This is the 4th book in this series. Christmas 1509; the Burren, west coast of Ireland; Mara, Brehon (investigating judge) of the Burren, has accepted the offer of marriage made by King Turlough Donn O'Brien, ruler of that tiny kingdom of stony land on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. On the eve of the marriage festivities, a man kneeling in prayer in the abbey church is violently battered to death. Who could have planned to kill the king? Or was it his cousin who was the planned victim?

Cora Harrison has created a distinctive historical mystery series with her evocative writing and strong characterisation. The main protagonist is Mara O'Davoren who brings an insightful and sympathetic personality to her investigations as the Brehon ('Lady Judge') in the Burren region of medieval Ireland. As the judge and head of her own Law School, she is a respected leader of high authority, even over the abbot in the community.

This mystery proceeded on somewhat different lines compared to the first book I read (Lady Judge) and revealed how complex the religious powers of Rome versus the older and traditional Irish ways were affecting everyone. At times I found all the different characters who were either lay people, abbey staff, royal cousins, Clan leaders or monks overly complex to have a sense of who might be the culprit.
Again, I deducted one star because the author manoeuvres the investigation so that Mara takes a foolish chance to confront the murderer alone and elicit a confession. Despite these misgivings, I highly recommend the story for its atmospheric writing, historical detail, and a suspenseful plot. ( )