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Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #11
An Excellent Mystery
King Stephen and his rival cousin, Empress Maud, struggle for the crown, and Brothers Humilis and Fidelis arrive at the abbey and stumble on a mysterious disappearance
190 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 1985
1292 people are currently reading
2463 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
207 books1,146 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM 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 (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM 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 (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 541 reviews
July 22, 2020
Brother Cadfael is monk ensconced in the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury, England of the 13th century. He is a former crusader who has found his peace as a botanist and herbalist for these Brothers. Yet, from time to time a crime comes his way and he uses his knowledge and unique skills to help solve it.
"Cadfael’s warrior blood, long since abjured, had a way of coming to the boil when he heard steel in the offing. His chief uneasiness was that he could not be truly penitent about it. His king was not of this world, but in this world he could not help having a preference."
For those that have been following Brother Cadfael this tale falls right into place. The monastery in Shrewsbury is now on the margins of the battle between King Stephen and the Empress Maud to rule England. The opening of this mystery has another monk, Brother Humilis, (a recent refugee from the “troubles”) seeking refuge at the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. When Cadfael is called in to help treat his illness they find that they also share experience in the Crusades.
"They were grown quite easy together, these two, and if both of them realised that the mere healing of a broken and festered wound was no sufficient cure for what ailed Humilis, they were both courteously silent on the subject, and took their moderate pleasure in what good they had achieved."
The author takes us down another path of carefully attentive historical aspects, nuanced ethical concerns and delightful descriptions of people and places. Here is an example: "They gathered the purple-black Lammas plums next day, for they were just on the right edge of ripeness. Some would be eaten at once, fresh as they were, some Brother Petrus would boil down into a preserve thick and dark as cakes of poppy-seed, and some would be laid out on racks in the drying house to wrinkle and crystallise into gummy sweetness."
This one book of the series may be unique for not having a murder to drive the plot. Yet Peters finds ways to maintain the tension.
"“I see what needs to be done, but how to achieve it, God knows, I cannot see. Well, God’s vision is clearer than mine, he may both see a way out of this tangle and open my eyes to it when the time is ripe. There’s a path through every forest, and a safe passage somewhere through every marsh, it needs only the finding.”"
Well, to be clear, I enjoy Cadfael immensely. His life is grounded in practicality. His faith is in his actions. He has a strong sense of morality that challenges both himself and others. Because he only bowed to his religious calling after decades of adulthood, he sees the world as it is through his years of experience as a man of action both in war and with the opposite sex. As an author of historical fiction, Peters delights me. Not much more I can say.
"Cadfael’s warrior blood, long since abjured, had a way of coming to the boil when he heard steel in the offing. His chief uneasiness was that he could not be truly penitent about it. His king was not of this world, but in this world he could not help having a preference."
For those that have been following Brother Cadfael this tale falls right into place. The monastery in Shrewsbury is now on the margins of the battle between King Stephen and the Empress Maud to rule England. The opening of this mystery has another monk, Brother Humilis, (a recent refugee from the “troubles”) seeking refuge at the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. When Cadfael is called in to help treat his illness they find that they also share experience in the Crusades.
"They were grown quite easy together, these two, and if both of them realised that the mere healing of a broken and festered wound was no sufficient cure for what ailed Humilis, they were both courteously silent on the subject, and took their moderate pleasure in what good they had achieved."
The author takes us down another path of carefully attentive historical aspects, nuanced ethical concerns and delightful descriptions of people and places. Here is an example: "They gathered the purple-black Lammas plums next day, for they were just on the right edge of ripeness. Some would be eaten at once, fresh as they were, some Brother Petrus would boil down into a preserve thick and dark as cakes of poppy-seed, and some would be laid out on racks in the drying house to wrinkle and crystallise into gummy sweetness."
This one book of the series may be unique for not having a murder to drive the plot. Yet Peters finds ways to maintain the tension.
"“I see what needs to be done, but how to achieve it, God knows, I cannot see. Well, God’s vision is clearer than mine, he may both see a way out of this tangle and open my eyes to it when the time is ripe. There’s a path through every forest, and a safe passage somewhere through every marsh, it needs only the finding.”"
Well, to be clear, I enjoy Cadfael immensely. His life is grounded in practicality. His faith is in his actions. He has a strong sense of morality that challenges both himself and others. Because he only bowed to his religious calling after decades of adulthood, he sees the world as it is through his years of experience as a man of action both in war and with the opposite sex. As an author of historical fiction, Peters delights me. Not much more I can say.
June 8, 2012
It's fitting that the middle book of the Cadfael series is the most unique. It's the only book of the series in which no one is killed and the ubiquitous pair of young lovebirds is almost completely absent. Instead of a murder mystery, it's a story of passion, loyalty, justice, service, and devotion. The "excellent mystery" part doesn't kick in until a third to halfway through the book and isn't fully explained until the end. All of the characters are passionate about something, for good or ill, and some more obvious in their passion than others. It wasn't until a scene late in the book of Nicholas single-mindedly seeking Hugh in the pouring rain that I realized he was displaying just as much passion as poor Brother Urien, just about very different things.
The final act of the book is very moving and also brilliantly constructed, bringing each character's tangled thread to a conclusion. Happy for some, bittersweet for others, but positive and hopeful all around. And adroitly avoiding a huge scandal, too. Besides, any time mischievous Sister Magdalen (introduced in book 5, The Leper of Saint Giles) is involved, I'm all in!
The theme of passion is reflected in the historical events of the time. King Stephen and his cousin Empress Maud were fighting a heated civil war for the crown. The book is set in 1141 and readers are direct and indirect witnesses to the burning of Winchester and Wherwell, the siege and route of Winchester, the Empress's retreat from Queen Mathilda's armies, and the capture of Robert of Gloucester. Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and papal legate, is mentioned often and appears in a brief scene with Nicholas.
The final act of the book is very moving and also brilliantly constructed, bringing each character's tangled thread to a conclusion. Happy for some, bittersweet for others, but positive and hopeful all around. And adroitly avoiding a huge scandal, too. Besides, any time mischievous Sister Magdalen (introduced in book 5, The Leper of Saint Giles) is involved, I'm all in!
The theme of passion is reflected in the historical events of the time. King Stephen and his cousin Empress Maud were fighting a heated civil war for the crown. The book is set in 1141 and readers are direct and indirect witnesses to the burning of Winchester and Wherwell, the siege and route of Winchester, the Empress's retreat from Queen Mathilda's armies, and the capture of Robert of Gloucester. Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and papal legate, is mentioned often and appears in a brief scene with Nicholas.
December 2, 2025
As the title implies, the 11th Chronicle of Brother Cadfael is an excellent mystery. It is one of the best mysteries in the series. I have enjoyed all of the Cadfael novels I've read so far, but some have stood apart from the others. An Excellent Mystery belongs to that special category.
The mystery here is not a murder mystery, and that in itself is a first in the series. I normally wouldn't have been pleased not to have a murder mystery since that's what the series has delivered up to this chronicle. Surprisingly, I didn't mind that at all. In fact, I very much enjoyed this mystery. It was a moving, emotional story. With her beautiful prose, Ellis Peters brings the story right into your heart. She writes so well that she keeps our suspense intact until the very last chapter. From the beginning, I was drawn in like a magnet to her storytelling. And even though I figured out the mystery quite early on, that didn't dampen my interest in the story. Quite the contrary; I was all the more eager to see if I was right. I can quite honestly tell you that this is the only Cadfael novel that I have read in one go.
Cadfael and Hugh play somewhat of a secondary role here, but their presence was powerfully felt throughout the story, even in the scenes in which they weren't present. Some of the other known characters, like Hugh's wife (Aline) and Avice of Thornbury (now Sister Magdalene), play important roles. I very much liked the newly introduced characters, and even more, the themes of love and devotion that the story explores.
I say again. An Excellent Mystery is a better mystery. It is beautiful and moving. It is also one of the well-written and well-executed chronicles in the series.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
The mystery here is not a murder mystery, and that in itself is a first in the series. I normally wouldn't have been pleased not to have a murder mystery since that's what the series has delivered up to this chronicle. Surprisingly, I didn't mind that at all. In fact, I very much enjoyed this mystery. It was a moving, emotional story. With her beautiful prose, Ellis Peters brings the story right into your heart. She writes so well that she keeps our suspense intact until the very last chapter. From the beginning, I was drawn in like a magnet to her storytelling. And even though I figured out the mystery quite early on, that didn't dampen my interest in the story. Quite the contrary; I was all the more eager to see if I was right. I can quite honestly tell you that this is the only Cadfael novel that I have read in one go.
Cadfael and Hugh play somewhat of a secondary role here, but their presence was powerfully felt throughout the story, even in the scenes in which they weren't present. Some of the other known characters, like Hugh's wife (Aline) and Avice of Thornbury (now Sister Magdalene), play important roles. I very much liked the newly introduced characters, and even more, the themes of love and devotion that the story explores.
I say again. An Excellent Mystery is a better mystery. It is beautiful and moving. It is also one of the well-written and well-executed chronicles in the series.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
June 13, 2024
Review to follow. OK. Short review time. The title of this mystery novel is accurate. I've never read a bad Brother Cadfael mystery. This one is better than average.
March 16, 2017
I first came across the Brother Cadfael chronicles as a teenager. I loved them at the time -- I read as many as I could get my hands on. I then put them out of my mind until very recently when I had a bit of time and wanted something familiar and re-assuring to keep me company. Brother Cadfael is re-assuring; a well-weathered monk with knowledge of the world, of battles and romantic love, a gentle man, whose knowledge of medicinal herbs and ailments makes him even more respectable. Approachable, humble, but with wit and razor-sharp intelligence. What's not to like about Brother Cadfael?
Many of the recurring characters of the series are like that. The Sheriff, Hugh Beringar, a man to be relied upon for his fine sense of justice and duty unencumbered by narrow-minded interpretations of the law. The Abbot, Brother Radulphus: a very capable leader of the monastic order, and a man without obvious faults: unwavering in his convictions, protector of the weak, a friend to Brother Cadfael, and keenly aware of the need for political shrewdness at a time of civil war (as that time was for England).
And this is what I dislike about the series, the near-perfection of the main characters, the lack of any obvious faults or strife to weigh them down. Brother Cadfael's world comes across as an idealised world where goodness always wins because the main actors are fundamentally good. Of course, there is evil in this world too, there are thieves and murderers and those who betray their friends or their causes, but the fabric of the world is never irreparably damaged by their actions because justice is always restored at the end.
Enthused as I was with the series in my adolescence, I now feel dissatisfied with Ellis Peter's world. And at the same time, I'm irresistibly drawn to it; its tranquility, peace, and predictability. Ellis Peters wrote to a recipe: a well-ordered world inhabited by decent human beings striving for the best. Her recipe plays on our desire for justice and goodness to emerge triumphant but it shoves under the carpet moral puzzles, quandaries and human weaknesses as well as the fact that justice is an elusive entity that is not always restored at the end.
Many of the recurring characters of the series are like that. The Sheriff, Hugh Beringar, a man to be relied upon for his fine sense of justice and duty unencumbered by narrow-minded interpretations of the law. The Abbot, Brother Radulphus: a very capable leader of the monastic order, and a man without obvious faults: unwavering in his convictions, protector of the weak, a friend to Brother Cadfael, and keenly aware of the need for political shrewdness at a time of civil war (as that time was for England).
And this is what I dislike about the series, the near-perfection of the main characters, the lack of any obvious faults or strife to weigh them down. Brother Cadfael's world comes across as an idealised world where goodness always wins because the main actors are fundamentally good. Of course, there is evil in this world too, there are thieves and murderers and those who betray their friends or their causes, but the fabric of the world is never irreparably damaged by their actions because justice is always restored at the end.
Enthused as I was with the series in my adolescence, I now feel dissatisfied with Ellis Peter's world. And at the same time, I'm irresistibly drawn to it; its tranquility, peace, and predictability. Ellis Peters wrote to a recipe: a well-ordered world inhabited by decent human beings striving for the best. Her recipe plays on our desire for justice and goodness to emerge triumphant but it shoves under the carpet moral puzzles, quandaries and human weaknesses as well as the fact that justice is an elusive entity that is not always restored at the end.
November 15, 2023
More Brother Cadfael because I cannot resist this canny Welshman. For a Brother residing in a monastery, Cadfael has a remarkably flexible relationship with the truth. In fact, he seems to live by the Wiccan adage, An it harm none, do what ye will. Saint Winifred, whose acquisition Cadfael assisted with in the first book of the series, seems to smile benevolently on her Welsh compatriot.
I really noticed during this volume how Peters used contemporary (i.e. 12th century) vocabulary. She used it sparingly, but it lends a more realistic feel to the novel. She has, as a writer of my acquaintance has said, chosen her version of “bygonese” and maintains it throughout. Add to that lovely descriptions of the settings, such as the monastery gardens and the land along one boat journey. Nasty things may still occur, but they will happen in well described surroundings.
Characters have carried over from the last book, specifically Rhun, the formerly lame man healed by the Saint in the previous installment. His sunny presence lights up the sick room or the sanctuary, wherever he is. Hugh's wife, Aline, gets a moment in the thick of things too. I was pleasantly surprised at the halfway point when I figured out what was going on and could see a potential for a graceful solution. I'm not usually trying to solve the mystery, just along for an entertaining ride. I get a little thrill when I see the solution before the end.
I really noticed during this volume how Peters used contemporary (i.e. 12th century) vocabulary. She used it sparingly, but it lends a more realistic feel to the novel. She has, as a writer of my acquaintance has said, chosen her version of “bygonese” and maintains it throughout. Add to that lovely descriptions of the settings, such as the monastery gardens and the land along one boat journey. Nasty things may still occur, but they will happen in well described surroundings.
Characters have carried over from the last book, specifically Rhun, the formerly lame man healed by the Saint in the previous installment. His sunny presence lights up the sick room or the sanctuary, wherever he is. Hugh's wife, Aline, gets a moment in the thick of things too. I was pleasantly surprised at the halfway point when I figured out what was going on and could see a potential for a graceful solution. I'm not usually trying to solve the mystery, just along for an entertaining ride. I get a little thrill when I see the solution before the end.
May 16, 2020
A Brother Cadfael mystery novel is somehow so comforting a thing. This particular novel was a little short on Cadfael for me, and focused a touch too little on the life in the Abbey and more on the outside world, but still a sweet read. I solved the mystery fairly early on, but I think that might have been Peters’ intent. What was interesting was how Cadfael resolved a sticky situation.
As they say, this is not rocket science. It isn’t the most profound writing ever, but it is loads of fun, which can be useful in stressful times. Not my first Cadfael or my last.
As they say, this is not rocket science. It isn’t the most profound writing ever, but it is loads of fun, which can be useful in stressful times. Not my first Cadfael or my last.
January 30, 2019
One of the best of this series. The writing is so heartfelt and (almost) glorious. The story is bittersweet, but with a satisfactory, even hopeful, ending.
You will notice I've said nothing about the plot--it is almost impossible to talk about without spoilers.
Each reader needs to discover the clues, the hints, the twists and turns on their own.
I loved this one!
You will notice I've said nothing about the plot--it is almost impossible to talk about without spoilers.
Each reader needs to discover the clues, the hints, the twists and turns on their own.
I loved this one!
July 31, 2022
I loved that this was a different mystery in the series.
March 24, 2017
The war between vying rulers continues in this installment of the Brother Cadfael mystery series. After a fire has razed an abbey in Winchester, two monks straggle in, one obviously weak and injured. Brothers Humilis and Fidelis are given refuge, but it's not long before the search is on for Brother Humilis' former fiancee, who chose to become a nun after his crusades injury, which has rendered him unable to keep a manor nor a wife, released her from the agreement made when she was only five.
This is one of the better Cadfael books, and if you have not yet read any, while you can pick up the series at any time, because each mystery is self-contained, it is best read in order as both the war and the characters are growing older, and if not that, at least read the first two books before any others.
This is one of the better Cadfael books, and if you have not yet read any, while you can pick up the series at any time, because each mystery is self-contained, it is best read in order as both the war and the characters are growing older, and if not that, at least read the first two books before any others.
October 12, 2025
An Excellent Mystery, a phrase taken from the Solemnization of Matrimony from the Book of Common Prayer, is a great name for this episode in the Cadfael saga though there are no actual weddings here to solemnize.
Instead this story deals with a man who becomes betroathed to a much younger girl before departing on crusade. After gaining some fame while on crusade, the man is grievously injured. He breaks the betroathal and joins a Benedictine order as Brother Humilus. His intended bride decides to take the veil as well and journeys under escort to a distant city to do so.
Three years later and the civil war sees the man's abbey destroyed and Humilis, with a mute young brother Fidelis in tow, appears in Shrewsbury. A mystery develops when it's discovered that the man's fiance never made it to her intended abbey.
Again, as with so much of Ellis Peters' Cadfael saga, the mystery is secondary to the picture we develop of life in that time. It's a bit like watching as a grandmother assembles a jigsaw puzzle from a box with no cover. While we're uncertain of the final picture, the pieces give their clues and the old woman is confident enough that we have no doubt that we'll see the final picture in the end and meanwhile we're content to appreciate the skill with which she assembles it.
Of course the "big picture" here, the excellent mystery is never truly revealed and a less than careful reader will probably never comprehend the picture being painted here, but I'm convinced that I now know the true facts behind the mystery presented here and will not spoil it for others. That is the genius of this, perhaps the best mystery in the Cadfael series. Even if I've "solved" the central mystery, other subsidiary mysteries remain. Which characters involved in this tale also "solved" the mystery? It seems that Cadfael had, but had Brother Humilus? What about Brother Rhun? Did Brother Ulrich?
This one was never adapted for television and that's probably a good thing. Suffice it to say, it's worth the time it takes to read the book, and in the company of Cadfael and a cast of regulars that we've grown to love, it's a satisfying and entertaining journey.
Instead this story deals with a man who becomes betroathed to a much younger girl before departing on crusade. After gaining some fame while on crusade, the man is grievously injured. He breaks the betroathal and joins a Benedictine order as Brother Humilus. His intended bride decides to take the veil as well and journeys under escort to a distant city to do so.
Three years later and the civil war sees the man's abbey destroyed and Humilis, with a mute young brother Fidelis in tow, appears in Shrewsbury. A mystery develops when it's discovered that the man's fiance never made it to her intended abbey.
Again, as with so much of Ellis Peters' Cadfael saga, the mystery is secondary to the picture we develop of life in that time. It's a bit like watching as a grandmother assembles a jigsaw puzzle from a box with no cover. While we're uncertain of the final picture, the pieces give their clues and the old woman is confident enough that we have no doubt that we'll see the final picture in the end and meanwhile we're content to appreciate the skill with which she assembles it.
Of course the "big picture" here, the excellent mystery is never truly revealed and a less than careful reader will probably never comprehend the picture being painted here, but I'm convinced that I now know the true facts behind the mystery presented here and will not spoil it for others. That is the genius of this, perhaps the best mystery in the Cadfael series. Even if I've "solved" the central mystery, other subsidiary mysteries remain. Which characters involved in this tale also "solved" the mystery? It seems that Cadfael had, but had Brother Humilus? What about Brother Rhun? Did Brother Ulrich?
This one was never adapted for television and that's probably a good thing. Suffice it to say, it's worth the time it takes to read the book, and in the company of Cadfael and a cast of regulars that we've grown to love, it's a satisfying and entertaining journey.
December 12, 2025
a most excellent mystery indeed 😃😁
(full review to come, all being well)
(full review to come, all being well)
July 21, 2007
Ellis Peters' Cadfael novels are -- all of them -- outstandingly entertaining and edifying works. This one, however, is astounding in its beauty, mystery, and breath-taking conclusion. The phrase "excellent mystery" comes from a prayer in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer order of service for marriage, and it is worth reading the whole prayer as a background for Peters' excellent mystery about that most excellent mystery:
O God, who by thy mighty power hast made all things of nothing; who also (after other things set in order) didst appoint, that out of man (created after thine own image and similitude) woman should take her beginning; and, knitting them together, didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hadst made one: O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church: Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word, (as Christ did love his spouse the Church, who gave himself for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh,) and also that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, who by thy mighty power hast made all things of nothing; who also (after other things set in order) didst appoint, that out of man (created after thine own image and similitude) woman should take her beginning; and, knitting them together, didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hadst made one: O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church: Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word, (as Christ did love his spouse the Church, who gave himself for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh,) and also that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
November 20, 2011
An Excellent Mystery is anything but. Over the course of the series, the plots have become increasing slow and the mystery itself has taken longer and longer to appear. While Cadfael books are not exactly action-packed, An Excellent Mystery positively dragged, and aside from a little odd behavior nothing mysterious even occurred until halfway through, and many of the clues were completely transparent. There are problems involving point-of-view, with information being revealed to reader that the main characters could not possibly know--an unwelcome change from earlier books--and Cadfael appears very little and does very little. The thing that almost made me put An Excellent Mystery down--and it is the first Cadfael book I have even come close to putting down--was Brother Urian, who's subplot was disturbingly full of sexual harassment and homosexuality and added almost nothing to the plot except lots of long, awkward and repetitive monologs. Since the Cadfael books do not have to be read in order, I would suggest that all but die-hard fans skip this disappointing entry in the series.
on-deck
January 21, 2023***********************
Book Order and Availability:
*A Morbid Taste for Bones (1) 3 stars
*One Corpse Too Many (2) 5 stars
*Monk's Hood (3) 4 stars
*St. Peter's Fair (4) 4 stars
*The Leper of St. Giles (5) 5 stars
*The Virgin in the Ice (6)3 stars
*The Sanctuary Sparrow (7) 4 stars
*The Devil's Novice (8) unavailable
*Dead Man's Ransom (9) 3 stars
*The Pilgrim of Hate (10) 3 stars
*An Excellent Mystery (11) TBR
*The Raven in the Foregate (12) 4 stars
*The Rose Rent (13) TBR
*The Hermit of Eyton Forest (14) TBR
*The Confession of Brother Haluin (15) unavailable
*The Heretic's Apprentice (16) unavailable
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR
June 17, 2019
Having now read An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters, I've completed 12 books in the Cadfael historical mystery series and as always, have found the story to be entertaining and engrossing. Cadfael is an ex-Crusader, now a Benedictine monk who acts as herbalist / sometimes medical assistant at the Benedictine monastery at Shrewsbury. This 11th book in the Cadfael takes place in 1141, during the continuing struggles for the English throne between Empress Maud and King Stephen.
The battles themselves take place a distance from Shrewsbury in this story but one of the results is to bring two monks seeking refuge from the battles around Winchester. Brothers Humilis and Fidelus arrive and are given sanctuary at the monastery. Humilis is another old Crusader, who was injured seriously in the Crusades. Fidelus is a mute who has attached himself to Humilis as his care taker. Humilis's injuries are aggravated by the journey to Shrewsbury and it's evident to Cadfael and the Edmund who is basically the monastery doctor, that Humilis has not long to live and they want only to keep him in comfort.
Arriving also at the Monastry is Nicholas, a knight who has been participating in the battles, and was previously Humilis's squire. Due to his injuries, Humilis had called off an arranged marriage 3 years previously. Nicholas wishes Humilis's permission to ask for the lady's hand in marriage and it is granted.
This is the crux of the story, with Nicholas's journey first to ask her hand in marriage and then when it's evident she has disappeared, purportedly to become a nun, to find her. It's an interesting story all-around. Cadfael plays a relatively minor role through the first part as it involves Nicholas's quest, but as the story builds, he plays a more important role, especially when it actually comes down to solving the mystery. There is a side-story involving some other brothers, which could have been left out, I think, but it doesn't hurt the story to have it there.
The final twist, although I sort of had it figured out, was very interesting and different. One of my favorite Cadfaels so far and I'm glad I still have a few left on my book shelf to enjoy. (4 stars)
The battles themselves take place a distance from Shrewsbury in this story but one of the results is to bring two monks seeking refuge from the battles around Winchester. Brothers Humilis and Fidelus arrive and are given sanctuary at the monastery. Humilis is another old Crusader, who was injured seriously in the Crusades. Fidelus is a mute who has attached himself to Humilis as his care taker. Humilis's injuries are aggravated by the journey to Shrewsbury and it's evident to Cadfael and the Edmund who is basically the monastery doctor, that Humilis has not long to live and they want only to keep him in comfort.
Arriving also at the Monastry is Nicholas, a knight who has been participating in the battles, and was previously Humilis's squire. Due to his injuries, Humilis had called off an arranged marriage 3 years previously. Nicholas wishes Humilis's permission to ask for the lady's hand in marriage and it is granted.
This is the crux of the story, with Nicholas's journey first to ask her hand in marriage and then when it's evident she has disappeared, purportedly to become a nun, to find her. It's an interesting story all-around. Cadfael plays a relatively minor role through the first part as it involves Nicholas's quest, but as the story builds, he plays a more important role, especially when it actually comes down to solving the mystery. There is a side-story involving some other brothers, which could have been left out, I think, but it doesn't hurt the story to have it there.
The final twist, although I sort of had it figured out, was very interesting and different. One of my favorite Cadfaels so far and I'm glad I still have a few left on my book shelf to enjoy. (4 stars)
May 7, 2022
Lovely outing with Cadfael, this was a reread for me, to refresh the plot in my mind for the upcoming read with the Reading the Detectives group. I listened to the audiobook for most of it, I love the narration by Patrick Tull.
It’s a hot, dry summer in Shrewsbury, and the civil war between Stephen and Maud rages on. A siege of Winchester brings two monks fleeing the destruction of their abbey. Humilis, the elder monk, was a crusader hero before taking the cowl; his war service left him badly injured, so Fidelis, the young brother with him, acts as his personal attendant. Fidelis cannot speak, but is clearly devoted in his service to the ailing monk, and is his constant companion.
The two refugees are welcomed by Abbott Radolfus, and soon fit into the life of the abbey. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, and it’s hard to talk about the plot without doing so. I can say that Cadfael does not have to solve a murder in this book, but there is scope here for his innate decency, keen understanding, and the unique life experiences that give him such insight into the motives and behaviors of others!
Many readers might see the obvious ‘mystery’ to be solved here, but the writing was beautiful as always, and it was a pleasure to visit with Cadfael again. I am very much enjoying my reread of the series, which I first read in my 20s, after seeing Sir Derek Jacobi play Cadfael. This series started my lifelong love of historical mysteries, and for that I am forever grateful to Ellis Peters!
It’s a hot, dry summer in Shrewsbury, and the civil war between Stephen and Maud rages on. A siege of Winchester brings two monks fleeing the destruction of their abbey. Humilis, the elder monk, was a crusader hero before taking the cowl; his war service left him badly injured, so Fidelis, the young brother with him, acts as his personal attendant. Fidelis cannot speak, but is clearly devoted in his service to the ailing monk, and is his constant companion.
The two refugees are welcomed by Abbott Radolfus, and soon fit into the life of the abbey. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, and it’s hard to talk about the plot without doing so. I can say that Cadfael does not have to solve a murder in this book, but there is scope here for his innate decency, keen understanding, and the unique life experiences that give him such insight into the motives and behaviors of others!
Many readers might see the obvious ‘mystery’ to be solved here, but the writing was beautiful as always, and it was a pleasure to visit with Cadfael again. I am very much enjoying my reread of the series, which I first read in my 20s, after seeing Sir Derek Jacobi play Cadfael. This series started my lifelong love of historical mysteries, and for that I am forever grateful to Ellis Peters!
September 24, 2024
“A duty once assumed is a duty to the end.”
My favorite Cadfael story. All the elements familiar to Peters’ readers--death, mystery, and sleuthing set amid a historic civil war, medieval culture, Welsh borderlands, and young love; but Peters mixes the ingredients a little differently this time. Murder mysteries all involve death. Someone dies, but …
“To me he has been all the sons I shall never father.”
Peters investigates what constitutes a life well lived. A man returns from the Crusades, as did Cadfael himself, to retire from the world into the Benedictine order. This noble is also ruined of body. As he fades, those around him seek to ease his earthly and emotional burdens, including the disappearance of his espoused bride three years previous.
“His spirit outgrows his body … there is no room for it in this fragile parcel of bones.”
The set up is convoluted and the denouement as satisfying as surprising. The Cadfael stories are best read in order, but if you have a formidable “to read” list, don’t miss this one.
“Happiness … consists in small things, not in great.”
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 fictional. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven in a wondrous tapestry.
My favorite Cadfael story. All the elements familiar to Peters’ readers--death, mystery, and sleuthing set amid a historic civil war, medieval culture, Welsh borderlands, and young love; but Peters mixes the ingredients a little differently this time. Murder mysteries all involve death. Someone dies, but …
“To me he has been all the sons I shall never father.”
Peters investigates what constitutes a life well lived. A man returns from the Crusades, as did Cadfael himself, to retire from the world into the Benedictine order. This noble is also ruined of body. As he fades, those around him seek to ease his earthly and emotional burdens, including the disappearance of his espoused bride three years previous.
“His spirit outgrows his body … there is no room for it in this fragile parcel of bones.”
The set up is convoluted and the denouement as satisfying as surprising. The Cadfael stories are best read in order, but if you have a formidable “to read” list, don’t miss this one.
“Happiness … consists in small things, not in great.”
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 fictional. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven in a wondrous tapestry.
May 27, 2020
3.5 stars
September 6, 2022
Probably my favorite so far! A retired Crusader-turned-monk, who has taken the name, Brother Humilis, arrives at the Shrewsbury Abbey along with a mute companion, Brother Fidelis. Their monastery was destroyed by fire in the war between King Stephen and Empress Maud and they are seeking a new home. Brother Humilis was a minor noble originally from northern Shropshire. Nothing is known of Fidelis but he apparently attached himself to Humilis at their original monastery and devoted himself to providing care for the severely and ultimately fatal injuries Humilis sustained in the Crusades.
In his former life Humilis had been engaged to marry a very young lady, Julian Crace, but after his devastating injuries, which left him impotent, he released her from the engagement. Now he wants to make sure she is safe and well, so Cadfael and Hugh begin to make inquiries. What they learn is alarming: according to her brother, she left home 3 years previously to enter a convent, but when they question the abbess, she has never heard of Julian.
N.B. The “excellent mystery” in the title refers to a line from the marriage service in the Book of Common Prayer: “O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery. . . Look mercifully upon these thy servants.”
In his former life Humilis had been engaged to marry a very young lady, Julian Crace, but after his devastating injuries, which left him impotent, he released her from the engagement. Now he wants to make sure she is safe and well, so Cadfael and Hugh begin to make inquiries. What they learn is alarming: according to her brother, she left home 3 years previously to enter a convent, but when they question the abbess, she has never heard of Julian.
N.B. The “excellent mystery” in the title refers to a line from the marriage service in the Book of Common Prayer: “O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery. . . Look mercifully upon these thy servants.”
May 22, 2022
This is an ‘excellent’ mystery. Not at all what I was expecting, a gentle story, with touching, heartwarming relationships and the nobility of the human spirit at its core. I kept half expecting violence to erupt - the frustrations of to spill over into action. Which they did, but in a milder way than I’d thought. No corpses littering this story, and for that I liked it all the more.
I was a bit annoyed with myself, that the solution to the mystery didn’t occur to me sooner. But I was mostly just enjoying the tale, and the poignant observations of Brother Cadfael as, from time to time, he reflects on the human condition. This, for example:
Only the eyes had kindled to unusual brightness in the excitement of this venture… After all the great endeavours, all the crossing and recrossing of oceans and continents, all the battles and victories and striving, adventure at last was a voyage of a few miles up an English river, to revisit a modest manor in a peaceful English shire.
Happiness, thought Cadfael, watching him, consists in small things, not in great. It is the small things we remember, when time and mortality close in, and by small landmarks we may make our way at last humbly into another world.
A really lovely book. Thanks very much to my GR friend Susan for the recommendation.
I was a bit annoyed with myself, that the solution to the mystery didn’t occur to me sooner. But I was mostly just enjoying the tale, and the poignant observations of Brother Cadfael as, from time to time, he reflects on the human condition. This, for example:
Only the eyes had kindled to unusual brightness in the excitement of this venture… After all the great endeavours, all the crossing and recrossing of oceans and continents, all the battles and victories and striving, adventure at last was a voyage of a few miles up an English river, to revisit a modest manor in a peaceful English shire.
Happiness, thought Cadfael, watching him, consists in small things, not in great. It is the small things we remember, when time and mortality close in, and by small landmarks we may make our way at last humbly into another world.
A really lovely book. Thanks very much to my GR friend Susan for the recommendation.
July 17, 2022
An excellent mystery indeed, though I guessed the central secret fairly early on.
April 4, 2022
Разгадала интригу на середине книги, так что снижу балл! В остальном всё, как всегда прекрасно. К сожалению, это последняя аудиокнига из серии ((((
апдейт: не последняя, ура!
апдейт: не последняя, ура!
November 7, 2016
The eleventh book in the Brother Cadfael series [1], this book is different from much of the series in that it actually does not involve a murder at its heart. To be sure, the context of the book has a lot of death and destruction as a result of fighting around the city of Winchester, fighting that sends a grievously wounded Benedictine monk into the Abbey in Shrewsbury with his mute and devoted companion. Indeed, it is the dying man who prompts so much concern, as a younger fellow wishes to court the young woman the aged and infirm former crusader released from her engagement when he was wounded to such an extent that his death was sure, without hope of fathering children, and it is the fact that she has gone missing, with a trail cold for three years, that spurs this novel, with an elegant and deeply touching solution, that spurs on the plot of this novel.
At its heart, this is a novel about devotion. A longtime servant is devoted to the well-being of a young lady, even if it risks him prison. A young woman devotedly serves her fiance, without his knowing, unwilling to be cast aside even if he cannot perform the duty of a husband. A young novice monk honorably protects an older monk from despair after feeling guilty over an obsessive attraction. A young knight is devoted to the young woman cast off by the dying knight, unwilling to rest until he has found her. Then there is the devotion of the Queen of England to her imprisoned husband, and the loyalty of the sheriff to that same king. All of these loyalties make for a complicated mixture of behavior that threatens the honor and reputation of Cadfael’s beloved Abbey and the Benedictine order as a whole, and it takes all of Cadfael’s discretion to make sure that everyone who knows what is going on has good enough reason to stay silent.
Indeed, silence too is at the heart of this novel, whether that silence is done in order to avoid lying, or avoid causing harm and scandal. I could feel the pain of love all too deeply in this novel, which has a a grace that is truly deeply wounded and broken. Oh, that we could recognize such love in our own lives as this book has, that we could be so noble and risk so much, and be so richly rewarded for our pains. For all too often our hearts are wasted foolishly and we do not receive a good reward for all of our worries and anxieties. Yet here, in the realm of fiction, we can see that everything does turn out alright, and justly, with a kind authorial providence, even in the face of risks as grave as warfare, rape, and the ravages of nature, time, and injury. With so much going on, it is little wonder that this novel strikes so close to home.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
At its heart, this is a novel about devotion. A longtime servant is devoted to the well-being of a young lady, even if it risks him prison. A young woman devotedly serves her fiance, without his knowing, unwilling to be cast aside even if he cannot perform the duty of a husband. A young novice monk honorably protects an older monk from despair after feeling guilty over an obsessive attraction. A young knight is devoted to the young woman cast off by the dying knight, unwilling to rest until he has found her. Then there is the devotion of the Queen of England to her imprisoned husband, and the loyalty of the sheriff to that same king. All of these loyalties make for a complicated mixture of behavior that threatens the honor and reputation of Cadfael’s beloved Abbey and the Benedictine order as a whole, and it takes all of Cadfael’s discretion to make sure that everyone who knows what is going on has good enough reason to stay silent.
Indeed, silence too is at the heart of this novel, whether that silence is done in order to avoid lying, or avoid causing harm and scandal. I could feel the pain of love all too deeply in this novel, which has a a grace that is truly deeply wounded and broken. Oh, that we could recognize such love in our own lives as this book has, that we could be so noble and risk so much, and be so richly rewarded for our pains. For all too often our hearts are wasted foolishly and we do not receive a good reward for all of our worries and anxieties. Yet here, in the realm of fiction, we can see that everything does turn out alright, and justly, with a kind authorial providence, even in the face of risks as grave as warfare, rape, and the ravages of nature, time, and injury. With so much going on, it is little wonder that this novel strikes so close to home.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
February 10, 2019
Peters interesting variation on her usual plot, with refugees from a burned abbey, a formerly military man with a dreadful wound and his young helper, plus an ardent lover-from-afar on a search for a missing woman, and a look at the horrors of war. She takes on all the limitations on English women in Cadfael’s time, stressing ownership, value, etc while showing just how much real women differ from the frail creatures in need of care imagined by men. It’s really quite startling, the contrast between the few women we see in the text and the attitudes of even a Cadfael, usually our modern transplant in the twelfth century.
I’m sure I’ve read this before, I spent so much of the story waiting for the big reveal.
On audio through Hoopla from my public library.
I’m sure I’ve read this before, I spent so much of the story waiting for the big reveal.
On audio through Hoopla from my public library.
November 12, 2010
A pair of monks, refugees from the destruction of their abbey in the fighting and destruction at Winchester, arrive at Shrewsbury, one obviously dying, the other, his devoted companion, mute. A noblewoman, supposedly having taken the veil three years ago, is revealed to be missing and may have been murdered for her wealth. A tormented man, recently joining the abbey, has brought his unhappy past with him. Brother Cadfael must unpick this tangled skein of secrets, devotion, inner conflict and hidden identities.
Brother Cadfael (pronounced Cad-file) has definitely entered the ranks of great fiction detectives alongside Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. But these stories are more than just murder mysteries in medieval drag. Ellis Peters actually lived in Shrewsbury, England, where Cadfael's monastery of St. Peter and Paul can still be visited. Her knowledge of the land and people and history permeates her work and gives her the incredible gift of transporting her reader into the past. You really do feel as though you are in that long-lost world lit only by fire, where it's quiet and green and life moves at a pace most people can be happy in.
Cadfael is a suitably complex man. He's from Wales, but now living in England (though Wales is not very far away). He was once a soldier, but now he's a monk. He's lived a full life, now he wants to be quiet. But he also has a strong sense of right and justice and refuses to compromise on these things, even when it means getting himself in trouble. He's also picked up a lot of knowledge, especially of herbology and medicine and (somehow for the time) logical analysis that stands him in good stead as a solver of mysteries.
Another charming step along the journey of Cadfael!
Brother Cadfael (pronounced Cad-file) has definitely entered the ranks of great fiction detectives alongside Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. But these stories are more than just murder mysteries in medieval drag. Ellis Peters actually lived in Shrewsbury, England, where Cadfael's monastery of St. Peter and Paul can still be visited. Her knowledge of the land and people and history permeates her work and gives her the incredible gift of transporting her reader into the past. You really do feel as though you are in that long-lost world lit only by fire, where it's quiet and green and life moves at a pace most people can be happy in.
Cadfael is a suitably complex man. He's from Wales, but now living in England (though Wales is not very far away). He was once a soldier, but now he's a monk. He's lived a full life, now he wants to be quiet. But he also has a strong sense of right and justice and refuses to compromise on these things, even when it means getting himself in trouble. He's also picked up a lot of knowledge, especially of herbology and medicine and (somehow for the time) logical analysis that stands him in good stead as a solver of mysteries.
Another charming step along the journey of Cadfael!
August 22, 2017
If your idea of an "excellent mystery" is one where the actual enigma isn't even presented until halfway through the book, then this is for you.
If an "excellent mystery" is one in which about a third of the cast seem to know all about it, and spend a lot of the second half of the book giving each other meaningful glances and saying, "Since you know what you know, what will you do?" you'll enjoy it. The people who aren't in the know and should be, are told--off the page.
If you know all about 12th century English history, you won't mind the unessential historico-political detail that fills the first hundred pages or so. Yes, Peters manages to connect the story slightly to those events, but only slightly. She also crams most of the action into the last quarter of the book, which annoys me; I kept reading and reading and reading waiting for something to happen.
I've read other Cadfael mysteries and they seemed better than this one. When the last 50 pages of a novel are actually a "teaser" for the author's next novel, it seems to me even the publisher knows the text needs some help. No wonder the second-hand bookshop wouldn't take them.
If an "excellent mystery" is one in which about a third of the cast seem to know all about it, and spend a lot of the second half of the book giving each other meaningful glances and saying, "Since you know what you know, what will you do?" you'll enjoy it. The people who aren't in the know and should be, are told--off the page.
If you know all about 12th century English history, you won't mind the unessential historico-political detail that fills the first hundred pages or so. Yes, Peters manages to connect the story slightly to those events, but only slightly. She also crams most of the action into the last quarter of the book, which annoys me; I kept reading and reading and reading waiting for something to happen.
I've read other Cadfael mysteries and they seemed better than this one. When the last 50 pages of a novel are actually a "teaser" for the author's next novel, it seems to me even the publisher knows the text needs some help. No wonder the second-hand bookshop wouldn't take them.
March 24, 2015
i am always impressed with Peters' ability to tangle language so it sounds medieval, and i had never thought of how the Normans may have irritated the Saxons just by being there in the decades following 1066, but overall this was a bit of a disappointment. i had solved the mystery half way through which made the rest sort of unexciting. The series is great - this book, only ok.
October 7, 2025
"If I have guessed right, there is here a problem beyond my wit or yours to solve. I promise my endeavour. The ending is not mine, it belongs only to God. But what I can do, I will do.”
As the conflict between the Empress and King Stephen's queen heats up in Winchester, refugees come through Shrewsbury with news of the war. Unfortunately, monks and nuns are not immune to the hostilities and a couple of Benedictine brothers show up seeking refuge. The older one had, like Cadfael, spent his life in the Crusades before joining an abbey a few years previously in Winchester that was burned to the ground. But he hadn't escaped the Crusades as healthy as Cadfael, and is fortunate to have a devoted young helper with him who is mute.
It might be that this is my favorite Cadfael book. Although there is no murder to solve in this one and no star-crossed lovers, there is certainly an "excellent" mystery here. And although I don't think Peters intended it to truly be a mystery to the reader - I figured out parts of it early on - it's presented in such a way that it creates a great deal of tension. I could hardly stop reading and soon became quite worried and anxious as to the fate of the people involved. And Peters weaves several stories into one whole in a very clever way – I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
As the conflict between the Empress and King Stephen's queen heats up in Winchester, refugees come through Shrewsbury with news of the war. Unfortunately, monks and nuns are not immune to the hostilities and a couple of Benedictine brothers show up seeking refuge. The older one had, like Cadfael, spent his life in the Crusades before joining an abbey a few years previously in Winchester that was burned to the ground. But he hadn't escaped the Crusades as healthy as Cadfael, and is fortunate to have a devoted young helper with him who is mute.
It might be that this is my favorite Cadfael book. Although there is no murder to solve in this one and no star-crossed lovers, there is certainly an "excellent" mystery here. And although I don't think Peters intended it to truly be a mystery to the reader - I figured out parts of it early on - it's presented in such a way that it creates a great deal of tension. I could hardly stop reading and soon became quite worried and anxious as to the fate of the people involved. And Peters weaves several stories into one whole in a very clever way – I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
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December 21, 2017Za razliku od većine romana o bratu Kadfaelu, u ovom zapravo ne postoji nikakav zločin a naslovnu misteriju pogodiće na trećoj strani svako ko zna o čemu se radi u Betovenovom "Fideliju" ili je eventualno gledao "Mulan". Pa ipak je ovo simpatična, spora, lagana knjižica za jedno popodne i načinje pomalo ozbiljnije psihološke domete od prosečnog romana o Kadfaelu.
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