Another foray into historical fiction set in Ireland at the height of the Irish Civil War. The community of Cork is already on tenterhooks; there is an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion; there is violence, hatred and sectarianism. In this volatile mix is a country that is more like a semi-military state with a fledgling police force doing is best to solve a multitude of crime.

Reverend Mother Aquinas returns to solve the mystery, alongside of Inspector Cashman, and rebel girl Eileen. History and politics collide nicely in this story of greed and murder.

Cora Harrison continues the Reverend Mother mysteries with Beyond Absolution in which a priest is murdered by a hatpin in 1925 Ireland in the confessional. Reverend Mother Aquinas follows up with help from the police, the IRA and others to track and identify the murderer. Meanwhile a gang is torching Anglo Irish stately homes, stealing the valuables and blaming the IRA. Murky and dangerous times in Ireland create intriguing crimes and detectives.

This novel is set in Cork in the 1920s and features the compelling Reverend Mother, headmistress of a school for disadvantaged children. She is a great character and as is common these days is also an amateur sleuth.

The action starts when popular Father Dominic, a Capuchin Friar, is found dead in the confessional. The Garda police are newly set up and Inspector Cashman, a previous pupil of the Reverend Mother, is in charge of the case. There appears to be little to work with but it is clear that Friar Dominic didn't die of natural causes. One statement, however, leads Cashman to the 'Merrymen' musical theatre group and its leader, Peter Doyle.

There is so much detail in this novel it is difficult to say much more without venturing into the plot and many subplots and I would hate to spoil it for anyone. As well as the murder, there is a gang who sets fire to the big old houses of the area and whilst the easy option is to blame Sinn Fein it seems unlikely that they are responsible. Rather strangely, items from these houses seem to appear in the antique shop.

The characters speak for themselves and are a diverse mix of a doctor, teachers, antique shop owners, bank clerks (with a secret vice!), Reverend Mother's cousin Lucy, a grubby schoolboy and Republican sympathisers. Each is presented with enough detail to allow the reader to visualise them, warts and all. The Reverend Mother is the main character and is a straightforward, intelligent woman who is far from the stereotype who is unable to empathise with the lives of ordinary people; she is most irritated that much of her work is hampered by lack of funds and so she cannot even provide each child in her care with a pair of boots!

You won't be surprised that it is the Reverend Mother who solves the case, but the final conclusion I think will surprise you.

This is a well-written novel, although I did feel some points were laboured, it is an easy and enjoyable read.

Pashtpaws


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

In the politically roiled Irish city of Cork in 1923, Reverend Mother Aquinas’s latest investigation is tragically personal. An old childhood friend, the elderly Father Dominic of the Capuchin Brothers, has been found murdered in his confessional stall at Holy Trinity Church, pierced through the ear with a sharp, narrow blade. In many historical mysteries, the victims have numerous enemies, but this case is more puzzling: nobody can imagine who’d want to kill such a gentle man.

For the sake of Dominic’s grieving brother, Prior Lawrence, the Reverend Mother wants to discover the truth. She contributes information based on her personal connections and extensive knowledge of Cork’s citizenry while her former pupil, Inspector Patrick Cashman of the Civic Guards, examines the crime from an official standpoint. Strangely, on the day before his death, the unworldly priest had been seen visiting an antique shop on Morrison’s Island, upset about a damaged ceramic hawk for sale there.

Every volume in this exceptional series (Beyond Absolution is the third) adds to readers’ understanding about the geography and political history of Cork, and Ireland itself, during the 1920s. Although the IRA is blamed for most killings, Dominic’s murder doesn’t bear their signature, especially since his kindness extended even to Republican sympathizers. The mystery about the hawk is revealed midway through, but the killer’s identity remains unknown until the end. Looking back afterward, however, it’s clear Harrison had been dropping periodic clues to lead to the correct conclusion.

With their shared childhood and contrasting life experiences, the heroine and her elegant cousin Lucy make a wonderful team. Understandably, the Reverend Mother appears noticeably aged and tired in this entry, which shows how anguish can take a heavy physical toll. Let’s hope she and her partners can rally sufficiently to play roles in future books.

Troubled Times: a history and a mystery!

In this rather marvellous Irish historical mystery I found myself immersed in the actions and times, set as they are in Cork, in 1925. My reactions to the wonderfully rich descriptive narrative was probably helped by the fact that I was actually in Cork at my time of reading. I felt immersed in the history of the time. The vivid reality of the story intertwined with my real life journey.
Reverend Mother Aquinas is a gem. When her long time friend, Father Dominic, a priest beloved by the people and respected by the Irish Republican Army is killed in the confessional, the Reverend Mother brings to bear her vast influence and intelligent mind to solving the problem. This includes childhood acquaintances and their remembrances of the great houses during that time, past students and current ones, police, bankers, and others. The mix of people the Reverend Mother can reach out to is inspiring.
The only irregular thing Father Domonic had been doing was visiting antique shops. When the Reverend Mother follows that trail her memories of times past surface and some disturbing puzzles come into play including the members of a local musical group, the Merrymen.
I love the humanness of the Reverend Mother, her understanding of children and their needs and her acknowledgment of their differences.
The secondary characters are strong and likeable. A great supporting cast.
Tragedy strikes again, upsetting and unlooked for. Who the murderer is keeps one wondering right up to the end. Some suspect the IRA, others the Anti-Sinn Féin Society.
A well executed plot that draws together many factors about Ireland in the 1920's and uses them to advantage, all the while illuminating the very real history and conditions of the times.

A NetGalley ARC
(August 2017)

When a young boy says that the priest in the confessional didn't speak to him, they check to see what's going on. He's dead but it's not from natural causes...

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 1st.

Reverend Mother Aquina has known this priest and his brother from childhood. Father Dominic often stepped over the line and held masses that the republicans could attend. He visited picket lines. Even the bishop had tried to reprimand him but it hadn't worked. Now he's dead. Did the republicans kill him? After all the church is attended by members of the other side. Reverend Mother thinks not. She does suspect a local business owner who was there and not a member of the church. When she begins to ask questions about him, she finds out he's not what he seemed to be...

With two warring factions involved with the characters of the story, it gets complex and becomes hard to weed out true facts. Some things are assumptions, some are just blaming the other side, and some are highly suspicious.

Before the story is through, they've found wrongdoers all around and the murderer is no one you'd ever suspect. You can feel the tension and the stress of the time. This was an interesting read.

Ireland in the 1920's was an interesting time in history. With six counties still belonging to the UK, and most of Ireland wanting them back, you had all kinds of groups causing trouble and meting out justice as they see fit.

When a normal Saturday confession at Holy Trinity Church in Cork ends with the discovery of Father Dominic's body in the confessional. Stabbed through the ear and murdered. Reverend Mother grew up with Dominic and his brother Lawrence and she is determined to find out who did this horrible crime and why.

As she gathers information and passes it on to Inspector Patrick Cashman who is working this case and was a student of Reverend Mothers long ago.

There is a little bit of everything in this story. Reverend Mother is a wonderfully imagined character. Each character in the book had his or her own story and it made the story very real. Even the ending I appreciated.

Another really good read from Ms. Harrison and Severn House! Release Date is August 1, 2017.

Very good story.....Would recommend. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

I did not enjoy this book, I was expecting more of a murder mystery and found it pretty dark. It was extremely well written and moved along quite well. I am sure other people will enjoy the book, set in Ireland in 1922 and with the shadow of Sinn Fein behind it, it makes good reading for anyone interested in this period.

So I stayed up late finishing it as I could tell it was going to end badly for some.."Noli respicere post tergum" says Mother Aquinas.." Do not look back"..

It was a riveting book in so many ways for me..first I continually marvel that my great Uncle Patrick and family lived in that part of Cork at that exact time..well Uncle Patrick died in 1907, his son in 1913 and his wife and daughter in 1921 but his granddaughters were still living at Little Cross Street. Secondly that so very many experienced those hardships that went on and on.. Great Uncle Patrick's two older sons got themselves to New York and New Jersey well before that.

It was a complex but extremely interesting plot which slowly resolved itself, but not without some tragedy. A murder in the Confessional of a beloved priest had so very many ramifications, which the fight for a Republic complicated, as did personal greed and ideology.

So now we readers and followers of Reverend Mother and her entourage will be waiting and wondering what will happen. Will Reverend Mother have a debilitating illness and she mentions her age? Will Inspector Patrick recover, and what role will Eileen be playing in future and will they collaborate. I wish I knew but for sure you need to preorder this copy now.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This is the second book that I read in the Rev. Mother series. The history of Ireland in the 1920s is new to me. I enjoyed reading about the Shawlies, the underground, and the culture of the poor and rich at that time. and the importance of the telephone exchange. The reader was left with a foreshadow of what may happen to the main characters. I am looking forward to reading the Rev Mother's next book.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

The era and place in which this book is set is the mid-1920’s Cork, Ireland.

Father Dominic Alleyn was stabbed through the ear while in the confessional. His brother Prior Father Lawrence and Reverend Mother Aquinas were in the Holy Trinity Church at the time. Fathers Dominic and Lawrence belong to the Capuchin Order.

Inspector Patrick Cashman is investigating the case. He sets about to interview those who went to confession with Father Dominic just prior to his murder. What he discovers is that there are some suspicious and very nervous people who went. Some deny knowing Father Dominic or even being at the church. Some are living above their means. Unbeknownst to Inspector Cashman, some are plotting.

Meanwhile Reverend Mother Aquinas of the Holy Trinity Church Convent is going about her daily duties of running the convent, the school and worrying a great deal about Fathers Dominic and Lawrence. She hears that Father Dominic visited an antiques shop before he died. He was looking at Japanese Atria Hawk made of ceramic and was much disturbed. Reverend Mother recalled something about the Hawk, but cannot bring it to mind. When she meets with her cousin it all comes together.

When another body shows up, the tension mounts. The Reverend Mother comes up with more clues and Patrick enlists the help of Jimmy, one of the children from the school. Tragedy strikes as Patrick and Jimmy trawl under the streets of Cork.

The murderer comes as a surprise. I didn’t suspect for a moment who the killer was.

This book is very well written and plotted. I enjoyed the characters. There was enough background knowledge given of the main characters without intruding on the story. This is my first Cora Harrison novel, but it won’t be my last. I truly enjoyed it.

I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House/Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this most intriguing book to read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Beyond Absolution, the third novel in the Reverend Mother series set in 1920s Cork.

The novel opens with the death of Father Dominic in the confessional box. At first no one is sure how he died but the postmortem shows he was stabbed in the ear with a long thin implement. Inspector Patrick Cushman of the newly formed Garda Siochána is on the case, ably assisted, unofficially, by the Reverend Mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beyond Absolution. It has a clever plot with plenty of twists and turns. A possible motive emerges slowly as the Reverend Mother uses her contacts, memories and intelligence to piece it together but nothing is obvious in the novel so I was never sure if I was guessing correctly - completely wrong on the murderer!

I like the way Ms Harrison weaves her story around actual historical detail. I don't know much about the Republican movement so it is interesting to read about their cause and beliefs in a natural way as part of the storyline. I also like the descriptions of 1920s Cork which seems to come alive as the novel progresses.

The Reverend Mother is a great protagonist. She is a people person, wise in their ways, able to keep a secret and always willing to help. She likes to see justice done, maybe not always legally, and is prepared to use her intelligence, knowledge of people and a little manipulation to see it done.

Beyond Absolution is a good read and I have no hesitation in recommending it.