Series of novels set in 7th century Ireland
The Sister Fidelma mysteries are a series of historical mystery novels and short stories by Peter Tremayne (pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis) about a fictional detective who is the eponymous heroine of a series. Fidelma is both a "dalaigh" (an advocate in the courts of the Five Kingdoms of Éireann), and Celtic nun (Ellis uses the French term "religieuse").
The Sister Fidelma stories are set in the middle to late 7th century, mainly in Ireland. They are historical whodunits in the literary tradition of Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose", the Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters, and the Judge Dee mysteries by Robert van Gulik (inspired by Gong'an fiction and by the official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty Di Renjie). Peter Tremayne's novels usually feature the interaction of several subplots involving political intrigue, personal relationships, religious conflict, or characters' desires for personal or monetary gain.
Fidelma usually solves crimes in company with Brother Eadulf, a Saxon monk (Ellis uses the French term "religieux"). Though Eadulf has often been compared to Sherlock Holmes's friend Dr. Watson, he is in fact more of an equal partner to Fidelma and usually proves essential to solving the mystery at hand (in fact, in the story of "The Leper's Bell" he solves one of the main problems himself). A true companion, he has saved Fidelma's life more than once.
Main characters.
Sister Fidelma.
Fidelma is usually described as attractive with "a tall, yet a well-proportioned figure" (described so in many of the short stories), with pale skin, red hair (strands of which have been known to "rebelliously" escape from under her hood or head-dress) and either green, grey-green or blue-green eyes (the short stories use these different descriptions). She was born into the royal family of Munster in the late 630s; her father, King Failbe Fland, died c. 637/9, during Fidelma's infancy. Fidelma was raised as an Eoghanacht princess. She studied civil and criminal law, especially the Brehon laws, under the supervision of Brehon Morann of Tara. During her student years, Fidelma had an unhappy love affair with Cian, a warrior of the High King's bodyguard, who eventually abandoned her to marry the daughter of the High King's steward (who, ironically, later divorced him on the grounds that he was sterile). Her pre-occupation with Cian interfered with her concentration and devotion to her studies, and nearly caused her to be expelled from the Brehon Morann's classes. Emerging from the affair battered but unbowed, she applied herself wholeheartedly to her studies and eventually qualified as an "anruth", the second highest rank after an Ollamh in the Irish legal system. In the novels and short stories, she pursues a career as a "dalaigh" to the Brehon Court of Ireland.
In 659, while still studying at Brehon Morann's law school, Fidelma traveled to visit Lúach, an old friend, but found upon her arrival that Lúach had been missing for five days. Fidelma undertook an investigation into her friend's disappearance, but found more questions than answers, especially from those closest to Lúach (see the e-novella "Lair of the White Fox").
After her studies were complete, on the advice of her mentor Abbot Laisran of Durrow Fidelma became a nun (referred to throughout the series as a "religieuse"), joining St. Brigid's mixed abbey at Cill Dara (Kildare). She later left this community some time after her return from Rome for reasons outlined in the story "Hemlock at Vespers", and now refers to herself as "Fidelma of Cashel" rather than "Sister Fidelma". Strong-minded and independent, Fidelma often chafes at the structure of the religious life; she seems to have become a religieuse more as a career move (monasteries were the intellectual centers of seventh-century Ireland) than as an expression of Christian devotion; in the novel "A Prayer for the Damned", Fidelma considers renouncing her religious vows but decides against it. Fidelma's "anam chara" or "soul friend" (the Irish equivalent of a confessor and spiritual guide) had been her friend Liadin, as Fidelma had been to her, but Liadin later betrayed and broke her oath to Fidelma (see the short story "At the Tent of Holofernes" in the short story collection "Hemlock at Vespers"). Since that time Fidelma had no real "anam chara", but in "The Leper's Bell" she realized that she had unknowingly come to regard Eadulf as her "anam chara" and finally recognized him as such. Even so, she continued to seek advice from clerical mentors, particularly Abbot Laisran and Brother Conchobar of Cashel.
In 664, Fidelma accompanied the Irish delegation as an advisor on law to the Synod of Whitby, where she met Brother Eadulf (quite literally running into him); later, they were asked to work together to investigate the murder of Abbess Etain of Kildare, a leading member of the Church of Columba faction (see "Absolution by Murder"). Following a little initial hostility on Fidelma's part towards Eadulf, the murderer was uncovered, and after the Synod concluded Fidelma and Eadulf journeyed together to Rome, where they were asked to investigate the murder of Archbishop-designate Wighard (see "Shroud for the Archbishop"). After the case was successfully resolved, Fidelma returned to Cashel, being forced on the way to stop at the seaport of Genua (Genoa), then traveling to the Abbey of Bobium (Bobbio Abbey) to visit her old teacher Brother Ruadán and becoming involved in the events of "Behold a Pale Horse".
In 665, Fidelma's cousin King Cathal Cú-cen-máthair died of the Yellow Plague and Fidelma's older brother Colgu succeeded to the throne of Muman (Munster) (the historical King Colgu ruled from A.D. 665–678), and in the wake of her brother's succession Fidelma became involved in solving the murder of famed religious scholar the Venerable Dacan (see "Suffer Little Children").
In 666 when Fidelma was called upon to investigate the finding of a headless body in an abbey well, she also became involved with the mystery of a deserted Gaulish ship on which (she learned) Eadulf had been traveling to Cashel as an emissary of Theodore of Tarsus, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, and from which he and the entire crew had been taken captive (see "The Subtle Serpent"). Returning to Cashel together after rescuing Eadulf, revealing the murderer and uncovering a plot against Munster, Fidelma and Eadulf soon became nearly inseparable (see "The Spider's Web", "Valley of the Shadow" [at which time Fidelma was made a member of the "Nasc Naidh", an elite corps of bodyguards to the kings of Munster, by King Colgu and became entitled to wear the golden "torc" of that order] and "The Monk Who Vanished"). After nearly a year together, they again separated, with Eadulf (reluctantly) intending to return to Canterbury and Fidelma intending to go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James in Iberia.
Events didn't go quite as planned. Fidelma had only just arrived in Iberia after a very eventful voyage (see "Act of Mercy") when she received a message from her brother Colgu that Eadulf had been charged with murder. Hurrying back to Ireland, she reunited with Eadulf at the Abbey of Fearna, proved his innocence and uncovered the true killer as well as the reasons behind the crime (see "Our Lady of Darkness"). Eadulf then convinced Fidelma to accompany him to Canterbury and then, after their business with Archbishop Theodore had been accomplished, to visit his former home of Seaxmund's Ham (see "Smoke in the Wind", "The Lost Eagle" in the short story collection "Whispers of the Dead" and "The Haunted Abbot"). At some point during their travels, they revealed their true feelings for and to one another, began a physical relationship (resulting in Fidelma's pregnancy) and entered into a temporary marriage of a year and a day (with Fidelma as Eadulf's "ben charrthach" or "loved woman" and Eadulf as Fidelma's "fer comtha"); this marriage is first mentioned in "The Haunted Abbot", which takes place in late December, 666. After their return to Cashel in 667, their son Alchu ("Gentle Hound") was born sometime between June and July of that year.
The last three months of 667 turned rocky; Fidelma and Eadulf's relationship was seriously troubled by Fidelma's suffering from (but refusing to admit suffering from) what is now called postpartum depression. While Fidelma and Eadulf were away solving a series of serial killings (see "Badger's Moon"), Alchu's nurse was found murdered outside the castle of Cashel and Alchu was missing, believed to have been kidnapped. Despite objections that they were too emotionally involved to investigate properly and what turned out to be a false trail meant to implicate the Uí Fidgente, Eadulf was able to track down and successfully recover Alchu and Fidelma uncovered the real reason why Alchu's nurse had been murdered (see "The Leper's Bell"). In February 668, they celebrated a permanent marriage, despite the interruption caused by their investigation into the murder of Abbot Ultan of Cill Ria (Kilrea) (see "A Prayer for the Damned"). After the events of "Dancing with Demons" in the winter of 669–670, Eadulf was also made a member of the "Nasc Naidh".
Fidelma became increasingly involved in Irish court politics and diplomacy, including thwarting several plots against the kingdom of Munster, solving the murder of the High King Sechnassach (see "Dancing with Demons") and in 670 (although originally requested to act as advisor to the Irish delegation) uncovering the murderer of the Abbot Dabhoc of Tulach Oc at the Council of Autun summoned by Bishop Leodegar (see "The Council of the Cursed"). She and Eadulf were returning to Muman by sea in the company of Fidelma's cousin Bressel when their ship was attacked off the coast of Armorica and Bressel was brutally murdered, along with some of the ship's crew. After uncovering both the person responsible and a plot to assassinate the Breton king (see "The Dove of Death"), Fidelma decided to renounce her religious vows and become full-time legal advisor to her brother, a decision she believed Eadulf would support. Her belief proved wrong and led to a bitter quarrel between them, resulting in a physical separation with Fidelma remaining in Cashel and Eadulf going to the Abbey of Ruan. During the weeks of the separation and due to Muman's Chief Brehon Baithen's intentions of retiring because of a serious (ultimately fatal) illness, Fidelma became determined to succeed Baithen as Chief Brehon of Muman, and Colgu agreed to have her name submitted among the other candidates (although he informed her that he must remain neutral and that the final decision must lie with the Council of Brehons).
The murder of Brother Donnchad at the abbey of Lios Mor led Colgu and Abbot Segdae to send Fidelma to investigate but on the condition that Eadulf accompany and assist her (see "The Chalice of Blood"). Although they were able to work together as before, the breach was evident and after the investigation was successfully concluded, Fidelma followed through with her decision/ambition and left the religious. Unfortunately, although her name was submitted, Brehon Aedo was elected as Muman's Chief Brehon, a decision which Fidelma took very hard (although publicly she supported the decision), and Eadulf (who had finally accepted her decision to leave the religious, although he himself remained a Brother) was extremely relieved when she agreed to undertake the investigation of an unknown found body, which led towards uncovering another plot against Muman and an unexpected traitor within Fidelma's own family (see "The Seventh Trumpet"). However, Fidelma eventually concluded that the role and duties of Muman's Chief Brehon were not for her and decided to remain a "dalaigh", although she continued to be Colgu's legal advisor.
In November 670, Colgu was nearly assassinated by a mysterious religieux but survived, although badly wounded; the assassin also killed Chief Brehon Aedo, who had tried to protect Colgu. The would-be assassin was killed, but the initial investigation into the motive for the attack (originally handled by Deputy Chief Brehon Aillin) seemed to point towards the Uí Fidgente, and so, with the approval of Colgu's "tanaiste" (heir apparent) Finguine, Fidelma and Eadulf traveled into enemy territory to continue their investigation and uncovered not only the reason for the attack on Colgu but also a plot against the Uí Fidgente from within their own ruling family (see "Atonement of Blood").
In February 671, Colgu had recovered from his wound and Fidelma and Eadulf had been living somewhat peacefully in Cashel