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Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:Silver Dagger Award Winner: In this medieval mystery, Brother Cadfael faces suspicion when one of his herbal ingredients is used to kill a man. Gervase Bonel is a guest of Shrewsbury Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul when he suddenly takes ill. Luckily, the abbey boasts the services of the clever and kindly Brother Cadfael, a skilled herbalist. Cadfael hurries to the man's bedside, only to be confronted with two surprises: In Master Bonel's wife, the good monk recognizes Richildis, whom he loved before he took his vows�??and Master Bonel has been fatally poisoned by monk's-hood oil from Cadfael's stores. The sheriff is convinced that the murderer is Richildis's son, Edwin, who hated his stepfather. But Cadfael, guided in part by his concern for a woman to whom he was once betrothed, is certain of her son's innocence. Using his knowledge of both herbs and the human heart, Cadfael deciphers a deadly recipe for murd… (more)
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In the course of his investigations, Cadfael comes into contact with a variety of people in Bonel's household — among them an old flame, Richildis, who is now Bonel's widow. This gives rise to various musings on what might have been and the life Cadfael has chosen instead. Peters skirts the edges of cynicism without quite brushing up against it: hard to do, to achieve that resignation that is actually quite content without casting aspersions on the reality of romantic attachment.
Like several other well-known literary sleuths, Cadfael uses his own discretion when it comes to unveiling and punishing the murderer. In this case he does not expose the murderer to public justice, choosing instead to set a lifelong penance that will, he hopes, do the world more good than would justice according to the letter of the law. Cadfael is already set apart from the other characters by his uncanny wisdom in getting to the bottom of murder, but does this give him the right to administer justice as he sees fit? I'm not sure how I feel about this; despite Cadfael's brilliance, he's still a fallible human being. Only one other character, Hugh Beringar, dimly guesses at how Cadfael has disposed of the case.
Peters' writing is so smoothly effortless that it would be easy to take it for granted. Most readers don't look for great literature in the murder mystery genre, but that doesn't mean that the technical brilliance of the plotting should outweigh the style of the prose. Peters writes characters who are believable in their historic setting and personal relationships, with an unfaltering narrative voice that is both lively and original. She is also noted for the historical faithfulness of her work.
Peters takes two of my favorite genres, historical fiction and mystery, and marries them to produce an engaging tale of medieval murder. If you're a fan of either genre, you should give this series a try! Cadfael's a great character, the mysteries are well plotted, and the prose is excellent. I look forward to reading more of Cadfael's monkly murder adventures.
Super narration by Stephen Thorne.
One more thing. I guessed who the murderer was after two or three chapters, but you do not read these books to "solve the mystery". You read them to be with people you admire and respect. You read to see how they will deal with what is thrown in their path. The books let you escape into a completely different world. Is this why I less often enjoy picking up books set in modern times?
I really enjoyed this book; I do not want to leave Shrewsbury so I will move on to "Virgin in the Ice". I have read all the books between this and that one.
Completed May 30, 2013
***Spoiler***
I was disappointed that Cadfael was able to rationalize allowing the murderer to escape the penalty of law. His argument for doing so sounded very much like modern arguments against the death penalty. Or, if you prefer, like the Wild West “he needed killing” justification for murder. Cadfael didn't wrestle much with his decision, or suffer regrets once the decision had been made. Instead of ambiguity, there was a “happily ever after” ending - for everyone except the dead man.
Many of the best mystery series have recurring characters that become our friends and we enjoy reading about them in each new book in the series. It is not just the main character that we come to know and identify with but come to know and care about all the other characters as well. In fact , the characters often times come to be like a small family within the sereis. But in the Brother Cadfael series the author, Ellis Peters, has all the monks of the Abbey to draw from and what the reader gets is not just a sense of family throughout the series but a sense of a whole community as well.
It is somewhat odd that a female author, Ellis Peters, would choose to write about a communtiy of men in which there is going to be little or no romance for most of them throughout the sereis. But what Peters does get and uses repeatedly to great effect is the moral implications of what is occurring in the story that she is telling. Some of these moments are small such as when Cadfael is admonished by Prior Roberts for his relationship with the newly widowed Mrs. Bonel. The Prior then bans Cadfael from leaving the abbey until Mistress Bonel has moved and the temptation of the relationship is removed. Having taken a vow of obedience, Cadfael must live by the mandate of Prior Roberts though it severely restricts his ability to find the real murderer, "Vows of obedience, voluntarily taken, cannot be discarded whenever they become inconvenient."
The larger moral issue that has even greater impact on the story and helps to identify the person that Cadfael really is comes when he confronts the killer. Cadfael not only must discover who the killer is but then he must understand not only the psychology that is underlying the killers actions, but also understand the moral core of the killer. Cadfael sets up a test to show both the killer and himself what the true moral nature of the killer is. Cadfael makes decisions based on what he percieves the killers moral center to be and those decisions are not the ones that the legal authorities would have made. But by having her detective as a monk, Ellis Peters gets to do this and confront the morality of humans instead of just looking at the crime and the solving of the crime.
It is close to Christmas in 1138, and a family has moved into a house on the abbey property. At that time in history, one could turn over one’s estate to monasteries or convents in exchange for room and board until death. Thus a Master Bonel and his wife and stepson begin to occupy the house.
Brother Cadfael, who is a monk come late to the cloistered life after a checkered career and stint in the Crusades, is now in charge of herbs and remedies at the Abbey. He is called to Master Bonel’s house when the latter is taken ill. As Cadfael tries to treat Master Bonel (to no avail, since he has been poisoned by a mixture of herbs containing monk’s-hood), he recognizes in Bonel’s wife his fiancé of forty years ago, Richildis. Richildis married someone else when Cadfael took too long to return from the Crusades. Bonel is her second husband, and now he is dead. Her fourteen year old son Edwin is accused of the murder, and she begs Cadfael for his help.
Cadfael is convinced of Edwin’s innocence as well, and resolves to help them by finding the real murderer. He is aided by his young assistant in the herbarium, Brother Mark. Cadfael likes Edwin very much, and ponders what it would have been like to have married Richildis and had children:
"Brother Cadfael heaved a deep sigh that might have been of regret, but might equally well have been of relief.”
He solves the mystery and even dispenses justice, using his talent for detective work, his knowledge of the ways of men, his generosity of spirit, and his trademark senses of humor and justice.
Evaluation: This cozy-historical mystery is short and engaging, and a pleasant way to pass the time. The “mystery” is not so well-hidden that you can’t figure it out, but the pleasure is in seeing how Brother Cadfael, a very likeable character, goes about it.
But it's not any less enjoyable because of that. There are some pantomime villains, but they are few & far between. In few people is there pure evil, they are all human and fallible and, by that, all the more appealing. A nice easy read.
Extended review:
By the third installment in the series, Brother Cadfael's approach to matters both sacred and profane is becoming predictable; which is to say, we are getting to know him. This development does not detract from the
These books are small and do not delve deep, but they are not trivial either, examining as they do both the temporal and eternal questions that the good brother faces, both in his cloistered life following a soldierly career and in his missions into the secular world.
I enjoy the author's treatment of setting, secondary characters, and aspects of medieval life. In this story I particularly liked the glimpses of the lives of shepherds and their flocks, homely, fragrant details that contribute to atmosphere and verisimilitude. I never doubt the author's attention to authenticity and historical fidelity. The emerging picture of life in the Middle Ages is a significant element of the appeal of this series.
My rating of 3½ stars in the overall scheme of things does not really reflect my appreciation of the Cadfael mysteries. Within the genre I give it 4 stars.
Cadfael joined the Benedictine order late in life after an active and adventurous one as a soldier in the Crusades and later as a sea captain. We know him as an intelligent and gentle man, more involved with his herbs and preparations made from them to help with illness of his brothers and folks living in the area.
Cadfael's gentle questioning of the family members uncovers a tangled tree of relationships and eventually the murderer. What makes this series so special is how he always manages to get to the truth without using fear or injury to come by it.
I listened to the audio version of the book read by Johanna Ward who did a wonderful job twisting her tongue around Welsh names.
A little more of Cadfael's past is revealed and there is a lovely assessment of the impact of the civil war on the Abbey as
Cadfael discovers who was responsible for the poisoning of Gervase Bonel and eventually administers his own form of justice.
What an excellent writer Ellis Peters was, bringing this periods of English history to life.
Suspicion immediately falls on Richildis' son (by her first marriage) Edwin, who has the most to lose if the Bonel lands go to the abbey and the most to gain if Bonel's original will, in which Edwin inherits, stands.
This is a more or less straightforward 12th century police procedural with Brother Cadfael in the role of private detective assisting the short-sighted forces of law and order. The reader learns a great deal about Welsh land law and the operation of the court system as a crucial part of the plot.
The climax is very good, although the final outcome may strain the credulity of a modern reader. In this cynical age, it's hard to understand the power of the religious beliefs of that time. Yet it certainly was real by all historical accounts.
The writing, plotting, and characterization are all standard Ellis Peters, which is to say very good. We're glad to see the recurring characters, both Benedictine and secular; Brother Mark, Brother Jerome, Prior Robert, High Beringar, Abbot Heribert. while we are delighted to see jerome and robert get their noses tweaked, it's still with affectionate laughter.
An entertaining read. Highly recommended.
It was interesting the relevant aspects of English v Welsh law that parts of the story hinge on. I'm not entirely fussed about the truth / historicity of these details, because they worked together to make a whole.
It is possible that if I had been able to find book 2 of the series that this would have worked better -- the first book is not set at the Abbey, and thus there are a number of new-to-me characters that might have felt better developed if I had encountered them previously.
In general, this was a pleasant way to spend some time, but I found myself frustrated by aspects of the writing.
Interesting read, I must read more of these.
I resisted this series for a long time; I like historical mysteries, but tend
I like Brother Cadfael quite a bit; he's not pious with all its negative connotations; there's no preaching or evangelising. He's devoted to his faith and his calling to monastic life (a devotion that is tested in this book) but he's not trying to be a martyr to either. I was a little disappointed that Hugh didn't have more page time, as he brings a spark to the pace, but overall, this was an excellent mystery.
This is one of my fave stories. I also like the series.
Cadfael meets Rischildies. They would have been married if he came back earlier from the crusades. Now, Brother Cadfael must help her find her husbands murderer and bring them to justice.