I have to say, I was a little bored with this one. Mainly because the villain and setting were so strikingly similar to the book immediately previous. And I had the suspects narrowed down to two (one correct) near the very beginning and for the right reasons. On another note, I wish to point out something that has nothing to do with the book although information in the Sister Fidelma series brought the fact to my attention. It concerns the troscud. Does anybody remember Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes, the two IRA men who died in prison during hunger strikes? I followed the drama in the newspapers here (it was 1981 and I was in high school at the time). I was very interested and sympathetic to what was happening. However, their actions have taken on new significance for me. Did they declare a troscud? If so, it was never explained in the American press as an ancient Irish rite of redress against grievances. Whether you agree or disagree with Sands is not the point of this commentary. I'm just saying it certainly adds a most interesting layer to the actions of the two men. In the Sister Fidelma books, we see two very different reactions to the troscud. When the old man declares a troscud in "The Haunted Abbot", he is ignored because the person it is directed against does not hold the rite in any sort of esteem. Sort of like the British government and Bobby Sands. Thus, the hunger strike fails in its objective. In this book, "Master of Souls", Fidelma threatens Mac Faosma with a troscud. Being of the same culture and holding the old Irish rite sacred, he acquiesces to her demands almost instantly. It certainly adds another layer to the story of Sands and Hughes. I would love to know if they actually declared a troscud. If any one knows, can you let me know? Thanks.
This one really picks up where the last one left off. We discover that the bad guy in the last book has a sister who was masquerading as him. Sister Fidelma and Eadwulf are sent to discover who kidnapped seven religious women in the neighboring kingdom, which was just recently at war with her brother, the king. She comes up against much resentment but still is able to discover not only who kidnapped the six women and killed thier leader, but who killed the old "learned one" of the abbey and destroyed a merchant ship. She really uses logic in such a fascinating way. The more I read the more I enjoy finding out how the Irish society of the 600's was. Unfortunately it changed so much in our times.
