The Council of the Cursed: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Peter Tremayne (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sister Fidelma Mysteries | Publication Date: October 27, 2009

In 670 A.D. Fidelma of Cashel is asked to act as an advisor to the Irish delegation to a church council hostile to the Celtic Church. In an abbey in Burgundy, Bishop Leodegar of Autun has assembled church leaders from all over western Europe—an assembly which soon descends into chaos. That night, one of the delegates is found murdered, his skull crushed and Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, are suddenly in the midst of a murder investigation involving some of the most power religious leaders. Between the autocratic Bishop Leodegar and the malignant abbess, Mother Audofleda, a web of sinister intrigue soon spreads. The theft of a priceless reliquary box, the disap pear ance of women and children and rumours of a slave trade make this one of the most sinister and deadly puzzles that Fidelma and Eadulf have ever faced.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sister Fidelma encounters a raft of political, religious and cultural conundrums in Tremayne's engrossing 18th full-length novel to feature the seventh-century Celtic advocate (after 2008's Dancing with Demons). Accompanied by her companion, Eadulf, Fidelma journeys to the French city of Autun to serve as aide and adviser to Abbot Ségdae at a conference of church leaders. Before they arrive, one delegate is murdered and suspicion falls equally on two others who are bitter enemies. Bishop Leodegar charges Fidelma, because of her reputation as a sleuth, with determining which of the two is guilty of murder. Tremayne's seamless blend of church history (e.g., Pope Vitalian's efforts to impose Rome's authority over disparate western churches) and political squabbles (e.g., among Britons, Angles and Saxons) provide meaty background. Fidelma's ability to best opponents, whether in argument, strategy or audacity, makes her a heroine for any age. (Nov.)
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Review

"A Prayer for the Damned is a blessing for the millions of Sister Fidelma's devoted fans around the world. [She] is a vibrant creation, a woman of wit and courage who would be outstanding in any era, but brings a special sparkle to the wild beauty of medieval Ireland. The  author sets the scene with meticulous care and develops the plot with intelligence. Well done!" --Morgan Llywelyn, best-selling author of Finn Mac Cool and The Last Prince of Ireland
"Fidelma's ability to best opponents, whether in argument, strategy or audacity, makes her a heroine for any age."--Publishers Weekly on The Council of the Cursed
"The action is tense and gripping...a compelling, enjoyable adventure." --The Philadelphia Inquirer on The Monk Who Vanished

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; Seventeenth Edition edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312375654
• ISBN-13: 978-0312375652
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Tremayne is the fiction pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, a renowned Celtic scholar who has written over 30 books on the Ancient Celts and the Irish. As Tremayne, he is best known for his stories and novels featuring 7th century Irish religieuse Fidelma of Cashel. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Book!, January 11, 2009

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Council of the Cursed : A Novel of Ancient Ireland (Hardcover)

For those of you who are trying to find a different historical series to fall in love with since the Brother Cadfael series, take a look at Peter Tremayne. Tremayne is an historian and an expert on the era that he writes on. (670A.D.) and in Ancient Ireland, and his Sister Fidelma series is a winner. This is something like the 18 book in the series, so if you haven't read any of these books yet, start at number one (Absolution by Murder), and begin a wonderful journey to an enchanted time. In this book Sister Fidelma and her husband Brother Eadulf are in Burgundy where there is a Catholic Church conference. Strange things are happening in the city of Autun. People are dying and women and children are going missing. Fidelma and Eadulf are tasked with getting to the bottom of it. These books are truly wonderful, and I cannot say that enough. I am also truly fortunate because I live in Canada. I get these books a full year earlier than their American release date.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful complex whodunit, November 7, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Council of the Cursed: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In 670 AD, Bishop Leodegar of Autun calls for a council to discuss different positions taken by the various Christian churches. For instance his community enforces a celibacy direction, which has led to outraged monks having to send their upset wives and children to reside at Domus Femini under the control of vicious martinet Abbess Autofleda. The Celtic Church sends Fidelma of Cashel and her husband Brother Eadulf to France as their representatives.

The night that the Celtic delegation arrives, someone bashes in the head of Hibernian Abbot Dabhoc; also with him are two unconscious clerics, who upon being revived insist they know nothing. Fidelma's instigative fame has crossed the Channel and she has the support of the papal delegation so an unhappy Leodegar agrees to this woman making inquiries. As she uncovers clues, Fidelma finds several possible suspects that run the gamut of the church as each had motive and opportunity but also believes something more powerful is the actual motive; while her host demands she finish yesterday; proclaiming women should not be delegates or sleuths.

With obvious timeliness in terms of the issue of celibacy and a woman's role in the church both wrapped inside a powerful complex whodunit, the COUNCIL OF THE CURSED is a terrific Dark Ages mystery. Fidelma is at her best as she rejects pressure brought by either a killer wanting to remain concealed or by her being a female. The story line is fast-paced as Peter Tremayne moves his champion from Ancient Ireland to France in a fabulous entry.

Harriet Klausner

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Did they have relationship counselling in Ancient Ireland?, December 28, 2009

By 

Rampaging Hippogriff (Melbourne) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Council of the Cursed: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Sister Fidelma has a loving husband who is said to be bright but just gets to follow her about & be put down for daring to open his mouth or think for himself; she is noble, but is always so gracious about not rubbing it in to any passing strangers, neighbours, or crime suspects more than half a dozen times a day; she is educated and has a highly successful career in which she can demonstrate her brilliance and status on an hourly basis; she has a child whom she obviously loves and spends a good half day with him every six months, and has ensured the staff that care for him are suitably grateful; she is religious and devotes as much of her spare time from her work as is possible to having philosophical doubts which mean she has to remove herself from her husband and son even more while she determines who she is and what her relationship with her faith and God should be. One rather gets the impression that she will send the Almighty a note when she does.

The mysteries are quite nice, the history is fun if a little emphatic that Ireland was a golden land, but the main character is a stereotype of outrageous dimensions. One wonders why Eadulf, who has left his homeland, family, language, form of Christianity, and his own career, puts up with her.