Bookshelf
Darkest of deeds in a land of saints and slaughter
 PETER
TREMAYNE-Master of Souls-
Master of Souls is a novel of ancient Ireland.
On a storm-driven night, wreckers drive a ship on to rocks off the coast
of Ireland. An abbess leading a pilgrimage is killed and the young religieuses
with her are abducted. An ageing scholar is murdered in the Abbey of Ard
Fhearta.
But do these events have a connection?
Sister Fedelma and Brother Eadulf go to Ard Fhearta to examine the mystery.
But the abbey stands in the territory of the Ui Fidgente, enemies of Fidelma
and her brother, the King of Cashel, and danger threatens Fidelma and
Eadulf from the moment of their arrival.
What is the link that connects the crimes? Who is the mysterious “master
of souls” spreading death and corruption across the land? Has Uaman
the Leper, Lord of the Passes, returned from the dead?
You’ll have to read it to find out.
Peter Tremayne is the pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, who is an established
authority on the ancient Celts and an Irish Post columnist. Berresford
Ellis has ultilised his knowledge of the Brehon law system and 7th Centry
Irish society to create a new concept in detective fiction.
Master of Souls, Headline, £6.99
JOHN E. WAITE-Peter Tait, A Remarkable Story-
This fascinating book, based on extensive original research, traces the
life of Peter Tait from his birth in Shetland in 1828 to his death in
the Russian Empire in 1890.
It describes his years in Limerick as a manufacturer of army uniforms
using steam-powered sewing machines, as a Deputy Lieutenant and, for three
consecutive years, Mayor of the city.
It sheds significant new light on his supply of uniforms to the Confederate
States during the American Civil War, on his involvement in blockade-running,
and on his ultimately disastrous relationship with Alexander Collie, who
is exposed as the perpetrator of extensive frauds both during and after
the war.
All in all, it brings to life Tait’s campaigns for election as an
MP for Limerick in 1868 and for Orkney and Shetland in 1873.
It includes a wealth of detail including Tait’s grand visions for
the future of Ireland, his establishment of a line of steamships to carry
passengers and mails between England, Belgium and South America and his
bankruptcy in 1869. The story also delves into the scandals caused by
the sexual exploits of his brother and his shipping manager.
It charts Tait’s years of self-imposed exile in the Ottoman Empire;
his manufacture of cigarettes in the City of London, and his search for
oil in the Caucasus.
John Waite has painted a vivid portrait of a remarkable man, whose memorial
still stands in Limerick today.
The author, whose grandfather Edward W. Waite married Sir Peter Tait’s
daughter Barbara in 1891, has travelled extensively not only in Britain
but also abroad in the course of his research for the book.
Peter Tait, A Remarkable Story, Milnford Publications, £20
frances smith & erin mccarthy-In Fear of Her Life-
Frances Smith is the pseudonym for a woman who lived in fear of her life
for 22 years. Married at 16 to a Dublin criminal, she endured years of
relentless mental and physical torture until she found the strength to
fight back.
This is her courageous story told with brutal honesty and at times humour.
It chronicles her descent to the brink of suicide and consequent rebuilding
of her life. This unique account is essential reading for all those who
have ever endured cruelty at the hands of a man, or another human being
for that matter. It gives hope to all those who have been victimised.
The author is unable to use her real name because her life remains under
threat.
Erin McCafferty is a Dublin-based freelance journalist.
She is a regular contributor to national titles including the Sunday World,
Hello and OK.
Fellow Irish author Cathy Kelly describes In Fear of Her Life as “the
gripping story of one woman’s fight to survive a lifetime of abuse.
Frances’ story is both tragic and uplifting. You want to cheer because
she’s survived thanks to her own courage.”
In Fear of Her Life, Maverick House
|
