Rating: 
Summary: Great premise, marred by pedestrian writing style
Review: I find this book and the other Sister Fidelma mysteries terribly frustrating because they have all the ingredients of a terrific series, yet do not come alive as they could because of Tremayne's shortcomings as a fiction writer. The Spider's Web has a wonderful setting--Ireland in the 7th century--and two potentially beguiling protagonists. Sister Fidelma is an advocate of the law courts, as well as a nun. As a woman lawyer myself, I can only envy Fidelma's endless aplomb and incisive mind as she investigates the murder of Eber, a chieftain whom, it turns out, virtually every other character has a reason to hate. Moen, a deaf, mute and blind young man who was adopted by Eber's sister, is found at the bedside of the murdered man with a bloody knife in his hand. Fidelma, however, is convinced that Moen is innocent. A kind of Dark Ages Helen Keller, Moen turns out to be highly intelligent and sensitive, and able to communicate via letters traced on his hand. The plot is complex--perhaps a bit too much so--and involves a hidden gold mine, incest, innocent young love, social snobbery, cattle raiding, and more. In her investigations, Fidelma is assisted by her friend Brother Eadulf, a Saxon brother of a serious turn of mind, frequently baited and teased by Fidelma. As the author informs us in his historical introduction, celibacy was by no means the rule in either the Celtic or Roman churches at this time, although the Roman church encouraged it. Eadulf and Fidelma obviously have feelings that are more than platonic for each other, which adds a little spice to the plot. And therein lies the problem. Tremayne has serious shortcomings as a fiction stylist. His editors must be asleep at the switch, for he makes repeated grammatical errors. Further, his style is monotonous and repetitive. He has an unaccountable fondness for the verb "grimace", which he uses indiscriminately when his characters express any negative emotion. In the case of Eadulf and Fidelma's relationship, he seems incapable of showing us their feelings through words and actions; rather, he tells us how Fidelma feels in a paragraph late in the novel, as Eadulf lies ill after a poisoning attempt. This clumsiness with character development, and overall wooden style, keep this series from realizing its full potential.
Rating:
Summary: A Rather Disjointed Story
Review: I really like the Sister Fidelma series, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others that I've read. I found the story strangely disjointed, and the storyline didn't flow smoothly to me. The premise is a good one. Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf are summoned to a neighbouring shire to discover who killed the chief. It was thought that a poor deaf, dumb and blind young man did it since he was found in the bedchamber with the knife that killed the Chief, and covered in his blood. But Sister Fidelma dug deeper and found a family so filled with hatred, deceit and lies that it was quite frightening! She peserveres and uncovers the killer, but not before four more bodies turn up dead. And Brother Eadulf was his usual dolty self. Don't really know why we have him in these stories - a romantic interest for Sister Fidelma?
Rating:
Summary: A Rather Disjointed Story
Review: I really like the Sister Fidelma series, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others that I've read. I found the story strangely disjointed, and the storyline didn't flow smoothly to me. The premise is a good one. Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf are summoned to a neighbouring shire to discover who killed the chief. It was thought that a poor deaf, dumb and blind young man did it since he was found in the bedchamber with the knife that killed the Chief, and covered in his blood. But Sister Fidelma dug deeper and found a family so filled with hatred, deceit and lies that it was quite frightening! She peserveres and uncovers the killer, but not before four more bodies turn up dead. And Brother Eadulf was his usual dolty self. Don't really know why we have him in these stories - a romantic interest for Sister Fidelma?
Rating: 
Summary: Single Minded Sleuth
Review: If Sister Fidelma buttonholed me at a party I would probably chew my lapel off to escape. Not that I didn't like the book-- I did, but she is a relentless and single minded character. And poor Brother Eadulf the Saxon-- always having to play Watson to Fidelma's Sherlock Holmes.In this book she gets to be Judge, Advocate, Forensic Pathologist, Botanist and an expert at unarmed combat. Eadulf, on the other hand, sort of follows along providing occasional backup. While I'm not sure that I totally agree with Tremayne's view of 7th century Ireland, the books give a good view of a time and place not usually dealt with in light fiction. The homicide body count in Araglin is quite high, not to mention other assorted lesser crimes from cattle stealing to allowing your animals to trespass on a neighbor's land and defecate there (very disapproved of). But depend on Sister Fidelma to sort things out!
Rating:
Summary: Single Minded Sleuth
Review: If Sister Fidelma buttonholed me at a party I would probably chew my lapel off to escape. Not that I didn't like the book-- I did, but she is a relentless and single minded character. And poor Brother Eadulf the Saxon-- always having to play Watson to Fidelma's Sherlock Holmes. In this book she gets to be Judge, Advocate, Forensic Pathologist, Botanist and an expert at unarmed combat. Eadulf, on the other hand, sort of follows along providing occasional backup. While I'm not sure that I totally agree with Tremayne's view of 7th century Ireland, the books give a good view of a time and place not usually dealt with in light fiction. The homicide body count in Araglin is quite high, not to mention other assorted lesser crimes from cattle stealing to allowing your animals to trespass on a neighbor's land and defecate there (very disapproved of). But depend on Sister Fidelma to sort things out!
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining Celtic historical mystery
Review: In the middle of seventh century Ireland, King Colgu sends his sibling, Sister Fidelma, to Araglin to investigate the murder of the local chieftain Eber. A witness saw Moen, a deaf mute, holding the murder weapon, a knife, near the corpse. Also killed is Eber's sister Teafa. Fidelma accompanied by Brother Eadulf travel to the crime scene. They quickly learn that the villagers believe Moen killed the two victims in a fit of rage. Fidelma has problems with that theory because the two deceased showed kindness towards the prime suspect. Teafa raised Moen as if he was her child. The two sleuths begin to wonder who had motives and would most benefit by the deaths of Eber and Teafa. However, no one seems to want to cooperate. Disruptions, sometimes nearly fatal, appears to be the prime intent of the townsfolk. Still, Fidelma and Eadulf continue to search for the killer. SPIDER'S WEB, the fifth Sister Fidelma novel, is an engaging Celtic mystery. The story line is very intriguing when tidbits of seventh century Irish culture are presented and fully woven into the plot. Fidelma is a fully developed character, whose motives center on her religion and her belief in justice as expected of an advocate of the law courts. The villagers seem a bit thin, but fans of historical mysteries will receive enjoyment from Peter Tremayne's entire series. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: The Spider's Web
Review: One of the better Sister Fidelma mystery novels. The chieftain of Araglin, Eber is found savagely murdered; and a young man who happens to be blind, deaf and mute, Moen, is found drenched in blood by his side. Later, Eber's sister, Teafa, who was the primary caretaker of Moen, is also found murdered. The people of Araglin would like nothing better than to hold Moen responsible of both murders, firmly believing that he killed both Eber and Teafa in a fit of madness. However Sister Fidelma is not so sanguine. And as she is an advocate of the law, she feels compelled to investigate matters so as to set her mind at rest. In this she is ably assissted by her friend Brother Eadulf. However the pair soon find that trying to discover the truth is no easy matter. The people of Araglin are suspicious and insular in outlook, and completely unimpressed by Fidelma's status or her mission to find out what really happened. Add to this the issues of cattle raiding and the discovery of a hidden gold mine whose legal ownership is deeply contested, and you have an intriguing and complex novel that is a treat to read. My problem with the Sister Fidelma mysteries is not the dense prose style but rather the forced realtionship of Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf. I enjoy their verbal sparring, especially when they are arguing the merits and demerits of their respective churches (the Celtic Church & the Roman Church). However for quite a while, I've sensed that Peter Tremayne is trying to force a kind of romantic realtionship between the two. Since both characters are members of religious orders, the only outcome of this would be something along the lines of the Catherine LeVendeur series by Sharan Newman, where Catherine and Edgar left their respective orders to marry. And I sincerely hope that this does not happen to Sister Fidelma as I feel her strength lies in the fact that she is a nun as well as an advocate. A good mystery and an enjoyable read barring the forced attempt at romance.
Rating:
Summary: Temayne weaves a tale of mystery
Review: Peter Tremayne in his book The Spider's Web continues his Sister Fidelma series set in seventh century Ireland. This series contains a great many details and insight into life at that time. Tremayne accurately describes life in a village, the belief system held and many of the prejudices of these villagers. Fidelma is an astute sleuth and is relentless in her pursuit of the truth. She comes to life in this series. Tremayne describes her so well that you know her reactions to many situations. While his books are bound by a formula it is one that I love and can read again and again. If you are a fan of medieval history, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Temayne weaves a tale of mystery
Review: Peter Tremayne in his book The Spider's Web continues his Sister Fidelma series set in seventh century Ireland. This series contains a great many details and insight into life at that time. Tremayne accurately describes life in a village, the belief system held and many of the prejudices of these villagers. Fidelma is an astute sleuth and is relentless in her pursuit of the truth. She comes to life in this series. Tremayne describes her so well that you know her reactions to many situations. While his books are bound by a formula it is one that I love and can read again and again. If you are a fan of medieval history, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Which Age is the Dark One?
Review: Peter Tremayne presents us with an admirable protagonist in the figure of Sister Fidelma, a nun as well as an officer of the ancient Irish courts. Tremayne's didactic purpose becomes somewhat tiresome in the narrative, as Sister Fidelma repeatedly stops to explain Irish custom and law to Brother Edulf, her sidekick from England. However, The Spider's Web ultimately succeeds in presenting us with an interesting mystery set in a land more foreign than any of us could ever hope to find. As the plot unfolds, the reader meets a fascinating cast of characters who live in seventh-century Ireland. In Tremayne's picture, this was a cultured, ordered society with many virtues that we would love to have in our world. Equal rights for women is a given, as is protection for those who are infirm or disabled. Succession was based on merit, not on mere order of birth. Christianity as practiced by these Irish was an embracing, accepting creed miles away from Augustine's influence. This is the genteel time we encounter, and it is not dark at all. Yet, even in this wonderful society there is plenty of malfeasance and treachery. In this tale, we follow Sister Fidelma as she investigates a murder in the Irish countryside. As the plot unfolds, prejudices are cast aside and the only certain thing is that the truth is not obvious. I enjoyed reading this book and learning a bit about how ancient Ireland might have been. We are fortunate to have a guide to a land that many of us never before knew existed. I hope that there will be many more mysteries for Sister Fidelma to investigate, and I will go along for the ride each time.
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