Whispers of the Dead

Whispers of the Dead (2004) Peter Tremayne

When I first came across the Sister Fidelma mysteries I was almost certain I was going to like them. Sister Fidelma is a nun and a lawyer in 17th century Ireland. Written by an Irish scholar, the stories are full of wonderful historical detail and are history lessons as much as mysteries, which is perfect, since I love history and mystery.

This latest book, Whispers of the Dead, is the second collection of Sister Fidelma short stories Peter Tremayne has written. I appreciate the fact that Peter Tremayne can write both novels and short stories, and do both equally well, although as always, I’m partial to his short stories. The stories in this collection are, for the most part, not set in a specific time frame, although “The Blemish” occurs prior to any of the books, when Fidelma is in law school, and characters in several other stories refer to events that occur in the novels, but I didn’t recognize any spoilers for any of the novels.

Would this collection provide a good starting place if you have to read a Sister Fidelma story before? Possibly, although I think that Hemlock at Vespers would be a better the better collection to begin with, since he does explain far less about her past in these stories. If I remember correctly, I did find the repetition of Fidelma’s past in every story a bit frustrating in that collection, but as he was writing for people who had most likely not read one of his books before, it made sense.

Thus I appreciated the fact that these stories were written so as to not repeat the same details over and over, about Ireland and Sister Fidelma, and Irish law in the 17th century. But for the unfamiliar, he provides an Introduction, which discusses some of the historical details that were brought up through the series. A bit of a primer for those who have not read a Sister Fidelma mystery before. In which case I strongly suggest: go out and do so right now! These stories are appropriate for any age, and my grandmother loves them just as much as I do.

Right now I’d love to go back and reread all the Sister Fidelma mysteries, except that my mom has borrowed all of them, so I’ll have to find something new to read instead.

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