MYSTERY

Sacrifice: A Celtic Adventure

by Philip Freeman
Pegasus Crime. Oct. 2015. 192p. ISBN 9781605988894. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781605988900. M
COPY ISBN
In this worthy successor to Freeman's debut historical mystery set in sixth-century Ireland, St. Brigid's Bone, the body of a murdered nun is found in a bog, and swiftly thereafter a second nun, decapitated and hung from a tree, is discovered. Sister Deirdre and her Druid grandmother come to a startling conclusion: someone is practicing an ancient Druidic rite of sacrifice, targeting the nuns of St. Brigid's Monastery. Deirdre is forced to make a terrible choice between her Christian religion and her Celtic culture, and Sister Anna expels her from the monastery. This paradoxically eases Deirdre's way to find the culprit, which she must do before the seventh and final sacrifice, in order to maintain peace between the eastern and western clans of the kingdom.
VERDICT This novel is a bit darker, but like its predecessor shows a good knowledge of early Ireland. There's less time spent on character development here, but the plot is well paced and the mystery deeper than it first appears. Readers who enjoyed the first volume will want to pick this up. Fans of Peter Tremayne's "Sister Fidelma" series might also be interested in following Deirdre's adventures.
Reviewed by Pamela O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY , Sep 01, 2015
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

What You Leave Behind
by Morris, Wanda M.
FICTION

Death at a Scottish Christmas
by Connelly, Lucy
FICTION

Like Mother, like Daughter
by McCreight, Kimberly
FICTION

Ladykiller
by Wood, Katherine
FICTION

A Scandal in Mayfair
by Schellman, Katharine
FICTION

A Talent for Murder
by Swanson, Peter
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?