Negative Positive
Title: Good second volume in an unusual historical series
Review: Shroud for the Archbishop is a successful second volume in the Sister Fidelma series. The very detailed descriptions of Rome in the seventh century Dark Ages provide a good background to an interesting puzzle that is solved by a well-matched pair of sleuths. However, this second book and therefore the series labor under two disadvantages. (1) A lot of background social and historical information is repeated from the first volume, so smoother narrative for readers of an earlier volume is traded for accessibility to new readers. (2) Characterization falters because the role of Brother Eadulf of Canterbury is weakened. In this second volume, he is much more a Watson-like foil to Sister Fidelma and a less acute personage in his own right. Patronizing replaces parity. For me at least, that reduces the dramatic interest of the story.Still and all, Shroud for the Archbishop was pretty good and future volumes in the series are worth taking a look at.
Is the review positive or negative? 