Peters, Ellis Books

A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not Free SF Reader 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

A decent period detective story, very English style, so to speak. You have an avuncular, likable, main character, who is sharper than he appears to those around him, and uses that to his advantage. A bit Middle English Midsomer Murders, almost, you could say, but that sort of style.

The first Cadfael and a great mystery 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As with many books or stories that we get involve with, the characters and their relationships to others in the environment is an important as the mystery. Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) strikes a balance between the characters, history and the mystery. Sprinkled throughout is faith, and a chance that they (the monks) may be correct in the explanation of saints and how the world works.

The external environment is the ongoing 11th century civil war between English King Stephen and his sister the Empress Maude. We also have references to the different societies as they travel to Wales. These become more relevant as the series progresses.

The inward struggle between faith and power is depicted as an individual monk is persuaded or wants to be persuaded to go on a mission to retrieve a neglected saint "St. Winifred." She lies in Wales and it happens that Brother Cadfael has a Welsh background, so he is charged with supporting the mission.

If you saw the movie you will immediately see the differences between it and he book. One main point is the fact that the monk was cured before the trip. The best difference is reviled with the detection and solution to the mystery.

Editorial Review:

Brother Cadfael travels to the remote Welsh mountain village of Gwytherin in order to acquire the relics of St. Winifred and finds himself in the middle of a bizarre mystery when the leading opponent to moving the bones is murdered. Reprint.

One Corpse Too Many: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Better than the first book in the series 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was disappointed with the first book in the Cadfael series, but there was just barely enough good in the first book to make me give the second a try. It was a good thing I did. One Corpse Too Many is more entertaining, more complex and more surprising than a Morbid Taste for Bones. While it reads more like a nice piece of historical fiction than a "whodunit", you will find yourself surprised and anxious to learn what happens next.

Grusome tale without all the gory details 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Ellis Peters has long been in my favorite author category. Having read most of her books 15 years ago I went back and started reading them again. Her style is still fresh. She's able to convey a story without dragging my head into the foul - foul language, foul thought, foul deed. Instead she writes about the vagaries of human nature as they confront the unthinkable.

The English/Welsh landscape is truly delightful - and in this "hobby" historian's mind - a fairly accurate portrayal of the time period.

Editorial Review:

When Shrewsbury Castle falls during a war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, Brother Caedfael makes another grim discovery--a strangled corpse lying among the dead--and vows to find the murderer. Reprint. PW.

Brother Cadfael's Penance (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Cadfael's conflict. 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Witness if you will, reader, the Chronicles of one Brother Cadfael of the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: witness the twenty adventures of this most unusual monk, herbalist and former crusader, occurring between the years of Our Lord 1138 and 1145, in the middle of the devastating civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen for the English crown. Witness, reader, how this rare Benedictine's "practically miraculous" powers of deduction (Booklist) helped him solve mysteries such as that of the unfortunate violent death of a Welsh lord who sought to prevent the relocation of the sacred bones of his village's maiden saint to no other place but Shrewsbury's very own Benedictine abbey ("A Morbid Taste for Bones," the first Chronicle); the long-held secrets hidden under the rags worn by one of the unfortunate residents of Shrewsbury's leper colony, and that ill-fated soul's connection to a fair young bride come to Shrewsbury to be wedded at St. Peter and St. Paul, only to find her groom - himself a brute in a gentleman's clothes - murdered only shortly after their arrival ("The Leper of St. Giles," the fifth Chronicle); and a woman's earthly remains, found in a field bequeathed to the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by a potter who, struggling between the callings of a husband and those of a servant of the Lord, had relinquished his marital vows in favor of those to the church ("The Potter's Field," the seventeenth Chronicle).

Pause however, reader, before proceeding to this twentieth and last Chronicle, if you are not familiar with all accounts of Brother Cadfael's previous extraordinary ventures. Pause, I say, and seek out the Chronicle entitled "The Virgin in the Ice," which is the sixth in order and takes place in the winter of the year 1139. For in that report you shall encounter not only certain persons important to the events you must expect to learn about in this last Chronicle, duly referred to as "Brother Cadfael's Penance," but you shall also learn about certain details about Brother Cadfael's past, and the life he led among the defenders and the residents of the Holy Land in the year 1112. And while it is true that the essence of said facts, insofar as indispensable to the telling of this present and final Chronicle, will again be revealed to you as you progress through this present account, trust me if I tell you, reader, that your enjoyment and understanding of this final Chronicle will be greatly enhanced by having acquainted yourself with the full revelation of said facts, events and personae, as encountered in said prior Chronicle. At the very least, reader, accept my humble suggestion that you seek out the visual representation of said prior Chronicle, equally referred to as "The Virgin in the Ice," which is part of the most excellent productions also entitled "The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael," created in the past century's last decade.

Thus prepared, proceed then to this last Chronicle, which takes place in the year 1145, when a conference was held in the great city of Coventry, presided over by none other than the mighty archbishops of Coventry, Winchester and Ely, to bring an end to England's bitter civil war. And Brother Cadfael is in attendance; not, however, because he has been called upon to lend his services to the cause of diplomacy, which regrettably is a foregone conclusion between enemies as deeply opposed as Maud and Stephen, but to make inquiries about a certain young knight named Olivier de Bretagne. For said knight, of Syrian extraction and near and dear to Cadfael's heart, has been captured in a struggle following his noble lord's fiat to abandon their allegiance to the empress and join the king's forces instead, and he is now held without any offer of ransom, which is unheard of in the customs of war. And while Cadfael sojourns in Coventry, a haughty nobleman, who has played a most dubitable role in the change of allegiance of the forces of his and Olivier's liege, is found murdered, by none other than Olivier's brother-in-law, Yves Hugonin; himself barely out of a boy's clothes and now a liensman of the empress, and readily declared the crime's chief suspect. Thus facing the unfortunate concurrence of two duties of worldly allegiance - to locate Olivier and to clear Yves's good name - Cadfael must realize that those worldly duties irreconcilably collide with that owed to his monastic community. For he is bound to his abbot not to stay away from Shrewsbury for longer than is necessary to attend the truce conference, after the end of which he is to return to the abbey instantly, or break his vows; and unable to complete either of said two worldly duties in time to comply with that owed to his abbot, break his vows he feels he must. Yet, it is with a heavy heart that Cadfael does so, and casts himself out of the Benedictine community which has been his home and family for over twenty years, to follow a calling stronger than even that of the Holy Church; thus opening the conflicts of his heart to you, reader, more than he has ever done before.

"Brother Cadfael sprang to life suddenly and unexpectedly when he was already approaching sixty, mature, experienced, fully armed and seventeen years tonsured," his chronicler Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) wrote in a 1988 introduction to the 1979 short story collection "A Rare Benedictine," set in 1120 and compiled after the success of the first Chronicle to shed light on Cadfael's entry into monastic life. Would that she had had more time on this earth to bring us further accounts of his adventures! Sadly, this was not to be the case. But as things stand, she could not have left us with a better conclusion to his exploits. Rest in peace therefore, Mistress, and may you have many pleasant conversations with Brother Cadfael, wherever you have encountered him since!

Also recommended:
A Rare Benedictine
A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
One Corpse Too Many: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
Monk's Hood: The Third Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
Leper of Saint Giles (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
The Virgin in the Ice (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
The Cadfael Collection
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury

Editorial Review:

Medieval Benedictine monk Brother Cadfael leaves Shrewsbury to rescue his thirty-year-old secret son, who has been taken prisoner in the Civil War between Empress Maud and her cousin, King Stephen. Reprint. K. PW.

Dead Man's Ransom

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Ellis Peters triumphs again! 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful.

In the tenth installment of the ever-so-popular Brother Cadfael series, author Ellis Peters proves a winner once again with "Dead Man's Ransom."

Set in the year 1141, civil war runs amok in Britain between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, and it appears that the end of the twelve year old struggle is in sight. The war has taken its toll in many areas, as civil wars do, and the people are quite weary of it all. Maud's forces, however, now have captured the king himself. The sheriff of Shropshire, too, has been taken captive. This means, in those days, that in all likelihood an exchange of prisoners will take place.

Alas, one of the captives is now dead and it is our Brother Cadfael who senses that, indeed, it is murder, and, just as naturally as Peters would have it, it is he who is given the responsibility to solve the case and to try to bring about the release of the king.

Brother Cadfael is the former crusader now a Benedictine monk, who specializes in herbal medicines, solving murders, and compassion. Peters (Edith Pargeter) has developed her Cadfael through this series of medieval whodunits into a man of the cloth easily admired and respected. He is a man of firm, and devout, principles; a man who seems to carry the weight of the shire on his own Welch-born shoulders!

Peters has made grand the area of Shropshire, and especially the town of Shrewsbury there on the Welch borders. She has also created an exciting family of literary characters to complement Cadfael: Hugh Beringar (deputy sheriff of the shire and Cadfael's closest friend) and his wife Aline, Abbot Radulfus (the venerable patriarch of the abbey, and other members of the abbey. It is not essential that this series be read from the start (with "A Morbid Taste for Bones"), as this book could easily be read first and it would still hold up as a book on its own; however, readers generally will want to read them in order, as the presentation of character, of historical events, of character-interaction does show development in the series' genealogy. Peters died a few years ago and apparently there are no more Cadfael episodes aside from the twenty or so published, but each of the books extant bring the reader a treasure of reading adventures.

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

Editorial Review:

The ninth novel in the mystery chronicles of Brother Cadfael finds the twelfth-century Benedictine monk and sleuth defending a young Welshman accused of murdering a sheriff from Shropshire. Reprint.

Monk's Hood: The Third Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Derek Jacobi returns heard but not seen as BROTHER CADFAEL in more than just an interesting plot-twister! 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I have always believed that the BBC made the finest adaptations for radio and television, and indeed the BROTHER CADFAEL series is no exception; Bert Coules (who most recently adapted Sherlock Holmes for BBC radio) and the fine actor Philip Madoc brought Cadfael to life in three adaptations which are well worth listening to if you can: MONKS HOOD, THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE and DEAD MAN'S RANSOM. However, Sir Derek Jacobi was an excellent Cadfael for television ... even if some of the teleplays didn't quite follow the plot of the original novels. Acorn Audio did something quite extraordinary when they turned the audio tracks of the four teleplays of the first Cadfael TV series into an audio series, adding a narrator to fill in the gaps and adding some slight commentary on the action which could not be seen on an audiotape; in doing so, they tightened up the narrative to keep the stories moving at a good clip so that the listener would not lose interest, and Stephen Flynn's narration is well-read and well-written. This story brings Brother Cadfael's pre-cloistered past back to haunt him while he struggles to both solve a murder and protect the son of his former love and has enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the viewer (or listener in this case!) rivetted, and I have to say in this recording's favor that the telepay follows the book very closely, more so than many of those in the TV series. I am sorry that Acorn Audio hasn't adapted the rest of the televised Cadfael stories into this format, and the only grievance I have is that the cast of characters is not read out at the end of each story (all we get to know is that Sir Derek Jacobi plays Brother Cadfael, when there are some fine actors in each of the stories). This is something entirely new, coming somewhere in between actual radio drama and books-on-tape, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Brother Cadfael series. The listener will not lose anything by not seeing the action on a TV screen, and the acting you will HEAR combined with the narration will definitely provide an ejoyable listening experience.

Editorial Review:

When Gervase Bonel, a guest at the Shrewsbury Abbey, takes ill, Brother Cadfael, an expert herbalist, runs to his side, only to discover that his patient has been poisoned by monk's hood oil taken from Cadfael's own laboratory. Reprint.

St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More mediaeval goings-on to puzzle over 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Ellis Peters' fourth Brother Cadfael mystery is set in the summer of 1139, in a Shrewsbury still recovering from the siege of town and castle by the army of King Stephen the previous summer. To speed the rebuilding of its defences, the townsfolk are eager for financial help from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which, being located just outside the town, came through the episode of the siege without harm. With the lucrative annual three-day St. Peter's fair fast approaching, the burghers of the town are anxious to secure a share of its profits - normally given over entirely to the abbey. The new abbot, however, is far from anxious to set a dangerous precedent by ceding away the abbey's dues.

Thus it is that merchants arriving from distant towns for the fair find themselves suddenly embroiled in a dispute between town and cloister - and embroiled rather too deeply for comfort as the town's youth escalate the situation out of hand. And so it is that Shrewsbury (and therefore Brother Cadfael, of course) suddenly finds itself with the mystery of another murder (and various other nefarious goings-on) to solve.

With her characteristic meticulous attention to period detail, Ellis Peters weaves an intricate web of deceit and intrigue into this far from obvious murder mystery. As usual, she balances the political manoeuvrings of the principal parties with the playing out of a separate romantic sub-plot. This serves to keep the reader (and, in this case, Cadfael too) guessing almost up to the very end as to the real drama running through the story and, of course, to the identity of the villain of the piece. Indeed, the reader is well into the nail-biting conclusion to the story before realising fully what has been going on.

Peters' writing style ensures that this book is as enjoyable as Brother Cadfael books ever are. Fans of the mediaeval sleuth may be somewhat disappointed to find that he actually has very little to do here beyond collating the pieces of others' findings but this does not really detract from the tale over all. If the Cadfael books are new to you, I would really recommend reading the first two volumes before any others to truly get the most from them. On the other hand, if you are not interested in reading the whole series but simply want an evocative tale of mediaeval England, then you need look no further than this.

Editorial Review:

A pause in the civil war offers Shrewsbury's townsfolk hope that the upcoming fair will be successful, but the discovery of the body of a wealthy merchant could destroy that hope. Reprint. K.

Leper of Saint Giles (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

deception, the meaning of identity, and questions... 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Ellis Peters' "The Leper of St. Giles" starts off as, and continues to be, more of a pure love story than any of its predecessors. Since it is a Cadfael story, murder and mystery do indeed rear their ugly heads. Once more, Cadfael is called (with the support of his nifty new abbot) to do more than mix herbs.

Cadfael's former apprentice Brother Mark has left the nest as the story begins. One of the great joys in this book is to see the continued growth of Mark as a minister. In fact it is Mark, more so than Cadfael, who finds himself in the center of the action in "The Leper of Saint Giles."

This is a story that has a lot to do with the meaning of identity and the impact of deception. The basic plot revolves around a lowly squire who loves a wealthy heiress. The problem is, the heiress' wretched relations are intent on marrying her off for financial gain. From this rather nasty situation springs murder and false accusation. It is the job of Cadfael and Mark to make things right.

The more I read of Ellis Peters, the more I admire her work. She had a unique literary voice. So much wisdom is imparted in each story. This is doubly true in "The Leper of St. Giles." The reader is left questioning the actions of Cadfael and pondering the meaning of Justice.

While I am left with many questions and I missed Cadfael's old buddy Hugh, I found this book to be one of the more satisfying Cadfael stories. I highly recommend "The Leper of St. Giles."

Editorial Review:

Drawing conclusions about a murder that has interrupted the nuptial plans between a reluctant bride and a significantly older man, Brother Cadfael traces the clues to the Saint Giles leper colony. Reprint. K. PW.

The Devil's Novice: The Eighth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dreams of murder 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

When Meriet, a quiet, secretive young man is brought to the Abbey of St.Peter and St.Paul by his father, to be accepted as a novice monk, Brother Cadfael is immediately wary of his true vocation as he is almost too keen to take vows and to renounce the outside world at an age where he has had no experience of life, except as a youth in a privileged world of the minor nobility. He disturbs all the residents of the Abbey with his screaming nightmares so is taken to serve under the guidance of Brother Mark, at the Leprosarium of St. Giles. While helping the patients gather firewood in the nearby forest, he discovers the burned body of a murdered cleric who had recently been an overnight guest at his father's manor, and who had been declared missing for a short time. Meriet's father has never had any time for him as his elder brother Nigel was the apple of his parent's eyes and could do no wrong. The mystery evolves with Cadfael, as usual, methodically sifting through red herrings and true clues, with the help of his friend, Deputy Sherriff, Hugh Beringar. It's another fine Cadfael story, linked very closely with the political history and unrest of the day.

Editorial Review:

The eighth novel in the author's hugely popular Brother Cadfael series puts the medieval monk on the trail of a priest-killer responsible for the disappearance of a priestly emissary for King Stephen. Reprint. K.

A Rare Benedictine (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Light On The Road To Woodstock. 4 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

This contains three good reads. It has fine plots, descriptive characterizations, & smooth writing. Cadfael is a wondering Welsh soldier with a huge heart, but feels that a big change is needed in his life after coming home from the Crusades. He soon rescues an English monk from Cadfael's own master, & tensions abound. Not so surprisingly, he realizes that the serenity of being a monk is what he now needs. Jump fifteen years to "The Price Of Light," where Cadfael is now deeply settled as the abbey's apothecary & herbalist. This one was the best of the three stories. I won't spoil it by divulging the details, just read it for yourself. The third story "Eye Witness," is about a violent theft of the abbey's rents. Here cadfael is the dogged detective who has to sort out a myriad of possible suspects. Can a witness help, or is Cadfael alone? To a certain degree these are condensed medieval mystery soap opera's. But, far superior to most anything that we are used to. These stories made the twelfth century come to life in vivid pictures. For that alone, it deserved four stars.

Editorial Review:

Finally, Brother Cadfael's many fans can discover the chain of events that led him into the Benedictine Order! Lavishly illustrated, these three tales show Cadfael at the height of his sleuthing form. "Three classic stories featuring Brother Cadfael . . . whose powers of deduction are practically miraculous."--Booklist. HC: Mysterious Press.

The Raven in the Foregate (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)

Ellis Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Another Pleasant Tale 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

"Pleasant" is a good way to describe the Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. These romanticised renderings of life in twelfth century England, however unreal, make the era seem pleasant enough that you almost want to live there. The countryside is lovely, there is usually a hint of romance in the air, and life moves at a measured, unrushed pace. No pavement, no pollution, no hustle and bustle. Seldom mentioned are the poverty, hunger, disease, and general stench (people rarely bathed). Life, especially in the cloister, is a bucolic idyll.

In "A Raven In The Foregate", Abbot Radulfus returns from a church council with a new priest for the Foregate. Father Adam having recently died, Radulfus brings back Father Ailnoth at the recommendation of Bishop Henry. Ailnoth, however, turns out to be a harsh and stiff-necked young priest and manages to alienate his flock before turning up dead on Christmas morning. There are plenty of suspects, not the least of whom is young Benet, nephew of Ailnoth's housekeeper.

With plenty of potential suspects, this would seem to be an intricate and challenging mystery, but ultimately the plot is not as involved as one might wish. The outcome is a happy one, if a bit too neat and satisfactory for everyone involved, but not too hard to see coming.

Like most of the books in this series, "A Raven In The Foregate" is only an average mystery. What makes this and the other Cadfael tales enjoyable is the pleasant world Peters creates and the idyllic, unhurried way in which she tells the tale. These are nice books to read and, on the strength of that I recommend them, especially to those who like a bit of history and romance along with their whodunits.

Editorial Review:

It is Christmas, A.D. 1141, Abbot Radulfus returns from London, bringing with him a priest for the vacant living of Holy Cross, also known as the Foregate. The new priest is a man of presence, learning, and discipline, but he lacks humility and the common touch. When he is found drowned in the millpond, suspicion is cast upon a young man who arrived with the priest's train and was sent to work in Brother Cadfael's garden. Indeed, he is soon discovered to be an impostor. To Brother Cadfael, now falls the familiar task of sorting out the complicated strands of innocence and guilt.