The Leper's Bell (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) [Paperback]

Peter Tremayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2006

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the pseudonymous Tremayne's intriguing 15th Irish historical (after 2005's Badger's Moon), Fidelma of Cashel suffers a terrible personal loss. On returning in the fall of A.D. 667 to the castle of her brother, Colgú, who's the king of Muman, Fidelma discovers that her baby son's nurse has been murdered and her son has disappeared. She and Brother Eadulf, her partner in a trial marriage, become involved in a complex plot involving palace politics and hostile tribes, frightening captures and hair-raising escapes. The diverse supporting cast includes warriors and woodsmen, bishops and apothecaries, dwarfs and lepers. Despite some clunky prose, the author, an authority on ancient Celtic culture under his real name of Peter Berresford Ellis, once again brings the people and customs of seventh-century Ireland to vivid life. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In the fifteenth entry in the series, Sister Fidelma, seventh-century religieuse of the Celtic Church and advocate of the Irish Brehon Courts, faces her most personal and difficult case to date when her infant's nurse is found dead in the woods and her child is nowhere to be found. Together with her husband, Brother Eadulf, she launches a meticulous investigation into the circumstances surrounding her son's presumed kidnapping, but the meager clues point in multiple directions. Meanwhile, her marriage to Eadulf is strained not only by worry but also by the fact that her countrymen think she has married beneath her station. In addition, she is wracked by guilt over her previous irritation at the restrictions that being a wife and a mother impose on her personal freedom. Struggling to contain her emotions, she brings her formidable logic to bear on the case. Tremayne brings his customary attention to historical detail to a narrative that incorporates surprisingly modern concerns. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (October 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312362757
• ISBN-13: 978-0312362751
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,419 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

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful medieval who-done-it, December 27, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: The Leper's Bell (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In the seventh century, dalieh Sister Fidelma of Cashel, travels around Eire as an advocate of the law courts accompanied by her lover and trial marriage partner Brother Eadulf of Seaxmund's Ham. After their current trek in which they left their young son home with his competent nurse Sarat, they return home to tragedy. Sarat has been murdered and their child is missing, probably kidnapped, but no ransom or any message has been delivered by the perpetrators.

Fidelma's brother King Colgu of Muman is irate over the abduction of his nephew. He meets with his advisers and Eadulf on how to proceed. All agree on one thing not to allow the normally logical Fidelma to investigate especially since she holds herself culpable for going on her last assignment while leaving her child behind. However, Fidelma remains determined to get involved regardless of the commands from her brother the king and her spouse.

Peter Tremayne refreshes the delightful long running medieval who-done-it by bringing the case home and making it personal for the normally rational Fidlema. However, this time she must keep calm in order to follow the clues to rescue her beloved son even though her brother and husband think she is incapable of performing such a detached investigation. The Leper's Bell is Peter Tremayne at his very best (which is incredible).

Harriet Klausner

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's too long between Sister Fidelma books., October 31, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Lepers Bell (Sister Fidelma Mysteries 13) (Paperback)

I have been reading this series for quite awhile, and it is too long between stories. In this book, the action timeline is right after the last book "Badger's Moon". Fidelma and Eadulf are back in Cashel, and their infant son is kidnapped. His nurse has been found murdered and the baby is murdered. Fidelma and Eadulf are in a frantic search for little Alchu. Their search takes them in different directions, each following a lead, and both end up in some danger. The atmosphere and the plotting are as meticulous as always in this series. Tremayne paints a very realistic picture of life at this time in Ireland. If you haven't read this series, and you are a fan of historical mysteries, then I highly recommend that you begin at the beginning and follow Fidelma and Eadulf through their world. One good thing about living in Canada, we get the release of some of these British authors a little earlier, so I read this book back in March and kept my review so that I could post it when it came available on Amazon.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fidelma and Eadulf, November 9, 2006

By 

J. Clark (Loveland, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Leper's Bell (Sister Fidelma Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This fascinating series of the history of Ireland and it's orderly, fair ancient laws combined with mystery, adventure and a romantic duo has kept me intrigued for years. The Leper's Bell takes Fidelma and Eadulf into a new relationship and Fidelma begins to question her priorities, her allegiances and her ambivalence to motherhood. While the mystery in this book leads us down intriguing paths, it is easy to see where the real villian resides. No matter. It's not so much the mystery that ensnares the loyal Fidelma reader in this book as it is the way Tremayne weaves history, law, travelogue and romance.