THE DEATH OF A FALCON: A MUIRTEACH MACPHEE MYSTERY
BY SUSAN MCDUFFIE
Publication Date: March 2, 2018
Liafinn Press
eBook & Paperback; 310 Pages
Liafinn Press
eBook & Paperback; 310 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: Muirteach MacPhee Mystery, Book 4
Series: Muirteach MacPhee Mystery, Book 4
Scotland, 1375: Muirteach MacPhee and his wife Mariota visit Edinburgh Castle, assisting the Lord of the Isles in his negotiations with King Robert II. A trading vessel arrives at the nearby port of Leith from the far away Norse settlement in Greenland. The ship brings unexpected diversion and carries coveted wares: gyrfalcons, unicorn’s horns, and fine furs. Both King Robert and the Lord of the Isles desire the rare birds, easily worth a king’s ransom.
Muirteach and Mariota, unaccustomed to the sophistication of castle life, initially find pleasure in the heady and flirtatious glamor of the royal court. Then sudden and unexpected cruelty, followed by the senseless death of a beautiful young girl, plunge the couple into a murky sea of alliances and intrigue that stretches from Scotland across the icy western ocean to the far northern lands of the Norse, leaving trails of treachery and murder in its wake.
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND
Praise for the Award-Winning Muirteach MacPhee Mysteries
“McDuffie brings. this period to life in such a way that the reader is transported. Her characters are rich and multi-faceted. . . the perfect blend of history, rich in historical detail, and a mysterious investigation.” -The Most Happy Reader
“A superb mystery, and historically correct in every aspect. McDuffie knows her Scottish history and this period intimately and is a powerful storyteller.” -Reading the Ages
“Well-paced and engrossing.” -Kirkus Reviews
“A good choice.” -Library Journal
“Well worth reading.” -CelticLady’s Reviews
About the Author
About the Author
A fan of historical fiction since childhood, Susan McDuffie spent such vast amounts of time reading stories set in the past that she wondered if she had mistakenly been born in the wrong century. As an adult her discovery that Clorox was not marketed prior to 1922 reconciled her to life in this era. Susan’s childhood interest in Scotland was fueled by family stories of the McDuffie clan’s ancestral lands on Colonsay and their traditional role as “Keeper of the Records” for the Lords of the Isles. On her first visit to Scotland she hitchhiked her way through the Hebrides, and her initial visit to Colonsay and the Oronsay Priory ruins planted the seeds for her medieval mysteries. Those seeds have grown into the Muirteach MacPhee mysteries, set in medieval Scotland during the Celtic Lordship of the Isles. The series includes A MASS FOR THE DEAD, THE FAERIE HILLS (2011 New Mexico Book Awards “Best Historical Novel”), THE STUDY OF MURDER (New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist 2014), and THE DEATH OF A FALCON. Susan frequently presents at workshops and conferences and regularly reviews historical fiction books for the Historical Novel Society’s “Historical Novels Review.
Susan lives in New Mexico and shares her life with a Native American artist and four cosseted cats. She enjoys taking flamenco dance classes in her spare time. Susan loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via Facebook or through her website.
The Death of a Falcom is a murder mystery set in Scotland, 1375 and features Muirteach MacPhee and his wife Mariota. While visiting Edinburgh Castle, Muirteach is assisting the Lord of the Isles in negotiations with King Robert II. while there a shipping vessel arrives from the far northern country, Greenland. The master of the ship, his daughter and stepson arrive with gyrfalcons, largest of the falcon species. The King is interested in two of the birds, but someone kills one of the birds and badly wounds the other. Right after that, the daughter of the shipmaster is killed. With the investigative abilities of Muirteach and his wife, they try to find out what happened to the birds and the young girl. What they find is surprising and dangerous to both of them. This is book 4 of the Muirteach MacPhee Murder Mystery series. No need to read the previous books, I didn't but I want to learn more about Muirteach and Mariotta.
I really enjoyed this book, as I am an avid fan of historical fiction, especially medieval era. Like I said, no need to read the previous stories but if you want to learn more like I do, then you should. The research in the story really shows as far as Greenland, Norse sagas, and the Inuit. I really enjoyed it! Love historical fiction? Go check it out!
I received a copy of this book from the author for review!
Blog Tour Schedule
Friday, May 11
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 5 paperback copies & 5 eBooks of The Death of a Falcon! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 5 paperback copies & 5 eBooks of The Death of a Falcon! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Thanks so much for hosting Susan's blog tour & for your great review!
ReplyDeleteAmy
HF Virtual Book Tours