What do you think?
Rate this book
Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #15
The Confession of Brother Haluin
Brother Cadfael is witness to a shocking near-death confession and accompanies a fellow Benedictine on a dangerous quest for redemption.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1988
1147 people are currently reading
2054 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
218 books1,129 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
June 19, 2019
One of my reading and reviewing projects this summer is to (hopefully) finally reread and of course also post reviews for my favourite historical mystery series of all time, for Ellis Peters' absolutely brilliant Brother Cadfael novels. And of course, while I definitely was going to originally proceed methodically and start with the very first instalment (with A Morbid Taste of Bones), my plan kind of fell apart this weekend when I started rereading the fifteenth (and one of my personal favourites of the series), The Confession of Brother Haluin. But truth be told, I think beginning (and then also continuing) with my personal favourites of the Brother Cadfael series and thus reading probably quite a goodly number of the novels out of sequence so to speak will probably work out much better and considerably more pleasurably for me, as while I have adored the entire series with every fibre of my reading self ever since I read my first Cadfael novel as a teenager, there are indeed a few select novels of the series that I absolutely love to proverbial pieces and The Confession of Brother Haluin certainly is one of them, even somewhat rising above many of the other series offerings (albeit that I very much and indeed do most fondly treasure the vast majority of the series and have actually also not encountered a Brother Cadfael novel that I have actively despised and found unreadable).
Now why do I love the Brother Cadfael series so very much? Well for one and for me of the most utmost and essential significance is simply that Ellis Peters has (or had, as she died in 1995) a both lyrical and always delightfully realistic sense of both time and place and totally brings the time of the 11th century A.D. British Civil War between Stephen and Mathilda (Maud) to life for me, creating living and breathing characters to which a reader can relate and who also make sense both historically and with regard to general human nature. In other words, even the villains of the Brother Cadfael series are for the most part not total and utterly strange devilish and evil monsters but simply fallible human beings beset with and by frailties and shortcomings, such as in this novel, such as in The Confession of Brother Haluin by abject and unreasonable jealousy (a lovelorn and rather arrogant aristocratic mother not wanting her teenaged daughter to marry a comely young squire whom she desires for herself) and misplaced feudal loyalty (killing not out of malice but because the two assassins wrongfully believe that their Lady, that their overlord's widow might possibly be in danger of having some rather unfortunate dirty laundry publicly aired and gossipingly discussed).
And for two, while of course Ellis Peters has Brother Cadfael sleuthing and solving mysteries, he is still not first and foremost a Mediaeval Sherlock Holmes so to speak, but a dedicated (even if at times questioning) monk and herbalist and yes, his calling as a monk does in my opinion always outrank his mystery solving, which thankfully makes the Brother Cadfael novels (and yes, including just read and reviewed The Confession of Brother Haluin) mainly (to and for me) tales and accounts of Benedictine Monks, of the English/Welsh border town of Shrewsbury during the Civil War between Stephen and Mathilda, of Mediaeval life and culture (with the mysteries always present bien sûr, but in my opinion never overtaking and burying the historical portraiture and the depiction of English and sometimes also Welsh life in the Middle Ages).
Highly recommended for both historical mystery and historical fiction enthusiasts are Ellis Peters' novels of Brother Cadfael (and while they do present themselves as a continuing series, except for a few novels where one should read in sequence, many of the series tomes can actually easily be read as so-called stand-alone novels, and thus, The Confession of Brother Haluin, although it is the fifteenth Brother Cadfael story, really does not need to be read as the fifteenth series novel, can easily and without issue be read in the manner that I have chosen to reread the Confession of Brother Haluin, out of numerical sequence).
Now why do I love the Brother Cadfael series so very much? Well for one and for me of the most utmost and essential significance is simply that Ellis Peters has (or had, as she died in 1995) a both lyrical and always delightfully realistic sense of both time and place and totally brings the time of the 11th century A.D. British Civil War between Stephen and Mathilda (Maud) to life for me, creating living and breathing characters to which a reader can relate and who also make sense both historically and with regard to general human nature. In other words, even the villains of the Brother Cadfael series are for the most part not total and utterly strange devilish and evil monsters but simply fallible human beings beset with and by frailties and shortcomings, such as in this novel, such as in The Confession of Brother Haluin by abject and unreasonable jealousy (a lovelorn and rather arrogant aristocratic mother not wanting her teenaged daughter to marry a comely young squire whom she desires for herself) and misplaced feudal loyalty (killing not out of malice but because the two assassins wrongfully believe that their Lady, that their overlord's widow might possibly be in danger of having some rather unfortunate dirty laundry publicly aired and gossipingly discussed).
And for two, while of course Ellis Peters has Brother Cadfael sleuthing and solving mysteries, he is still not first and foremost a Mediaeval Sherlock Holmes so to speak, but a dedicated (even if at times questioning) monk and herbalist and yes, his calling as a monk does in my opinion always outrank his mystery solving, which thankfully makes the Brother Cadfael novels (and yes, including just read and reviewed The Confession of Brother Haluin) mainly (to and for me) tales and accounts of Benedictine Monks, of the English/Welsh border town of Shrewsbury during the Civil War between Stephen and Mathilda, of Mediaeval life and culture (with the mysteries always present bien sûr, but in my opinion never overtaking and burying the historical portraiture and the depiction of English and sometimes also Welsh life in the Middle Ages).
Highly recommended for both historical mystery and historical fiction enthusiasts are Ellis Peters' novels of Brother Cadfael (and while they do present themselves as a continuing series, except for a few novels where one should read in sequence, many of the series tomes can actually easily be read as so-called stand-alone novels, and thus, The Confession of Brother Haluin, although it is the fifteenth Brother Cadfael story, really does not need to be read as the fifteenth series novel, can easily and without issue be read in the manner that I have chosen to reread the Confession of Brother Haluin, out of numerical sequence).
January 2, 2019
I wish Ellis Peters' chronicles of Brother Cadfael could have been twice the number that we have to enjoy. Her writing is able to convey so much about life in the times of trouble after the Norman conquest of England. Her facility is at one with her extensive knowledge of places, rituals, politics (in its largest sense) and how everyday life influences personalities and decisions.
I hope that you can enjoy these aspects as much as I have. The plot concerns one of Cadfael’s Benedictine brothers, who wishes to clear his conscience and make amends before he dies. The following excerpts should be enough for you determine whether you need to read further.
“…he lay oblivious of the comings and goings of his brethren round his bed, ate nothing, uttered no sound but the hardly perceptible flutter of his breath. Yet that breath, however faint, was steady and even, and as often as drops of honeyed wine were presented to his lips, they were accepted, and the cords of his throat moved of themselves, docilely swallowing, while the broad, chilly brow and closed eyes never by the least quiver or contraction revealed awareness of what his body did. “As if only his body is here,” said Brother Edmund, soberly pondering, “and his spirit gone elsewhere until the house is again furbished and clean and waiting to be lived in.”
"The filigree green gauze of buds along the branches of bush and tree had burst into the tender plumage of young leaves. The moist grass shimmered, and gave off a faint, fragrant steam as the sun reached it. So much beauty, and behind him as he rode lay a great mercy, a just deliverance, and the renewal of hope. And before him a solitary soul to be saved or lost."
"It was not difficult to persuade the helpful guest to abandon his generous intention. Perhaps it had been made only as a courteous gesture. A man’s household affairs are his, and best left to him. It is civil to offer help, but wise to give way gracefully."
"He could not, Cadfael thought, be yet forty years old. The vigor of his movements as he dismounted, the spring of his step on the ground, the very gestures of his hands as he stripped off his gloves, all were young. But the formidable features of his face and the mastery that was manifest all about him, in the efficiency of his management here and the prompt and competent service he expected and got, made him seem older in dominance than he was in years…Not a man to be crossed lightly, but no one here feared him. They approached him cheerfully and spoke with him boldly. His anger, when justified, might be withering, even perilous, but it would be just."
"When she turned to him again he saw her face in full, clear light, and saw as in a dual vision both her imperishable beauty and the dust time had cast upon it, the taut lines of her long throat fallen slack, the grey of ashes in her coiled black hair, the lines that had gathered about mouth and eyes, the net of fine veins marring cheeks which had once been smooth ivory. And she was strong, she would not lightly relinquish her hold of the world and go gently out of it. She would live long, and rage against the relentless assault of old age until death at once defeated and released her."
"This way, Brother!” Her dower dwelling was built into a corner of the curtain wall, sheltered from the prevailing winds, small, but enough for such occasional visits as she chose to make to her son’s court. A narrow hall and chamber, and a kitchen built lean-to against the wall outside. The groom strode in and through the hall with simple authority, as one having privilege here, and entered his mistress’s presence much as a son or brother of hers might have done, trusting and trusted. Adelais de Clary was well served, but without subservience."
"The room was lit by two deep, narrow windows with cushioned seats built into them, and furnished with handsome bench-chests along one wall, a carved table, and one princely chair for the lord’s use. Evidently the lady Emma ran a well-regulated household, for hangings and cushions were of fine embroidery, and the tapestry frame in one corner, with its half-finished web of bright colors, showed that they were of home production."
I hope that you can enjoy these aspects as much as I have. The plot concerns one of Cadfael’s Benedictine brothers, who wishes to clear his conscience and make amends before he dies. The following excerpts should be enough for you determine whether you need to read further.
“…he lay oblivious of the comings and goings of his brethren round his bed, ate nothing, uttered no sound but the hardly perceptible flutter of his breath. Yet that breath, however faint, was steady and even, and as often as drops of honeyed wine were presented to his lips, they were accepted, and the cords of his throat moved of themselves, docilely swallowing, while the broad, chilly brow and closed eyes never by the least quiver or contraction revealed awareness of what his body did. “As if only his body is here,” said Brother Edmund, soberly pondering, “and his spirit gone elsewhere until the house is again furbished and clean and waiting to be lived in.”
"The filigree green gauze of buds along the branches of bush and tree had burst into the tender plumage of young leaves. The moist grass shimmered, and gave off a faint, fragrant steam as the sun reached it. So much beauty, and behind him as he rode lay a great mercy, a just deliverance, and the renewal of hope. And before him a solitary soul to be saved or lost."
"It was not difficult to persuade the helpful guest to abandon his generous intention. Perhaps it had been made only as a courteous gesture. A man’s household affairs are his, and best left to him. It is civil to offer help, but wise to give way gracefully."
"He could not, Cadfael thought, be yet forty years old. The vigor of his movements as he dismounted, the spring of his step on the ground, the very gestures of his hands as he stripped off his gloves, all were young. But the formidable features of his face and the mastery that was manifest all about him, in the efficiency of his management here and the prompt and competent service he expected and got, made him seem older in dominance than he was in years…Not a man to be crossed lightly, but no one here feared him. They approached him cheerfully and spoke with him boldly. His anger, when justified, might be withering, even perilous, but it would be just."
"When she turned to him again he saw her face in full, clear light, and saw as in a dual vision both her imperishable beauty and the dust time had cast upon it, the taut lines of her long throat fallen slack, the grey of ashes in her coiled black hair, the lines that had gathered about mouth and eyes, the net of fine veins marring cheeks which had once been smooth ivory. And she was strong, she would not lightly relinquish her hold of the world and go gently out of it. She would live long, and rage against the relentless assault of old age until death at once defeated and released her."
"This way, Brother!” Her dower dwelling was built into a corner of the curtain wall, sheltered from the prevailing winds, small, but enough for such occasional visits as she chose to make to her son’s court. A narrow hall and chamber, and a kitchen built lean-to against the wall outside. The groom strode in and through the hall with simple authority, as one having privilege here, and entered his mistress’s presence much as a son or brother of hers might have done, trusting and trusted. Adelais de Clary was well served, but without subservience."
"The room was lit by two deep, narrow windows with cushioned seats built into them, and furnished with handsome bench-chests along one wall, a carved table, and one princely chair for the lord’s use. Evidently the lady Emma ran a well-regulated household, for hangings and cushions were of fine embroidery, and the tapestry frame in one corner, with its half-finished web of bright colors, showed that they were of home production."
March 13, 2022
A thoroughly and convincingly enjoyable Brother Cadfael mystery that was mysteriously and criminally never made into a television episode. This one is so unlike most of the other novels in the series. In fact, it is now one of my favorites!
For the most part, it takes place away from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury, and centers around the heretofore unnamed Brother Haluin, a script illuminator, and, of course, our ever-beloved Cadfael. When Haluin is gravely injured from a terrible fall, he pleads with the Abbot and Cadfael to make his confession before he dies. But, by God’s mercy, he does not die, and in fact, recovers, only to discover that he now must live with his exposed sins. And to that end, he wishes to make his penance—a pilgrimage to the grave of a woman he once loved. But at what cost? Confession is good for the soul, they say, but when that confession leads to further misery, perhaps, it would have been best to take his secrets to the grave, especially if his confession brings torment to those whom Haluin pleads forgiveness.
Mysteries and secrets, perhaps best left undiscovered, lead to murder, and happy and not so happy reunions. And, like every other chronicle in the series, Brother Cadfael is at his best, both as a man of wisdom and faith, and as a sleuth. I simply loved this one. Perhaps, it is because I have never read it before. Or perhaps, it was because after fourteen previous chronicles, Ms. Peters has so fleshed out these delightful mysteries with believable characters and plots, they have taken on lives of their own, ones that get under our skin and make us believe they are lost volumes of actual history. The Confession of Brother Haluin finds Ms. Peters at her very best!
For the most part, it takes place away from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury, and centers around the heretofore unnamed Brother Haluin, a script illuminator, and, of course, our ever-beloved Cadfael. When Haluin is gravely injured from a terrible fall, he pleads with the Abbot and Cadfael to make his confession before he dies. But, by God’s mercy, he does not die, and in fact, recovers, only to discover that he now must live with his exposed sins. And to that end, he wishes to make his penance—a pilgrimage to the grave of a woman he once loved. But at what cost? Confession is good for the soul, they say, but when that confession leads to further misery, perhaps, it would have been best to take his secrets to the grave, especially if his confession brings torment to those whom Haluin pleads forgiveness.
Mysteries and secrets, perhaps best left undiscovered, lead to murder, and happy and not so happy reunions. And, like every other chronicle in the series, Brother Cadfael is at his best, both as a man of wisdom and faith, and as a sleuth. I simply loved this one. Perhaps, it is because I have never read it before. Or perhaps, it was because after fourteen previous chronicles, Ms. Peters has so fleshed out these delightful mysteries with believable characters and plots, they have taken on lives of their own, ones that get under our skin and make us believe they are lost volumes of actual history. The Confession of Brother Haluin finds Ms. Peters at her very best!
Read
November 17, 2023Ne znam da li mi se čini ili su ovi romani o bratu Kadfaelu zaista postajali bolji dok je serijal odmicao - u najmanju ruku, likovi su postali nešto složeniji, s naznakama dubine i mraka kojih ranije nije bilo. A možda se samo zavaravam jer je i dalje sve suštinski dobronamerno i simpatično a rasplet, u ovom delu pogotovu, beznadežno optimističan i pun vere u ljudsku prirodu. Zato ih i čitamo :)
Read
January 1, 2019What am I going to do when the series ends? I have immensely enjoyed every single volume and this one is no exception. I will truly feel bereft when I will no longer be able to return to Shrewsbury :(
August 23, 2016
This is a rare Brother Cadfael mystery that I haven't read before or seen on television, with the wonderful Derek Jacobi as Cadfael. It stood out as a new story, which held an element of surprise and though I did guess the central deadly deed (not the murder itself) well before it was revealed, I thoroughly enjoyed the unfolding of the story.
As always, Cadfael is dealing with moral and ethical dilemmas along with solving crimes and Ellis Peters uses her great knowledge of the period to create plot lines and contexts that are quite distinctive.
As always, Cadfael is dealing with moral and ethical dilemmas along with solving crimes and Ellis Peters uses her great knowledge of the period to create plot lines and contexts that are quite distinctive.
May 19, 2019
I continue to enjoy this series by Ellis Peters! I’m already looking for the next one!
November 29, 2019
This was the one book I never got to read - missing from the Brother Cadfael series from my library. I think I put it on hold numerous times without result so I am guessing it is no longer in the possession of the library. Then I forgot. I recently renewed my Kindle Unlimited subscription at a good price and realized with joy that this series is fully available now on Kindle Unlimited. I do own a number of the books but it is so convenient to download as needed when I want some peace in my life.
Edith Pargeter's descriptions of landscape, scenes, characters, world events plus the blanket of religious tenets in the midst of crises is unsurpassed. She was a wonder!
This story takes place in 1142 whilst the standoff between King Stephen and Empress Maud still continued in its fifth year of struggle with the latest on-dit being that Maud managed to escape from Stephen's hold. Rather than politics, the attention of members at the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury soon became a badly leaking roof that needed repair. Though Haluin was working as a scribe, he volunteered for the difficult and dangerous work in the early winter snows and ice. As a result he fell from the roof and was critically injured as the slates crashed down on his feet. Cadfael did help in caring for Haluin and over a long period of time the young man purposed to walk many miles to make atonement for "sins never told."
The unconfessed sin was dealt with by the abbot and permission was granted for Cadfael to accompany Haluin on his journey. The story is a tender one of lost love and Cadfael will show himself to be a wise analyst and superior mediator.
Kindle Unlimited
Edith Pargeter's descriptions of landscape, scenes, characters, world events plus the blanket of religious tenets in the midst of crises is unsurpassed. She was a wonder!
This story takes place in 1142 whilst the standoff between King Stephen and Empress Maud still continued in its fifth year of struggle with the latest on-dit being that Maud managed to escape from Stephen's hold. Rather than politics, the attention of members at the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury soon became a badly leaking roof that needed repair. Though Haluin was working as a scribe, he volunteered for the difficult and dangerous work in the early winter snows and ice. As a result he fell from the roof and was critically injured as the slates crashed down on his feet. Cadfael did help in caring for Haluin and over a long period of time the young man purposed to walk many miles to make atonement for "sins never told."
The unconfessed sin was dealt with by the abbot and permission was granted for Cadfael to accompany Haluin on his journey. The story is a tender one of lost love and Cadfael will show himself to be a wise analyst and superior mediator.
Kindle Unlimited
September 7, 2020
3 solid stars.
Brother Cadfael accompanies Brother Haluin as Br. Haluin makes a very personal pilgrimage. The author does a good job of delving into the medieval mindset in trying to make Haluin's motivation (and stubbornness) understandable to the modern reader. I do know that I found Brother H to be a rather one-note character and that I admired Cadfael for not losing patience with him.
The first half of the book is very, well, almost boring. The pilgrimage is complete; Cadfael and Haluin are on the way back to Shrewsbury. Ho hum. However, there's still half a book to go--whatever could the author have planned for our travelers?
The second half is not boring at all! Astute readers will likely figure out the long buried secrets before all is revealed. The conclusion is very satisfactory; we reach the true end of Haluin's pilgrimage on a note of grace and benediction.
I doubt this will become a favorite, as I had a hard time with Haluin. However, Cadfael was, as ever, simply wonderful.
Brother Cadfael accompanies Brother Haluin as Br. Haluin makes a very personal pilgrimage. The author does a good job of delving into the medieval mindset in trying to make Haluin's motivation (and stubbornness) understandable to the modern reader. I do know that I found Brother H to be a rather one-note character and that I admired Cadfael for not losing patience with him.
The first half of the book is very, well, almost boring. The pilgrimage is complete; Cadfael and Haluin are on the way back to Shrewsbury. Ho hum. However, there's still half a book to go--whatever could the author have planned for our travelers?
The second half is not boring at all! Astute readers will likely figure out the long buried secrets before all is revealed. The conclusion is very satisfactory; we reach the true end of Haluin's pilgrimage on a note of grace and benediction.
I doubt this will become a favorite, as I had a hard time with Haluin. However, Cadfael was, as ever, simply wonderful.
October 23, 2024
“There are some born to do penance by nature. Maybe they lift the load for some of us who take it quite comfortably that we’re mankind, and not angels.”
Another yawner, though it has a pleasing denouement. For a change there’s no love-at-first-seeing young lovers. Love and marriage and power were handled differently then. The murder mystery is secondary to the hidden sin rotting inner life decades later. The coverup is often worse than the initial failing.
“It was too late to exact penance from a dying man, and deathbed comfort cannot be priced, only given freely.”
Pargeter explores the nature of repentance and penance. We moderns are quick to apologize because we don’t mean it; we’re sorry we got caught or were inconvenienced. Medieval society had a different attitude toward sin and repentance. Very different.
“Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.”
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 in a wondrous tapestry.
Another yawner, though it has a pleasing denouement. For a change there’s no love-at-first-seeing young lovers. Love and marriage and power were handled differently then. The murder mystery is secondary to the hidden sin rotting inner life decades later. The coverup is often worse than the initial failing.
“It was too late to exact penance from a dying man, and deathbed comfort cannot be priced, only given freely.”
Pargeter explores the nature of repentance and penance. We moderns are quick to apologize because we don’t mean it; we’re sorry we got caught or were inconvenienced. Medieval society had a different attitude toward sin and repentance. Very different.
“Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.”
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 in a wondrous tapestry.
January 18, 2016
A chance snowfall causes a crisis for the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Soon the brothers are taking turns clearing the snowfall and fixing broken slates. All goes well except for one brother, Brother Haluin. Seemingly on deaths door, the brother makes a confession that is heard and absolved but not for the man, who recovers although broken in body. For Haluin, the absolution given while at death's door is not good without him doing penance and its during his penance that long-held secrets threaten families and sets in motion a murder. Its up to Cadfael to not so much solve the murder but to bring 18 years of secrets to light, setting others free to make decisions for the future.
July 18, 2017
As usual Ellis Peters is able to effortlessly transport you to medieval Britain. This is less of a murder mystery and more of a romance and drama, but it is no less effective for that. I love Brother Cadfael - he is so compassionate and inquisitive, the sort of man you'd want to be your father or uncle, to turn to in your time of need. It's a very comforting read, as all Cadfaels have been so far, for me.
I also loved the premise: Brother Haluin, a mysteriously hard-working and penitent monk, has a terrible accident, and wakes up demanding a confession before he passes away. Thus he reveals the terrible secret of his past life. But when instead of dying he survives, he has to face the consequences of his actions, which leads to the unravelling of a complicated family saga.
I also loved the premise: Brother Haluin, a mysteriously hard-working and penitent monk, has a terrible accident, and wakes up demanding a confession before he passes away. Thus he reveals the terrible secret of his past life. But when instead of dying he survives, he has to face the consequences of his actions, which leads to the unravelling of a complicated family saga.
August 11, 2023
Not much of a crime or its solving in it, but more stories of love and other relationships. Well written though.
January 22, 2019
It is cold – currently 5 degrees and dropping. Under such conditions, I need to read something that keeps me warm and satisfied. Cadfael and The Confession of Brother Haluin fit the bill.
Brother Cadfael is a Welsh monk in 12th century England (while King Stephen and Empress Maud are squabbling). He is late to his vocation, widely traveled during the Crusades, thus understands the world in ways that other monks (and non-monks) may not.
In addition, he sees. And listens.
“I had not one word to speak,” said Cadfael. “But I heard many words. And even the silences between them were not altogether inarticulate.”
Cadfael mysteries are often slow (in a good way): life isn't a quick bound from one catastrophe to another. Confession is no different. On his deathbed, Haluin confesses to something he has attempted to atone for since before entering the monastery, then has the opportunity – against all odds – to attempt to make it right. Atonement can be a problem.
But what must the mother’s despair and guilt have been then, and what bitter memories must remain even now, beneath the ashes of eighteen years? Better, surely, to let them lie buried still. But Haluin’s self-torturing conscience and salvation-hungry soul had their rights, too.
This is a mystery, so there is a murder here, but it happens about half-way through the book. This murder is not a big deal, as it is quickly resolved on the way to resolving the central mystery – which you probably will solve long before the end. It doesn't matter, as it is Brother Cadfael.
And to top things, there's a Snow White retelling tucked into the book.
The confession, atonement, and righting of old wrongs are slow processes, but as always in Ellis Peters' mysteries, well written and described.
Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.
Brother Cadfael is a Welsh monk in 12th century England (while King Stephen and Empress Maud are squabbling). He is late to his vocation, widely traveled during the Crusades, thus understands the world in ways that other monks (and non-monks) may not.
In addition, he sees. And listens.
“I had not one word to speak,” said Cadfael. “But I heard many words. And even the silences between them were not altogether inarticulate.”
Cadfael mysteries are often slow (in a good way): life isn't a quick bound from one catastrophe to another. Confession is no different. On his deathbed, Haluin confesses to something he has attempted to atone for since before entering the monastery, then has the opportunity – against all odds – to attempt to make it right. Atonement can be a problem.
But what must the mother’s despair and guilt have been then, and what bitter memories must remain even now, beneath the ashes of eighteen years? Better, surely, to let them lie buried still. But Haluin’s self-torturing conscience and salvation-hungry soul had their rights, too.
This is a mystery, so there is a murder here, but it happens about half-way through the book. This murder is not a big deal, as it is quickly resolved on the way to resolving the central mystery – which you probably will solve long before the end. It doesn't matter, as it is Brother Cadfael.
And to top things, there's a Snow White retelling tucked into the book.
The confession, atonement, and righting of old wrongs are slow processes, but as always in Ellis Peters' mysteries, well written and described.
Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.
March 28, 2013
Clearly, it was a mistake to try to read all of the Cadfael Chronicles in relatively short order. I was less than a quarter through this entry when I realized that I'd already figured out exactly how the rest of the book was going to go. By the time I was a third of the way through, I was annoyed at the leisurely pace. At the halfway point, I'd had enough. I read the last sentence of the four or five remaining chapters and called it quits -- I'd been exactly right.
I don't know if the author was running out of steam by this point in the series (she was quite elderly) or if she'd just exhausted her bag of tricks or if she needed a break. I certainly do. I've got the next volume on order and I will read it -- a collection of three shorter stories detailing Cadfael's earliest days in Shrewsbury -- but then I'm going to stop, at least for a while. It seems to me that this otherwise excellent series suffers from the same malady as the Navajo mysteries by Tony Hillerman which I've read previously -- an aging author who's actually lost interest cranking them out to benefit... retirement fund? heirs? publishing house? In the Cadfael Chronicles this is exacerbated by a number of tropes to which Peters returns again and again and which I already found less than pleasing.
Ah, well...
I don't know if the author was running out of steam by this point in the series (she was quite elderly) or if she'd just exhausted her bag of tricks or if she needed a break. I certainly do. I've got the next volume on order and I will read it -- a collection of three shorter stories detailing Cadfael's earliest days in Shrewsbury -- but then I'm going to stop, at least for a while. It seems to me that this otherwise excellent series suffers from the same malady as the Navajo mysteries by Tony Hillerman which I've read previously -- an aging author who's actually lost interest cranking them out to benefit... retirement fund? heirs? publishing house? In the Cadfael Chronicles this is exacerbated by a number of tropes to which Peters returns again and again and which I already found less than pleasing.
Ah, well...
December 14, 2024
Though I read this back in 2005, I recently re-read it so as to continue my pilgrimage through the Cadfael novels in order. I enjoyed it even more this time around.
This time Cadfael leaves Wales behind and heads East toward Hales and Elford in the company of a lame Benedictine Brother Haluin. Together they hobble (literally as well as figuratively) through a decades old mystery only to encounter the book's only murder well toward the end. While the exact identity of that killer is never unmasked, the mystery that engenders it is finally resolved leaving the reader with a satisfying journey through mid 12th century England and warm feeling for the comfort and security the people of that time had for an all-knowing and benevolent God.
This is a wonderful addition to the Cadfael Saga and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction with just a leavening of mystery thrown in.
This time Cadfael leaves Wales behind and heads East toward Hales and Elford in the company of a lame Benedictine Brother Haluin. Together they hobble (literally as well as figuratively) through a decades old mystery only to encounter the book's only murder well toward the end. While the exact identity of that killer is never unmasked, the mystery that engenders it is finally resolved leaving the reader with a satisfying journey through mid 12th century England and warm feeling for the comfort and security the people of that time had for an all-knowing and benevolent God.
This is a wonderful addition to the Cadfael Saga and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction with just a leavening of mystery thrown in.
September 30, 2022
Another favorite in the series. One of the younger monks has a disastrous fall while repairing the roof and nearly dies. While close to death, he makes his confession and confesses that he had once been in love, that she had got pregnant but her family rejected him as a husband. Heartbroken, he joined the Abbey at Shrewsbury. A few months later, Bertrade’s mother came and coerced him into giving her herbs to cause the girl to miscarry. Later, he got word that both the child and mother died.
Miraculously he recovers, although one foot will forever be severely impaired. He is determined to make penance and vows to walk to Bertrade’s grave and spend a night praying for her soul. This simple-seeming act has far-reaching consequences including murder.
Miraculously he recovers, although one foot will forever be severely impaired. He is determined to make penance and vows to walk to Bertrade’s grave and spend a night praying for her soul. This simple-seeming act has far-reaching consequences including murder.
October 3, 2019
Dicembre 1142, Abbazia dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, a Shrewsbury, Inghilterra.
Durante la notte ha nevicato molto. Una imponente massa di neve grava sul tetto della foresteria. I monaci si adoperano per rimuoverla, prima che la struttura ceda. ad un tratto, il giovane Fratello Haluin, afflitto da un terribile segreto, cade dal tetto ...
Sarà l’ambientazione medievale in una nevosa e fredda Inghilterra meridionale, ad un passo dal Galles, saranno le centoottanta paginette, sarà perché questo monaco erborista è stato prima crociato, amante, soldato, ma la lettura delle avventure di questo intrigante Cadfael/Holmes costituisce ogni volta una piacevolissima esperienza.
Durante la notte ha nevicato molto. Una imponente massa di neve grava sul tetto della foresteria. I monaci si adoperano per rimuoverla, prima che la struttura ceda. ad un tratto, il giovane Fratello Haluin, afflitto da un terribile segreto, cade dal tetto ...
Sarà l’ambientazione medievale in una nevosa e fredda Inghilterra meridionale, ad un passo dal Galles, saranno le centoottanta paginette, sarà perché questo monaco erborista è stato prima crociato, amante, soldato, ma la lettura delle avventure di questo intrigante Cadfael/Holmes costituisce ogni volta una piacevolissima esperienza.
April 5, 2021
Decent entry in the series. Its a bit slower than the others, and the mystery is extremely obvious and simple to work out, but it has a nice ending and there are some good ethical discussions.
July 11, 2022
Разгадала интригу на середине, плюс действие происходит на выезде, где недостаёт шрусберийского уюта.
July 24, 2024
Are there any of you unfamiliar with the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael? For some time, there was a TV series based on them, with the main character played by Derek Jacobi. He made a perfect medieval monk, whose skill with herbs and potions, and whose close attention to detail also made him a perfect medieval detective.
I've read the entire series of twenty books several times, but was unaware until recently that there are also at least four prequels. Brother Cadfael is in his sixties and has come late to the monastic life, having been abroad in the world for 40 years, including serving as a soldier in the crusades, before taking the cowl. His knowledge of the world causes him to occasionally chafe under the strict rule of the Benedictines, but he is able to draw apart into his own little hut, the herbarium, and the surrounding herb garden, which restores his equilibrium.
During a period of heavy winter snow, the roof of the abbey begins to leak. Each of the monks who is able is required to take a turn on the roof repairs - the snow is heavy, it is extremely cold, and the broken slates are slick and dangerous. When Brother Haluin takes his turn, he accidentally overreaches, which causes an avalanche of snow to fall, with him at the bottom of it, and the heavy slate roof tiles slide down after him, slicing his feet to ribbons. He is grievously injured, and everyone expects him to die. When he briefly regains consciousness, he indicates that he has a deathbed confession to make.
Following his confession, he surprises them all by recovering slowly, although his feet remain maimed. But he is still troubled by an event in his past, and asks leave to make the treacherous journey to the scene of his transgression to see whether he can make any amends for his part. He is not the only one surprised by the outcome of his journey.
I've read the entire series of twenty books several times, but was unaware until recently that there are also at least four prequels. Brother Cadfael is in his sixties and has come late to the monastic life, having been abroad in the world for 40 years, including serving as a soldier in the crusades, before taking the cowl. His knowledge of the world causes him to occasionally chafe under the strict rule of the Benedictines, but he is able to draw apart into his own little hut, the herbarium, and the surrounding herb garden, which restores his equilibrium.
During a period of heavy winter snow, the roof of the abbey begins to leak. Each of the monks who is able is required to take a turn on the roof repairs - the snow is heavy, it is extremely cold, and the broken slates are slick and dangerous. When Brother Haluin takes his turn, he accidentally overreaches, which causes an avalanche of snow to fall, with him at the bottom of it, and the heavy slate roof tiles slide down after him, slicing his feet to ribbons. He is grievously injured, and everyone expects him to die. When he briefly regains consciousness, he indicates that he has a deathbed confession to make.
Following his confession, he surprises them all by recovering slowly, although his feet remain maimed. But he is still troubled by an event in his past, and asks leave to make the treacherous journey to the scene of his transgression to see whether he can make any amends for his part. He is not the only one surprised by the outcome of his journey.
November 1, 2014
Brother Haluin was awfully self-centered and carries around a lot of "It's all about ME and how I feel!" guilt. Things blow up when he makes his deathbed confession but then...doesn't die.
I didn't care for this story much because Haluin should have been reined in much more by Abbot Radolfus ("You just fell off a roof and now you want to go walk on your broken feet on a journey to the grave of some woman who's been dead 18 years?"). Also, Brother Cadfael feels oddly shunted into the story; you even get the feeling at the beginning of the book that HE doesn't want to go on this journey with Haluin. He doesn't even do a lot of detecting either; things just fall into their laps by coincidence.
Ah well. They can't all be great.
(Originally posted over at my blog, www.koenix.org)
I didn't care for this story much because Haluin should have been reined in much more by Abbot Radolfus ("You just fell off a roof and now you want to go walk on your broken feet on a journey to the grave of some woman who's been dead 18 years?"). Also, Brother Cadfael feels oddly shunted into the story; you even get the feeling at the beginning of the book that HE doesn't want to go on this journey with Haluin. He doesn't even do a lot of detecting either; things just fall into their laps by coincidence.
Ah well. They can't all be great.
(Originally posted over at my blog, www.koenix.org)
November 15, 2017
It is always a great pleasure to escape to 12th Century England to revisit Brother Cadfael and his fellow residents of Shrewsbury's Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul and its environs. Ellis Peters had the most beautiful way with words and was able to paint a picture of the time and events which allows the reader to be transported back in time. This is at least my third time journeying through the whole series, if not the fourth, and it is never any less of a joy to read each book. I only wish she had lived longer to have been able to give us more stories.
June 9, 2020
Another Cadfael story I had almost completely forgotten. But a very pleasant re-discovery.
It takes place mostly away from Shrewsbury.
Interesting new characters, star-crossed lovers, a not-so-difficult-to-guess solution to a central conflict, deceit, sufferings and reconciliation, this one has it all. Oh yes, there is a murder, too, but not exactly centre-stage.
In the end, everything is confessed and neatly tidied up.
(My heart broke for poor newly crippled Brother Haluin!)
It takes place mostly away from Shrewsbury.
Interesting new characters, star-crossed lovers, a not-so-difficult-to-guess solution to a central conflict, deceit, sufferings and reconciliation, this one has it all. Oh yes, there is a murder, too, but not exactly centre-stage.
In the end, everything is confessed and neatly tidied up.
(My heart broke for poor newly crippled Brother Haluin!)
June 6, 2015
I like the Brother Cadfael books, with their fascinating peek into medieval times, herbal knowledge, and the awareness that people don't change, only time and circumstances do. This one is the story about utter selfishness and its power to create havoc in more than one life. Brother Cadfael is his usual sensible compassionate self.
December 26, 2023
This 15th in the Brother Cadfael historical mystery series concerns a young fellow brother named Haluin who , when seriously injured, makes a confession that results in his taking a journey to atone for a sin he committed before he entered the monastery. As this sin also involved Cadfael, he is enlisted to accompany Haluin on his journey of atonement, a journey that ends up with Cadfael involved in a complex social mystery. The social mystery involves romance, treachery, jealousy, abortion, incestual feelings, elaborate deceit and eventually a murder. Except for the beginning section, all the events take place a fair distance from the monastery and surrounding area.
Peters deftly handles all the components of this social mystery which turned out to be more interesting than a run-of-the-mill murder mystery. I enjoyed the insights into the time period’s societal and familial structures. As a result, this is a very good Cadfael even though it lacked some of the continuing thematic aspects that I read the Cadfaels for. The story has no development in Cadfael’s personal interactions with Hugh, his son, his fellow brothers and other local citizens that make progressing through the series so enjoyable. Despite the absence of these, the social mystery was such a satisfying one that it made this one of the better Cadfaels. The story left me with a wistful melancholy feeling at the end. I rate it as a 4+ Cadfael.
Peters deftly handles all the components of this social mystery which turned out to be more interesting than a run-of-the-mill murder mystery. I enjoyed the insights into the time period’s societal and familial structures. As a result, this is a very good Cadfael even though it lacked some of the continuing thematic aspects that I read the Cadfaels for. The story has no development in Cadfael’s personal interactions with Hugh, his son, his fellow brothers and other local citizens that make progressing through the series so enjoyable. Despite the absence of these, the social mystery was such a satisfying one that it made this one of the better Cadfaels. The story left me with a wistful melancholy feeling at the end. I rate it as a 4+ Cadfael.
December 9, 2024
The one in which Brother Cadfael unintentionally stumbles into a soap opera. Forbidden loves, faked deaths, actual murders, boys in love with their aunts, and a MILF who single-handedly ruins at least three people’s lives — consigning two the the cloister and one to their death — all because she thought her daughters boyfriend was smoking hawt.
The twist is obvious from the start, making the middle section of the book arduous, but when the shoe does drop, it is more bizarre and shocking that I could have imagined.
As Cadfael wanders beyond the walls of Shrewsbury, we leave its entertaining cast of characters — the affable Brother Mark, the snitching Brother Jerome, along with the rest — for an unbearably morose Brother Haluin. Instead of the banter between Cadfael and his cop-twink-boyfriend (Hugh Baringar), which typically colors the pages, we have Haluin who exclusively whines about the time he accidentally killed his pregnant girlfriend with an abortive herb (whoops). Get over it my guy!
The reveal here is truly wild, but everything else feels skippable.
The twist is obvious from the start, making the middle section of the book arduous, but when the shoe does drop, it is more bizarre and shocking that I could have imagined.
As Cadfael wanders beyond the walls of Shrewsbury, we leave its entertaining cast of characters — the affable Brother Mark, the snitching Brother Jerome, along with the rest — for an unbearably morose Brother Haluin. Instead of the banter between Cadfael and his cop-twink-boyfriend (Hugh Baringar), which typically colors the pages, we have Haluin who exclusively whines about the time he accidentally killed his pregnant girlfriend with an abortive herb (whoops). Get over it my guy!
The reveal here is truly wild, but everything else feels skippable.
January 12, 2020
Engaging, but predictable.
July 14, 2023
This entry in the series takes place outside the abbey and is a bit different for that reason. No plot surprises but wonderful characters.
April 20, 2017
"'Confession ...' said the whisper from the threshold of life and death"
The fifteenth installment in the Brother Cadfael series was one of the best yet, combining elegant history, beautiful scenery, with Peters' gift for exceptionally well-crafted characters. The opening is a bleak 12th-century winter: "The December snows, did more than disrupt the lives of country people, starve some isolated hamlets; they over turned the fortunes of war and made sport pf the preoccupations of princes." In a desperate attempt to save the guest-house roof before the heavy snowfall destroys the building, one of the monks falls in an avalanche of slate and sleet. "they went to work on him as one who could and must live, even against their own virtual certainties that he could not." After several weeks of coma, Brother Haluin is still breathing. "The surface cuts and wounds had healed over, but what had happened to the labyrinth of small bones within could never be put right." He will be crippled for life, but he will live.
After making a shocking confession under the belief that he would die - that a herbal contraceptive he had made killed his lover and unborn child - Haluin resolves to take a pilgrimage to the lady's grave. Cadfael thinks he should get on with his work. "Cadfael was not of the opinion that a man's business in this world was to save his own soul." But as the monastry's medic, he gets sent along anyway. "'if there's a hair shirt anywhere within reach, Haluin will claim it and wear it.'" "'In God's name, man, must you use yourself so hardly when you already have enough for any sane man to carry?"
Their journey brings them beyond the border of Shropshire, into shires still wasted by the Norman invasion. Embittered at the manor of Hales, they meet the sinister widow who refused Haliun's suit to marry her daughter and conspired in the contraceptive plot. "resolutely she cherished and conserved what had once been great beauty, from which nothing must be allowed to detract." But there is more than motherly grief behind her conduct. "eighteen years of silence, of pitilessly contained hate and love." Soon, Cadfael and Haluin are drawn into a conflict over the unconsented marriage of Helisende, a young noblewoman who looks suspiciously like Haluin ... When maidservant Edgytha is murdered in an effort to stop the wedding, there's no way Cadfael can leave things be and go back to Shrewsbury. With the unexpected help of some Benedictine nuns, he begins to believe that Haluin's lost love and child may not be a world away after all ... "'I shall never see her again,' said Haluin, to God, to himself, and the gathering dusk. And it was hard to say whether he spoke in relief or regret."
The character development in this particular novel is detailed, empathic, and twisting for such a short novel. I really like the way Peters writes revellation arcs for mature characters, a gentle softening of the harsh dogmas formed in inexperienced youth. I am excited to see what Cadfael's final adventures will be as the first English civil war draws to a close.
"If I have meddled, Cadfael thought devoutly, and God knows I have, at least I have meddled only as a fellow sinner, not as a viscount of heaven, stooping to raise up."
The fifteenth installment in the Brother Cadfael series was one of the best yet, combining elegant history, beautiful scenery, with Peters' gift for exceptionally well-crafted characters. The opening is a bleak 12th-century winter: "The December snows, did more than disrupt the lives of country people, starve some isolated hamlets; they over turned the fortunes of war and made sport pf the preoccupations of princes." In a desperate attempt to save the guest-house roof before the heavy snowfall destroys the building, one of the monks falls in an avalanche of slate and sleet. "they went to work on him as one who could and must live, even against their own virtual certainties that he could not." After several weeks of coma, Brother Haluin is still breathing. "The surface cuts and wounds had healed over, but what had happened to the labyrinth of small bones within could never be put right." He will be crippled for life, but he will live.
After making a shocking confession under the belief that he would die - that a herbal contraceptive he had made killed his lover and unborn child - Haluin resolves to take a pilgrimage to the lady's grave. Cadfael thinks he should get on with his work. "Cadfael was not of the opinion that a man's business in this world was to save his own soul." But as the monastry's medic, he gets sent along anyway. "'if there's a hair shirt anywhere within reach, Haluin will claim it and wear it.'" "'In God's name, man, must you use yourself so hardly when you already have enough for any sane man to carry?"
Their journey brings them beyond the border of Shropshire, into shires still wasted by the Norman invasion. Embittered at the manor of Hales, they meet the sinister widow who refused Haliun's suit to marry her daughter and conspired in the contraceptive plot. "resolutely she cherished and conserved what had once been great beauty, from which nothing must be allowed to detract." But there is more than motherly grief behind her conduct. "eighteen years of silence, of pitilessly contained hate and love." Soon, Cadfael and Haluin are drawn into a conflict over the unconsented marriage of Helisende, a young noblewoman who looks suspiciously like Haluin ... When maidservant Edgytha is murdered in an effort to stop the wedding, there's no way Cadfael can leave things be and go back to Shrewsbury. With the unexpected help of some Benedictine nuns, he begins to believe that Haluin's lost love and child may not be a world away after all ... "'I shall never see her again,' said Haluin, to God, to himself, and the gathering dusk. And it was hard to say whether he spoke in relief or regret."
The character development in this particular novel is detailed, empathic, and twisting for such a short novel. I really like the way Peters writes revellation arcs for mature characters, a gentle softening of the harsh dogmas formed in inexperienced youth. I am excited to see what Cadfael's final adventures will be as the first English civil war draws to a close.
"If I have meddled, Cadfael thought devoutly, and God knows I have, at least I have meddled only as a fellow sinner, not as a viscount of heaven, stooping to raise up."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews