The Keening: A Mystery of Gaelic Ireland

Emery, Anne

$23.99
  • The murdered body of Sorcha the prophetess is discovered following a lavish banquet at the Maguire castle in 16th-century Ireland. In the present day, a dig commences on the land, and not only is a body discovered, but a sheaf of prophecies. Who killed Sorcha?

    There has been a guesthouse on the Tierney land in County Fermanagh for hundreds of years. Now Tierney’s Hotel is faced with a development that will block the hotel’s best feature, its view of Enniskillen Castle. But the project can be stopped if there are important historical artifacts buried on the property. Enter the archaeologists.

    Mick’s ancestor, Brigid Tierney, ran the guesthouse in the late 1500s. We see Brigid and Shane and their children at a lavish banquet at the castle, home of the ruling family, the Maguires. The wine and ale flow freely, the harpist plays, the bard recites the Maguires’ heroic deeds. But one woman has a sense of foreboding. Sorcha the prophetess sees harrowing times ahead. The Tudors of England are determined to complete their brutal conquest of Ireland.

    The morning after the banquet, Sorcha is found dead on a bed of oak leaves. And Shane is accused of the killing. His lawyer, Terence, conducts his defence on the hilltop that constitutes the court in 1595.

    Ireland has had a complex and at times woeful history, and we see that history being played out in the lives of the Tierneys, past and present.

    In 2018, the dig commences on Mick Tierney’s land. Historical artifacts? Yes. But also a sheaf of prophecies. And a body ― a bogman ― four hundred years old.

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  • Anne Emery is a lawyer and author of the Collins-Burke Mystery Series, which has won several awards including the 2019 Arthur Ellis for Best Crime Novel for Though the Heavens Fall. Her series is set in various places: Halifax, Dublin, Belfast, London, New York, Berlin. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  • Published: September 2021

    ISBN: 9781770415843

    Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 in.

    Pages: 392

Reviews

“The intricately developed story may appeal to fans of Cora Harrison’s ‘Burren’ mysteries.” — Library Journal

“Halifax author Anne Emery has superbly blended two fascinating storylines in The Keening, a splendid murder mystery with characters you wish you knew.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“A rich and rewarding book, it arouses our sympathies for the long, painful history of the Irish within an engrossing mystery.” — Historical Novel Society

“Those who enjoy historical novels — particularly mysteries — are in for a treat with Anne Emery’s The Keening: A Mystery of Gaelic Ireland … Emery effectively switches back and forth from around 1600 to present day resulting in a fascinating read.” — The IFP