A complex mesh of betrayals that also catch up the sleuth, exploiting both Fidelma's strengths and vulnerabilities ( KIRKUS REVIEWS) 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.įidelma's fans will welcome this first-ever collection, many stories of which are appearing here for the first time. 'There are echoes in the story that still reverberate today' ' Intriguing, entertaining and informative' What readers are saying about HEMLOCK AT VESPERS: With its breathtaking range of settings and crimes, it is guaranteed to entertain and intrigue - and is an anthology that no lover of Celtic culture or historical crime should be without. HEMLOCK AT VESPERS is the first collection of these stories ever to be published. But it also created a demand for further short stories. The overwhelming response to these stories launched Fidelma as the heroine of a bestselling series of Celtic crime novels. The 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. Sister Fidelma originally made her debut as one of the decade's most interesting sleuths in short story form. 'A complex mesh of betrayals that also catch up the sleuth, exploting both Fidelma's strengths and vulnerabilities' Kirkus Reviews 'A treasure trove of small gems for historical mystery fans' Booklist 'This collection is an essential canonical text for Sister Fidelma Acolytes' Publisher's Weekly Fans of Brother Eadulf will be disappointed by his absence, but Tremayne explains the chronology in the Foreword, which is helpful for those who follow the series order.HEMLOCK AT VESPERS is Peter Tremayne's anthology of Celtic mysteries featuring the ever-popular 7th-century super-sleuth Sister Fidelma. Most interesting is the personal aspect of 'At the Tent of Holofernes', where we get a bit of a look at Fidelma's life in the past. Favorites include 'Hemlock at Vespers', 'The High King's Sword', 'The Poisoned Chalice' and the relatively concise 'Invitation to a Poisoning.' In this collection Tremayne displays the variety of scenarios he manages to invent in Fidelma's world, although Fidelma's character takes a back seat in most of the stories.

Tremayne weaves in medieval superstition ('Our Lady of Death'), religious allegory ('At the Tent of Holofernes'), and politics between the Irish Catholic church and Rome (in the seventh century).

Some of these short stories are shorter than others, but the volume as a whole contains something for everybody: unrequited love, medieval Church politics, power trippers, vengeance.etc.

Hemlock at vespers