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99th out of 673 books
—
708 voters
The Rose Rent (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #13)
by
Ellis Peters
In honor of her husband, young, beautiful, and wealthy widow Judith Perle donates a house to the Abbey at Shrewsbury--for the annual rent of one white rose. Judith has no shortage of suitors, and if she remarries, her dowry would be all the greater if the house were returned due to non-payment of rent. So when a priest charged with delivering the rose is found murdered, an...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
November 1st 1997
by Mysterious Press
(first published 1986)
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Medieval life was hard, doubly so for a widow. And a rich widow had her own threats, some of them murderous.
Mystery did a decent job of their video of this story.
Cadfael series: excellent historical fiction. Ellis Peters draws the reader into the twelfth century with modern story telling but holds us there with a richness of detail which evokes a time and place which might as well be mythic. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven...more
Mystery did a decent job of their video of this story.
Cadfael series: excellent historical fiction. Ellis Peters draws the reader into the twelfth century with modern story telling but holds us there with a richness of detail which evokes a time and place which might as well be mythic. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven...more
The 13th book in the Brother Cadfael series. In 1142, spring is very late in arriving and there is concern in the town of Shrewsbury for the crops. There is also concern that the late spring will prevent the white rose bush in the garden of the house that Niall, the bronzesmith, rents from blooming by the feast day of St. Winifred Judith Perle, a widow whose husband and unborn child died within 20 days of each other, leases the house to the Abbey and asks only a single white rose each year as re...more
Feb 11, 2013
Rusty
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller,
historical-fiction
Brother Cadfael solves another mystery. The story begins with an interesting, wealthy widow who lost her husband. She lives alone with no intent to marry again. In memory of the husband Judith Perle gives a small cottage to the monks. All she asks is that a white rose be delivered to her once a year. However, the young monk who has been delivering the rose asks to be released from this task because he has fallen in love with the gentle widow. Then he is found murdered and the rose bush badly dam...more
What made this book five stars instead of four was the intricate mystery plot and the character of Judith Perle.
The mystery is complex - multiple murders, multiple motives, multiple perpetrators working almost in parallel - and the author handles it all with skill. The reader is privy to only a facet of the intrigue, otherwise we're following along with Cadfael and Hugh as they piece it all together. And any time Hugh is involved I'm a happy girl. Add Sister Magdalen and it approaches perfection...more
The mystery is complex - multiple murders, multiple motives, multiple perpetrators working almost in parallel - and the author handles it all with skill. The reader is privy to only a facet of the intrigue, otherwise we're following along with Cadfael and Hugh as they piece it all together. And any time Hugh is involved I'm a happy girl. Add Sister Magdalen and it approaches perfection...more
As I was reading this, the thirteenth installment in the Cadfael series, I began to wonder if I'd sated my taste for medieval mystery. This one seemed to drag a bit. Then I realized that Cadfael plays a more minor role in this one and this one is more like a traditional mystery than the unique blend of "travelogue to the 12th century" and mystery that the other installments are.
I also noted that several other reviewers picked up on this as well with folks mentioning that it dragged in spots and...more
I also noted that several other reviewers picked up on this as well with folks mentioning that it dragged in spots and...more
This is the kind of book that I rely on during marking season to take me away from the associated head work, that is to say praise be to the genre novel. The Cadfael series is engaging, relaxing, and with just enough of a good crime novel’s twists to remain interesting. All in all, this has an excellent balance, this time involving family tensions, romance (futile, unrequited and requited), death (intentional and unintentional), and vandalism of a rose bush. Just right for marking, travel and ot...more
1st Recorded Reading: February 11, 2005
One would think that Abbot Radulfus of the Abbey would have long since confined Brother Cadfael to his herbarium to keep him out of trouble; or, more accurately, to keep dead bodies from multiplying with alarming frequency. One wonders if anyone has written a parody of Brother Cadfael, in which he is insane (craftily so) and is actually the murderer of all the dead bodies that pop up near the Abbey. Having said all that, this Fourteenth Chronicle is good, a...more
One would think that Abbot Radulfus of the Abbey would have long since confined Brother Cadfael to his herbarium to keep him out of trouble; or, more accurately, to keep dead bodies from multiplying with alarming frequency. One wonders if anyone has written a parody of Brother Cadfael, in which he is insane (craftily so) and is actually the murderer of all the dead bodies that pop up near the Abbey. Having said all that, this Fourteenth Chronicle is good, a...more
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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 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...more
That the tug of war of the Civil War that was occurring and featured...more
Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series - set around 1000/1100, a Welsh man who had been with the Crusades, soldier/sailor, loved women etc settles down to retirement as a Benedictine monk, working as an apothecary within the abbey and the community, and assisting the sheriff with mysteries. He's a really wholesome character who understands people and life, not at all narrow and irritating. There is also a series of movies made based on these books with Derek Jacobi playing Brother Cadfael
I love Brother Cadfael and this is one of the better stories in the series.
It is Spring 1142. There is concern in Shrewsbury that the late spring will prevent the white rose bush in Niall the bronzesmith's garden from blooming. Judith Perle, a widow, leases the house to Cadfael's Abbey for the rent of a single white rose. If the bush fails to produce a bloom by St. Winifred's feast day, the contract is broken. The monk who has delivered the rose for the past three years is found murdered next to...more
It is Spring 1142. There is concern in Shrewsbury that the late spring will prevent the white rose bush in Niall the bronzesmith's garden from blooming. Judith Perle, a widow, leases the house to Cadfael's Abbey for the rent of a single white rose. If the bush fails to produce a bloom by St. Winifred's feast day, the contract is broken. The monk who has delivered the rose for the past three years is found murdered next to...more
Re-reading (again) this wonderful Brother Cadfael mystery. I discovered Ellis Peters too late to get many firsts. So if anyone out there has some first additions, I am interested. Ellis Peters details in these books will blow you away. I love all her books and there's not many I haven't read now.
So it's the morning after finishing the Rose Rent. And every time I read this book, I think it's one of my favorites. There's not alot of background political movement in this chronicle, unlike most of t...more
So it's the morning after finishing the Rose Rent. And every time I read this book, I think it's one of my favorites. There's not alot of background political movement in this chronicle, unlike most of t...more
These suspenseful stories include pinches of romance, devotion, and humor, as well as truly unique characters. The mysteries use as background superb portrayals of 12th Century England. The author is a noted Medieval scholar. Positive. Caution: the series is aimed at adults, not adolescents. Many themes of these mystery novels are ADULT themes, including rape, abuse of various sorts, etc. They are all positive, ultimately.
A single rose is the rent for a valuable property, rented out to the monks of Shrewsbury by a young wealthy widow. Rose bush massacres, mistaken identity, kidnapping and romance all feature in this Brother Cadfael mystery - and for once, the culprit was a surprise - considered but dismissed! This was a bit more straightforward than some of the previous mysteries, but also at the same time, a little less predictable. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Another nicely written book in the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. Sister Magdalen puts in a cameo experience; red herrings are drawn across the trail, and true love blossoms along with the white rose. The twists and turns of the plot are interesting. I found the book to be quite enjoyable.
Possibly my favorite of the Cadfael Chronicles (at least so far). Beautifully constructed -- I'd both seen the adaptation and read this book before and didn't remember the denouement until quite late. And I dare you to read the whole thing and not tear up a little at the end! :-)
I still love Brother Cadfael and company, but this book wasn't my favorite. I love Patrick Tull as a reader, but missed the other reader on this book. Generally I like the comfortable formula of the books, but it seemed a little stale this time. I still enjoy the characters and the lilting, peaceful style of Ellis Peters, however, and don't count it as time wasted.
'The Rose Rent' has a better plot than some of the previous stories in the "Brother Cadfael" series. This time, the mystery/crime was doubly victim-filled and a bit more detection was required to solve. There is more romance in it for my tastes, but, it added a nice touch overall to the story. 4 out of 5
The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters is a wonderful set of mysteries that take place in 12th century England. Ellis Peters does a wonderful job of describing all the characters and she is a great mystery writer. The cases are complicated enough to make them interesting.
This was one of my favorite in this series. I actually cried at the end but I cry very easily. Any story about a woman who's lost a baby resonants with me and this one was very well done. As always I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone.
Mar 25, 2013
Meredith
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
betrayal,
faith,
fiction,
british-literature,
historical-fiction,
intrigue,
mystery,
period-piece,
resourceful-women,
romance
I was a bit disappointed with Nadia May's reading. She sounded shrill to me. I'm guessing this must have been an early on reading for her, as I've listened to other audio books read by her and liked her voice.
Solid, layered mystery. Lovely, gentle romance.
Solid, layered mystery. Lovely, gentle romance.
Worth the read. I knew from the first who donit. But I would not trust myself to the end so I add two other perps through the read. Read it through in one sitting with a couple nodding thrown in.
Cadfael must sort through a thorny mystery involving a young widow and the house she rents to the monks for the yearly price of a single rose. Listened to the audio version read by the always professional Nadia May.
I discovered Ellis Peters' Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series of books while looking on the shelf for Elizabeth Peters books. Good mysteries and fascinating historical fiction.
Not my favorite in the series, but definitely enjoyable. Another interesting look into the society of the time. The story was sad, but told sympathetically.
Another great mystery in the Brother Cadfael series. This time someone kills the Lady who gave a house and lands to the church for just a single rose in payment. Someone kills the rose tree and the woman.
Entertaining. Brother can solves mysteries without all kinds of fancy equipment, just by being observant and understanding human nature.
A bit twistier than normal with more mature characters (mostly).
Brother Cadfael is the Colombo of the 13th c. Great fun.
An obvious, overwrought little mystery but an enjoyable read.
Or maybe this one is the most romantic ....
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A pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, BEM (September 28, 1913 in Horsehay, Shropshire, England –October 14, 1995) was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay...more
More about Ellis Peters...
Edith Mary Pargeter, BEM (September 28, 1913 in Horsehay, Shropshire, England –October 14, 1995) was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay...more
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