Autumn, AD 672.

While out walking, Abbot Brocc was shocked to encounter the sinister apparition of a young woman, cloaked entirely in grey, who foretold his impending death. Dismissing the soothsayer's words, Brocc nevertheless felt concerned enough to ask for Sister Fidelma's advice on the matter.

But by the time Fidelma and her companions arrive at the remote abbey of Dair Inis, Brocc has been found dead in the abbey's sweat house - as the mysterious prophetess had predicted.

Plunged into a world of uncertainty, where believers of the Old and New Faiths are violently opposed, Fidelma, Eadulf and Dego embark on a journey fraught with danger, in a puzzling and perilous quest for the truth behind Brocc's murder . . .

Praise for the Sister Fidelma mysteries:

'A challenging and unusual but deeply satisfying and enjoyable historical thriller' Booklist

'The background detail is brilliantly defined...wonderfully evocative' The Times

'Tremayne expertly incorporates historical and legal details of the time into the suspenseful plot. This impressive volume bodes well for future series entries' Publishers Weekly