Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Friday, June 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Wednesday, June 7. Order within 22 hrs 43 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

[{"displayPrice":"$7.99","priceAmount":7.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"weQzSFdO%2BZsaylCD3i13vHYQY9C9DzHTmmDVgTdygWWuub%2FzzdfU%2FoFMQs1arapBxI4JCoCMBp0Rw4lFWxwh4eKE3q1Y8xsvCqI3cGNtxYZDk2IECF3C2mjqmVzaJ2Q8qDNBkgYhQkQ%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$6.92","priceAmount":6.92,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"6","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"92","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"weQzSFdO%2BZsaylCD3i13vHYQY9C9DzHTAY2UBTTUpsfIvdrNUVrm3X6r4JxFOT9kHvjk%2FZAql9otfWc9g7JS2WTMR3FUYq0ofaIAeba3ExCZkDWZHDsXk1850ystAOi8Tl7waeYWIzPU%2FfSH9Ycyr9ZYPtWYIJwIb%2F50lYFyJ2hUMw3FueiDDmWSaQ9yZLxU","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$7.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, June 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Wednesday, June 7. Order within 21 hrs 28 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Jenson Books Inc

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Author

Peter Tremayne

Absolution by Murder (A Sister Fidelma Mystery) (Mystery of Ancient Ireland) Mass Market Paperback – September 1, 1997

by Peter Tremayne (Author)

4.2 1,240 ratings

Book 1 of 33: A Sister Fidelma Mystery

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$166.06

$3.44

Paperback

"Please retry"

$18.90

$12.79

$2.11

Mass Market Paperback

"Please retry"

$7.99

$1.28

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$13.33

—

Purchase options and add-ons

The King of Northumbria has requested the services of a wise counsel to decide the people's religious future. Among the select priests, elders, and scholars from Ireland and Rome is Sister Fidelma of Kildare. Trained as an advocate of the courts, she was expecting to rule on issues of law. Instead she was plunged into unholy murder.

Dead was the Abbess Étain, a leading Celtic speaker, her throat slashed. With the counsel in an uproar and civil war threatening, the desperate king has turned to the sharp-witted Sister Fidelma for help. With the aide of her dear friend Brother Eadulf and her faith in the truth, she must act in haste before the killer strikes again.

Book 1 of 33

A Sister Fidelma Mystery
Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Berkley
Publication date

September 1, 1997
Dimensions

4.3 x 0.7 x 6.9 inches
ISBN-10

0451192990
ISBN-13

978-0451192998
See all details

Frequently bought together

Absolution by Murder (A Sister Fidelma Mystery) (Mystery of Ancient Ireland)

$7.99

Get it as soon as Friday, Jun 9

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

$14.15

Get it Jun 20 - Jul 6

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Prime Deals, USA.

+

$14.86

Get it Jun 20 - Jul 6

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Prime Deals, USA.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Most purchasedin this set of products
Ellis Peters
4,515
Paperback
$16.65
Lowest Pricein this set of products
Peter Tremayne
806
Paperback
$6.73
Highest ratedin this set of products
Peter Tremayne
502
Paperback
$15.49
This item:
Peter Tremayne
1,240
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99
Peter Tremayne
690
Mass Market Paperback
$14.15
Peter Tremayne
609
Paperback
$14.86
Peter Tremayne
396
Paperback
$17.29
Peter Tremayne
623
Paperback
$14.02
Peter Tremayne
687
Paperback
$17.95
Peter Tremayne
621
Paperback
$17.12
Peter Tremayne
180
Paperback
$14.99

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Tremayne is the pseudonym for Peter Berresford Ellis, a well-respected authority on the ancient Celts. He is the author of over twenty books, including The Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, The Celtic Dawn: A History of Pan Celticism, and The Druids. Valley of the Shadow is the sixth Sister Fidelma mystery. Tremayne lives in London, England.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (September 1, 1997)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451192990
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451192998
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.3 x 0.7 x 6.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #609,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,561 in Historical Thrillers (Books)
- #6,591 in Historical Mystery
- #18,666 in Women Sleuths (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 1,240 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Peter Tremayne

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

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

4.2 out of 5

1,240 global ratings

5 star		47%
4 star		32%
3 star		15%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Amazing Woman

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 4, 2008

Verified Purchase

Absolution by Murder introduced me to a very fascinating character, Sister Fidelma of Kildare. Fidelma, who lives in the seventh century A.D., is a very talented and accomplished woman. Sister has a graduate education where she earned the degree of anruth, similar to a masters degree today. Fidelma works as a dalaigh, an advocate in the courts. As an advocate she investigates problems and crimes and advises both church and civil authorities. A dalaigh may prosecute, defend, or even serve as judge in a criminal proceeding.

In this novel I was inaugurated to Irish customs, laws, and society of ancient times. Seventh century Ireland was a very advanced society.
In the culture, women were accepted as equal to men.
Women were encouraged to become whatever they wished. Females functioned as lawyers, physicians, professors, managers and owners of businesses, warriors and chieftains. In the Christian church women were nuns, priests and bishops. This advanced society was codified in the Brehon laws. Under this legal system all people were protected from abuse.
The customs seemed so advanced I decided to check history texts and found a great reference that I recommend In Search of Ancient Ireland: The Origins of the Irish from Neolithic Times to the Coming of the English
The story in this novel concerns a murder that occurs during a meeting of senior church officials. The conclave is a conference of religious and lay leaders gathered to determine whether the church should continue following the beliefs and procedures of the Irish (rule of Colmcille, or Iona) or adopt new rules to become consistent with the Roman church. Sister Fidelma is asked by Oswy, the High King of Northumbria, to investigate the murder of Etain, the Abbess of Kildare. Etain was the primary advocate for the Irish system.
Oswy, concerned about the political effects of the murder of Etain, commissions Fidelma and Endulf, a brother from the Roman side, to investigate and decide who murdered Etain and who is responsible for the chain of events. By appointing co-investigators, one from each side, the king hopes to appear unbiased.

The investigation is eventful and suspenseful. The resolution manages to satisfy both sides in the struggle. Although the mystery is fun to follow, my main attraction is the detailed descriptions of the customs and laws of seventh century Ireland.

The novel gives us a peek into a great ancient convent with views into the dormitories and cubicles. We witness the politics within the Church, each side of the struggle thinking they have the real truth. We experience the tension between Fidelma and Endulf. Since Endulf is from a different culture, he has difficulty accepting Fidelma as his equal and acknowledging that a female can be in charge of such an important matter.
I enjoyed the reactions of the characters when Fidelma interviews them. Most of them are not from her culture, so they struggle with emotions, especially pride and resentment of submitting to an Irish woman. Many only submit because she acts with the authority of the High King.
This is a good novel. If you like historical settings, if you enjoy examining other cultures, or if you like a good detective tale, get this book.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Susan

Decent mystery but history a little gilded!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 25, 2012

Verified Purchase

This is a decent enough mystery, and the characters are mostly well-drawn, though I have to admit that I like my heroines a little less perfect. Fidelma appears to be good at everything, and the fact that she occasionally misses something before solving the mystery doesn't really change that. Still, she is engaging enough. I'm also a little skeptical of the old "gather them all in the drawing room to announce the killer" idea which is usually done here. But the characters and plots are interesting enough that I've continued to read the series.

The historical background isn't bad either, but the image of Ireland in this period is pretty embroidered! The author (under his real name, Ellis) is generally known for wanting to present the Irish past in the best possible light. While it's true that early Christian Ireland had much to recommend it, it wasn't exactly the perfect society. Yes, the position of women was better than in many places in the ancient world, but no one in modern western society would have thought it a feminist paradise! Just to name a few things, yes, women had rights to divorce husbands and were entitled to property they brought to the marriage. They also had a few minimal rights to land and income under certain circumstances. However, a girl's honor price at age 14 was half her father's until she married, when it became half her husband's, so women were clearly not considered of equal value to men. Women were under the legal care of a male from birth to death, and were not usually allowed to buy and sell goods or land or make contracts without permission from their (male) superiors. Most women (along with "idiots" and outsiders) were not allowed to bear witness in legal cases. And while any form of sex (including rape) without a woman's consent was subject to fine, the fine was paid to her guardian, not to the women herself. There were slaves in Ireland, and the word "cumal", in this series translated in terms of cows, actually refers to the value of a female slave (which has an value equivalent in cows). Also, what we know about early Irish law codes comes from written versions of the law, which were of course idealized, as with any law code. Everyone knows examples under our own system where the law is routinely ignored. So inferring what society was like from written law codes is problematic at best.

So overall, enjoy the reasonably well-crafted mysteries and characters, but read this with a somewhat skeptical eye towards the image of ancient Ireland. For a highly readable book that is much better at describing the actual position of women in this society, I suggest Lisa Bitel's "Land of Women: Tales of Sex and Gender from Early Ireland."

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

DRRD

Heavy with Historical detail

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

I do appreciate the author's attention to historic detail. There's a massive amount of work and knowledge that has gone into the book. And while I enjoyed it, I can't say I got into it all that much.

There's a ton of new things to try to absorb here. The time and setting, the difference between the two sets of religions and their clashes, who has rank over who... The politics got very complicated at times, and overshadowed the mystery.

And while I like Sister Fidelma, she comes off as a little too perfect at times. I liked her, but can't say I warmed up to her by the end.

The mystery itself was well done, and I could see the clues as being logical and useful.

Maybe the next book will read better for me, once I get the time and place set in my head.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Clemens A. Schoonderwoert

A Wonderful Sister Fidelma Begin!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 25, 2022

Verified Purchase

**Should Definitely Read as 4.5 Stars!**

Read this book in 2008, and its the 1st volume of the amazing "Sister Fidelma" series, created by the author, Peter Tremayne, his real name is Peter Berresford Ellis.

This series starts off in the year AD 664, at the Synod of Whitby, and where Sister Fidelma from the community of St Brigid of Kildare will meet her partner for the future, Brother Eadulf of Seaxmund Hamm in the South Folk.

At this Synod leading men and women figures of the Celtic and Catholic Churches are debating, at the Abbey of St Hilda, the rival merits between those churches, when all of sudden tempers begin to rise.

When the Abbess Etain, leading speaker of the Celtic Church is found murdered, suspicion falls on the Roman faction.

Sister Fidelma as a Brehon, which is an advocate of the Brehon Court, will start this investigation, and soon will get the assistance of Brother Eadulf of the Roman faction, and during this investigation a romance between the two will develop.

Together they will discover more deaths, and while trying to uncover the truth behind these deaths they will have to overtake quite a few obstacles, before they are able to reveal the culprit behind these murders.

What is to follow is an excellent first Irish mystery, featuring Sister Fidelma assisted by Brother Eadulf, and one that will set the tone for a lot more fantastic and intriguing mysteries, produced by this great and knowledgeable author.

Highly recommended, for this is a terrific first outing to this marvellous series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Wonderful Sister Fidelma Begin"!

Jonglier

This will provide you with a primer on Early Christian Ireland...but...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

...and the “but” is that, in so doing, it loses control of such important novelistic virtues as plot, suspense, character and so on. Most of the time, you feel you are in class, with some pretty abstruse points of history being placed into the mouths of characters who, though described — and often quite thoroughly — are somehow not truly fashioned or well-formed.

What is more, the detail, piling thick and fast, so proliferates (particularly in the early chapters) that it gets in the way of either following the story or absorbing anything significant about the way life was lived in Ireland and England circa 700-1000 AD.

A pity: the author is knowledgeable.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Amazing inside into early Christian church quarrels

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

Follow the way of Rome or the Irish Christian church... A Synode is to decide this in Northumberland. Sister Fidelma, a laser of the Irish courts, follows the proceedings and gets the job to solve several murders which endanger the outcome of the debate. Are the murders founded in political intrigue or dispute of believes? Only Fidelma's persistence and the help of brother Eadulf can get to the truth of things. Great start to a marvellous mystery series.

Traffic

Vary Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is not the first book I have read of Peter Tremayne's; the first book of his I ever read, and in fact the vary first novel I ever read, was his The Ants which I brought from my pocket money when I was about 12. How I wish they'd release that book on Kindle.

This is, however, the first of the Sister Fidelma I have ever read, and it is, I believe, the first Sister Fidelma novel of a series of about 24 so far. She's like a female/nun version of Cadfael; a sleuth investigator of murders. Reminds ne a bit of Murder She Wrote.

The novel was a nice easy read, no foul language, no sex scenes, just pure simple a good read.

I agree with one previous reviewer though; the amount of times Sister Fidelma and other character "bit [their] lip" I am surprised anybody had any lips in the end. It seems every other page one character or another "bit his/her lip". Quite funny really.

All in all a nice enjoyable and easy to read novel.

Note on the Kindle version; no proplems at all. One or two 'typos' but few and far between so as not to spoil the reading experience.

Amazon Customer

Worth a second read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

I avidly enjoyed the Sister Fidelma mysteries several years ago. Having finished another historical series I was casting about looking for another series to read, but nothing I came across seemed to tick all the boxes for me. I found myself wishing I could find another series like Sister Fidelma mysteries. I realised I didn't have to find another right away - I could just begin the Sister Fidelma series again. And that's what I did.

It's been long enough since I read them the first time that I didn't recall the ending. Once again I was transported back in time, finding myself at the historic Synod at Whitby. Once again Peter Tremayne brought the location and characters alive as I gave up on trying to keep ahead of Fidelma and Eadulf - I was happy just keeping up with them.

With well over twenty books in the series I'll be happy tucked up by the fire with these good books through the rest of winter and into spring.

2 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account

Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	Amazon Fresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Experienced Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics	DPReview Digital Photography	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting

Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy

Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products	Whole Foods Market America’s Healthiest Grocery Store	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing	Ring Smart Home Security Systems

eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Blink Smart Security for Every Home	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Amazon Subscription Boxes Top subscription boxes – right to your door	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Renewed Like-new products you can trust

Amazon Prime includes:

Buy new: $7.99$7.99 FREE delivery: Friday, June 9 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used: $6.92

Follow the Author

Absolution by Murder (A Sister Fidelma Mystery) (Mystery of Ancient Ireland) Mass Market Paperback – September 1, 1997

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

What do customers buy after viewing this item?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Peter Tremayne

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$7.99

FREE delivery: Friday, June 9 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Ships from: Amazon.com

Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used:

$6.92