste, Heiligtümer zu verstecken, damit sie nicht zerstört werden, dann ist allein dies schon Stress pur. Natürlich lebte der alte Glaube weiter, wenn auch versteckt. Und wie man sieht, gab es auch damals Fanatiker, die Gesetze nicht nur gebeugt, sondern gebrochen haben...

Fidelma und Eadulf geben ihr Bestes und schaffen es rechtzeitig trotz Widrigkeiten und vieler Rätsel, auch diesen Fall zu lösen. Es gab allerdings auch etwas, das zuvor nicht erwähnt wurde, so dass wir miträtselnden Leser gar nicht auf diese Auflösung kommen konnten. Dafür gibt es einen Punkt Abzug - ich gebe 87/100 bzw. 09/10 Punkte.

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

[Margaret Capozzolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like your mysteries on the pedantic side and have a hankering to know more about early medieval Ireland, you can't do better than turn to a Sister Fidelma tale. In this, the 26th novel to feature the Irish woman who is both a religieux and a dalaigh, or representative of the highest court in the ancient Irish legal system, Fidelma and her husband (yes, you read that right), Eadulf, are called upon to unravel the mysterious circumstances behind the death of a young woman and a man found dead in an unusual looking caravan. It seems that the new Faith that has o'rspread Ireland has not seen the end of the Old Religion and its gods and goddesses. While there is much knowledge of ancient Ireland to be gleaned from these pages, I found it a bit didactic and stilted. Some elements seemed inserted merely to provide a teaching opportunity, and as a result the flow of the narrative hit a snag. I would much rather have had the translations and explanations in footnotes or parentheses in order to keep the emphasis on the mystery at hand.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Second Death is another mystery in the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne. This volume takes place in 671 and Fidelma and Eadulf are in Cashel and are looking forward to the Great Fair of Cashel. But a strange incident occurs with one of the groups of performers heading to Cashel - the last wagon in the group catches fire and the driver dies.

That's the start of the mystery, and to avoid any spoilers I'll refrain from any further comments on plot developments.

Overall, I liked this book. I've read quite a few of the Sister Fidelma books and I enjoy them. They're a good read, usually a pretty good mystery and are full of details about 7th century Ireland. But I would not place this book among the best of the series - the mystery just didn't seem as interesting as some of the other books in the series. Still I enjoyed it and would recommend it to fans of the series.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last of the Sister Fidelma books available on Audible. There are additional books that come after this in the series and hopefully they will be recorded for Audible soon. I'm not sure if the author is running out of ideas but there were elements from other books in this book as well. In addition there were statements that were repetitive. And of course the books in the series follow the same story arc. Just the same, I love sSister Fidelma. It is wonderful to see a bright, strong, independent woman in the series. The mysteries are well done and the stories complex making it difficult to determine the culprit or culprits. Of course Sister Fidelma ties it all together at the end. Some of it I had figured out in this book and some of it I hadn't. It was, as always an intriguing and enjoyable read.

[Groucho42 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple die on the way to Cashel and another mystery ensues. Eadulf's adventure stresses credulity but overall it's enjoyable.

This did get to a major gripe I have with almost all "period" novels, that build up and exploded while reading this book. I hate the idiocy of throwing in italicized older words. It's pretentious. It's not as if Fidelma is speaking in modern English and throwing in those words. It's also not as if we're too dumb to realize it's set in the past without those words.

That nonsense is taken to extremes when Eadulf is taking the ancient measurements of distance and translating them to kilometers -- a measurement created more than a thousand years after he's dead. Oy.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was hard to put down! Even though I like the whole series of Sister/Princess Fidelma, I do have my favorites. As a whole, the written world of Fidelma is well drawn with strong characterizations that evolve, move away, marry, or even die. But some of the people in Second Death gave me nightmares - that is actually why I’m writing this review two days after finishing the book; I had to settle down.

The plot could have come from a modern headline. There’s love, betrayal, abuse, theft, conspiracy, perseverance, skill, friendship, leadership, and plenty of suspense and red herrings.

Well done!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for Peter Tremayne, 3 stars for Minotuar Book. Sloppy job of editing/proofreading that regularly knocked me out of the rhythm of the book. However, as always, Sister Fidelma books are exquisite. This one is no different. I always set aside an entire day to read one because I know I won't put it down. Balanced. Interesting. Twists and turns. Historical information that I find fascinating. What more could you want?

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the best of these books that I have read so far. Still with stilted dialogue, too much repetition, and too many uses of Irish words in dialogue which are immediately translated into English, meaning that the character is repeating him/herself. But with Eadulf and Fidelma working apart through circumstances, the tension was ratcheted up and the book was exciting for most of its length.

[Kathy Nealen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review of the previous book, I hoped for a conclusion that did not involve a big dramatic reveal. I more or less got my wish with this book; it had a medium dramatic semi-reveal. I enjoy reading about the culture of Ireland in this series, including its relationship with the Roman Catholic Church leadership. I wish the Irish view had had more influence on the church on some matters.

[Marv · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This'll be the death of me yet!" That familiar quip could be applied several times to this difficult and extensive investigation that (former Sister) Fidelma and her husband Brother Eadulf undertake (pun intended) as part of her responsibility as a daleigh (judge/advocate) and sister to Colgu King of Muman. They and a couple of warriors from the King's elite bodyguard tramp all over the marshes, getting into very dangerous situations while they painstakingly try to unravel the mystery brought on by two (and more) deaths. Another in Peter Tremayne's great Sister Fidelma series.

[Cindie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, one of the best for continually keeping my interest. Sometimes the details of the series drag the story down. In this storyline the legends and the history were an integral part of the action. I would re-read this one....

[Mary Warnement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another informative and suspenseful mystery from Peter Tremayne, pen name for historian Peter Berresford Ellis. Number 26 and I'm still coming back for more. Too bad the last 20 pages took me two days to finish. Thanksgiving holiday preparations got in the away of my reading.

[S Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasure.

I like this very much, a good plot, and as always well written. I have only given this four stars as a comparison between Mr Tremayne's books and not in any way to do with any other author's work. But I do that ...!

[Michael Wojciehoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last few books and this are getting repetitive with religious fanatics. It started with much animosity which was unusual. Interesting of splitting Fidelma and Eadulf. Came together in the end a little fast, could’ve used a little more polish.