Cross of Vengeance

December 2, 2013
Mara, the Brehon (or judge) for the area of Ireland known as the Burren doesn’t overlook a subtle murder clue in Harrison’s clever 10th 16th-century historical (after 2013’s Chain of Evidence). Kilnaboy Church, where Mara and five of her law students help celebrate the Feast of the Holy Cross, is home to what is reputedly a piece of the true cross—until someone sets a fire that destroys the relic. This act of arson is but the prelude to a killing that leaves a man’s naked corpse laid out on a tomb, displayed as if he had been crucified. Mara assumes there’s a connection between the two crimes and investigates, aided by her able pupils. The victim’s decision to skip breakfast on the day he was murdered proves vital to Mara’s inquiry, which leads to one of Harrison’s most intriguing solutions. The chapter epigraphs, drawn from medieval Irish texts, offer a tantalizing glimpse into the legal system of another time and place. Agent: Peter Buckman, Ampersand Agency (U.K.).

August 6, 2012
Set in 1512, Harrison’s engaging eighth Irish historical (after 2011’s Deed of Murder) takes judge Mara, Brehon of the Burren, and her law students to the city-state of Galway, “a tiny island of English law, English language, and English dress within the Gaelic land to the north, east, and south of it.” Mara wishes to expose the students to a different legal system and to help an imprisoned countryman accused of stealing a pie. Mara is dismayed to learn that the prisoner is Sheedy O’Connor, whom she’d formally declared insane, and that his accuser is cousin both to the prosecutor and the judge, who also happens to be Galway’s mayor. Operating in a foreign jurisdiction, Mara must draw on all her ingenuity to try to save O’Connor from execution. Harrison adroitly introduces her impressive knowledge of the period into a suspenseful plot that also involves murder. Agent: Peter Buckman, the Ampersand Agency.

September 1, 2012

Initially, Mara, Brehon of the Burren, a judge in her community, just wants to ensure a defense for a mentally ill indigent man from Burren who's imprisoned in Galway. The city is ruled differently than her own region so she must tread lightly. But after she and her students arrive, a night of harmless revelry turns violent, leaving a young man dead and the mayor's son accused of the murder. Mara stands up to the local authorities, using legal reasoning to make her case. Mara and her intrepid students never give up, and this leads to a breathtaking conclusion. VERDICT Harrison's immensely satisfying eighth legal mystery (after Deed of Murder) is imbued with vibrant details but not weighed down by them. With several memorable adolescent characters, both male and female, this historical has notable YA crossover appeal. For fans of Peter Tremayne.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2013
An unusual and beguiling murder mystery set in a sixteenth-century Ireland that is as lovely, innocent, and enchanting as Camelotuntil murder befouls the setting. Mara, the Burren Brehon (maker of judgments), is wise, patient, fair, and kind, but all of these qualities are tested when a band of religious pilgrims comes through the Burren. Soon after their arrival, the Kilnaboy religious relic, which is the Burren's most important attraction, is defaced and burned. Then one of the pilgrims is found murdered, his body spread-eagled and naked in crucifixion pose behind Kilnaboy Church. Determined to find the killer, Mara is completely puzzled: How did someone kill the pilgrim, who was a big man, remove his clothes, and haul him to the site where he was found? Was the killer one of the pilgrims or, more frightening, someone from the Burren? Cleverly written, atmospheric, captivating, and suspenseful, this is a unique murder mystery that's sure to appeal to fans of historical mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)