A Prayer for the Damned

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In February of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel and her companion Eadulf are about to get married. Again.  Their initial trial marriage of a year and a day has ended and they are about to embark on a permanent partnership.  As the sister to the King of Muman, Fidelma's marriage ceremony is a major event in the kingdom of Ireland and the High King, as well as kings of the other Irish kingdoms and other major figures are going to be in attendance.  One not so welcome guest is the fanatical Abbot Ultan, who advocates the radical position of celebacy for all religieuse and feels that Sister Fidelma's upcoming nuptials are an abomination.  On the eve of the ceremony, Abbot Ultan is found murdered in his chamber.  Worse still, one of the most distinguished guests, the King of Connacht, has been seen fleeing from the scene and is charged with the murder. Quickly Fidelma, who is appointed in the King's defense, discovers that Abbot Ultan is not the pious man he was thought to be, and has numerous enemies amongst those assembled for the wedding. Her wedding delayed, the high born guests restless and querulous, and the murder and it's aftermath threatening to cause chaos throughout the Kingdom, it's up to Fidelma to uncover the murderer--and the truth behind the murder itself--if the often tenuouos peace of 7th century Ireland is to be maintained.From Publishers WeeklyTremayne's engrossing 17th Ancient Ireland mystery (after 2006's Master of Souls) finds series heroine Fidelma on the eve of her marriage. Political and ecclesiastical bigwigs have gathered for the ceremony. The tremendously unpopular Abbot Ultán also arrives to protest that Fidelma must uphold her long-ago religious vows by remaining celibate. Ultán soon turns up dead, and there's no shortage of suspects. Muirchertach Nár, the king of Connacht, who believed his sister-in-law had been wronged by Ultán, was spotted near the crime scene. The sons of a woman Ultán beat for worshipping a pagan deity also come under suspicion. When Muirchertach Nár is killed, Fidelma must determine whether the deaths were related. The solution to that riddle is so unexpected that it slightly strains credulity. Rich in historical detail, this series also reflects on many contemporary issues, including celibacy, gender and church leadership. Tremayne (pseudonym for scholar Peter Berresford Ellis) has produced another winner. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistAfter being joined together for a year in accordance with ancient Irish custom, Sister Fidelma of Cashel and Brother Eadulf are about to be officially married. Of course, it will come as no surprise to fans of this series that their much-anticipated ceremony is postponed when one of their guests is murdered. Not only was Abbot Ultan universally despised, he was also vehemently opposed to Fidelma and Eadulf's marriage. Although not uncommon for members of religious orders to marry in the seventh-century Celtic Church, Ultan was among the growing number of clergy lobbying against these unions. When the king of Connacht is accused of the crime, he enlists the scholarly Fidelma as his advocate. As the list of suspects grows longer, so do the frustration levels of the would-be bride and groom. Another stellar installment in the most authentically detailed medieval mystery series currently being published. Flanagan, Margaret