Sacrifice: A Celtic Adventure

Description

Someone is killing the nuns of Ireland. The grisly discovery of an elderly sister of Saint Brigid's monastery strangled, bled dry, and thrown into a bog is just the beginning. Soon a beautiful young nun is found decapitated and hung from a barren tree. It doesn't take long before the members of the struggling monastic community of Kildare realize that not only are the nuns being hunted by a serial killer, but the murderer is preforming the gruesome slayings in the manner of the ancient druid sacrifices. Set in the turmoil of sixth-century Ireland, where ruthless tribal kings wage constant war for survival and the powerful religious order of the druids is threatened by the newly-arrived Christian church, the desperate task of finding the killer falls to Sister Deirdre, a young women torn between the world of the monastery and her own druidic heritage. Unless Deirdre can find the killer before the cycle of sacrifices is complete, more of her friends will die, the monastery will face destruction, and the whole of Ireland may be plunged into civil war.

Philip Freeman received his Ph.D. in Classics and Celtic Studies at Harvard University and holds the Qualley Chair of Classical Languages at Luther College. He is the author of thirteen books, including St. Patrick of Ireland, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Oh My Gods: A Modern Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths. He is currently working on a book about the life of Sappho, the first woman poet, for W. W. Norton & Co. Philip lives in Decorah, Iowa.

"Well paced. Fans of Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series might also be interested in following Deirdre's adventures" -- Library Journal "A fascinating look into the world of druids and Christians in sixth-century Ireland. I put his work up there with Rosemary Sutcliff's wonderful novels. I was drawn into the imagery and pacing and hope there is more of Deidre to come." -- Suspense Magazine "Philip Freeman creates convincing characters who use realistic dialogue. All books about Celtic Heritage should be this readable. I hope to hear more of Deidre in the future." -- The Irish American News "The pacing and suspense were very well stylized, and I was happy to see that Philip Freeman plans on publishing a second novel featuring the lively Sister Deirdre." -- Historical Novel Society "A lively and lucid biography." -- The New York Times (on 'St. Patrick of Ireland') "This is a goodly yarn, complete with its fascinating and colorful historical and cultural context, not to mention its dangers and horrors, a good start to what looks to be a good mystery series." -- The Providence Journal