Suffer Little Children

I've read all of these before, this is a gradual run through the series again. I'm not sure that I feel the same about them now as I did. The setting remains intriguing, 7th Century Ireland being a very different place. But I did find myself getting somewhat irritated at Fidelma. In this book her usual sidekick, Eadulf, is missing and I'm not sure that it works as well without him. She is a woman of status, sister to the king, highly educated, and a nun. It's a mixture that makes her quite exceptional and she uses it blithely, it's a little bit arrogant and I found it a bit irritating.
The mystery is complicated enough, and is muddled by more than one thread of motive by different parties. It is quite unpleasant at times, with children show more being murdered. I'm not sure it works as well now as it did when I read them initially, but that is probably me. show less

A mystery set in seventh-century Ireland; one of a series featuring the intelligent and feisty Sister Fidelma.
I haven't read any of the others, but this definitely worked as a stand-alone book. Fidelma, as an investigator with a good reputation, is asked to go to an abbey and investigate the murder of a venerable scholar who was studying at the renowned library there. But on the way, she encounters a group of raiders slaughtering the inhabitants of an entire village. Inheritance, old feuds and personal animosities all come up as Fidelma puts her talents to work... not to mention a growing toll of fatalities and atrocities... Can she solve the mystery and bring about justice for the slaughtered innocents before the High King arrives?
The show more book, I felt, does occasionally fall into the trap that so many historical mysteries do, of having the investigation proceed in very much the way that a modern criminal investigation would, rather than how it would have in the historical context. But still, Tremayne (Peter Berresford Ellis) is obviously quite knowledgable about Celtic history, and succeeds in creating an atmosphere redolent of ancient Ireland. show less

I really enjoyed this episode in the Sister Fidelma series. She is an interesting character in a time period and place where women had a surprising amount of freedom. The historical notes were very interesting and the book was extremely well-researched. The author did a great job of winnowing down the suspects and if you were paying attention, the clues were there for you to figure out the culprit along with Sister Fidelma. I enjoyed the resolution, but I also enjoyed the ride Tremayne took you along to get to the resolution.

Another satisfying Sister Fidelma mystery. I really like how you are actively involved in sifting through the clues in this series. I thought I had the murderer but the twist at the end was a surprise. Lots of action in addition to the piecing of the clues...the quiet awakening of Fidelma's affection for the missing Saxon Brother Eadulf moves that aspect of the series along.

While all of the books in Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series are engaging, the earlier works, such as this one, are less developed in terms of Fidelma's psychological profile. Beyond her general chutzpah and quiet love for Brother Eadulf, we don't get the same insight that is revealed in later works such as Act of Mercy (Sister Fidelma Mysteries).
While Tremayne's historical knowledge is to be applauded, the application to the mystery makes the reading a bit arduous. Sometimes the historical lessons are a bit heavy-handed, and I found myself resenting the fact that the mystery's solution was dependent upon a working knowledge of 7th century Old Irish.
That said, this book, like the others in the series, is a solidly fun mystery and an show more enjoyable read. show less

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the plot was suspenseful. Best of all, unlike some books, the list of suspects was not narrowed down to two or three and the "final reveal" was a shocker.

3rd in the Sister Fidelma mystery series.

The scene is set in Ireland, where Fidelma’s brother , Colgú, designated heir of the kingdom of Muman whose king lays dying, has asked her to solve the mystery of the murder of a noted scholar, Dacan. Dacan was the brother of the archbishop of the neighboring kingdom of Laigin; war is threatening between the two kingdoms because Laigin is demanding a compensation from Muman, holding the kingdom responsible for the death of Dacan. The death price, the return of a subkingdom, Osraige, would cause war.

Fidelma has been summoned by her brother to solve the case before the hearing in front of the High King that will surely set off a war. She travels to the abbey to investigate in her official role show more as dálaigh or advocate of the courts. On her way, she and her warrior escort witness the brutal destruction of a village, which is burned to the ground and in which children have been slaughtered. They pick up a refugee sister who has three children with her, one a baby that dies before they can get to the abbey. The other are two boys who are reluctant to have much to do with Fidelma and her escort, or anyone in the abbey once they arrive.

The plot involves political intrigue around the succession to the throne of Osraige. There are plenty of twists, turns, and baffling developments in the case before Fidelma argues her case in the court of the High King.

The plot here is much improved over the first two books, and the writing marginally so. It’s still pretty mediocre when not downright bad. But the plot keeps the reader going. At least we don’t have a travesty of a Nero Wolfe ending where all the suspects are gathered together in one room to hear Nero Wolfe pronounce doom on one of them. This time, it’s a trial, and believe me, that truly improves the ending.

Better but not outstanding. show less