The murdered body of Sorcha the prophetess is discovered following a lavish banquet at the Maguire castle in 16th-century Ireland. In the present day, a dig commences on the land, and not only is a body discovered, but a sheaf of prophecies. Who killed Sorcha?

There has been a guesthouse on the Tierney land in County Fermanagh for hundreds of years. Now Tierney’s Hotel is faced with a development that will block the hotel’s best feature, its view of Enniskillen Castle. But the project can be stopped if there are important historical artifacts buried on the property. Enter the archaeologists.

Mick’s ancestor, Brigid Tierney, ran the guesthouse in the late 1500s. We see Brigid and Shane and their children at a lavish banquet at the castle, home of the ruling family, the Maguires. The wine and ale flow freely, the harpist plays, the bard recites the Maguires’ heroic deeds. But one woman has a sense of foreboding. Sorcha the prophetess sees harrowing times ahead. The Tudors of England are determined to complete their brutal conquest of Ireland.

The morning after the banquet, Sorcha is found dead on a bed of oak leaves. And Shane is accused of the killing. His lawyer, Terence, conducts his defence on the hilltop that constitutes the court in 1595.

Ireland has had a complex and at times woeful history, and we see that history being played out in the lives of the Tierneys, past and present.

In 2018, the dig commences on Mick Tierney’s land. Historical artifacts? Yes. But also a sheaf of prophecies. And a body ― a bogman ― four hundred years old.

I love books with this setting. I had a difficult time staying focused. It was a good book, but took a long time for me to read. .

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

Unfortunately I had to dnf this book as it just wasn't the right book for me. The premise sounded very interesting and I was excited for the historical aspect but having to read the word "yous" four times in the first couple of pages already grated on my nerves. Then the characters didn't appeal to me and I just wasn't enjoying what I was reading. As someone who lives in Ireland and enjoys Irish history I was looking for something more historical and immersive rather than contemporary with language I didn't enjoy. I'm sure this book will appeal to someone else looking for an Irish book to read.

The Keening, by Anne Emery is a richly filled historical fiction and murder mystery. The dual time line plays out like a cold case when the investigation of a body from the 1500s is found after a dig in the year 2018.
If you love Gaelic Irish history this book is for you. This book is moving, well researched and at times has you gripped with emotion.

I do have to comment that the mystery of the story was a bit of a mystery as the author only offered small details and clues along the way, leaving the reader to speculate what happened. Depsite this, the imagery of life in Ireland and historical details keep the reader engaged.

The main thing I carried away from this book, is to understand the connection to the past and what is means in the future.

Thanks to the publisher ECW Press and #NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of this book for review.

The Keening is an entertaining and also moving, historical mystery. Set in Northern Ireland in county Fermanagh in two timelines; the late 1500s-early 1600s and a modern timeline. There is a lot of information in the story particularly about Irish customs and the history, especially around the Flight of the Earls in 1603. It’s well researched and I found these parts of the story very interesting. The other part of the story is a murder mystery in 1597. Sorcha, a seer and healer is found murdered and Simon, the partner of Brigid Tierney is accused by a witness. In 2018, the descendants of Brigid, engage archaeologists to dig on their land. The two storylines are interwoven, with well written characters and I enjoyed reading this.

The Keening is so much more than an historical mystery which is why it’s appeal grew and grew as I read. There is a divided timeline, with the contemporary story set primarily in 2018. The historical story is set between 1595 and about 1607, in the same setting, Fermanagh, Ulster. The central family is the Tierneys who have apparently been in the hospitality business for centuries though this had different implications at different times. And I can thank the author for working some very interesting aspects of 16th century Ireland into this novel to explain the history, culture, laws, and behavior that underlie the mystery.

There are numerous quotations from Irish, English and other sources, many from or shortly after that time, that add much to the reading experience, at least for this reader. To give much detail would be to risk ruining the story. Suffice it to say, in 1595, the people of Ulster are worried about the English who have already made deep incursions in the south of Ireland. Their leaders are fighting when needed to maintain their Catholic and Gaelic lives. Brigid Tierney is well known and respected. A close friend is Sorcha O’Cassidy, a physician who is also a seer. The modern Tierneys are the center of the modern story, working to maintain their hotel which exists on the same land as 400 years before.

The mystery of the past will eventually envelop the present.

I really enjoyed this novel and appreciated the author’s use of source material to provide emphasis and background. There is full listing of notes at the end of the novel.

Rating 4* and recommended for readers of historical mysteries and those interested in Irish history, remembering that this is, after all, fiction.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a duel timeline book with the main character from 16th century Ireland. Sorcha is a witch who curses the Tierney family before she is killed. Now in modern day there is going to be an archeological dig on their land and they discover Historical artifacts, a sheaf of prophecies and a body ― a bogman ― four hundred years old. Is it a coincidence that there are bad things happening at the site.? I normally love duel timelines and while this one was a good read it didn't grab me, it was a little slow moving. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Tierneys have been operating a guest house in Ireland for generations, and while Mick Tierney occasionally finds the busloads of guests annoying, he wants to preserve his heritage. Unfortunately, an American developer plans to build estates on the hillside behind his hotel, which would totally destroy his view.

Despite his grandmother's strong disapproval, Mick proceeds with the archeological dig, hoping to find cause to prevent development. What is Cait so eager to keep buried?

The story is told in two time periods--contemporary (2018) and 16th century. In 1595, Brigid Tierney is operating a guesthouse and her friend, doctor and seer Sorcha, is found murdered on the hillside. Who would have killed the talented prophetess? Although this book in engrossing, there seems to be an excess of subplots that make it overly long. Nonetheless, those interested in the history of Gaelic Ireland will find it fascinating. #TheKeening #NetGalley

The Keening by Anne Emery is a heart-breaking tale of Ireland in the 1500s, and the modern day archeologists who discovered the conclusion of on of the many gruesome stories. In an attempt to keep a developer from building a neighborhood of huge, ugly houses and a casino, which would cut off the view from his hostelry, Mick Tierney plots to being the archeologists to his home to unearth the remains of the original building and whatever else may be there, but first he has to get past his grandmother, who is a firm believer of leaving the past in the past. She is frightened that the ancestor who treated his peers so cruelly during the mid-1800s would cause talk again and ruin the reputations. Upon getting past her objections, so much more was discovered.

The story was told on two timelines: 2017 and circa 1600. We tend to think that the English cruelty forced many Irish out of Ireland in the 1850s but here was much murder and mayhem in the time of Oliver Cromwell when there was wholesale murder in Ireland and the looting of the Catholic churches. This is the story of one family, who in many ways escaped the worst of the genocide but had its won story to tell, one that is not true, but representative of the time when was a crime to turn someone in need away from your door. When, marriage was the norm, but certainly less formal than it came to be later. This is a time when people still believed that witches walked among them, and that a few people could see into the future. It was a startling time in history, one told poignantly in this beautifully written book. We tend to think that prejudice and depravity is something new but this story proves that it is not. Nicely done, Anne Emery. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Keening by ECW Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #ECWpress #thekeening

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Anne Emery, and ECW Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this novel to friends and family who enjoy Irish history. Anne Emery obviously put a great deal of work into her research for this work. She will take us there.

There have been Tierney's running a guesthouse in County Fermanagh for hundreds of years. This novel involves a mystery taking place in the late 16th century, early 17th, involving the murder of Sorcha the prophetess. We will find the solution to this mystery in 2018, as the descendants of Brigid and Shane try to protect their land and livelihood from rampant development by involving archeologists and the local historical society. This was an interesting look. into ancient Ireland, and a bit of a look into Ireland during the troubles of the last century. I found it extremely interesting. I think you will, as well.

I appreciated the historical part but I found the dual timeline a bit confusing and too much details.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is both a good mystery novel and historical fiction.

Anne Emery’s The Keening: A Mystery of Gaelic Ireland, has 2 storylines involving the Tierney family one in the later 1500s and early 1600s when the Gaelic era was ending and the other in the modern era. These interwoven stories the modern family guest house threatened by development and a murder in Gaelic times near an earlier version of the guest house.

Much of the action of The Keening occurs in the historical past and is set mainly in County Fermanagh which is presently in Northern Ireland and borders the Republic. The historical story takes place during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, when Gaelic Ireland is struggling with the English.

Being of Irish descent and an avid reader of Irish history, I found the historical aspects fascinating. I particularly like that Anne Emery followed the story with a section giving notes on historical events as well as a bibliography.

I thank Netgalley for a chance to read this book before publication. The description of this book sounded interesting. I had read several of Anne Emery’s book previously and enjoyed them, especially Though the Heavens Fall. So the combination of what seemed to be a good story and an author I liked lead to my request for a review copy.

I enjoyed the book immensely and highly recommend it, especially to those with interests in Ireland or Irish history.

Who killed Sorcha? It's a mystery that has lingered from the 16th century until 2017 when a real estate development opens up the old case. The Tierney family has owned this small piece of Ireland for generations and their history is entwined with that of the nation, as well as of Sorcha. It's a dual time line novel where the modern story is used to open up the more interesting historical one. The 16th century characters are better fleshed out than the modern ones. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I learned a bit about the time period- which is always a plus. For fans of historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book seems like it was going to be right up my alley. The author did a fantastic job researching and I learned so many things about Ireland in the late 1500s. The only problem for me was the book was so full of facts and so descriptive that it actually took away from the storyline. I found the book hard to read and follow along with because of this. Unfortunately I did not love this book, but I did like the storyline.

Was really looking forward to this book, very disappointed, thought it would have more suspense and historical history. Not enough detail in the present, sorry a let down.

This is a dual timeline novel, which starts in present day Ireland, at the Tierney's Hotel. A land developer wants to build around it, blocking the view of the castle in the distance. The Tierneys have been there for centuries and they do not want their land ruined. They decide to have someone come in and look for historical artifacts to stop the dig. The mystery is set in 1600 century Ireland, when the murdered body of Sorcha the prophetess is discovered following a lavish banquet at the Maguire castle. This story is about what happened back then and how it affects what’s happening now.
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Anne Emery does a magnificent job in researching about the period in which this novel takes place. However, on some occasions this historical part was too dense for the reader to enjoy and as a consequence, it was easier to disconnect. On the other hand, I wasn't a massive fan of the current timeline either, as I found the characters rather flat. I thought I was going to like this, but overall, it was just okay.
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The Keening will be published on September 21. Thanks to @Netgalley and @ecwpress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#thekeening #netgalley #bookstagram #anneemery

The Keening by Anne Emery is a mixed bag. The current timeline involves uncovering the family mystery that will save their hotel from the developers; I really enjoyed these sections and it kept me engaged. The historical timeline is interesting to a point but did seem to drag on; I found myself skimming these sections after a while. The ending was a bit abrupt.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I enjoy reading hustorical fiction. I liked the mystery aspect of the story. My favourite parts were going back in time, to when everything began.
The present day Ireland starts with the Tierney's Hotel. A land developer wants to build around it, blocking the view of the castle in the distance. The Tierney's have been there for centuries and don't want the land ruined. They decide to have someone come in and look for hustorical artifacts. Anything found would stop the dig. The mystery is in 1600 century Ireland and what happened back then, and how it effects what is happening now. Enjoyable read, that was well researched.
3 out of 5

I found the story and history fascinating, some of it was a bit hard to get into in places, but over all a good time slip book.

Alternating between the 16th century and 2018, this novel tells a fascinating story of the early justice system, juxtaposed with a contemporary tale of overdevelopment in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The Tierney family, always known for their hospitality, is the consistent thread through the centuries. We learn of the unsolved murder in 1595 of a well-loved prophetress and medical practitioner. Fast forward to the 21st century when the Tierney family inn is threatened by a New York developer. Their solution is to initiate an archaeological dig on their property, which will save their surroundings from being turned into an eyesore. The excavation reveals the area's secret past and leads to a satisfying resolution.