Prophet of Blood: Sister Fidelma Mysteries Book 35
Prophet of Blood is the thirty-fifth novel in Peter Tremayne’s highly successful series of mystery books featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma. The very fact that the series has not yet run out of steam is itself testament to Tremayne’s skill as a storyteller.
The year is 672 AD. At the remote abbey of Dair Inis, Abbot Brocc encounters a mysterious figure cloaked in grey who prophesies his imminent death. Naturally perturbed by this, the Abbot sends for Sister Fidelma for advice, but he is murdered before she arrives. It falls on Fidelma to get to the bottom of it all, assisted by her husband, Eadulf, and her trusty bodyguard, Dego.
Fidelma is an expert in Brehon law, a dálaigh, and she brings a rational and legalistic perspective to the unfolding events. Fidelma’s questions to the various participants that she meets along the way help the reader to understand the issues at stake which are deftly explored through the narrative. We find ourselves in a world where the Old and the New are in collision, where Christianity has started to lay its roots but where the older pagan beliefs refuse to be silenced. Fidelma must also deal with the consequences of an unsuccessful rebellion by local clans against their Eóganachta overlords in Cashel. As Fidelma and her companions travel further west in their search for answers, they enter hostile territory where law, order and Christian compassion give way to a darker, less certain, world of Druidism, bardic lore and supernatural prophecy.
It is no surprise that Peter Tremayne is the pen name of Peter Berresford Ellis, the respected Celtic scholar. The narrative carries its learning lightly, but there is a fascinating depth of historical information about ancient Ireland on every page. Nonetheless, the story is also absolutely engaging and overall a very satisfying and enjoyable read.
