Rating: 
Summary: History is good, mystery is mediocre....
Review: I purchased this book via "used" selection. I am an Anglo junkie including reading history of early Brits, i.e. Celts. If you enjoy the history of this period (7th Century, after Arthur -- Anglo-Saxons in charge) and also like a little mystery, you might like ABSOLUTION BY MURDER. The plot hangs together well, although the identity of the perpetrator was obvious to me from the gitgo. The characters, including Fidelma, are not well developed, but perhaps the reader will learn more as she goes along. I did not find Sister Fidelma nearly as interesting as Cadfael, let alone Miss Marple.I found this story comparable to those by Candace Robb who writes the Owen Archer series, although the APOTHECARY ROSE was much better. If you like Archer, you will probably like Fidelma.
Rating: 
Summary: Sister Fidelma beats them all!
Review: I stumbled across the first "Sister Fidelma-mystery" quite by accident; and I have never before had a more lucky discovery! Sister Fidelma is Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Father Brown all rolled into one as well as being the female equivalent to the role played by Sean Connery in "name of the rose". Tremayne writes in a style, which can only be compared to that of Agatha Christie, - with one MAJOR difference though: Where Agatha Christie often let her victims die a hoffifying death by poisoning; Tremayne displays a taste for variation: The first victim in this particular book thus meets her untimely death by throatcutting, another one is drowned in wine, and a third is hanged. I very much like the way Tremayne entertains as well as teaches at the same time. While I read this book, I learned more about the Irish legalsystem in 7th century Ireland, than I ever did at university... I have now read all but one "Sister Fidelma-mystery", and I hope that I will not be reading the last but merely the latest!
Rating:
Summary: Sister Fidelma beats them all!
Review: I stumbled across the first "Sister Fidelma-mystery" quite by accident; and I have never before had a more lucky discovery! Sister Fidelma is Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Father Brown all rolled into one as well as being the female equivalent to the role played by Sean Connery in "name of the rose". Tremayne writes in a style, which can only be compared to that of Agatha Christie, - with one MAJOR difference though: Where Agatha Christie often let her victims die a hoffifying death by poisoning; Tremayne displays a taste for variation: The first victim in this particular book thus meets her untimely death by throatcutting, another one is drowned in wine, and a third is hanged. I very much like the way Tremayne entertains as well as teaches at the same time. While I read this book, I learned more about the Irish legalsystem in 7th century Ireland, than I ever did at university... I have now read all but one "Sister Fidelma-mystery", and I hope that I will not be reading the last but merely the latest!
Rating:
Summary: Fidelma is a Delight !
Review: If you haven't met Sister Fidelna, Brehon, yet - then you've been missing out. I love a good murder mystery and I love a good historical novel and I get them both in Fidelma. This is the first novel in the excellent series from the noted Celtic scholar and once you've read the first you will be addicted. Fidelma herself is a delight and the facinating glimpses into seventh-century Ireland make me eager for more. Don't miss out any longer
Rating:
Summary: Relive the glory of the ancient Celts on the hand of Fidelma
Review: In the first Sister Fidelma mystery, writer Peter Ellis - writing under the pen name of Peter Tremayne - takes us on a fantastic and memorable journey to the time of the rivalries between the ancient Celt and Saxon tribes of England. The mystery is set against the historical background of the debate between the Celtic and Roman Church factions at Whitby back in AD 664. Oswy, the current King of Northumbria, has called this big assembly at Streoneshalh Abbey, a place directed by his cousin, the Abbess Hilda. Important representatives and religieuses from all over Ireland, Britain and Rome are arriving at the Abbey with the purpose of determining once and for all which Church the Kingdom of Northumbria will follow. Sister Fidelma, an advocate of the courts of Ireland, is also in attendance. When she arrives, she meets with her long time friend, Abbess Étain of Kildare. Known for her culture and eloquence, she is to be the opener speaker for the Celtic faction. However, when the debate opens, Abbess Étain's seat is empty. A few moments later, she is found dead in her cubiculum, her throat slashed. It is immediately suspected that the opposition would be the culprit, but is it? And more importantly, how to prove it? The King of Northumbria, on learning about Fidelma's position as a dálaigh of the Irish Courts, urges her to bring the murderer to justice. Since rumours are already starting to circulate, no time is to be lost. The country is on the brink of Civil War. Fidelma agrees, and in so doing she accepts the condition imposed by the King of having the crime investigated in conjunction with a representative of the Roman faction, a Saxon by the name of Brother Eadulf. Thus forms one of the most famous partnerships in history for the purpose of solving crimes. Fidelma and Eadulf, even though at first they resent each other, grow attached to one another in the end. They feel a great affinity and are a perfect match. As the Manchester Evening News put it, Sister Fidelma is "quite a girl." Eadulf is delighted in his task of a companion who offers support, but is clearly Fidelma who decides on the best course of action. The pair work smoothly together and, in the end, they both realize how much one supported the other. The historical setting, the descriptions of the Abbey and the customs of the period deserve a mention of their own. Ellis is a scholar of the period, having written numerous volumes about the ancient Celts, the Druids and other early tribes; and one can tell he knows his task as if he had actually lived in the period. I found fascinating the fact that in the ancient Irish Church celibacy was not contemplated, or that women in ancient Ireland had as many possibilities to hold a Public Office rank as men. Also unlike nowadays, a Public position was based on merit, not heredity. This is a most promising series that I would like to see made into a mini-series of some sort in the future, such as Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael. There's a lot of detail and material to cover, and I cannot wait for the second installment, where, as per the end of this one, Sister Fidelma finds herself fortuitously on her road to Rome... accompanying Brother Eadulf's party.
Rating: 
Summary: a predictable mystery
Review: Much like the means of transportation in this novel's 7th century setting, Peter Tremayne's Murder by Absolution moves slowly. It is predictable and densely-written. Tremayne's characters are largely bland and uninteresting. Notable in this respect is Brother Eodulf, whose sole purpose in the novel seems to be a straight man who provides all the obvious--and obviously wrong--solutions to the mystery.
The only compelling element in this novel is its protagonist, Sister Fidelma. She is a surprisingly strong female character, especially given the 7th century setting. However, the author's stereotyping of her as a fiery Irish woman diminishes an otherwise interesting character.
Perhaps worst of all, Murder by Absolution commits the sin of being a predictable mystery. I knew halfway through the book who had commited the murders.
If you like historic settings for your mysteries, you're better off going elsewhere. My suggestion would be Sharon McCrumb's If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him or her equally intriguing She Walks These Hills.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but a bit irritating.
Review: My first impression of this series was that the books were interesting, entertaining, and the balance between mystery and history done fairly well. The plots are sound (if not the theology, though I cannot say I am well informed about the ancient Celts). The main irritation about the books is the writing style, which detracted (at least for me) from Sister Fidelma's adventures. Tremayne's diction is not great. And in the start of every book of his that I've read he describes Fidelma as having "rebellious strands of red hair" peeking out from under her headpiece. That gets tiresome. Even if it is a trademark, he could phrase it differently. Still, the books are a fun read and I would recommend them. I still have to read "The Subtle Serpent" and "The Spider's Web" and "Suffer Little Children".
Rating:
Summary: Interesting view of the Synod of Whitby
Review: Peter Tremayne is the pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, author of "The Druids" and other historical Celtic works. This mystery was a good story in the vein of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but I found his description of the Synod of Whitby, when England rejected the Celtic Church in favor of the Roman, to be very interesting. Tremayne/Ellis indicated King Oswy's decision to follow Rome was based more on political considerations than on a superstition that St. Peter might keep him out of heaven if he chose the church of St. Columba. His presentation of Sister Fidelma as a "liberated" woman of Irish faith caused me to imagine what might have happened if Oswy had made a different choice. Those interested in Celtic Christianity will find this a fun book that gives a different slant on the historical decision of Oswy. I'll be interested in comparing it with historical sources to find how much is fiction and how much is fact. The story was fun, and the history was intriguing.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting view of the Synod of Whitby
Review: Peter Tremayne is the pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, author of "The Druids" and other historical Celtic works. This mystery was a good story in the vein of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but I found his description of the Synod of Whitby, when England rejected the Celtic Church in favor of the Roman, to be very interesting. Tremayne/Ellis indicated King Oswy's decision to follow Rome was based more on political considerations than on a superstition that St. Peter might keep him out of heaven if he chose the church of St. Columba. His presentation of Sister Fidelma as a "liberated" woman of Irish faith caused me to imagine what might have happened if Oswy had made a different choice. Those interested in Celtic Christianity will find this a fun book that gives a different slant on the historical decision of Oswy. I'll be interested in comparing it with historical sources to find how much is fiction and how much is fact. The story was fun, and the history was intriguing.
Rating:
Summary: Good historical whodunit saturated with Celtic history.
Review: Sister Fidelma is a feisty young Irish Columban nun whose training in Brehon (traditional Irish) law makes her an excellent puzzle solver and logical thinker. As the tumultuous period of 7th century Ireland and England enters its final quarter, the Celtic Christian church and Roman Christian church are embroiled in a bitter battle over religious doctrine. Had the Celtic church not given up the practices established by St. Columcille (Columba), there might well be three major divisions instead of two in the Catholic church today (the two being Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox). However, Sister Fidelma is faced with solving a violent death that takes place during a religious conference called in the hope of resolving some of the differences, and the success of the conference may depend on her success as a detective. Assisted by a young Saxon monk who follows Roman doctrine, she uncovers a far more complex story than first appears. A delightful, well-told tale that is a little lacking in character development but should be of great interest to readers of the Brother Cadfael series. It's a pleasure to find a book about Celts that is not riddled with powerful Druids and mystical places and other fantasy elements.
|
