Beyond Absolution

August 1, 2016
In 1923, the Irish War of Independence has ended, but tensions are still high between the IRA and the ruling government. Vast areas of Cork have been burned by the British auxiliaries, targeting anyone suspected of Republican sympathies. But it's the poor who have suffered most. So when city planner James Doyle is assassinated in the city market, the only shocking thing is that young reporter Sam O'Mahoney is accused of the crime. No one saw Sam kill Doyle, but when the shooting ended, Sam held a gun in his hand. With such damning evidence, it's clear Sam will hang for the deed. His mother pleads with Reverend Mother Aquinas, who was in the market when the shooting took place, to find the real killer. Of course, the Reverend Mother wants to help, but in a city torn by hatred and fear, can she uncover the truth? Period ambience, an intriguing look at a desperate time in Irish history, an absorbing plot, and a wise and intrepid amateur sleuth in the form of the Reverend Mother make this an engaging historical mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2017
Set in the 1920s in teeming, tumultuous Cork, Ireland, where Republicans continue to wage a bloody war against the government, Harrison's latest continues her successful Irish historical mystery series featuring Reverend Mother Aquinas. When the Reverend Mother learns that Father Dominic, the gentlest of religious men and the brother of the Reverend Mother's childhood friend, has been brutally murdered, she's determined to use every one of her diverse contactsfrom former pupils to doctors to policemen and even members of the Republican Armyto find out who killed him. There are plenty of puzzling clues: a mysterious woman spotted hovering near but never entering Father Dominic's confessional booth, a young boy who claims he's seen a treasure house of gold and silver underneath the city, an earlier sighting of Father Dominic in a pricey local antiques shop, and a local musical group that may have been cover for a much darker purpose. Fine historical ambience, well-drawn characters, a twist-filled plot, and a surprising conclusion make this one a good choice for all crime collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)