Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Fawcett (1988)
Description
A wealthy widow rents her house to the Shrewsbury Abbey for the price of a single rose cut from the bush near the house. Shortly before the rent is due, the rosebush is destroyed and the widow kidnapped. Brother Cadfael must discover who stands to gain from these peculiar crimes.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Slight departure refreshes Cadfael narrative formula.
Extended review: There's a young woman, but she isn't a blue-eyed seventeen-year-old virgin with golden tresses. There's a man, but he isn't a dashing lad of twenty who's wrongfully accused of something and being hidden by
There's a killing, but it isn't of a middle-aged merchant with few enough redeeming qualities and some secret tie to the fate of kingdoms. There's a mystery, but its solution doesn't hang on some special knowledge that only Cadfael has or on a single thread or hair tellingly caught on a doorpost or a riverbank shrub.
So although the setting and the continuing cast of characters are familiar and the story moves rapidly through a well-traveled arc, there's a feeling of novelty about this installment in the series.
And very well timed for me, too, since I picked this one up prematurely, needing a break from much heavier fare.
May the god of reading bless all cozy mysteries.
(Rating: 3½ stars; within genre: 4 stars)
Extended review: There's a young woman, but she isn't a blue-eyed seventeen-year-old virgin with golden tresses. There's a man, but he isn't a dashing lad of twenty who's wrongfully accused of something and being hidden by
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Cadfael until his innocence can be shown.There's a killing, but it isn't of a middle-aged merchant with few enough redeeming qualities and some secret tie to the fate of kingdoms. There's a mystery, but its solution doesn't hang on some special knowledge that only Cadfael has or on a single thread or hair tellingly caught on a doorpost or a riverbank shrub.
So although the setting and the continuing cast of characters are familiar and the story moves rapidly through a well-traveled arc, there's a feeling of novelty about this installment in the series.
And very well timed for me, too, since I picked this one up prematurely, needing a break from much heavier fare.
May the god of reading bless all cozy mysteries.
(Rating: 3½ stars; within genre: 4 stars)
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LibraryThing member stnylan
There is at least one love story for every Brother Cadfael story, sometimes more. However, of all the romances the one contained within these pages speaks more to me than the others. I just find it a shame the tv adaptation semi-wrecked it. The murder story itself is also pretty good, though not I
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think her best. Show Less
LibraryThing member readafew
The Rose Rent is the 13th book in the Brother Cadfael Mystery series. Cadfael is 12th Century English monk and apothecary with an open mind and an observant eye. It was a pretty good book and it did a good job of keeping one guessing who was the ultimate villain.
The Rose rent is required from the
The Rose rent is required from the
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Widow Perle when she made a gift to the abbey of her property after the death of her husband and child, every year on St. Winifred's translation she was to receive one white Rose from the bush behind the house. Things go wrong when it appears someone tried to kill the rose bush in an apparent effort to invalidate the contract with the abbey. Unfortunately for the saboteur, they were caught in the act by a monk who prevented the vandalism with his life. But finding out who and why is not as easy as it sounds with a rather large list of suspects. Show Less
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
This book has a different pacing then the last several in the series. There is still a build-up to the first murder and the mystery, but in this instance we are focused on the mystery. There is detail about the part of medieval life that surrounds and embraces those involved in the mystery and that
That the tug of war of the Civil War that was occurring and featured so prominently in the preceeding books is gone has allowed the series to grow and be much more focused on it's genre. A much better mystery then some of what has been contrived to fit in the Civil War previously.
What one misses is that Cadfael, who does solve our mysteries with help, has special skills in herbology and this is not needed to solve the crimes and has seldom been played up. He is making casting impressions in this case and that certainly seems much more like a modern sleuth then one whose background as the local pharmacist for near twenty years would also be able to contribute.
Cadfael does not recognize his own growth away from his hut of herbs and spices, but does indeed know that solving the problem of the mystery is where he finds peace. I would think that at some time the abbey would say something along those lines, but we do glimpse the politics there on occasion and see that won't be forthcoming soon.
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background breathes life into these stories. But in this instance the politics of the King and Empress is lacking, but not sadly so.That the tug of war of the Civil War that was occurring and featured so prominently in the preceeding books is gone has allowed the series to grow and be much more focused on it's genre. A much better mystery then some of what has been contrived to fit in the Civil War previously.
What one misses is that Cadfael, who does solve our mysteries with help, has special skills in herbology and this is not needed to solve the crimes and has seldom been played up. He is making casting impressions in this case and that certainly seems much more like a modern sleuth then one whose background as the local pharmacist for near twenty years would also be able to contribute.
Cadfael does not recognize his own growth away from his hut of herbs and spices, but does indeed know that solving the problem of the mystery is where he finds peace. I would think that at some time the abbey would say something along those lines, but we do glimpse the politics there on occasion and see that won't be forthcoming soon.
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LibraryThing member seoulful
What a delight to be drawn into the world of Brother Cadfael in the medieval town and Abbey of Shrewsbury, England. The author, Ellis Peters, is a medieval scholar, a master of the English language and a shrewd observer of character just like her worldly-wise, but now tonsured character, Brother
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Cadfael. This is the thirteenth in a series of mysteries surrounding the folk of Shrewsbury all of which are deftly solved by the herbalist and former Crusader, Brother Cadfael. There is always a touch of romance, an assurance of everyone in his proper place in society, reverence for those things Holy, and respect for men and women of honour and courage with a wide latitude of allowance for the weaknesses of humankind. Ellis Peter's characters speak with the cadences, words and manners of the middle ages and are immensely likeable. Show Less
LibraryThing member weebaby
I got this from the "free books" box at the local library. I picked it up because I am a fan of the PBS series and I actively participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
I loved the descriptive narrative and the language. The story itself was a little uneven, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I did
I loved the descriptive narrative and the language. The story itself was a little uneven, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I did
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find myself wishing for more romance near the end. Oh well. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Some twenty years ago I read the second book in this series and found it too mannered for my taste. I so disliked it that I steered clear of Ellis Peters until I picked this one of my pile. This time I enjoyed the period feel and found the characters richly delineated. The mystery had a satisfying
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complexity without feeling contrived and there is a satisfying distinction of place between the town, the abbey, and the hinterland. Show Less
LibraryThing member RuthieD
I wish Cadfael was real and alive and my friend :)
LibraryThing member devafagan
Re-read. Not my favorite of the series, but I still love the characters and the setting!
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Widow Perle leaves her estate to the Shrewsbury Monastery on the condition that she is delivered one white rose to her on St. Winifred's Day. When Brother Eluric is murdered at the site of the rose bush and the rose bush has been brutally attacked, Brother Cadfael realizes this is a complicated
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case of greed. Show Less
LibraryThing member fdholt
In 1745, the Wistar family sold land to the Reformed Church in Richland, Pennsylvania for a nominal sum and the payment of one red rose every year to the family in June, a practice the church continues to this day. (In the interests of disclosure, my uncle belonged to that church.) Mildred Jordan
Ellis Peters uses that same idea in The rose rent but changes some important details. The rent of a single rose is for a house given to the Abbey at Shrewsbury by a young widow. But things go wrong on the third anniversary. The bush is trampled and almost destroyed, a body is found and the lady goes missing. Father Cadfael has his hands full with further murder of a man and a rose bush.
A map helped put the landscape of the story in perspective but the story was slow going and especially lagged in the middle of the book. Not Peters at her best, but, if you have read the other Cadfael Chronicles, you'll want to read this one as well.
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Bausher used that story when she wrote her famous novel, One red rose forever but changed names and places.Ellis Peters uses that same idea in The rose rent but changes some important details. The rent of a single rose is for a house given to the Abbey at Shrewsbury by a young widow. But things go wrong on the third anniversary. The bush is trampled and almost destroyed, a body is found and the lady goes missing. Father Cadfael has his hands full with further murder of a man and a rose bush.
A map helped put the landscape of the story in perspective but the story was slow going and especially lagged in the middle of the book. Not Peters at her best, but, if you have read the other Cadfael Chronicles, you'll want to read this one as well.
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LibraryThing member fuzzi
This one had me guessing about "whodunit", and had several red herrings to deceive the reader. I liked it as well as most of this series entries, if not a tad more.
LibraryThing member jercox
A little better than average, and I like Cadfael in general. The problems of agency for a woman with property in feudal england, plus love and the usual bad / trapped actors make for a fun story.
LibraryThing member walterhistory
The abbey rents donated land from a young widow whose only request rent in the form of a rose annually. When a young monk requests to be replaced by another, trouble starts. First, the rose bush is hacked & the young monk is found dead next to the bush. Second, the young widow vanishes without a
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trace. When another body turns up & then the rose bush is set on fire, Cadfael knows he has little time to resolve 2 murders. When the widow turns up alive, Cadfael suspects its all about the donated land. But will Cadfael discover the murderer before the young widow becomes the next victim? Show Less
LibraryThing member shirfire218
The Rose Rent is 13th of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries series by Ellis Peters. It works just as well reading it as a stand alone book. I have not read any of the other books in this series, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a good old cozy murder mystery to be enjoyed while relaxing by
The scenario revolves around a wealthy young widow, Judith Perle. She runs the family's prosperous clothing business which gives her an independent status highly unusual to women in this time period, outside of cloisters. She has donated a house to the abbey, free of charge with the exception of an annual rent to be paid once a year--delivery to her of a white rose from her favorite rosebush given her by her deceased husband.
Judith has a number of suitors and in addition one of the young Brothers at the monastery has been infaturated by her. After confessing such to his confessor, he if relieved of his duty of delivering the annual rose. However, not long after this confession his body is found near the rosebush, which has been seriously vandalized. It is at first thought to be a suicide, but after comtemplating the scene and looking over the evidence as such, Brother Cadfael and the others determine it was murder, as they piece together signs of foul play.
It is the first in a series of sinister events that transpire revolving around Judith and the rosebush upon which the annual rent, and therefore the contract that gifted the home to the abbey, depends. Next, Judith herself disappears during an early morning walk. It is soon determined that she was kidnapped, likely to prevent the payment of the rose rent, thereby negating the contract and freeing up the property. It is also assumed that it is likely one of her number of suitors who by besmirching her reputation could force her hand in marriage and lay his hands on her business and riches, a perfect motive. Brother Cadfael, along with her other loyal friends, begin their investigation and ongoing search for Judith.
More plot twists ensue, with another body mysteriously washing up with a couple of wounds to the head visible. Judith herself barely escapes the hands of the murderer, being rescued by a newly acquired suitor, one who she is beginning to have fond feelings for, and one who hasn't even admitted to himself yet that he indeed is a suitor.
The only remaining casualty is the rose bush itself, which is blown to bits by the murderer still at large in order to prevent the rose rent from being paid. Everyone is on edge, with the fiend still on the loose. But Brother Cadfael has finally uncovered the last evidence he needed pointing to the culprit who is then confronted and arrested.
We end the story on a happy setting with things finally beginning to look up for the young widow as it seems there is a budding romance growing between her and her rescuer. As I said, it's an enjoyable who-done-it!
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the fireside and sipping a cup of tea. The setting was ideal--a Benedictine monastery in Shrewsbury in 1142 with all the appropriate and well fleshed out inhabitants of both abbey and Shire in general, from the bronzesmith, Niall to the Sheriff and other inhabitants of the town. The star of this book and series is the shrewd Brother Cadfael, who characteristically of the quiet listener, makes the perfect sleuth.The scenario revolves around a wealthy young widow, Judith Perle. She runs the family's prosperous clothing business which gives her an independent status highly unusual to women in this time period, outside of cloisters. She has donated a house to the abbey, free of charge with the exception of an annual rent to be paid once a year--delivery to her of a white rose from her favorite rosebush given her by her deceased husband.
Judith has a number of suitors and in addition one of the young Brothers at the monastery has been infaturated by her. After confessing such to his confessor, he if relieved of his duty of delivering the annual rose. However, not long after this confession his body is found near the rosebush, which has been seriously vandalized. It is at first thought to be a suicide, but after comtemplating the scene and looking over the evidence as such, Brother Cadfael and the others determine it was murder, as they piece together signs of foul play.
It is the first in a series of sinister events that transpire revolving around Judith and the rosebush upon which the annual rent, and therefore the contract that gifted the home to the abbey, depends. Next, Judith herself disappears during an early morning walk. It is soon determined that she was kidnapped, likely to prevent the payment of the rose rent, thereby negating the contract and freeing up the property. It is also assumed that it is likely one of her number of suitors who by besmirching her reputation could force her hand in marriage and lay his hands on her business and riches, a perfect motive. Brother Cadfael, along with her other loyal friends, begin their investigation and ongoing search for Judith.
More plot twists ensue, with another body mysteriously washing up with a couple of wounds to the head visible. Judith herself barely escapes the hands of the murderer, being rescued by a newly acquired suitor, one who she is beginning to have fond feelings for, and one who hasn't even admitted to himself yet that he indeed is a suitor.
The only remaining casualty is the rose bush itself, which is blown to bits by the murderer still at large in order to prevent the rose rent from being paid. Everyone is on edge, with the fiend still on the loose. But Brother Cadfael has finally uncovered the last evidence he needed pointing to the culprit who is then confronted and arrested.
We end the story on a happy setting with things finally beginning to look up for the young widow as it seems there is a budding romance growing between her and her rescuer. As I said, it's an enjoyable who-done-it!
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LibraryThing member BookListener
Another fun story
I enjoy the Brother Carwell series and this was certainly a good one—a murder mystery with nice twists! I do think that these are best read on order.
I enjoy the Brother Carwell series and this was certainly a good one—a murder mystery with nice twists! I do think that these are best read on order.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986
Physical description
6.8 inches
ISBN
0449214958 / 9780449214954