Faerie Hills

A Muirteach MacPhee Mystery

Scottish Hebrides, Autumn 1373: The eight year old grandson of the powerful Lord of the Isles vanishes on the windswept island of Colonsay, and rumors fly that he has been spirited away by the faerie.

A Mass for the Dead

A Muirteach MacPhee Mystery

Scotland 1373: Crispinus, the head of Oronsay Priory, is found dead, strangled and battered, his mouth stuffed with sand, in the middle of the tidal strand separating the holy island of Oronsay from the larger island of Colonsay. 

The Suicide Skull

Scotland, 1396: Euphemia MacPhee lives alone in a witch’s cave with her healing herbs and an ancient skull for company. Her reclusive life shatters the day she learns that her four-year-old son, fostered on the Isle of Barra, has mysteriously fallen ill. Euphemia sails to remote Kisimul Castle to nurse the boy and soon discovers he has been poisoned. Why would someone strike at an innocent young child? Can she trust anyone there to help her fight this evil?

Euphemia must utilize every remedy available to confront ancient malice and long-buried wounds, as she struggles to save her son and to clear her own name.

Death of a Falcon

A Muirteach MacPhee Mystery

Scotland, 1375: Muirteach MacPhee and his wife Mariota visit Edinburgh Castle, assisting the Lord of the Isles in his negotiations with King Robert II. 

The Study of Murder

Oxford, 1374: At the command of the Lord of the Isles, Muirteach and his wife Mariota accompany Donald, the lord’s surly thirteen-year-old son, to Oxford. Shortly after their arrival a winsome tavern maid disappears. Muirteach attempts to help Undersheriff Grymbaud with the investigation, as well as keep Donald at his studies and out of the taverns. 

Death on the Rio Chiquito

Miss Marple meets Tony Hillerman in Death on the Rio Chiquito
New Mexico, 1943: Emily Schwarz, the Anglo teacher at the isolated Pueblo of San Antonito, discovers the corpse of a nineteen-year-old boy, his blood mingling with the muddy waters of the tiny Rio Chiquito. Who shot Juan? His cousin? A jealous girlfriend? Emily’s good friend then vanishes, followed by the disappearance of Juan’s little brother. Aided by Gregorio Cruz, the tribal sheriff, and by the mysterious Mr. Shepherd, Emily’s quest for truth leads to small Hispanic towns, Native American villages, and Bohemian Santa Fe. 

“skillful, descriptive writing adds layers of depth to a compelling tale of murderous evil.”

Anne Hillerman, best-selling author of the Leaphorn, Chee, Manuelito mysteries

“A solid plot and an authentic rendering of the Hebrides Islands in 1373 make this a good choice….”

Library Journal  March 2011

“Well-paced and engrossing, this blend of faerie lore and all-too-human intrigue will satisfy fans of fantasy and mystery alike. “

Kirkus Reviews

© 2024 Susan McDuffie