An Unjust Judge

March 1, 2017
Mara, Brehon of the Burren, a sixteenth-century Irish kingdom, investigates the vicious murder of a novice judge from a neighboring kingdom, who meted out exceptionally harsh punishments for minor crimes his first and only day on the job. Though her initial suspects are the five men who received unjust sentences from Gaibrial O'Doran, she quickly realizes that there are a slew of others with probable cause, including O'Doran's young wife, an abused apprentice, and another would-be Brehon. The heinous nature of the murder suggests either a crime of passion or one of unflagging ambition, and motives abound. Mara, aging gracefully, has lost none of her sharp powers of investigation. The narrative twists and turns until the end, showcasing both Harrison's clever plotting and historical chops as she continues her outstanding Burren Mystery series, following A Fatal Inheritance (2016). Like Peter Tremayne in his Sister Fidelma series, Harrison illuminates the remarkably enlightened legal system of medieval Ireland.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)