On the road again with Sister Fidelma (The Subtle Serpent, 1998,
etc.), a judge - or Brehon - in seventh-century Ireland whose
brother is King of Cashel. Fidelma's just settled a case in which
Archu of Araglin was given his rightful share of land against a
claim made by his cousin Muadnat. Now comes news that Eber,
Chieftain of Araglin, has been murdered by Moen, a deaf, dumb, and
blind creature raised by Teafla, who has also been slain. Fidelma
is to travel to Araglin in the company of Saxon monk Eadulf (Shroud
for the Archbishop, 1996, etc.) to investigate. On arrival at the
chieftain's quarters, she's coldly greeted by Eber's daughter Cron
and scarcely more cordially by father Gorman, Roman-influenced
religious head of the community. Taken to see the prisoner Moen,
Fidelma is appalled by the squalor of his imprisonment and loses no
time in finding the aged mountain recluse Gadra, who can
communicate with Moen by a system of finger signals. Moen denies
having anything to do with the killings, and Fidelma believes him.
Meanwhile, other deaths are happening in mysterious circumstances;
there's an attempt to poison Fidelma and Eadulf, which almost
succeeds in Eadulf's case; a band of cattle thieves keeps turning
up; and there's talk of a gold mine in the nearby mountains.
Despite all, Fidelma manages to get at a truth. Tremayne's
inability to economize - on plots, subplots, villains, heroes, and
minor characters, to say nothing of flora and fauna - makes for a
long haul: lively in spots but, overall, a test of endurance.
(Kirkus Reviews)
Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma is faced with a challenging and
disturbing case to investigate in THE SPIDER'S WEB, Peter
Tremayne's fifth unputdownable Celtic mystery. PRAISE FOR THE
SISTER FIDELMA SERIES: 'The background detail is brilliantly
defined . . . wonderfully evocative' The Times, 'A brilliant and
beguiling heroine. Immensely appealing' Publishers Weekly Ebert is
not a man to make enemies. He is a chieftain with a reputation for
kindliness and generosity. Yet, one night, his household is aroused
by a scream from his chamber. The servants burst in to find Moen, a
young man to whom Eber had extended his protection, crouched over
the bloody body of the chieftain. Moen's clothes are drenched in
Eber's blood and he is clutching a bloodstained knife in his hand.
There seems no doubt of culpability, but why did Moen kill the
gentle and courteous Eber? The problem is exacerbated by the fact
that Moen himself cannot tell them - for he is deaf, dumb and
blind... Sister Fidelma, advocate of the ancient Irish law courts,
is compelled to begin an investigation of the killing in order to
present an argument on Moen's behalf before he is condemned.
Assisted by Brother Eadulf, Fidelma finds that the path to truth
twists and turns with the sinister forces of primitive passions and
subtle ambitions - and leads inexorably to a final, stunning
denouement. What readers are saying about THE SPIDER'S WEB:
'Another great read, full of interesting insight into the times,
the prejudices and superstitions, whilst playing out the complex
details of the plot' 'Peter Tremayne has woven a very clever story
with as many paths as the web of a spider. Beautiful' 'The Sister
Fidelma mysteries are absolutely the best'
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