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Published Nov 2009
368 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
The year is 1509 and autumn has come to the Burren in western Ireland. It’s a time of harvest and preparation for the winter to come—the end of summer and, for some, the end of life. When Mara attends the funeral of a local priest of the Burren, the last thing she expects to discover is another corpse on the church steps—a man stung to death by bees.
Sorley, the silversmith, was a greedy and distrusted man: there would be no shortage of people who wanted him dead. But who really stood to profit from his murder? As Mara investigates, she must use all her cunning and prowess as a judge to bring the sting of justice to a killer with a hate-filled heart and a murderous mind.
"Starred Review. Harrison’s stellar third novel set in the Irish kingdom of Burren blends a fair-play murder puzzle with a convincing portrayal of early 16th-century Ireland.... Ellis Peters and Peter Tremayne fans who have yet to discover Harrison will be overjoyed." - Publishers Weekly
"This richly conceived and authentically detailed series of historical whodunits fleshes out the surprisingly accurate notion that Ireland was a quasi-feminist bastion in an otherwise backward medieval Europe." - Booklist
"Readers who enjoy Irish history and tales won’t be disappointed by Harrison's well-plotted mystery, the third in her series featuring Brehon Mara, a 16th-century judge ... her elegant style produces an enjoyable story." - Romantic Times
"Sixteenth-century Irish law is surprisingly egalitarian and complex, governing all aspects of life from marriage and inheritance to the keeping of bees .... enjoyable, providing intriguing insight into medieval Irish justice." - Kirkus Reviews
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Cora Harrison was born in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland, but lived in Cork city until she was twenty-one.
When she was about seven years old, Harrison became very ill, and between the ages of seven and thirteen she hardly went to school.
Harrison used have to stay in bed at home, or in hospital, for weeks at a time. She used to pass the time making up stories.
When she was about fourteen, Harrison recovered and began to attend school normally. She went to University College Cork, and after she graduated she went to England.
She got married and had two children: William and Ruth.
Now Harrison has one grandson, Shane.
While her children were growing up, she became a primary school teacher and loved teaching history to children.
She now has published twenty-six books for children, mainly...
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