Blood in Eden

Set in 672 C.E., Tremayne’s gripping 30th whodunit featuring Irish investigative magistrate Fidelma (after 2018’s Bloodmoon) explores the religious and social tensions of its time when, as an author’s note indicates, “New concepts of Christianity being brought in from Rome resulted in conflicts and confusion as ideas on issues such as property ownership and inheritance began to be influenced.” Amid growing threats to the status quo, Fidelma and her husband, Eadulf, arrive just in time to prevent the angry villagers of Cloichín from hanging Celgaire, an itinerant worker they believed killed Adnan, a farmer who refused to hire Celgaire, and Adnan’s family. Brother Gadra, a priest who stirred up the villagers, doesn’t recognize the authority of what he terms Fidelma’s “pagan law.” Finding the evidence against Celgaire thin, she investigates and soon discovers that Adnan, his wife, and their two sons weren’t all murdered with the same weapon—and that others had better reason to wish Adnan dead. Tremayne carefully builds the suspense. Series fans won’t be disappointed. [em]Agent: Euan Thorneycroft, A.M. Heath (U.K.). (Aug.) [/em]