What do You think about The Monk Who Vanished (2002)?
The Sister Fidelma stories continue with this book (#7 in the series). It is September, 666 A.D. An aged monk and priceless relics disappear from the Abbey of Imleach. Fidelma's brother, King Colgu, is wounded in an attempted assassination plot along with the Prince of the Ui Fidgente who has come to the city of Cashel to negotiate a peace treaty. The future of King Colgu's realm hangs in the balace as Fidelma tries to prevent civil war and the toppling of her brother from his throne. Old hatreds are aroused as the notion of "us vs them" is renewed. And in the midst of bloodshed, vengeance and treachery is the troubling relationship (or lack of!) between Fidelma and her Saxon companion, Eadulf. They have worked on cases like this for nearly a year. Are they friends? Partners? or is there more between them? Do they want there to be more? A decision must be made...and at the same time a kingdom must be saved.
—Denise
OK, so I am back to three stars. I should trust myself. I guessed the culprit at the very first page of the book. I still like the story but I need a bit more subtlety. I also dislike the writing tool of solving a large chunk of the mystery through hearing some character confess-- way before the "reveal" in the story. Perhaps I need a break from this series just like Fidelma thinks she needs a break (as of the previous book) from Eadulf. BTW, I feel impatient with their relationship.
—Patricia
Originally published on my blog here in February 2000.The latest Sister Fidelma mystery shows no real signs of improvement, having the same plot once again. This time the threat to her brother Colgu's throne is an all out assassination attempt in his capital at Cashel rather than a dark plot in the corners of the kingdom of Muman (better known by its Viking name of Munster). There are distinct signs of cheating, as when Fidelma looks at a sword and says that its use of animal teeth is a speciality of the art of one of the Irish kingdoms but she can't remember which one. Surely that's not the way that people remember things; she might more plausibly realise that there's something special about the sword but not be sure what it is.All the real interest, all the character development, comes in the epilogue; at last something changes in her relationship with the Saxon Eadwulf; at last she might leave Muman and go somewhere new. But none of this is prepared; it all comes as a surprise. Thus, the next Sister Fidelma novel might be worth reading, but if it isn't I'll finally give up on the series.
—Simon Mcleish
