Peter Tremayne Books In Order

Absolution by Murder

As the leading churchmen and women gather at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD to debate the rival merits of the Celtic and Roman Churches, tempers begin to fray. Conspirators plot an assassination, while mysterious, violent death stalks the shadowy cloisters of the Abbey of St Hilda. When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered suspicion inevitably rests on the Roman faction. Attending the Synod is Fidelma, of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. As an advocate of the Brehon Court, she is called on to investigate the murder with Brother Eadulf, of the Roman faction. However, the two are so unlike that their partnership is described as that of a wolf and a fox but which is which? More gruesome deaths follow and the friction among the clerics could end in civil war. Can the solution to the mysteries avert such a conflict?

Shroud for the Archbishop

Wighard, archbishop designate of Canterbury, has been discovered garrotted in his chambers in the Lateran Palace in Rome in the autumn of AD 664. The solution to this terrible crime appears simple as the palace guards have arrested Brother Ronan Ragallach, as he fled from Wighard’s chamber. Although the Irish monk denies responsibility, Bishop Gelasius is convinced the crime is political and that Wighard was slain in pique at the triumph of the pro Roman Anglo Saxon clergy in their debate with the pro Columba Irish clergy at Whitby. There is also a matter of missing treasure: the goodwill gifts Wighad had brought with him to Rome and the priceless chalices sent for the Holy Father Vitalian’s blessings have all been stolen. Bishop Gelasius realises that Wighard’s murder could lead to war between the Saxon and Irish kingdoms if Ronan is accused without independent evidence. So he invites Sister Fidelma of Kildare and Brother Eadulf to investigate. But more deaths must follow before Fidelma is finally able to put together the strange jigsaw in this tale of evil and vengeance.

Suffer Little Children

In the mid 7th Century AD, the Venerable Dacan, a much respected and beloved scholar of the Celtic Church, has been found murdered while on a visit to a remote abbey in the Irish Kingdom of Muman. When Dacan’s foul death is used by a neighbouring kingdom to demand reparation from Muman, bloody war seems imminent. Summoned by Muman’s dying king to investigate, Sister Fidelma is asked to solve the mystery of the brutal killing and by doing so to prevent the inevitable war breaking out between the two opposing kingdoms. She sets out for the remote abbey with a warrior named Cass and very little time. But there are more sinister forces at work behind Dacan’s death than just political intrigue…

The Subtle Serpent

In the fourth book in this acclaimed Irish medieval mystery series, Sister Fidelma investigates a murder at a remote abbey, only to encounter the strange disappearance of a ship and its entire crew…
‘The literary successor to Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael.’ Southern Star Ireland’One of the most intriguing new characters in detective fiction.’ Book & Magazine Collector’A hero*ine whom many readers will willingly follow.’ Kirkus ReviewsSister Fidelma is ‘brilliant and beguiling.’ Publishers Weekly This is the fourth book in the acclaimed Irish medieval mystery series The popular Sister Fidelma has been featured in stories in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Mammoth Book of Historical Mysteries, and Great Irish Detective Stories

The Spider’s Web

In the spring of 666 A.D., Sister Fidelma is summoned to the small Irish village of Araglin. An advocate of the Brehon law courts as well as a religieuse, she is to investigate the murder of the local chieftain. While traveling there with her friend Brother Eadulf, a band of brigands attacks the roadside hostel in which they are staying and attempts to burn them out. While Fidelman and Eadulf manage to beat back their attackers, this incident is only the first in a series that troubles them. When they arrive at Araglin, they find out that the chieftain was murdered in the middle of the night, and next to his body, a local deaf mute man was found holding the bloody knife that killed him. While everyone else seems convinced that the man’s guilt is obvious, sister Fidelma is not so sure. As she investigates, she’s convinced that there is something happening in the seemingly quiet town something that everyone is trying very hard to keep from her. In what may be the most challenging and confusing situation that she has yet faced, Fidelma must somehow uncover the truth behind the chieftain’s murderer and find out what is really going on beneath the quiet surface of this rural town.

Valley of the Shadow

Sister Fidelma has been sent by her brother, king of Cashel, to Laisre, chieftain of Gleann Geis the ‘forbidden valley’ to negotiate permission to build a Christian church and school in his territory, replacing the pagan Druidic sanctuaries. Laisre is known to be hostile to the new religion, and Fidelma knows her mission will be no easy task. Entering Gleann Geis with the Saxon Brother Eadulf, she comes across the naked, slain bodies of thirty three young men, positioned in a sunwise circle. Each body bears the marks of stabbing and garrotting; every skull has been smashed. Who is reponsible for such evil, if not the heathen Laisre?

The Monk Who Vanished

In September of 666 A.D., an aged monk and a set of relics disappear during the night from the Abbey of Imleach. The missing monk is a matter of great concern for the abbey. But the relics are a disaster of a much higher order. They are the priceless holy relics of St. Ailbe, the man who, in the fifth century, brought Christianity to the Irish kingdom of Muman, converted and baptized it’s king, and founded the abbey. The relics themselves are the political symbol of the entire kingdom and their disappearance threatens to disrupt its continued peace and stability. On a visit to the Abbey of Imleach, Sister Fidelma, sister to Colgu, the current King of Muman, and an advocate of the Brehon Courts, is asked to investigate. With the help of her friend and traveling companion, the Saxon monk Brother Eadulf, Fidelma begins to slowly unravel the mystery behind the twin disappearances. But there are dark forces at work, which will stop at nothing even murder to achieve their aims.

Act of Mercy

In the late autumn of 666 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel an advocate of the Brehon Courts, sister to the King of Cashel, and religieuse of the Celtic Church is at a crossroads. Needing to reflect upon her commitment to the religious life and her relationship to the Saxon monk Eadulf, she leaves Eadulf behind and joins a small band sailing from Ireland on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James in modern day Spain. Her first surprise on board is the appearance of Cian, her first love, a man who had deserted her ten years ago, and who stirs up memories she’d rather forget. As if this wasn’t complication enough, on the first night out the ship is tossed by a turbulent sea and a pilgrim disappears, apparently washed overboard. But the appearance of a blood stained robe raises the possibility of murder and death continues to dog the tiny band of pilgrims trapped within the close confines of the ship. Battling against the antagonism of her fellow pilgrims, Fidelma is determined to solve this most perplexing of puzzles before the ship reaches the shrine and the killer, if there is one, disappears forever.

Our Lady Of Darkness

In mid seventh century Ireland, Sister Fidelma of Cashel sister to the King of Muman, an advocate of Brehon Courts, and religieuse of the Celtic Church returns hastily from a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James. The news that brings her back is that her companion and friend, the Saxon monk Brother Eadulf, is under arrest for a serious crime in the neighboring kingdom of Laigin. Riding furiously through hostile territory, she arrives only to find out she is too late. Eadulf has already been tried and found guilty of the murder of a young girl. Even worse, Laigin’s king has abandoned the traditional judicial code of Ireland in favor of the ecclesiastical Penitential from Rome and under this code he is to be executed the following morning. Convinced that her friend is innocent, Fidelma has only twenty four hours before his execution to come up with evidence persuasive enough to sway the king into allowing an appeal of Eadulf’s conviction. Facing a king determined to make an example of Eadulf and an old adversary of her own, Fidelma soon realizes that nothing is as it was portrayed, and behind the heinous crime is an even more shocking conspiracy. Now, Fidelma must unravel her most perplexing puzzle before time runs out for her closest companion.

Smoke in the Wind

In seventh century Ireland, then the light of reason in a darkening world, Fidelma a religious, advocate of the Brehon courts, and sister to the King of Muman is an increasingly notable figure often called upon for her wisdom, legal knowledge, and devotion to the truth. While journeying with companion Eadulf to visit the new Archbishop of Canterbury, their ship is blown badly off course and the pair find themselves on the coast of modern Wales in the kingdom of Dyfed. There, hosted by the king himself, Fidelma is presented with her knottiest problem yet an entire monastic community from the nearby countryside has disappeared without a trace. While investigating this seeming impossibility, Fidelma and Eadulf are confronted with the apparently unrelated and shocking murder of a local girl a death marked by more tragedy and consequence than anyone could have imagined. Peter Tremayne’s novels featuring Fidelma of Cashel have won critical praise from around the world and have enjoyed an ever increasing readership. Smoke in the Wind is a richly imagined, wonderfully written entry in what is understandably one of the most popular historical series today.

The Haunted Abbot

As they are preparing to return to Ireland, Fidelma and Brother Eadulf receive a mysterious summons. Eadulf’s childhood friend, Brother Botulf, has requested their presence at Aldred’s Abbey at midnight on the old pagan feast of Yule. Fidelma and Eadulf battle against the harsh winter storms to arrive in time, only to find they are too late. Botulf is dead killed by an unknown hand. As they struggle to comprehend this staggering news, it soon becomes clear that the murder of this young monk is not the only trouble facing the abbey. The abbey is haunted by the ghost of a young woman a woman some say bears a startling likeness to the Abbot Cild’s dead wife. But can Fidelma and Eadulf discover the truth before they themselves fall victim to the danger which pervades the abbey walls?

Badger’s Moon

In October of 667 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel sister to the one of kings of Ireland, a religieuse of the Celtic Church, and an advocate of the Brehon courts is struggling with her most challenging role yet, that of mother to her infant son Alchu. So it is with mixed feelings that she receives the summons from Abbot Brogan. There have been a series of shocking murders that have terrorized the villagers near the Abbey of Finbarr; three young girls have been violently slaughtered one per month of the night of the full moon, the most recent only days before during the Badger’s Moon, October’s full moon. The villagers are angrily demanding answers from the abbey, who are housing three visitors from faraway strangers who the villagers believe are behind the gruesome murders. As a respected Brehon, Fidelma, along with her companion Brother Eadulf, is dispatched by her brother the king to restore order to the panicked village and investigate the killings. But time is running out and Fidelma must act quickly, uncovering the complicated truth before the next full moon comes and the lunatic killer strikes again. ‘Authentically detailed, this suspenseful period piece blends elements of spiritual, cultural, and economic intrigue into a historical whodunit featuring a remarkably timeless hero*ine.’ Booklist

The Leper’s Bell

In November of 667 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel has returned home to her brother’s castle to discover that a servant, her son’s nurse, has been found brutally murdered in the woods near town, and her son is missing, presumed kidnapped or worse. Sister Fidelma, sister to king of Muman in Ireland, an advocate of the Brehon courts, and a religieuse of the Celtic Church, and her husband Brother Eadulf now must face their most personal and baffling case ever. Is there a traitor at her brother’s court? Are the Ui Fidgente, the old blood enemies of Fidelma’s family, involved? And what is the role of the mysterious dwarf seen leaving the kingdom carrying a leper’s bell? With few clues and precious little time, Fidelma must unravel this complicated puzzle in time to rescue her missing child.

Master of Souls

In January of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel sister to the king of Muman, an advocate of the Brehon law courts and a religieuse in the Celtic Church is called to investigate the brutal murder of Abbess Faife and the mysterious disappearance of six young female religieuse accompanying her on a short pilgrimage away from her abbey. When Sister Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf, arrive they find that there has been another death under mysterious circumstances, one of the senior scholars of the abbey has been bludgeoned to death. These two seemingly unrelated deaths and the further mysteries of the trade ship lured to its doom on the rocky western shore of Ireland and the rumored figure of ‘The Master of Souls‘ wrecking havoc and raising rebellion combine to create on the the most perplexing mysteries ever faced by the redoubtable Fidelma.

A Prayer for the Damned

In February of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel and her companion Eadulf are about to get married. Again. Their initial trial marriage of a year and a day has ended and they are about to embark on a permanent partnership. As the sister to the King of Muman, Fidelma’s marriage ceremony is a major event in the kingdom of Ireland and the High King, as well as kings of the other Irish kingdoms and other major figures are going to be in attendance. One not so welcome guest is the fanatical Abbot Ultan, who advocates the radical position of celebacy for all religieuse and feels that Sister Fidelma’s upcoming nuptials are an abomination. On the eve of the ceremony, Abbot Ultan is found murdered in his chamber. Worse still, one of the most distinguished guests, the King of Connacht, has been seen fleeing from the scene and is charged with the murder. Quickly Fidelma, who is appointed in the King’s defense, discovers that Abbot Ultan is not the pious man he was thought to be, and has numerous enemies amongst those assembled for the wedding. Her wedding delayed, the high born guests restless and querulous, and the murder and it’s aftermath threatening to cause chaos throughout the Kingdom, it’s up to Fidelma to uncover the murderer and the truth behind the murder itself if the often tenuouos peace of 7th century Ireland is to be maintained.

Dancing with Demons

‘Tremayne writes so authentically about this remote time period that readers will feel they are there in every way…
a delight!’ Library Journal starred review on Master of Souls ‘The action is tense and gripping…
a compelling, enjoyable adventure.’ The Philadelphia Inquirer on The Monk Who Vanished In the late 7th Century, the High King of Ireland is killed at night in the middle of his compound. Who killed him is not in question there are unimpeachable witnesses that point directly to the clan chieftain responsible. Dubh Duin is, after all, found by the High King’s guards in the High King’s bed chamber holding the murder weapon. But with impending civil war in the balance, the motive for the murder becomes of paramount importance. The Chief Brehon of Ireland asks Fidelma of Cashel sister to the King of Muman and a dailagh to investigate. What her investigations reveal is an intricate web of conspiracy and deception that threatens to unbalance the five kingdoms and send them spiralling into a violent and bloody civil war and religious conflict. And it’s up to Fidelma to not only see to justice but to private the violent fracturing of an increasingly fragile peace.

The Council of the Cursed

In A.D. 670 Fidelma of Cashel is asked to act as an advisor to the Irish delegation to a hostile church council. In an abbey in Burgundy, Bishop Leodegar of Autun has assembled church leaders from all over western Europe, intending to use the council to deliver a death blow to the Celtic Church. But his plans are threatened when one of the delgates is found murdered, his skull crushed. Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf, are suddenly in the midst of a murder investigation involving some of the most powerful religious leaders. The duo soon find that between the autocratic Bishop Leodegar and the malignant abbess, Mother Audofleda, a web of sinister intrigue is spreading throughout the abbey. And murder is only the beginning. The theft of a priceless reliquary box, the disappearance of local women and children, and the concurrent rumors of a slave trade all combine to make this one of the most diabolical puzzles that Fidelma and Eadulf have ever faced.

The Dove of Death

The gripping new novel in the internationally renowned Sister Fidelma crime series by Peter Tremayne. AD 670. An Irish merchant ship is attacked by a pirate vessel off the coast of the Breton peninsular. Murchad, the captain, and a prince from the kingdom of Muman, are killed in cold blood after they have surrendered. Among the other passengers who manage to escape the slaughter are Sister Fidelma of Cashel and her faithful companion, Brother Eadulf. The prince was Fidelma’s cousin and she is determined to bring the killers to justice…
The gripping new novel in the internationally renowned Sister Fidelma crime series by Peter Tremayne. AD 670. An Irish merchant ship is attacked by a pirate vessel off the coast of the Breton peninsular. Murchad, the captain, and a prince from the kingdom of Muman, are killed in cold blood after they have surrendered. Among the other passengers who manage to escape the slaughter are Sister Fidelma of Cashel and her faithful companion, Brother Eadulf. The prince was Fidelma’s cousin and she is determined to bring the killers to justice…

The Chalice of Blood

‘If there is anyone who has emerged from the crowded field of medieval mysteries to take the place of the late Ellis Peters, it is Peter Tremayne.’ Denver Post on Master of SoulsIreland AD 670: When an eminent scholar is found murdered in his cell in the Abbey of Lios Mor, fear spreads among his brethren. His door was secured from the inside, with no other means of exit. How did the murderer escape? And what was the content of the manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar’s room? Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion Brother Eadulf to investigate the killing. But even before they reach the abbey walls, there is an attempt on their lives. As the mystery deepens, Fidelma and Eadulf must also wrestle with problems of their own, problems which threaten to separate them forever…

Behold a Pale Horse

A perplexing case of murder and conspiracy in the pagan wilds of Northern ItalyIn 664 A.D., just after the events detailed in Shroud for the Archbishop, Fidelma of Cashel takes a unexpected detour on her trip home from Rome. While in the port at Genua modern day Genoa, Fidelma sister of one Ireland’s kings and an advocate in her country s law courts receives word that one of her old teachers, Brother Ruadan, is reaching the end of his days. Determined to see her old mentor one last time, Fidelma takes the treacherous journey to a remote abbey in the countryside a place where the old pagan religion still has a hold and where even the Christians are often in bloody conflict with each other. But after she hears her dying teacher s last words, Fidelma s most dangerous adventure has just begun. With one murder after the next and a vicious war in the offing, it is up to Fidelma, alone and on her own, to unravel an extraordinary conspiracy before it is too late.

Hemlock at Vespers

Sister Fidelma originally made her debut in short story form. The red haired, sharp witted,and astonishingly wise religieuse captured the hearts of many readers as she successfully tackled the most baffling of crimes in her other role as advocate of the law courts of Ireland, using the ancient Brehon Law system. With its breathtaking range of settings and crimes and its fascinating insights into Celtic culture, Hemlock at Vespers is guaranteed to entertain and intrigue.

Whispers of the Dead

Fidelma of Cashel sister to the King of Muman, a religieuse of the Celtic Church and an advocate of the Brehon courts returns in this new collection of fifteen tales. These stories of murder, mayhem, and mystery are not merely spellbinders but also provide insight into the ways and mores of the complex, fascinating society of seventh century Ireland as well as heretofore unrevealed background details of Fidelma herself.

Kiss of the Cobra

When Sir Keith Chase stumbled upon the sacred crypt of Monasha in West Bengal, it was the archaeological find of the century. What he did not know was that by breaking open the musty burial chamber, he had brought on himself one of the most ancient and terrifying curses known to man.

Swamp!

As one of the worst hurricanes ever to strike Florida menaces the state, a monstrous, flesh eating reptilian creature out of the primitive past emerges from its lair in the Everglade swamps to kill whatever or whomever crosses its path.

Aisling and Other Irish Tales of Terror

Short stories of terror and horror set in Ireland.

An Ensuing Evil and Others

Peter Tremayne is one of the best loved writers of historical mysteries, his novels and stories published in over a dozen countries around the world. An Ensuing Evil collects for the first time fourteen of his historical mysteries ranging in time and place from 7th century Ireland featuring his best known sleuth, Fidelma of Cashel and 8th century Scotland featuring the real life Macbeth to the recent history of Victorian England and beyond. These fourteen tales of murder, mayhem and mystery each display Tremayne’s usual mix of compelling historical detail about the time period and a baffling puzzle that will delight and confound his ever growning legion of fans.

The Un-Dead: The Legend of Bram Stoker and Dracula (With: Peter Haining)

A biography of Bram Stoker.

Irish Masters of Fantasy / The Wondersmith and Other Macabre Tales

Readers of fantasy have always been aware of the Celtic influences on the development of fantasy literature. Irish writers, in particular, have had the most proffound effect on fantasy writing and especially on the macabre fantasy tale. In fact six of the giants of fantasy writing are Irish, and it is their work that is represented in this anthology: Charles R Maturin, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Fitzjames O’Brien, Bram Stoker, M.P. Shiel, and Lord Dunsay.

Royal Whodunnits

To follow the successes of Classical Whodunnits and Shakespearean Whodunnits, popular anthologist Mike Ashley has specially commissioned more than a score of new stories from top drawer writers, lead by Stephen Baxter, Peter Tremayne, Margaret Frazer, Richard Lupoff, Susanna Gregory, and Tom Holt, for his latest page turning anthology. Regal detectives and victims in these tales include Mary Queen of Scots, George IV, Edward Duke of Windsor, King John, Robert the Bruce, Princess Anastasia of Russia, Victoria’s beloved consort Prince Albert.

My Sherlock Holmes

For over a century, readers have thrilled to the exploits of Sherlock Holmes as told from the point of view of Dr. Watson. But do Watson’s tales really tell the true story of the Great Detective? In this collection of thirteen original tales, each narrated by a side character from the original canon, another side of the legend is revealed. From what Inspector Lestrade really thought about Holmes to Holmes’ untold encounter with the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, from the bitter reminiscences of C. Auguste Dupin to the thoughts of his long term landlady, Mrs. Hudson, the long standing veil of mystery over Sherlock Holmes is finally lifted.

From the imaginations of Barbara Hambly, Cara Black, Peter Tremayne, Richard Lupoff, and Michael Kurland, among others, another side of the famous fictional detective is finally revealed.