The Subtle Serpent: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland

To put it succinctly: this is a solid, well-written, nicely plotted mystery set in seventh century Ireland, where women had greater rights than they probably have today. Historically accurate (within reason for a mystery novel), this is about as good as the genre gets.

I'm not a fan of modern murder mysteries because I can too easily translate it into paranoia, and stay awake at night worrying about my own safety. But the setting of the Sister Fidelma mysteries is far enough removed from my own reality to just be a great escape. I'm also interested in Irish history, but I'm not one to just sit down and read a history book. I was delighted to learn that in Sister Fidelma's time in Ireland women often were on an equal level with men in many ways, perhaps even as much as today.This story is the second of the Sister Fidelma mysteries I have read. Another reviewer mentioned the preferred sequence to read them, but I have not done so. You can pick up one and still know as much as you need without having read any of the others. The Subtle Serpent is very difficult to put down. Even with kids fighting in the next room or my eyes begging me to let them close at night, I found it difficult to not go on to the next page. Sister Fidelma is a bright, bold, brave, compassionate, and likeable young woman who is called to figure out why a headless corpse has been found in the well of the Abbey of the Salmon of the Three Wells. You meet some very interesting characters and some interwoven plots while Sister Fidelma goes about solving this murder.

Typically, I am not really a "mystery" fan at all, but several friends who know my fondness for all things Irish and historical persuaded me to read The Subtle Serpent, and I was quickly hooked! I have already ordered several more Sister Fidelma books, and no doubt will devour them when they arrive as well.S Fidelma is quite something - can hardly wait to follow her other adventures. The detail included in Tremayne's writing greatly appealed to me as well, and I could just place myself back in one or more settings in that time in ancient Ireland - I heartily recommend the series.