Peter Berresford Ellis Books

MASTER OF SOULS is the sixteenth compelling mystery in Peter Tremayne's much- loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

THE DOVE OF DEATH is the twentieth unputdownable mystery in Peter Tremayne's much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

A PRAYER FOR THE DAMNED is the seventeenth gripping mystery in Peter Tremayne's much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

THE COUNCIL OF THE CURSED is the nineteenth unputdownable mystery in Peter Tremayne's much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

OUR LADY OF DARKNESS is the tenth brilliant mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma schovat popis

DANCING WITH DEMONS is the eighteenth compelling mystery in Peter Tremayne's much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

In 670 AD, King Colgú's feast is disrupted by an assassin who stabs him while shouting 'Remember Liamuin!' As Colgú lies dying, his sister Fidelma and her companion Brother Eadulf must unravel the mystery behind the assassination, facing dangers and uncovering dark secrets in enemy territory.

Peter Tremayne, highly acclaimed author of THE DEVIL'S SEAL and ATONEMENT OF BLOOD, presents THE SECOND DEATH, another gripping Celtic mystery featuring super-sleuth Sister Fidelma. PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FIDELMA SERIES: 'Tremayne's super-sleuth is a vibrant creation' Morgan Llywelyn, 'A brilliant and beguiling heroine. Immensely appealing' Publishers Weekly Ireland, AD 671. The Great Fair of Bealtain is almost upon the fortress of Cashel, and a line of painted wagons carries entertainers to mark the occasion. But preparations take a deathly turn when one carriage is set alight, and two corpses are found, lying poisoned, within. As Sister Fidelma and her companion, Eadulf, investigate, they are plunged into the menacing marshlands of Osraige - where the bloody origin of the Abbey of Cainnech is wreaking his revenge. Fidelma and Eadulf must face untold mortal danger before they can untangle the evil that strikes at the very heart of the kingdom. What readers are saying about THE SECOND DEATH: 'It is impossible not to be impressed by the author's depth of knowledge of the period' 'A thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read' 'Delivers another winning dose of mystery in ancient Ireland. Murder, mayhem, intrigue and a web of lies'

VALLEY OF THE SHADOW is the sixth unputdownable mystery in Peter Tremayne's atmospheric series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

A one-off collection of twelve Shakespearean-themed murder mysteries set in Elizabethan London.

BADGER'S MOON is the thirteenth thrilling mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

THE HAUNTED ABBOT is the twelfth brilliant mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

SMOKE IN THE WIND is the eleventh spine-chilling mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

SHROUD FOR THE ARCHBISHOP is the second gripping mystery in Peter Tremayne's much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

"If there is anyone who has emerged from the crowded field of medieval mysteries to take the place of the late Ellis Peters, it is Peter Tremayne." --Denver Post on Master of Souls Ireland AD 670: When an eminent scholar is found murdered in his cell in the Abbey of Lios Mor, fear spreads among his brethren. His door was secured from the inside, with no other means of exit. How did the murderer escape? And what was the content of the manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar's room? Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion Brother Eadulf to investigate the killing. But even before they reach the abbey walls, there is an attempt on their lives. As the mystery deepens, Fidelma and Eadulf must also wrestle with problems of their own, problems which threaten to separate them forever...

Ireland, AD 670. When the body of a murdered young noble is discovered not far from Cashel, the King calls upon Sister Fildema and her companion Eadulf to investigate. The only clue to the noble's identity is an emblem originating from the nearby kingdom of Laign. Could the murder be somehow related to the violence erupting in the west of the kingdom? The turmoil is led by a fanatical figure claiming to have been summoned by 'the seventh angel' to remove the 'impure of faith' from the land, and Fidelma and Eadulf soon find themselves struggling with a tangled skein of murder and intrigue. What is the mystery that connects the dead noble, a murdered alcoholic priest, and a menacing abbot who has built his abbey into a military fortress? When Sister Fidelma herself becomes the victim of abduction, it is up to Eadulf to find and save her from imminent death, so that the mystery can be solved.

The new mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

A collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, magical weapons, fabulous beasts and strange entities from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures - Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish and Breton.

Variously portrayed as a psychopath and a treacherous usurper, Macbeth, the last truly Gaelic king of Scotland, has been misrepresented by historians from Boece and Holinshed onwards. Culturally as well as linguistically removed from the eleventh-century Scotland about which they wrote, their confused understanding of Celtic society laid the foundation for the legend of the evil, murderous, tyrannical Macbeth. In utilizing their work in the writing of Macbeth, Shakespeare produced what was effectively a piece of political propaganda for his Stewart patron, James I of England. -- Now, in this probing biography, Peter Berresford Ellis shows us that the real Macbeth was a courageous and liberal king who defended Scottish independence - far different from the figure of myth and legend. Relying on contemporary records including the Orkneyinga Saga and the Annals of Ulster, Ellis examines the bitter power struggles that led to Macbeth's downfall in 1057 and the eventual decline of Celtic Scotland, a true story that is as compelling and as tragic as Shakespeare's great drama.

This book introduces readers to the assessment process, enabling them to identify patient problems in order for solutions to be planned and implemented.

THE LEPER'S BELL is the emotional and compelling fourteenth mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

The Curse of the Morrigu In 279 BC an army of Celts invaded Alexander the Great's Greece and changed the course of history.... From the moment he rode into battle, Bran Mac Morgor was doomed to the fate foretold to him by the Goddess of Death herself. And he bore the scars of the raven's claws to prove it. Exiled from his country, Bran would begin an epic journey in search of the only woman he could ever love. But she was a priestess of Apollo....

The thirty-third mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.

The thirty-first mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.

THE SPIDER'S WEB is the fifth brilliant mystery in Peter Tremayne's extraordinary series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

During a pilgrimage from Ireland to the Shrine of St. James in Spain, a pilgrim disappears overboard, leaving a blood-stained robe behind, and Fidelma of Cashel sets out to uncover the truth before the ship reaches the shrine and the killer can vanish forever. Reprint.

Developed from an early oral storytelling tradition dating back to the dawn of European culture, this is one of the oldest and most vibrant of Europe's mythologies. From all six Celtic cultures - Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton - Peter Berresford Ellishas included popular myths and legends, as well as bringing to light exciting new tales which have been lying in manuscript form, untranslated and unknown to the modern general reader. The author brings not only his extensive knowledge of source material but also his acclaimed skills of storytelling to produce an original, enthralling and definitive collection of Celtic myths and legends - tales of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, magical weapons, fabulous beasts, and entities from the ancient Celtic world.

WHISPERS OF THE DEAD is the unputdownable collection of fifteen mysteries featuring the Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma, from Peter Tremayne's ever- popular 7th century Irish mystery series.

THE MONK WHO VANISHED is the seventh stunning mystery in Peter Tremayne's atmospheric series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

In A.D. 644, a respected scholar of the Celtic Church is murdered during a visit to the Irish Kingdom of Muman. The kingdom's ruler summons Sister Fidelma to solve the brutal murder, but her time is limited. The victim, as it turns out, was a comrade of the arrogant King of Fearna, who threatens war over the suspicious death of his friend But during her inquiries, Sister Fidelma comes to realize that there is more at hand than what appears, and finds her own life caught in the balance!

THE SUBTLE SERPENT is the brilliant fourth mystery in Peter Tremayne's much- loved series featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

A collection of short Irish horror stories from the author of KISS OF THE COBRA, SNOWBEAST , TROLLNIGHT and VALLEY OF THE SHADOW."

32p stapled booklet

The brilliant new novel by the internationally bestselling author of the Sister Fidelma mystery series. AD 664: Sister Fidelma finds herself in the seaport of Genua, en route from Rome back to her native Cashel. Her old teacher, Brother Ruadán, lies dying in the abbey of Bobium - an isolated abbey in a disturbed country where even the Christians are in bloody conflict with one another and the worship of the pagan gods often prevails. Fidelma is determined to see Brother Ruadán before he dies. But from the moment she enters the beautiful valley of the Trebbia, there is danger on every side. Her dying teacher's last words send her off on her most dangerous adventure where murder follows murder and a vicious civil war threatens before an extraordinary conspiracy is revealed. And from the start, Fidelma is on her own...

Sister Fidelma returns in a brand new Celtic mystery by Peter Tremayne, acclaimed author of THE SECOND DEATH and PENANCE OF THE DAMNED. Ireland, AD 671. On the eve of the pagan feast of Samhain, Brother Edulf and the warrior, Aidan, discover a man murdered in an unlit pyre in the heart of Cashel. He has been dressed in the robes of a religieux and killed by the ritualistic 'three deaths'. When a strange woman known as Branche� appears in a raven-feather cloak foretelling of ancient gods returning to exact revenge upon the mortal world, she is quickly branded a suspect. But in their search for the killer, Sister Fidelma and Eadulf will soon discover a darker shadow looming over the fortress. For their investigation is linked to a book stolen from the Papal Secret Archives which could destroy the New Faith in the Five Kingdoms...and Fidelma herself will come up against mortal danger before the case is unravelled.

HEMLOCK AT VESPERS by Peter Tremayne is the must-have anthology of Celtic mysteries featuring Irish super sleuth Sister Fidelma schovat popis

The thirty-first mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.

The thirty-fifth mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.

The Ancient World of the Celts is a highly i llustrated and comprehensive study of the Celts, their origi ns, society, art, religion, architecture, myth and legend. '

The thirtieth mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

The thirty-second mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma.

The new mystery in Peter Tremayne's long-standing and much-loved series, featuring 7th-century Irish super-sleuth Sister Fidelma

ABSOLUTION BY MURDER is the brilliant and evocative first novel in Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series, bringing 7th-century Ireland vividly to life.As the leading churchmen and women gather at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD to debate the rival merits of the Celtic and Roman Churches, tempers begin to fray. Conspirators plot an assassination, while mysterious, violent death stalks the shadowy cloisters of the Abbey of St Hilda. When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered suspicion inevitably rests on the Roman faction.Attending the Synod is Fidelma, of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. As an advocate of the Brehon Court, she is called on to investigate the murder with Brother Eadulf, of the Roman faction. However, the two are so unlike that their partnership is described as that of a wolf and a fox - but which is which?More gruesome deaths follow and the friction among the clerics could end in civil war. Can the solution to the mysteries avert such a conflict?

Murderous portents lie in the astral plane, and deadly reckonings wreak havoc in the human heart in this collection of sixteen original stories by such masterly mystery writers as Lawrence Block, Peter Lovesey, Peter Tremayne, Jon L. Breen, Edward Marston, Bill Crider, Simon Brett, and the internationally acclaimed Anne Perry.

For centuries the Celts held sway in Europe. Even after their conquest by the Romans, their culture remained vigorous, ensuring that much of it endured to feed an endless fascination with Celtic history and myths, artwork and treasures. A foremost authority on the Celtic peoples and their culture, Peter Berresford Ellis presents an invigoration overview of their world. With his gift for making the scholarly accessible, he discusses the Celts' mysterious origins and early history and investigates their rich and complex society. His use of recently uncovered firnds brings fascinating insights into Celtic kings and chieftains, architecture and arts, medicine and religions, myths and legends, making this esesntial reading for any search for Europe's ancient past.

A history of the cult of the ancient Druids, exploring who they really were and what role they played in the Celtic world. The author's interpretation of the facts is based on both archaeological and etymological findings. Peter Berresford Ellis sifts through evidence and, with reference to the latest archaeological findings and the use of etymology, shows that the Druids have been subject to a swaythe of propaganda and myth-making through the centuries.

Mapped to the 2018 NMC Standards, this book introduces students to the principles and practice of leadership, management and team working. It uses students' own values and experience of leadership as a framework through which to learn about the topic, covering the core theory in straight-forward language and relating it to practice through multiple case studies and activities.

This bestselling introduction to research supports nursing students by demystifying jargon, explaining the key concepts and building their skills in applying research principles to their studies and practice.

Mapped to the 2018 NMC Standards, this book builds students understanding of the terminology, theory and practice of using evidence - thereby teaching students to evaluate sources of evidence and apply it to their critical decision making.

Ethics can impact the decisions nurses make in their day-to-day work, so it's important that students develop their understanding of ethical frameworks as preparation for future practice. In this book, the author explains ethical ideas, theories and concepts in simple to understand terms, focussing on real- life nursing situations that makes it easy to apply these principles to your practice.

Shrouded in legend and lore for centuries, the mysterious lives of the ancient Druids continue to invoke fascination to this day. The various interpretations of the Druids range from images of white-clad priests who practiced human sacrifice and forecast the future from human entrails to portraits of them as the intelligentsia of ancient Celtic society. Yet the fascination that the Druids continue to exert appears almost in inverse proportion to what is actually known about them. In this compelling and highly reliable study of the Druids, respected Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis sifts through the historical evidence and, with reference to the latest archaeological and etymological findings, gives the first authentic account of who the mysterious Druids were and what role they played in Celtic society. The Druids emerge as the intellectual caste of ancient Celtic society. They were the doctors, the lawyers, the ambassadors, the advisers to kings. They also had a religious function. Ellis describes the special Druidic training, their philosophy, their belief in auguries, and their intriguing origins. He also shows that the current "New Age" image of the Druids as benevolent wizards comes from a woefully inadequate interpretation of the facts.

Das Geheimnis des Bischofs aus Burgund Irland 672. Jahrhundert: Im Kloster Imleach kommt bei einem Brand ein Bischof aus Burgund ums Leben. Er war ein arroganter, unangenehmer Mensch, und niemand weiß, wonach er in der Bibliothek des Klosters suchte. Doch er wurde bereits vor dem Brand ermordet, wie Fidelma bald feststellen muss. Da erhängt sich der hoffnungsvollste Student des Klosters. Vor Fidelma und Eadulf tut sich eine fremde Welt der Angst, Intrige, Missgunst und des Verrats auf. Die erfolgreichste historische Serie auf dem deutschen Markt »Wer einen Roman von Peter Tremayne gelesen hat, der möchte sie alle lesen.« NDR

Schickt der Teufel seine Boten aus Rom? Irland im Herbst 671: Unweit vom Herrschersitz der Könige von Muman werden ein älterer Geistlicher und seine Begleiter brutal erschlagen und ausgeraubt. Doch das ist erst der Anfang. Tod und Verdammnis haben offenbar auf der Burg Cashel Fuß gefasst. Selbst Fidelma scheint nicht in der Lage zu sein, den blutigen Ereignissen Einhalt zu gebieten. Haben die Abgesandten aus Rom, die alle bald als Sendboten des Teufels betrachten, etwas damit zu tun? Ein neuer Fall für Fidelma und Eadulf, der ihnen wirklich alles abverlangt. „Eine brillante und bezaubernde Heldin. Unheimlich anziehend.“ Publishers Weekly „Wer einen Roman von Peter Tremayne gelesen hat, der möchte sie alle lesen.“ NDR

Schwester Fidelma & Co ermitteln  Irland im 7. Jahrhundert: In einem Kloster wird ein Mönch ermordet. Die Täterin war eine junge Nonne, wie alle zu wissen glauben. Nur Schwester Fidelma ist fest von ihrer Unschuld überzeugt. Spannende Kriminalfälle mit Schwester Fidelma, Sherlock Holmes und vielen anderen berühmten Detektiven vom Meister des keltischen Krimis.  „Eine Schatzkiste für alle Fans historischer Krimis.“ Booklist

Ein Mord im Paradies. Irland 671: Als Fidelma und Eadulf in dem Dorf Cloichin eintreffen, das den Ruf hat, ein äußerst idyllischer Ort zu sein, wollen die aufgebrachten Bewohner dort gerade einen Mann hängen. Der Wanderarbeiter soll einen wohlhabenden Bauern und dessen gesamte Familie ermordet haben. Fidelma kann ihn gerade noch rechtzeitig vor dem grausamen Tod retten. Bei den Ermittlungen stellt sich heraus, dass die Bewohner viele dunkle Geheimnisse haben. Bevor Fidelma herausfinden kann, ob der Wanderarbeiter wirklich schuldig ist, wird ein neuer Mordanschlag auf ihn verübt. „Peter Tremayne gehört auf den Krimithron Großbritanniens.“ Literaturmarkt

Schwester Fidelma und die Magie des Vollmonds Die Untertanen von Fürst Becc sind aufs höchste beunruhigt. Sie versuchen sogar die nahe gelegene Abtei zu stürmen. Denn decken nicht die Mönche drei gefährliche Mörder, drei Fremde mit schwarzer Hautfarbe? Schon drei junge Mädchen sind in Vollmondnächten grausam umgebracht worden. Es reicht! Was bleibt Schwester Fidelma da weiter übrig, als ihren gerade geborenen Sohn für ein paar Tage allein zu lassen und mit ihrem Gefährten Eadulf dem Fürsten zu Hilfe zu eilen. Ein neuer Keltenkrimi mit Schwester Fidelma, die zu einer Zeit agiert, in der der katholische Glaube irisch-keltischer Prägung den Frauen noch Bildung, Macht und Einfluß gestattete und es in Irland noch kein Zölibat gab. „Schwester Fidelma ist zu einer weltweiten Botschafterin für die alte irische Kultur geworden.“ Irish Post „Schwester Fidelma ist eine kluge, emanzipierte, mutige Frau, die ihre Widersacher in Grund und Boden argumentiert.“ Südwestrundfunk

Continuano i Mammoth Book curati da Stephen Jones. Dopo Terrore, Vampiri, Zombi e Lupi Mannari, questa volta il protagonista è Frankenstein. L'antologia inizia con il romanzo originale, il Frankenstein di Mary Shelley e continua con una panoramica dei migliori racconti e romanzi brevi che sull'argomento. I Racconti: Frankenstein, ovvero il Prometeo moderno di Mary W. Shelley Una nuova vita di Ramsey Campbell Il creatore di R. Chetwind-Hayes Meglio morto di Basil Copper La Creatura cerca conforto di Nancy Kilpatrick Gli omini di Robert Bloch El Sueño de la Razón di Daniel Fox Pithecanthropus Rejectus di Manly Wade Wellman In pratica un omicidio di John Brunner L'ultimo treno di Guy N. Smith Il mastino di Frankenstein di Peter Tremayne L'invenzione madre di Graham Masterton L'eredità di Frankenstein di Adrian Cole Comunicazione interrotta di Dennis Etchison Il mostro di Poppi di Lisa Morton Illusione di vita di Karl Edward Wagner Una donna completa di Roberta Lannes Ultima chiamata per i figli dello shock di David J. Schow Chandira di Brian Mooney Il paradiso del collezionista di Kim Newman La tentazione del dottor Stein di Paul J. McAuley Ricevere è meglio di Michael Marshall Smith Punto d'arrivo di David Case Frankenstein di Jo Fletcher

Creature condannate, nelle notti di plenilunio, a subire orripilanti metamorfosi e ad assalir gli esseri umani più indifesi,spesso proprio le persone da loro amate,i licantropi costituiscono la figura più tragica del pantheon orrorifico. Ventitre racconti tradotti per la prima volta in italiano riuniscono, in questa antologia,i nomi più prestigiosi della narrativa fantastica che si sono magistralmente cimentati nella rielaborazione del mito del Lupo Mannaro - rilanciato anche dal Cinema con il film "Wolf",interpretato da Jack Nicholson e da Michelle Pfeiffer - Graham Masterton,Peter Tremayne,Karl Edward Wagner,Ramsey Campbell, Basil Copper con i loro uomini-lupo rievocano in ventitre modi diversi la natura animale che è in ciascuno di noi. Dopo aver letto le storie di questo libro, le notti di luna piena non saranno più le stesse per noi...

Pesthauch auf der Königsburg Irland 672: Zum Beltaine-Fest am 1. Mai treffen sich die sieben Prinzen von Muman in Cashel, um die sieben Regierungsjahre ihres Königs einzuschätzen. Da wird der alte Apotheker Conchobhar ermordet, der Hüter des Schwerts von Nuada, das entscheidend für den Fortbestand des Königreichs ist. Richtet sich der Angriff gegen König Cogús Friedensschluss mit den früheren Todfeinden von Muman? Als ein Pestschiff an der Küste anlegt und ein Mordanschlag auf Fidelma verübt wird, drohen die Ermittlungen außer Kontrolle zu geraten. Die erfolgreichste historische Krimiserie auf dem deutschen Markt »Meisterhaft erzählt von einem Autor, der die Zeit, über die er schreibt, auf faszinierende Weise lebendig werden lässt.« Belfast Telegraph »Eine brillante und bezaubernde Heldin. Unheimlich anziehend.« Publishers Weekly

STICKER DAMAGE ON COVER. WEAR ON EDGES OF COVERS. BOOKSTORE STAMP INSIDE FRONT COVER. NO WRITING OR MARKS ON PAGES.

Im Jahr 672 in Irland feiern Prinzessin Gelgéis und König Colgú ihre Hochzeit mit einem Jahrmarkt. Doch ein Mord an einer Kriegerin und der vergiftete Tod der Haushälterin werfen Schatten auf das Fest. Fidelma und Eadulf müssen schnell ermitteln, um weitere Tragödien und die Absage des Jahrmarkts zu verhindern.

Fidelma in Lebensgefahr Irland 672: König Colgú und Prinzessin Gelgéis wollen in wenigen Wochen heiraten. Doch kurz vor dem Fest erreicht Colgú die Nachricht, dass die Prinzessin spurlos verschwunden ist. Mit zwei Begleitern ist sie aus rätselhaftem Grund aufgebrochen – einen von ihnen hat man ermordet in den Bergen gefunden. König Colgú wendet sich an seine Schwester Fidelma und bittet sie um Hilfe. Als Pilger verkleidet, macht sie sich mit Bruder Eadulf auf die fieberhafte Suche nach der Prinzessin – und begibt sich tief hinein in Feindesland. „Absolut mitreißend.“ Literaturmarkt, Susann Fleischer „Wer einen Roman von Peter Tremayne gelesen hat, der möchte sie alle lesen.“ NDR

Irlande, 671. Alors que les préparatifs de la fête païenne de Samhain vont bon train, frère Eadulf découvre, au milieu du bois assemblé pour le bûcher, le cadavre d'un homme, exécuté selon l'ancien rituel de la " triple mort " : la gorge tranchée, le crâne fracassé et poignardé en plein coeur. Quand apparaît Brancheó, femme étrange couverte d'un manteau de plumes noires qui prophétise le retour des anciens dieux et leur vengeance contre ceux qui les ont oubliés, elle attire rapidement les soupçons. Mais, dans leur recherche du meurtrier, soeur Fidelma et Eadulf vont comprendre qu'une ombre plus malfaisante encore menace la forteresse. Car leur enquête se révélera liée à la disparition d'un livre volé aux archives secrètes du pape, qui pourrait détruire la nouvelle foi chrétienne dans les cinq royaumes...

Ve své době ovládli Keltové starověkou Evropu ze západu na východ od Irska po Čechy, Moravu, Slovensko a Turecko a ze severu na jih od Belgie po Španělsko a Itálii. Pokusili se o státní převrat v ptolemaiovském Egyptě, vyplenili Řím, napadli Řecko a zničili všechny armády, které proti nim řecké městské státy vyslaly. Nikdy sice nevybudovali říši obdobnou říši římské, ale jednotlivé keltské kmeny a jejich konfederace se rozlily po celém starověkém světě a v každém dobytém území se usazovaly jako vládnoucí skupiny. Stihli přitom vytvořit natolik svébytnou a fascinující kulturu, opírající se o tajemnou filozofii a mýty, a natolik prosluli jako válečníci a vynikající řemeslníci, že se z těchto hledisek stali námětem nepřeberného množství knih. Kupodivu však nikoho nenapadlo napsat jejich obecné dějiny. Tuto mezeru vyplnil teprve P. B. Ellis dílem, které zahrnuje první tisíciletí keltských dějin od doby, kdy se objevily první kmeny, až po počátek křesťanské éry, na němž byli Keltové rozdrceni Římany.... celý text

Nakolik proslulé Shakespearovo drama odpovídá realitě a nakolik je uměleckou licencí? Poslední skutečný gaelský král Skotska byl Shakespearem zpodobněn jako temný psychopat a proradný uchvatitel. V této zásadní badatelské studii nám Peter Berresford Ellis představuje skutečného MacBetha – statečného „svobodomyslného krále“ bránícího skotskou nezávislost – který byl na hony vzdálen od mytické postavy. Při bádání v dobových pramenech, včetně Orknejské ságy a Ulsterských análů, Ellis zkoumá nenávistné mocenské zápasy, které roku 1057 vedly k MacBethovu pádu a konečnému zániku keltského Skotska. Vypráví nám příběh, který je svým způsobem stejně podmanivý a tragický jako Shakespearovo velké drama. K citacím ze Shakespearova dramatu bylo použito překladu Martina Hilského.

Sestra Fidelma pátrá po vrahovi uprostřed hrozící morové epidemie Píše se rok 672 a v Irsku se blíží slavnost Beltaine. Na hrad Cashel se sjíždí sedm princů, aby potvrdili na trůně krále Colgúa. Jen několik dní předtím je nalezen mrtev bratr Conchobhar, strážce posvátného meče. Sestra Fidelma a její bratr král se obávají, že se vrah pokusil ukrást meč, který symbolizuje královu moc. Začínají se šířit fámy o pokusu svrhnout krále, když na hrad dorazí zprávy, že v nedalekém přístavu přistála loď, která má na palubě nemocné morem. V nastalém strachu a panice musí Fidelma, Enda a Eadulf dopadnout vraha dřív, než si smrt začne vybírat svou daň.

Objasní sestra Fidelma smrt franckého biskupa? Ve starodávném irském opatství Imleach Iubhir probíhá v roce 672 rozsáhlá přestavba, když zde vypukne požár. Jedinou obětí je biskup Brodulf z Luxovia, bratranec franckého krále, který je tu na návštěvě. Opat Cuán povolá sestru Fidelmu, aby nešťastnou událost objasnila, a brzy se ukáže, že biskup byl proboden, ještě než požár vůbec začal. Klášter je místem, kde se střetají různé křesťanské směry té doby a horlivě se o nich diskutuje. S přibývajícími úmrtími však Fidelma zjišťuje, že v opatství probíhají i daleko méně vznešené spory, a musí použít veškerý svůj důvtip, aby přišla komplikované záhadě na kloub.