Caroline Lennon

As the leading churchmen and women gather at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD to debate the rival merits of the Celtic and Roman Churches, tempers begin to fray. Conspirators plot an assassination, while mysterious, violent death stalks the shadowy cloisters of the Abbey of St Hilda. When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered suspicion inevitably rests on the Roman faction.

Attending the Synod is Fidelma, of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. As an advocate of the Brehon Court, she is called on to investigate the murder with Brother Eadulf, of the Roman faction. However, the two are so unlike that their partnership is described as that of a wolf and a fox - but which is which?

More gruesome deaths follow and the friction among the clerics could end in civil war. Can the solution to the mysteries avert such a conflict?

Book 1 in the Sister Fidelma series.

When Sister Fidelma sets out on a pilgrimage in the autumn of AD 666, her main preoccupation is to reflect on her commitment to the religious life and her relationship with the Saxon monk, Eadulf, whom she has left behind. Complications arise during the first night on the ship when one of the pilgrims is apparently washed overboard. The discovery of a blood-stained robe raises the question of murder and Fidelma finds herself having to focus all her abilities on solving the mystery. Death dogs the tiny band of pilgrims in the close confines of the ship, but is not until the Holy Shrine is almost reached that the amazing truth is uncovered...

Book 8 in the Sister Fidelma series.

Arson, accident or murder? After a fire rips through a North London tower block, two bodies are found locked in an eleventh-floor flat. But it is the third victim - the MP Geoff Armstrong - that requires the presence of detective Maeve Kerrigan and the murder squad. It appears that Armstrong, trapped by the fire, chose to jump to his death rather than wait for rescue. But why? And what was the controversial right-wing politician doing there in the first place? As Maeve picks through the wreckage, she will uncover a secret world where everyone has something to hide . . .

Simmy has been adjusting to life in Windermere, running her florist shop and trying to put her tragic past behind her. But just when she thinks her life is quietly coming together, it starts to unravel at the seams when she delivers a bouquet with a mysterious message attached, that brings sinister secrets to light.

A series of horrific murders has brought terror to the Kingdom of Muman. The victims, all young girls, were slaughtered with unspeakable violence on the nights of three consecutive full moons.

Suspicion falls on three dark strangers from the distant land of Aksum (Ethiopia), who are guests at the Abbey of Finbarr. A panic-stricken mob attacks the abbey, leaving the religious in fear for their lives. Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf are called in to restore order and find the killer, but it soon becomes clear that the three mysterious strangers are hiding a dark secret. And what about the ageing Laig, a hermit-like apothecary, who is known to have instructed all three victims about the magic and power of the moon; what sinister truths are hidden in his dark woodland dwelling?

As Fidelma struggles to repair her faltering relationship with Eadulf, can she uncover the truth before the killer strikes again on the next night of the full moon?

Book 13 in the Sister Fidelma series.

When Shirley Winters gets a marriage proposal from Declan Greenwood, her older sister Kate rushes to find herself a husband, because there is no way she wants to be the bridesmaid to Shirley's bride.

County Armagh, 1845. Young Sarah Hamilton's happiness is strengthened by the steady love of her husband John, the local blacksmith and the beautiful green landscape of her home on Drumilly Hill. But when tragedy strikes, her life is changed forever. As the crops across Ireland begin to fail, Sarah isn't the only one enduring hardships. Along with her friends and neighbours, Sarah lives through loss and disappointment, but ultimately discovers courage, love and the longevity of hope.

Thea Osborne and her faithful spaniel, Hepzie, have taken on a house-sitting assignment in the charming Cotswold village of Temple Guiting. But when a skeleton is discovered at the roots of an old beech tree, Thea soon finds herself drawn into a murder investigation. Perhaps the countryside isn't that quiet after all...

A SERIES OF STRANGE BIRTHS A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains. The chief surgeon performs a C-section, and delivers a catastrophically malformed foetus that is somehow alive... A DEVASTATING ATTACK Sewage engineer Gemma is plunged into a ghostly darkness in the tunnel where she works. She escapes, but her boss goes missing in the chaos. He is later found alive... but his legs have been severed and his eyes pulled out. A SUPERNATURAL THREAT DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad must team up once more to solve the mystery and save the city. But, if they are to succeed, first they must delve into the dark arts of witchcraft...

When recently widowed Thea Osborne arrives in the Cotswolds to house-sit for a local couple, her only fear is that three weeks there might prove a little dull. But when she is woken by a piercing scream outside, she calls on her neighbours to get some answers. Thea uncovers more tragedy and intrigue than she thought possible behind the peaceful Gloucestershire village.

Thea Osborne, accompanied by her trusty spaniel, Hepzie, is convinced nothing can go wrong on her next house-sitting assignment in the charming village of Blockley. The Montgomerys have asked her to look after their house while they take a much needed holiday. But trouble seems to follow Thea and when a body is discovered in the house next door, she finds herself in the midst of village secrets.

AD 670. Sister Fidelma and her faithful companion, Brother Eadulf, have been called to Autun to act as advisors to the Irish delegation of church leaders from Western Europe. But when the body of one of the delegates is found with his skull brutally smashed, they find themselves in the middle of a terrifying murder investigation.

When Sechnussach, High King of Ireland, is found dead in his bedchamber with his throat cut, all clues point to Dubh Duin, the chieftain of the clan Cinél Cairpre. The Chief Brehon of Ireland asks Sister Fidelma to investigate, and she soon reveals an intricate web of conspiracy and deception that threatens to unbalance the five kingdoms and send them spiralling into a violent and bloody civil war....

IRELAND AD 672. The abbey of Muman at Imleach Iubhair is being renovated when its guests' hostel burns to the ground. There is one fatality: Bishop Brodulf of Luxovium, a distinguished visitor and cousin to the King of Franks. Sister Fidelma is asked by Abbot Cuán to investigate the unfortunate incident and soon finds that the bishop had been stabbed to death before the fire had even started.

Thrown into a world of treachery and jealousy, where religious beliefs are vehemently disputed, Fidelma and her companions, Eadulf and Enda, face a barrier of deceit. The abbey, a leading ecclesiastical teaching institution as well as a conhospitae, housing both men and women, is divided into factions. Can Abbot Cuán trust Prioress Suanach, who is in charge of the sisterhood? Can the professors trust each other as well as their students? Moreover, can suspicion be levelled at the builders working on the abbey under their dominant Master Builder, Sìtae? As more deaths follow, Fidelma must use her wit and ingenuity to unravel the complexities of this intricate mystery.

In the wake of a series of unfortunate experiences in the Cotswolds, Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime and the possibilities of her latest house-sitting assignment in the secluded village of Cranham.

Despite the ease with which Thea's new job begins, looking after Harriet Young's reptiles, she soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, it soon becomes clear Harriet's beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham...

Book 9 in the Cotswolds Mystery series.

Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, Thea Osborne is understandably apprehensive about her latest commission: a wintry month in an isolated house with only her loyal spaniel Hepzie for company. Thea spends her first few days exploring the beautiful hamlet of Hampnett, meeting some of the locals. But when she stumbles across a man lying dead in a snow-covered field, Thea finds herself once again at the heart of a mystery.

If it hadn't been for the child then none of this might have happened. She saw me kissing her father. She saw her father kissing me. The fact that a child got mixed up in it all made us feel that it mattered, that there was no going back.

As undertaker Drew Slocombe drives to a burial in Broad Campden, the last thing he is worried about is becoming a murder suspect. Thea Osbourne becomes Drew's unlikely defender when a body is discovered minutes from her latest house-sitting assignment. Drew and Thea begin to unearth the village secrets, together playing amateur detective to find the killer, and to clear Drew's name.

Hanna, Dan, Constance and Emmet return to the west coast of Ireland for a final family Christmas in the home their mother is about to sell. A last, desperate act from Rosaleen, a woman who doesn't quite know how to love her children, forces them to confront the weight of family ties and the road that brought them home.

Thea Osborne's latest house-sitting assignment is a little different to the rest. Along with her spaniel, Hepzie, Thea finds herself in the village of Chedworth. She is tasked with creating an inventory of Rita Wilshire's possessions, requested by her son, Richard Wilshire, after moving her into a care home. All goes to plan, until Thea and her fiance, Drew Slocombe, find Richard dead in a barn. Was Richard's death suicide? Or something more sinister? When the clues lead them in circles, Thea's relationship with Drew is put to the test. But there is a crime to solve, and neither of them is willing to give up just yet...

Hats of all styles, shapes and size become Ellie's life when she inherits a small hat shop in Dublin. As her own quirky designs attract new customers she realises how happy she is, but a lot can happen in the heart of a city like Dublin.

As they are preparing to return to Ireland, Fidelma and Brother Eadulf receive a mysterious summons. Eadulf's childhood friend, Brother Botulf, has requested their presence at Aldred's Abbey at midnight on the old pagan feast of Yule. Fidelma and Eadulf battle against the harsh winter storms to arrive in time, only to find they are too late. Botulf is dead - killed by an unknown hand. As they struggle to comprehend this staggering news, it soon becomes clear that the murder of this young monk is not the only trouble facing the abbey. The abbey is haunted by the ghost of a young woman - a woman some say bears a startling likeness to the Abbot Cild's dead wife. But can Fidelma and Eadulf discover the truth before they themselves fall victim to the danger which pervades the abbey walls?

Book 12 in the Sister Fidelma series.

Sister Fidelma originally made her debut as one of the decade's most interesting sleuths in short story form. The sharp-witted and astonishingly wise religieuse captured the hearts of many readers as she successfully tackled the most baffling of crimes in her other role as advocate of the law courts of Ireland, using the ancient Brehon Law system.

The overwhelming response to these stories launched Fidelma as the heroine of a bestselling series of Celtic crime novels. But it also created a demand for further short stories.

Hemlock at Vespers is the first collection of these stories ever to be published. With its breathtaking range of settings and crimes, it is guaranteed to entertain and intrigue - and is an anthology that no lover of Celtic culture or historical crime should be without.

A short story collection linked to the Sister Fidelma series.

Elizabeth and Saoirse are two sisters at odds with each other, mostly because Elizabeth is the one who picks up the pieces when her sister’s personal problems get out of hand. One of the pieces is Saoirse’s young son. But Elizabeth’s life is about to change - for the better.

When Emma returns to Dublin to put her estranged father’s affairs in order, she begins to piece together the story of Grace, the mother she never knew. She knows her father as the judge – as stern and distant at home as he was in the courtroom. But as she goes through his personal effects, Emma begins to find clues about her mother that shock her profoundly.

Their job is to fight crime. Now they are the victims. A killer is terrorising London and this time the police are the targets. Urgently re-assigned to investigate a series of attacks on fellow officers, Maeve Kerrigan and her boss Josh Derwent have little idea what motivates the killer's fury against the force. And they know it will only be a matter of time before the killer strikes again . . .

Rabbit Hayes loves her life, ordinary as it is, and the extraordinary people in it. But it turns out the world has other plans for Rabbit, and she's OK with that. Because she has plans for the world too, and only a handful of days left to make them happen. Richard & Judy Bookclub

The teenage girl was the first victim. Her throat cut to the bone, she didn’t stand a chance. Her mother, at least, had time to fight back. Briefly. Called to the crime scene in leafy Wimbledon, Maeve Kerrigan’s first thought is that this is a domestic dispute gone badly. But the husband is found lying bleeding and unconscious in an upstairs room. He insists he’s the third victim rather than their prime suspect. The only other surviving family member is 15-year-old Lydia - and the only witness Maeve has. But she isn’t talking....

A servant has been murdered and the baby in her charge abducted. Fidelma of Cashel has solved even more horrendous crimes in her career as an advocate of the ancient Brehon Courts of Ireland. But this case is different. For both Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf of Saxmund's Ham, the case is unique because of the personal emotions involved. The baby who has been abducted is their own son.

What is the motive for their crime? Could someone seeking vengeance on Fidelma and Eadulf have done the deed? They have made a lot of enemies in their pursuit of justice.

Fidelma and Eadulf, ignoring protests that they are too emotionally involved to undertake the investigation, set out on an increasingly desperate mission to save their son...

Book 14 in the Sister Fidelma series.

Cassie Maddox has left the Murder Squad and started a relationship with fellow detective Sam O’Neill. When Sam becomes involved in the case of a young woman stabbed to death just outside Dublin he finds the victim bears an uncanny resemblance to Cassie and involves her in the hunt for the killer. X rated, contains offensive language and explicit sex.

Thea Osborne and her canine companion Hepzie travel to the village of Snowshill for their next assignment, house-sitting Hyacinth House for the mysterious Yvonne Parker. Something doesn't feel right to Thea, and soon her intuition is proved to be right. A local boy, Stevie Horsfall, is found brutally strangled, with his mother as prime suspect. Thea, believing in her innocence, embarks on a mystery, taking her through the maliciously entangled lives of the village residents, to London and beyond.

On a storm-driven night, wreckers drive a ship onto rocks off the coast of Ireland. An Abbess leading a pilgrimage is killed and the young religieuse with her abducted. An ageing scholar is murdered in the Abbey of Ard Fhearta. Do these events have a connection? Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf go to Ard Fhearta to examine the mystery.

The Abbey of Imleach, in the south-west Irish kingdom of Muman, now rivals Armagh as the centre of the faith in Ireland. For the founder of the abbey was none other than St Ailbe, the man who brought Christianity to Muman, converted its king and baptised him at Cashel in AD448.

But now, calamity has struck the community of the abbey. Not only has an elderly monk suddenly disappeared, but the holy relics of St Ailbe have also vanished. These sacred relics are not just the concern of the abbey's community but are a priceless icon and political symbol of the entire kingdom. So who would have dared to take them?

Sister Fidelma, together with Saxon Brother Eadulf, are asked to investigate. It seems there is more to the disappearances than meets the eye; much more. Fidelma gradually uncovers a sinister conspiracy, in which the participants will stop at nothing - even murder - to achieve their aims...

Book 7 in the Sister Fidelma series.

Arriving home from a pilgrim voyage, Sister Fidelma hears that her faithful Saxon companion, Brother Eadulf, is under sentence of death for murder. She hastens to the capital of Laigin, where he is being held, determined to appeal against the sentence. The crime took place at the abbey of Fearna where Fidelma clashes with the sinister Abbess Fainder. The evidence against Eadulf seems overwhelming - can he actually be guilty? Will Fidelma's emotional involvement blind her in her desperate search for the truth?

Book 10 in the Sister Fidelma series.

Holly and Gerry have always joked that she would never cope without him, so when Gerry dies of a brain tumour, Holly's world falls apart. Then she finds a package from Gerry, with a letter and a pile of envelopes to help her. X rated, contains offensive language and explicit sex. Richard & Judy Bookclub

Ever since her classmate disappeared, Sandy Shortt has been haunted by what happens when things disappear. She starts an agency for missing persons, and soon after she takes on the case of Jack Ruttle's missing brother sandy herself disappears.