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Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #9
Cadfael09 Dead Man's Ransom A
Philip Madoc stars as Brother Cadfael in a series of BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatizations by Bert Coules that teem with twelfth-century suspense
The year is 1141 and civil war continues to rage. When the sheriff of Shropshire is taken prisoner, arrangements are made to exchange him for Elis, a young Welshman. But when the sheriff is brought to the abbey, he is murdered. Suspicion falls on Elis, who has fallen in love with the sheriff s daughter. With nothing but his honor to protect him, Elis appeals to Brother Cadfael for help. And Brother Cadfael gives it, not knowing that the truth will be a trial for his own soul.
The year is 1141 and civil war continues to rage. When the sheriff of Shropshire is taken prisoner, arrangements are made to exchange him for Elis, a young Welshman. But when the sheriff is brought to the abbey, he is murdered. Suspicion falls on Elis, who has fallen in love with the sheriff s daughter. With nothing but his honor to protect him, Elis appeals to Brother Cadfael for help. And Brother Cadfael gives it, not knowing that the truth will be a trial for his own soul.
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First published April 1, 1984
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About the author
Ellis Peters
215 books1,130 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 411 reviews
March 11, 2024
3 stars
short review for busy readers: A decent Brother Cadfael. The mystery is fine with some good detecting from Brother C. Lots of action in this one, as well as lots of English-Welsh cross-border communications and a treatise on Welsh vs English criminal law in the 12 century.
in detail:
It's nice to watch the Sheriff of Shrewsbury interacting with the Welsh leader Owain Cadwaladr and Cadfael stepping forth to bear witness at a Welsh council. But the starry-eyed, weepy teenager Romeo & Juliet plot line is rather eye-rolling.
I've read Brother Cadfaels in several languages that have not tried overly hard to recreate the complex, semi-medieval tone of the original.
The Swedish translation I read this in does, though, and it severely challenged my upper intermediate B2 Swedish not only with the historical words - I now know know the word "leper" in Swedish! - but also with making sense of the elaborate and often poetic descriptions. This made the read a true slog and I had to force myself to finish. Rather above my pay grade, friends.
Read in Swedish for the Foreign Language Reading Challenge 2024
short review for busy readers: A decent Brother Cadfael. The mystery is fine with some good detecting from Brother C. Lots of action in this one, as well as lots of English-Welsh cross-border communications and a treatise on Welsh vs English criminal law in the 12 century.
in detail:
It's nice to watch the Sheriff of Shrewsbury interacting with the Welsh leader Owain Cadwaladr and Cadfael stepping forth to bear witness at a Welsh council. But the starry-eyed, weepy teenager Romeo & Juliet plot line is rather eye-rolling.
I've read Brother Cadfaels in several languages that have not tried overly hard to recreate the complex, semi-medieval tone of the original.
The Swedish translation I read this in does, though, and it severely challenged my upper intermediate B2 Swedish not only with the historical words - I now know know the word "leper" in Swedish! - but also with making sense of the elaborate and often poetic descriptions. This made the read a true slog and I had to force myself to finish. Rather above my pay grade, friends.
Read in Swedish for the Foreign Language Reading Challenge 2024
May 25, 2023
I love this series and I'm so impressed with Ellis Peters' excellent idea of making Brother Cadfael a Welshman housed in the English monastery at Shrewsbury. A man with a foot in both the Welsh and English worlds and the authority of the Church to aid him in his endeavors. She made these choices in the very first book and they continue to yield results.
Of course there are some repeated elements. One of the most common is the separation of a young couple by suspicion of wrong doing, something that features in this novel. Peters manages to complicate this plot however with two young couples who love against their parents' arrangements for them.
We also lose a well known character. Since it is stated in the description on the back cover, I feel it is no spoiler to say that Sheriff Prescote is captured, wounded, ransomed from his captors, and returned home, only to be murdered when he is unable to defend himself. Described as a just man, though sometimes harsh, he will be difficult to replace.
Of course there are some repeated elements. One of the most common is the separation of a young couple by suspicion of wrong doing, something that features in this novel. Peters manages to complicate this plot however with two young couples who love against their parents' arrangements for them.
We also lose a well known character. Since it is stated in the description on the back cover, I feel it is no spoiler to say that Sheriff Prescote is captured, wounded, ransomed from his captors, and returned home, only to be murdered when he is unable to defend himself. Described as a just man, though sometimes harsh, he will be difficult to replace.
November 19, 2019
The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 9 - This book follows directly upon The Devil’s Novice. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In this ninth episode Peters chooses to delve deeply into the context of conflicts within which the Shrewsbury (Shropshire) Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul finds itself. This includes the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud, and the border wars between the English and the Welsh."Shropshire stood nearer to the fighting now than it had been for three years, being neighbour to an earl of Chester elated by success and greedy for still more lands. Every one of Hugh’s depleted garrisons stood to arms, ready to defend its threatened security."
Peters does not linger over the battles but she gives us a sense of the politics and strategy then employed: "Robert had all the disinherited, Maud’s liegemen who had lost lands eastward for her sake, drawn up in the first line, horsed, with nothing to lose and all to gain, and vengeance the first of all. And our knights had every man his all to lose and nothing to gain, and felt themselves far from their homes and lands, and aching to get back and strengthen their own fences. And there were these hordes of Welsh, hungry for plunder, and their own goods and gear safe as sanctuary in the west, with no man threatening."
Shropshire has stood for Stephen but in a recent battle, Stephen is captured and later so is Shropshire’s Sheriff Prestcote. Where the sheriff is held and, if he is alive, what ransom will buy his release are key questions in the early going. Cadfael is just an observer until his unique gifts are recognized: "”You’re Welsh, and have your habit for a coat of mail, and once across the border you have kin everywhere. I reckon you a far better hazard than any battle party. With a small escort, in case of masterless men, and your Welsh tongue and net of kindred to tackle any regular company that crosses you. What do you say?” “I should be ashamed, as a Welshman,” said Cadfael comfortably, “if I could not recite my pedigree back sixteen degrees, and some of my kin are here across the border of this shire, a fair enough start towards Gwynedd.”"
Local politics is in play as well: "The provost and guildsmen of the town, in general, were well pleased. Prestcote was a man who did not encourage close friendships, but Shrewsbury had found him a just and well-intentioned officer of the crown, if heavy-handed at times, and was well aware that it might have fared very much worse. Not everyone, however, felt the same simple pleasure. Even just men make enemies."
Without spoiling the plot, there is a scene where two young people “meet portentously:” “Sir,” she said, having marked the broken rhythm of his walk, “I fear you are hurt.” She saw the quiver that passed through him from head to foot as he breathed again. “No,” he said, hesitant as a man in a dream, “no, never till now. Now I am wounded to death.” “I think,” she said, shaken and timorous, “you do not yet know me…” “I do know you,” he said. “You are Melicent. It is your father I must buy back for you—at a price…” At a price, at a disastrous price, at the price of tearing asunder this marriage of eyes that drew them closer until they touched hands, and were lost."
Another well-done effort with the plot and mystery, perhaps, secondary to the historical context. Peters, again, has given us such informed descriptions of people, places, and conventional life that I find this aspect gains my full attention. >> Some examples follow <<
"Cadfael sat back to study and enjoy the gathering in Tudur’s hall over supper, the warmth of the central fire, the torches, the wine, and the harping. A man of Tudur’s status was privileged to possess a harp and maintain his own harper, in addition to his duty to be a generous patron to travelling minstrels. And with the prince here to praise and be praised, they had a rivalry of singers that lasted throughout the meal. There was still a deal of coming and going in the courtyard, late-comers riding in, officers from the camps patrolling their bounds and changing pickets.."
"He was no novelty in the district about Shrewsbury, offspring of a brief union between a Welsh wool, trader and an English maid-servant."
"Like a pair of hound puppies nursed in the lap, Hugh’s heir gave off glowing warmth and the baked bread scent of young and untainted flesh."
"“Ah, that! You are thinking that I never yet repented of anything I did—and I confess I don’t recall such a thing myself. No, but it was such a comfort and satisfaction to the women. They took me to their hearts so joyfully, the sweet things, a fallen sister retrieved. I couldn’t forbear giving them what they wanted and thought fitting. I am their special pride, they boast of me.”"
"He was too young, too open, too simple to understand that more than half the hatred and revulsion she felt for him belonged rather to herself, and her dread that she had gone far towards desiring the death she now so desperately repented."
In this ninth episode Peters chooses to delve deeply into the context of conflicts within which the Shrewsbury (Shropshire) Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul finds itself. This includes the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud, and the border wars between the English and the Welsh."Shropshire stood nearer to the fighting now than it had been for three years, being neighbour to an earl of Chester elated by success and greedy for still more lands. Every one of Hugh’s depleted garrisons stood to arms, ready to defend its threatened security."
Peters does not linger over the battles but she gives us a sense of the politics and strategy then employed: "Robert had all the disinherited, Maud’s liegemen who had lost lands eastward for her sake, drawn up in the first line, horsed, with nothing to lose and all to gain, and vengeance the first of all. And our knights had every man his all to lose and nothing to gain, and felt themselves far from their homes and lands, and aching to get back and strengthen their own fences. And there were these hordes of Welsh, hungry for plunder, and their own goods and gear safe as sanctuary in the west, with no man threatening."
Shropshire has stood for Stephen but in a recent battle, Stephen is captured and later so is Shropshire’s Sheriff Prestcote. Where the sheriff is held and, if he is alive, what ransom will buy his release are key questions in the early going. Cadfael is just an observer until his unique gifts are recognized: "”You’re Welsh, and have your habit for a coat of mail, and once across the border you have kin everywhere. I reckon you a far better hazard than any battle party. With a small escort, in case of masterless men, and your Welsh tongue and net of kindred to tackle any regular company that crosses you. What do you say?” “I should be ashamed, as a Welshman,” said Cadfael comfortably, “if I could not recite my pedigree back sixteen degrees, and some of my kin are here across the border of this shire, a fair enough start towards Gwynedd.”"
Local politics is in play as well: "The provost and guildsmen of the town, in general, were well pleased. Prestcote was a man who did not encourage close friendships, but Shrewsbury had found him a just and well-intentioned officer of the crown, if heavy-handed at times, and was well aware that it might have fared very much worse. Not everyone, however, felt the same simple pleasure. Even just men make enemies."
Without spoiling the plot, there is a scene where two young people “meet portentously:” “Sir,” she said, having marked the broken rhythm of his walk, “I fear you are hurt.” She saw the quiver that passed through him from head to foot as he breathed again. “No,” he said, hesitant as a man in a dream, “no, never till now. Now I am wounded to death.” “I think,” she said, shaken and timorous, “you do not yet know me…” “I do know you,” he said. “You are Melicent. It is your father I must buy back for you—at a price…” At a price, at a disastrous price, at the price of tearing asunder this marriage of eyes that drew them closer until they touched hands, and were lost."
Another well-done effort with the plot and mystery, perhaps, secondary to the historical context. Peters, again, has given us such informed descriptions of people, places, and conventional life that I find this aspect gains my full attention. >> Some examples follow <<
"Cadfael sat back to study and enjoy the gathering in Tudur’s hall over supper, the warmth of the central fire, the torches, the wine, and the harping. A man of Tudur’s status was privileged to possess a harp and maintain his own harper, in addition to his duty to be a generous patron to travelling minstrels. And with the prince here to praise and be praised, they had a rivalry of singers that lasted throughout the meal. There was still a deal of coming and going in the courtyard, late-comers riding in, officers from the camps patrolling their bounds and changing pickets.."
"He was no novelty in the district about Shrewsbury, offspring of a brief union between a Welsh wool, trader and an English maid-servant."
"Like a pair of hound puppies nursed in the lap, Hugh’s heir gave off glowing warmth and the baked bread scent of young and untainted flesh."
"“Ah, that! You are thinking that I never yet repented of anything I did—and I confess I don’t recall such a thing myself. No, but it was such a comfort and satisfaction to the women. They took me to their hearts so joyfully, the sweet things, a fallen sister retrieved. I couldn’t forbear giving them what they wanted and thought fitting. I am their special pride, they boast of me.”"
"He was too young, too open, too simple to understand that more than half the hatred and revulsion she felt for him belonged rather to herself, and her dread that she had gone far towards desiring the death she now so desperately repented."
September 19, 2025
The ninth chronicle of Brother Cadfael left me with mixed feelings. I enjoyed part of the story, but had certain concerns about the mystery plot. Again, this was another weak mystery. Like in the previous chronicle, here too, the motive for murder was far-fetched. Of course, murder was necessary for the plot development, since these are mystery novels, but they also need to be more convincing. That's my personal view, however, so I'll leave it at that.
What I really enjoyed in this novel is learning more about the Welsh laws and customs. Ellis Peters eloquently brings these out, offering a sharp contrast with their English counterpart. I was a little fascinated by the Welsh way of looking at justice. It wasn't as rigid and absolute as with English. Welshmen understood the difference between murder and manslaughter even in medieval times. They take a lot of mitigating circumstances into consideration before taking another's life as "blood price". As I always say, these historical adornments are what add so much weight and colour to these chronicles, and here in particular, saved the face of the story.
Brother Cadfael plays a dominant role in this story, becoming an effective intermediary between English and Welsh. The political climate has changed, and both the English and Welsh find themselves on fragile grounds. New allies are formed between Hugh Beringar (now that Gilbert Prescott is gone) and Owain Gwynedd to protect their respective territories. Brother Cadfeal becomes almost a political emissary in bringing about peace between the neighbours. It was also nice to meet some of the recurring characters, although I didn't care much about the newcomers.
The mystery thread (though weak) flowed fairly well, given that the story was centered more on politics. I enjoyed the political part more than the mystery. Many reviews have expressed outrage at the murderer being "unpunished". But I looked at it as the criminal being left to Welsh justice. In any case, this isn't the first time that a murder was unpunished. Both in Monk's Hood and The Devil's Novice the criminals escape justice.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
What I really enjoyed in this novel is learning more about the Welsh laws and customs. Ellis Peters eloquently brings these out, offering a sharp contrast with their English counterpart. I was a little fascinated by the Welsh way of looking at justice. It wasn't as rigid and absolute as with English. Welshmen understood the difference between murder and manslaughter even in medieval times. They take a lot of mitigating circumstances into consideration before taking another's life as "blood price". As I always say, these historical adornments are what add so much weight and colour to these chronicles, and here in particular, saved the face of the story.
Brother Cadfael plays a dominant role in this story, becoming an effective intermediary between English and Welsh. The political climate has changed, and both the English and Welsh find themselves on fragile grounds. New allies are formed between Hugh Beringar (now that Gilbert Prescott is gone) and Owain Gwynedd to protect their respective territories. Brother Cadfeal becomes almost a political emissary in bringing about peace between the neighbours. It was also nice to meet some of the recurring characters, although I didn't care much about the newcomers.
The mystery thread (though weak) flowed fairly well, given that the story was centered more on politics. I enjoyed the political part more than the mystery. Many reviews have expressed outrage at the murderer being "unpunished". But I looked at it as the criminal being left to Welsh justice. In any case, this isn't the first time that a murder was unpunished. Both in Monk's Hood and The Devil's Novice the criminals escape justice.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
October 1, 2022
I have a hard time with the story’s ending.
Should a person be legally reprimanded for committing a crime?
In this novel by Ellis Peters, the year is 1141. Civil War is raging in the vicinity of Shrewsbury and along the Welsh and English border. Towns are being burned. Tension is high. The Welsh and the English agree to exchange prisoners, but then one is murdered. One can classify this as a whodunnit mystery set in Medieval times. Who has committed the murder and how has it come about? Brother Cadfael is involved, of course! Two pairs of young lovers are drawn into the fray.
I have had some problems with this story. In my view, those who have committed a crime shouid be brought to justice. Secondly, one pair of lovers become attached to each other at the blink of an eye. These lovers’ attraction for each other doesn’t feel believable to me. There is also a bond between two foster brothers that struck me as excessive. Nope, the emotions on which the story is built are too exaggerated.
As usual in Ellis Peters’ books, the lay of the land and the atmosphere of the times are well described. From the clues, figuring out who did what and why is like a puzzle. The read was enjoyable but not without faults.
I listened to this translated into Swedish. The translation was done by Lars Hanson. This was the only version of the book I could get my hands on.
Anne Asplund reads the Swedish translation. Her narration is not bad, but neither was I enthralled. Her pronunciation of the Welsh names is a bit difficult. I think seeing the names would have been easier. Three stars for the audio narration. In any case, I am glad that this version exists. Otherwise, I couldn’t have read the story, and I would have remained curious, not knowing what I had missed.
****************************
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) 3 stars
*Dead Man's Ransom (9) 3 stars
*The Pilgrim of Hate (10) TBR
*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) 3 stars
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR
Should a person be legally reprimanded for committing a crime?
In this novel by Ellis Peters, the year is 1141. Civil War is raging in the vicinity of Shrewsbury and along the Welsh and English border. Towns are being burned. Tension is high. The Welsh and the English agree to exchange prisoners, but then one is murdered. One can classify this as a whodunnit mystery set in Medieval times. Who has committed the murder and how has it come about? Brother Cadfael is involved, of course! Two pairs of young lovers are drawn into the fray.
I have had some problems with this story. In my view, those who have committed a crime shouid be brought to justice. Secondly, one pair of lovers become attached to each other at the blink of an eye. These lovers’ attraction for each other doesn’t feel believable to me. There is also a bond between two foster brothers that struck me as excessive. Nope, the emotions on which the story is built are too exaggerated.
As usual in Ellis Peters’ books, the lay of the land and the atmosphere of the times are well described. From the clues, figuring out who did what and why is like a puzzle. The read was enjoyable but not without faults.
I listened to this translated into Swedish. The translation was done by Lars Hanson. This was the only version of the book I could get my hands on.
Anne Asplund reads the Swedish translation. Her narration is not bad, but neither was I enthralled. Her pronunciation of the Welsh names is a bit difficult. I think seeing the names would have been easier. Three stars for the audio narration. In any case, I am glad that this version exists. Otherwise, I couldn’t have read the story, and I would have remained curious, not knowing what I had missed.
****************************
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) 3 stars
*Dead Man's Ransom (9) 3 stars
*The Pilgrim of Hate (10) TBR
*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) 3 stars
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR
May 22, 2019
Dead Man’s Ransom, a.k.a How to Get Away with Murder, is not good. I have enjoyed brother Cadfael’s stories so far, but I am either getting tired of the formula, or the books are getting more tired - I suspect both.
I usually enjoyed the mystery and the historical components before; this one is light on both. I was not a fan of the romance story or the innocent, good-hearted lads that often sacrifice themselves for others, but sometimes go astray; this one is overdoing both. What’s more, the writing is getting terribly loaded with clichés. We have angelic, shy maidens; innocent youths; tears rolling down on rosy cheeks - I am paraphrasing, as I only have the audio version, but you get the idea.
However, the worst part of this installment is the resolution. We find out who the killer is... WTF!!!
So, while I enjoyed the previous three I read, I am done with brother Cadfael. I give it two stars because I enjoyed the first half, but the second was just plain bad.
I usually enjoyed the mystery and the historical components before; this one is light on both. I was not a fan of the romance story or the innocent, good-hearted lads that often sacrifice themselves for others, but sometimes go astray; this one is overdoing both. What’s more, the writing is getting terribly loaded with clichés. We have angelic, shy maidens; innocent youths; tears rolling down on rosy cheeks - I am paraphrasing, as I only have the audio version, but you get the idea.
However, the worst part of this installment is the resolution. We find out who the killer is... WTF!!!
So, while I enjoyed the previous three I read, I am done with brother Cadfael. I give it two stars because I enjoyed the first half, but the second was just plain bad.
February 22, 2020
This is the best combo of love and murder that I've read in an Ellis Peters book! Good stuff all around!
January 18, 2020
3 ½ stars
History raids and battles play the largest part of any Cadfael mystery in the series up to this point.
In a series pretty well known for
Cozies Reading Challenge
History raids and battles play the largest part of any Cadfael mystery in the series up to this point.
In a series pretty well known for
Cozies Reading Challenge
Read
August 15, 2022Još jednom se desilo nešto što nikad nije: nije mi se svideo roman o bratu Kadfaelu :( možda što sam ga satrla odmah posle prethodnog, možda više nisam bila za takvo štivo, a možda stvarno nije tako dobar kao ostali (centralni ljubavni kvadrat je u svakom slučaju bio takav da bih ih sve redom ganjala praherom).
November 26, 2021
Really enjoyed this reread- anytime a Cadfael plot gets involved in the civil war between Stephen and Maud I get confused about who is on which side, and where the Welsh fit in! The plot is explained in the summary above - our favorite monk gets involved in brokering a hostage swap because he speaks Welsh. He also tries to help not just one, but two sets of star-crossed lovers.
The swapped English hostage is delivered badly injured but alive - but found dead shortly after in the abbey’s infirmary. There are a couple likely suspects among the other patients, let alone further afield. Cadfael and Hugh must find the killer, because Hugh has to get back to protecting the shire from raiding parties from Wales.
We are treated to a return visit from the delightful Avice, now Sister Magdalen (see previous series entry The Leper of St. Giles), a very wise, sensible, pragmatic woman - and apparently very much a twin force at her convent, to Cadfael’s role at Shrewsbury! Both came late to the monastic life, after full lives of varied experience. I would love to have seen Peters build a series around Sister Magdalen! It’s not that she and Cadfael break the rules on purpose, it’s that their long lives outside the cloister have familiarized them with a wide array of people and circumstances. As Cadfael explains about Welsh law, it’s not black and white, like in England - steal bread, punishment is always severe. In Wales, there are shadings to the law - was the person starving, did they have a family to feed? I love that life has taught subtlety and nuance to both Magdalen and Cadfael.
I love this series, the way Peters writes her characters, the beauty of her natural descriptions, the continuity of life following the liturgical calendar and the natural seasons. I find the books restful and restorative especially among our unsettled times. A good reminder that we humans have endured and weathered much worse over the centuries! We may not learn from it as we should, but Cadfael teaches us to be kind to ourselves, and others, and to hope.
The swapped English hostage is delivered badly injured but alive - but found dead shortly after in the abbey’s infirmary. There are a couple likely suspects among the other patients, let alone further afield. Cadfael and Hugh must find the killer, because Hugh has to get back to protecting the shire from raiding parties from Wales.
We are treated to a return visit from the delightful Avice, now Sister Magdalen (see previous series entry The Leper of St. Giles), a very wise, sensible, pragmatic woman - and apparently very much a twin force at her convent, to Cadfael’s role at Shrewsbury! Both came late to the monastic life, after full lives of varied experience. I would love to have seen Peters build a series around Sister Magdalen! It’s not that she and Cadfael break the rules on purpose, it’s that their long lives outside the cloister have familiarized them with a wide array of people and circumstances. As Cadfael explains about Welsh law, it’s not black and white, like in England - steal bread, punishment is always severe. In Wales, there are shadings to the law - was the person starving, did they have a family to feed? I love that life has taught subtlety and nuance to both Magdalen and Cadfael.
I love this series, the way Peters writes her characters, the beauty of her natural descriptions, the continuity of life following the liturgical calendar and the natural seasons. I find the books restful and restorative especially among our unsettled times. A good reminder that we humans have endured and weathered much worse over the centuries! We may not learn from it as we should, but Cadfael teaches us to be kind to ourselves, and others, and to hope.
September 19, 2017
The Cadfael series has a well established reputation of being high quality historical mysteries. They do fall into two camps- the narrative dominated by the mystery, and the book that progresses the historical events that are effecting England at that time. This book in the series is part of the latter. Much of the story revolves around the civil war and the way the lords of the land manipulated the unrest to their own advantage. We return to the border country to the west of Shrewsbury and to the uneasy and turbulent alliance with the Welsh border lords. Owain Gwynedd is an honourable man and doesn’t want to fight a losing battle with his English neighbours. An exchange of men for the seriously wounded Sheriff of Shrewsbury is thwarted when he suddenly dies, Cadfael realises the death is an unnatural one and investigates.
The plot is a simple one, albeit an enjoyable read. So much of the peace of the county rests on determining who was the murderer and bringing them to justice as soon as possible so that the air is clear on both sides. Chivalry plays a very important part in the storyline – something that is easily forgotten in our contemporary times.
The murder is really the side plot that drives the narrative. The real story is the social, civil and political unrest during a very messy period often recorded as the Anarchy – or petty civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen.
The plot is a simple one, albeit an enjoyable read. So much of the peace of the county rests on determining who was the murderer and bringing them to justice as soon as possible so that the air is clear on both sides. Chivalry plays a very important part in the storyline – something that is easily forgotten in our contemporary times.
The murder is really the side plot that drives the narrative. The real story is the social, civil and political unrest during a very messy period often recorded as the Anarchy – or petty civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen.
March 1, 2020
Dead Man's Ransom contains many elements familiar to readers of this mystery series. Brother Cadfael is needed again for a trip into Wales, political intrigue and complex loyalties abound, and an unfortunate murder both eases and complicates young love. There's a pair of star-crossed lovers, in fact. I was rather impatient with Elis and Melicent, who fell in love in an instant after exchanging just a single look. I guess I'm too old to be entranced by that kind of romance. Which is probably why I had some trouble with the ending too and Brother Cadfael's philosophical acceptance. Still, it was an enjoyable and comfortable read. I always appreciate the way the author characterizes women, showing their strengths as they seek to determine their own fates within the confines of medieval culture and society.
August 10, 2019
If you ever commit a felony in medieval England, try to be young and dumb and in love, and certain clergy members will move heaven and earth to smuggle you off to your happily ever after.
I mean, good grief, what is Hugh Beringar going to say when King Stephen asks what happened to the murderer of his sheriff? "He feels really bad about the whole sheriff murder thing, and also he is in love and wants to get married, and he's all the way in Wales now, so eh, guess there's no death penalty."
I have been enjoying how characters in this series can fuck up and still muddle on with their lives without being ruined, but come on, smothering a wounded guy in his bed is a line too far, Peters. That's not something you dismiss with a slap on the wrist no matter how sorry the guy is about the murder. A bit of light corpse desecration, some skullduggery and theft, a certain amount of treason, sure, but come on now, Cadfael.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Prestcote, husband and father and dutiful sheriff, gets shoveled into his grave with barely a few tears and everyone is idly musing about how they didn't REALLY love him and everyone's lives will continue, perhaps for the better without him. Jeeze. I feel like I liked that character more than his family and coworkers apparently did.
On the bright side, this book had a lot of vivid descriptions and striking lines, and the return of Avice of Thornbury, now Sister Magdalen of Godric's Ford. Also, a lot of discussion of the supple creaminess of one guy's ass, which is hilarious.
I mean, good grief, what is Hugh Beringar going to say when King Stephen asks what happened to the murderer of his sheriff? "He feels really bad about the whole sheriff murder thing, and also he is in love and wants to get married, and he's all the way in Wales now, so eh, guess there's no death penalty."
I have been enjoying how characters in this series can fuck up and still muddle on with their lives without being ruined, but come on, smothering a wounded guy in his bed is a line too far, Peters. That's not something you dismiss with a slap on the wrist no matter how sorry the guy is about the murder. A bit of light corpse desecration, some skullduggery and theft, a certain amount of treason, sure, but come on now, Cadfael.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Prestcote, husband and father and dutiful sheriff, gets shoveled into his grave with barely a few tears and everyone is idly musing about how they didn't REALLY love him and everyone's lives will continue, perhaps for the better without him. Jeeze. I feel like I liked that character more than his family and coworkers apparently did.
On the bright side, this book had a lot of vivid descriptions and striking lines, and the return of Avice of Thornbury, now Sister Magdalen of Godric's Ford. Also, a lot of discussion of the supple creaminess of one guy's ass, which is hilarious.
September 23, 2023
A great story. It’s a shame this was not one of the novels turned into a tv episode as it includes a brief scene or two with the Welsh lord, Owain Gwynedd, and a tale encompassing the relations between the English and Welsh. I enjoyed this much very much. Ms. Peters had a great skill in describing scenes and people, often in the subtlest manners, with just a cleverly turned phrase or local manner of speech that makes you feel you are reading history, not fiction.
May 31, 2023
Despite a few bits of truly wonderful writing, this installment badly blew it. It not only continued the formula, but doubled down on it, and threw in a ridiculous ending.
And yet I will continue on, since the last time I was tempted to quit and didn’t I was rewarded. And I do need some simple sweetness mixed into my other reading. Fingers crossed.
And yet I will continue on, since the last time I was tempted to quit and didn’t I was rewarded. And I do need some simple sweetness mixed into my other reading. Fingers crossed.
May 3, 2025
I couldn't quite get into this story, partly due to the change of narrators. It was a challenge for me to make the transition to Roe Kendall for this volume from Derek Jacobi and Patrick Tull of previous volumes.
However, the following quote drew my interest, as I have learned from experience not to rely on my memory when looking for specific shades of color.
"Cadfael had brought with him the little box in which he had preserved the wisps of wool and gold thread. Those precise shades of deep blue and soft rose could not be carried accurately in the mind, but must continually be referred to the eye and matched against whatever fabric came to light."
However, the following quote drew my interest, as I have learned from experience not to rely on my memory when looking for specific shades of color.
"Cadfael had brought with him the little box in which he had preserved the wisps of wool and gold thread. Those precise shades of deep blue and soft rose could not be carried accurately in the mind, but must continually be referred to the eye and matched against whatever fabric came to light."
Read
March 3, 2015This book doesn't come up in a title search, even if you combine a keyword from the title and the author's name. I had to search for it by ISBN #. [2015--this seems to have been corrected]
Up until the middle of this book in the series, the Sheriff of Shropshire is Gilbert Prestcote. He's not particularly adequate. He's dour, he's prejudiced, and he sometimes takes advantage of built-in cruelties in the law to 'solve' problems that could have been solved a lot less ruthlessly. Would a man who accidentally killed another in a drunken (and fair) fight be convicted of murder in our society? It's less than likely. And he wouldn't have been convicted in Wales, either, at the time. He'd have been fined severely; he or his family would have to pay 'galanas'. But he wouldn't have been killed himself.
But it's not just the enemies Prestcote has acquired along the way (some of them reaching back for generations) that have made him an unsatisfactory Sheriff. Often, in earlier books, people feel pressured to solve cases in haste before Prestcote gets back from wherever he's off to this time, because experience shows Prestcote will just take whoever's nearest, and not worry about niggling details.
The position of Sheriff is not an elected one at this time. If it were, most people would have voted for the Deputy Sheriff, Hugh Beringar of Maesbury, who's a lot more careful to find the right suspect. But even he often has to turn a blind eye to achieve the spirit rather than the letter of the law.
In this book things change. In the previous book (The Devil's Novice), a battle against the Earl of Lincoln becomes imperative, if England is going to stay unified. The abbey doesn't want any battles at all, and they meet to pray for better counsel. But there's not much hope of it. So by early February, 1141, the war party are off to attack Lincoln (and his ally and brother, Chester).
And the battle is a disaster. Not just for King Stephen's side. The Northerners also suffer (the citizens of Lincoln, for example, are abused for backing Stephen against the Earl). And the capture of King Stephen is a major blow for his own side, but it doesn't necessarily improve Empress Maud's position, either. People are still reluctant to support her, at least partly because she's so intolerant of halfhearted support.
In Shropshire, however, the locals are more concerned about the injury and capture of Gilbert Prestcote. Since he was in the part of the battlefield that was overrun by the Welsh of Powys under Cadwaladr (brother, but no very obedient brother, to Owain Gwynedd), there's hope he may be ransomed. But in trade for whom?
Enter Avice of Thornberry (the longtime mistress of a nobleman from The Leper of St Giles), to the rescue once again. Now renamed Sister Magdalen (why should she deprive her innocent sisters of the notion they're rescuing her from infamy?), she explains how she and the foresters repulsed an attack by a band of Welshmen from Powys. And have they got a prisoner worthy of exchange? You bet they have! Elis ap Cynan makes his entrance tied up on horseback, favoring one cheek in the saddle, and cursing his captors in Welsh, in such an even voice that those who don't speak Welsh don't take offense.
A royal relative is surely adequate ransom for a Sheriff, so negotiations begin. The process is complicated by many things, one of which is NOT the reluctance of Owain Gwynedd to improve relations with Shropshire. Owain Gwynedd is heartily praised in this whole series, as an intelligent, wise, and foresighted man.
But there are other problems, involving fosterage and its relationships, child betrothal, and the fact that Elis is a sucker for a tall, pale girl with spun-sugar hair...who happens to be Gilbert Prestcote's daughter. Elis, the eternal optimist, thinks these problems can be easily solved. Melicent isn't so sure.
All in all, there are a lot of wrung hearts when the badly injured Lord Prestcote is escorted home by courteous Welshmen. And the matter is not eased when Prestcote dies, and it's proven to be murder. And all along, there are the Welsh of Powys, still out for loot, and still smarting for their defeat at Godric's Ford...
The rescue of the cattleman Anion, who aspires to his proper status as his father's son in Wales, is another complication. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that it's happily resolved, since he wasn't much of a suspect to begin with. Even other suspects point out that one of the reasons he fled into Wales was that, being without powerful supporters in Shropshire, he couldn't get a fair hearing there, and fled for fear he should prove the convenient nearest.
Up until the middle of this book in the series, the Sheriff of Shropshire is Gilbert Prestcote. He's not particularly adequate. He's dour, he's prejudiced, and he sometimes takes advantage of built-in cruelties in the law to 'solve' problems that could have been solved a lot less ruthlessly. Would a man who accidentally killed another in a drunken (and fair) fight be convicted of murder in our society? It's less than likely. And he wouldn't have been convicted in Wales, either, at the time. He'd have been fined severely; he or his family would have to pay 'galanas'. But he wouldn't have been killed himself.
But it's not just the enemies Prestcote has acquired along the way (some of them reaching back for generations) that have made him an unsatisfactory Sheriff. Often, in earlier books, people feel pressured to solve cases in haste before Prestcote gets back from wherever he's off to this time, because experience shows Prestcote will just take whoever's nearest, and not worry about niggling details.
The position of Sheriff is not an elected one at this time. If it were, most people would have voted for the Deputy Sheriff, Hugh Beringar of Maesbury, who's a lot more careful to find the right suspect. But even he often has to turn a blind eye to achieve the spirit rather than the letter of the law.
In this book things change. In the previous book (The Devil's Novice), a battle against the Earl of Lincoln becomes imperative, if England is going to stay unified. The abbey doesn't want any battles at all, and they meet to pray for better counsel. But there's not much hope of it. So by early February, 1141, the war party are off to attack Lincoln (and his ally and brother, Chester).
And the battle is a disaster. Not just for King Stephen's side. The Northerners also suffer (the citizens of Lincoln, for example, are abused for backing Stephen against the Earl). And the capture of King Stephen is a major blow for his own side, but it doesn't necessarily improve Empress Maud's position, either. People are still reluctant to support her, at least partly because she's so intolerant of halfhearted support.
In Shropshire, however, the locals are more concerned about the injury and capture of Gilbert Prestcote. Since he was in the part of the battlefield that was overrun by the Welsh of Powys under Cadwaladr (brother, but no very obedient brother, to Owain Gwynedd), there's hope he may be ransomed. But in trade for whom?
Enter Avice of Thornberry (the longtime mistress of a nobleman from The Leper of St Giles), to the rescue once again. Now renamed Sister Magdalen (why should she deprive her innocent sisters of the notion they're rescuing her from infamy?), she explains how she and the foresters repulsed an attack by a band of Welshmen from Powys. And have they got a prisoner worthy of exchange? You bet they have! Elis ap Cynan makes his entrance tied up on horseback, favoring one cheek in the saddle, and cursing his captors in Welsh, in such an even voice that those who don't speak Welsh don't take offense.
A royal relative is surely adequate ransom for a Sheriff, so negotiations begin. The process is complicated by many things, one of which is NOT the reluctance of Owain Gwynedd to improve relations with Shropshire. Owain Gwynedd is heartily praised in this whole series, as an intelligent, wise, and foresighted man.
But there are other problems, involving fosterage and its relationships, child betrothal, and the fact that Elis is a sucker for a tall, pale girl with spun-sugar hair...who happens to be Gilbert Prestcote's daughter. Elis, the eternal optimist, thinks these problems can be easily solved. Melicent isn't so sure.
All in all, there are a lot of wrung hearts when the badly injured Lord Prestcote is escorted home by courteous Welshmen. And the matter is not eased when Prestcote dies, and it's proven to be murder. And all along, there are the Welsh of Powys, still out for loot, and still smarting for their defeat at Godric's Ford...
The rescue of the cattleman Anion, who aspires to his proper status as his father's son in Wales, is another complication. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that it's happily resolved, since he wasn't much of a suspect to begin with. Even other suspects point out that one of the reasons he fled into Wales was that, being without powerful supporters in Shropshire, he couldn't get a fair hearing there, and fled for fear he should prove the convenient nearest.
September 14, 2024
“There has not been a waking moment since when I have not wished it undone, but to undo is not so easy as to do.”
Murder, star-crossed lovers, battles, international politics, and mystery: who could ask for more? Brother Cadfael travels into his native Wales on an errand of mercy that goes hopelessly wrong. Ellis Peters takes the reader into the shadowlands where good intentions and impulse actions yield a lifetime of sorrow.
“If your cousin had been half the man you are, your life would be safe enough.” “Have you not understood even yet? He’s is better than I, a thousand times better!”
Slow start with copious history dumps. Peters usually does a better job of leaping into the story and filling backstory as the story progresses.
“Death, after all, is the common expectation from birth. Neither heroes nor cowards can escape it.”
As usual, all it not as it first appears. As usual our Benedictine sleuth is even misled part of the way. Justice and mercy clash.
“If none of us ever fell short, or put a foot astray, everything would be good in this great world, but we stumble and fall, every one. We must deal with what we have.”
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. Readers seeking a story grounded closer to fact than epic fantasy—where horses run forever, swords never dull, clerics invoke lightning bolts, steeped in nihilism—Edith Pargeter’s series on the life and times of this erstwhile crusader and now monastic should be welcome.
Murder, star-crossed lovers, battles, international politics, and mystery: who could ask for more? Brother Cadfael travels into his native Wales on an errand of mercy that goes hopelessly wrong. Ellis Peters takes the reader into the shadowlands where good intentions and impulse actions yield a lifetime of sorrow.
“If your cousin had been half the man you are, your life would be safe enough.” “Have you not understood even yet? He’s is better than I, a thousand times better!”
Slow start with copious history dumps. Peters usually does a better job of leaping into the story and filling backstory as the story progresses.
“Death, after all, is the common expectation from birth. Neither heroes nor cowards can escape it.”
As usual, all it not as it first appears. As usual our Benedictine sleuth is even misled part of the way. Justice and mercy clash.
“If none of us ever fell short, or put a foot astray, everything would be good in this great world, but we stumble and fall, every one. We must deal with what we have.”
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. Readers seeking a story grounded closer to fact than epic fantasy—where horses run forever, swords never dull, clerics invoke lightning bolts, steeped in nihilism—Edith Pargeter’s series on the life and times of this erstwhile crusader and now monastic should be welcome.
April 11, 2019
This was a Cadfael volume I remembered well, particularly the romance in it, the Welsh boy Elis and the English girl Melicent, instantly struck, love at first sight.
Normally I don't like love stories where the characters find each other too quickly and all they have to overcome in order to achieve their happily-ever-after are tiresome outside impediments. There is enough going on in this story so that's not really an issue, like Elis becoming a serious suspect in the murder of Melicent's father.
True, it did drag a little, but still a great read. So fascinating to learn about history like this, as through a back door, how "normal" people lived. Leaves me wanting more, as usual.
Normally I don't like love stories where the characters find each other too quickly and all they have to overcome in order to achieve their happily-ever-after are tiresome outside impediments. There is enough going on in this story so that's not really an issue, like Elis becoming a serious suspect in the murder of Melicent's father.
True, it did drag a little, but still a great read. So fascinating to learn about history like this, as through a back door, how "normal" people lived. Leaves me wanting more, as usual.
January 6, 2022
3.5 stars. A battle involving Welsh raiders and a battle between King Stephen and Queen Maud's forces near Chester results in the Shropshire Sheriff being taken hostage by the Welsh. Cadfael must negotiate a prisoner exchange with a locally held Welsh boy. Well-written and a focus on the politics of the moment.
November 14, 2018
Cadfael adds 'diplomat' to his resume in this one, as he is chosen to negotiate a prisoner swap with the Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd.
The action opens in February 1141, in the aftermath of the fighting at Lincoln. The Shrewsbury men bring home dire news--King Stephen taken prisoner by the Empress's men; Gilbert Prestcote, their sheriff, taken by Welsh marauders who had joined in the fight for the possibility of plunder.
The Welsh band, still looking for adventure and loot, continue raiding--this time closer to Shrewsbury. They attack the convent of Benedictine nuns at Godric's Ford, and come away empty handed, as well as losing one of their own--a well-placed young man, Elis ap Cynan, now held prisoner by undersheriff Hugh Beringar.
So off goes Cadfael, with his abbot's blessing, on this mission for Hugh--arrange a swap of Elis for Gilbert Prestcote. Cadfael's mission is a success. All is looking upbeat. Well, that doesn't last very long.
Elis manages to meet (and fall head over heels for) Prestcote's daughter Melicent (who is likewise smitten). No good outcome here, for once Gilbert arrives home, Elis must return to Wales. There are other complications, of course, both in Shrewsbury and Wales.
Gilbert had fallen ill during his captivity and was still very weak and ailing. When he came home, his Welsh escort took him straight to the abbey's infirmary. All agreed that he would recover, with time and rest. Alas, he was not given the chance--someone murdered him as he slept.
The author presents the reader with a goodly roster of possible villains--in the abbey and among the Welsh. Cadfael now has to turn sleuth to ferret out the culprit. Surely not young Elis, who is the prime suspect. But if not him, then who else could have motive and means?
All sorts of twists as the rest of the story unfolds. The revelation of whodunnit is heartbreaking; the resolution just and merciful (as well as very clever).
I so enjoy entering this world. I'm already looking forward reading the next.
The action opens in February 1141, in the aftermath of the fighting at Lincoln. The Shrewsbury men bring home dire news--King Stephen taken prisoner by the Empress's men; Gilbert Prestcote, their sheriff, taken by Welsh marauders who had joined in the fight for the possibility of plunder.
The Welsh band, still looking for adventure and loot, continue raiding--this time closer to Shrewsbury. They attack the convent of Benedictine nuns at Godric's Ford, and come away empty handed, as well as losing one of their own--a well-placed young man, Elis ap Cynan, now held prisoner by undersheriff Hugh Beringar.
So off goes Cadfael, with his abbot's blessing, on this mission for Hugh--arrange a swap of Elis for Gilbert Prestcote. Cadfael's mission is a success. All is looking upbeat. Well, that doesn't last very long.
Elis manages to meet (and fall head over heels for) Prestcote's daughter Melicent (who is likewise smitten). No good outcome here, for once Gilbert arrives home, Elis must return to Wales. There are other complications, of course, both in Shrewsbury and Wales.
Gilbert had fallen ill during his captivity and was still very weak and ailing. When he came home, his Welsh escort took him straight to the abbey's infirmary. All agreed that he would recover, with time and rest. Alas, he was not given the chance--someone murdered him as he slept.
The author presents the reader with a goodly roster of possible villains--in the abbey and among the Welsh. Cadfael now has to turn sleuth to ferret out the culprit. Surely not young Elis, who is the prime suspect. But if not him, then who else could have motive and means?
All sorts of twists as the rest of the story unfolds. The revelation of whodunnit is heartbreaking; the resolution just and merciful (as well as very clever).
I so enjoy entering this world. I'm already looking forward reading the next.
August 10, 2024
Un altro caso ambientato durante la guerra civile tra Re Stefano e la Regina Maud, sua cugina, che si spinge nel febbraio 1141 ai confini con il Galles, con Re Stefano che viene fatto prigioniero e portato a Gloucester. Ma non è lui uno dei due prigionieri del titolo, che sono invece un giovane gallese, che ha fatto la bravata, assieme ad alcuni suoi connazionali, di approfittare della battaglia per fare una scorreria al convento di Godric's Ford, venendo poi ripescato dal fiume dalle sorelle e portato a Shrewsbury; e lo sceriffo della contea, Gilbert Prestcote, prigioniero in Galles e sostituito alla guida della contea dal buon Hugh Beringar.
Cadfael viene mandato quindi in Galles presso Owain Gwynedd, per chiedere di poter effettuare uno scambio. Ma mentre è a Shrewsbury, il giovane e nobile gallese, Elis ap Cynan, vede e si innamora - ricambiato - della figlia dello sceriffo Prestcote, anche se lui è promesso a un'altra e Millicent sa che il padre odia i gallesi, per cui il loro amore non potrà mai avere un esito positivo.
Quando, pertanto, un Prestcote in condizioni disastrose viene riportato a Shrewsbury e, poco dopo, viene trovato morto soffocato, il primo a essere sospettato è proprio il giovane Elis.
Cadfael viene mandato quindi in Galles presso Owain Gwynedd, per chiedere di poter effettuare uno scambio. Ma mentre è a Shrewsbury, il giovane e nobile gallese, Elis ap Cynan, vede e si innamora - ricambiato - della figlia dello sceriffo Prestcote, anche se lui è promesso a un'altra e Millicent sa che il padre odia i gallesi, per cui il loro amore non potrà mai avere un esito positivo.
Quando, pertanto, un Prestcote in condizioni disastrose viene riportato a Shrewsbury e, poco dopo, viene trovato morto soffocato, il primo a essere sospettato è proprio il giovane Elis.
September 2, 2023
It's February of 1141 and, in England, the empress and king are still at war, as are their peoples. As in many of Ellis Peters' books, this the 9th of the Brother Cadfael series, there are star-crossed lovers, a person murdered with more than his fair share of people unhappy with him, and there are wise and honorable people on both sides of the border, some demanding a harsher bargain than they are given.
Peters describes deadly mistakes in judgment, grudges and forgiveness, and cultural differences in justice, the last of which is especially interesting to me here:
Did you never, Hugh, do one unworthy thing on impulse, that grieved and shamed you ever after?….I am Welsh and you are English. We Welsh recognise degrees. Theft, theft absolute, without excuse, is our most mortal offence, and therefore we hedge it about with degrees, things which are not theft absolute—taking openly by force, taking in ignorance, taking without leave, providing the offender owns to it, and taking to stay alive, where a beggar has starved three days—no man hangs in Wales for these. Even in dying, even in killing, we acknowledge degrees. We make a distinction between homicide and murder, and even the worst may sometimes be compounded for a lesser price than hanging.” (p. 248)
As always, time spent with Brother Cadfael and his friends and colleagues is deeply satisfying.
Peters describes deadly mistakes in judgment, grudges and forgiveness, and cultural differences in justice, the last of which is especially interesting to me here:
Did you never, Hugh, do one unworthy thing on impulse, that grieved and shamed you ever after?….I am Welsh and you are English. We Welsh recognise degrees. Theft, theft absolute, without excuse, is our most mortal offence, and therefore we hedge it about with degrees, things which are not theft absolute—taking openly by force, taking in ignorance, taking without leave, providing the offender owns to it, and taking to stay alive, where a beggar has starved three days—no man hangs in Wales for these. Even in dying, even in killing, we acknowledge degrees. We make a distinction between homicide and murder, and even the worst may sometimes be compounded for a lesser price than hanging.” (p. 248)
As always, time spent with Brother Cadfael and his friends and colleagues is deeply satisfying.
January 12, 2022
One of the better ones in the series. Mystery in the background, but several tragic relationships.
April 26, 2018
Another excellent story in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series. This time it is 1141 and Sheriff Gilbert Prestcote along with his deputy sheriff, Hugh Beringar, have been fighting to keep the peace when the civil war comes too close to Shrewsbury. Unfortunately Prestcote is taken prisoner by the Welsh, alive but gravely injured. Before any arrangements can be made about a rescue a Benedictine nun comes from Godric's Ford to say their cell was raided. As a result they have a young Welshman who might be useful as a hostage swap. Serious problems arise when murder happens in the infirmary and Cadfael has to collect the evidence to solve the murder.
Even though this is book number nine in the series you can easily begin reading here to try it out. There are four very nice maps in the front of the book to ground you in the area where the story is taking place plus a Glossary of Terms and A Guide to Welsh Pronunciation at the back of the book. You will also get a preview of book ten, The Pilgrim of Hate. Ellis Peters writes good mystery puzzles along with interesting descriptions of the living conditions of the time. Characters are very well developed and established and it is always a real pleasure to find myself back in the abbey catching up on the lives of the continuing characters in the series.
Even though this is book number nine in the series you can easily begin reading here to try it out. There are four very nice maps in the front of the book to ground you in the area where the story is taking place plus a Glossary of Terms and A Guide to Welsh Pronunciation at the back of the book. You will also get a preview of book ten, The Pilgrim of Hate. Ellis Peters writes good mystery puzzles along with interesting descriptions of the living conditions of the time. Characters are very well developed and established and it is always a real pleasure to find myself back in the abbey catching up on the lives of the continuing characters in the series.
September 1, 2019
First off, I'm not summing up the plot. You want to know what this book is about, Goodreads supplies it. Also, there will be a lot of spoilers, so if you are going to read this book, you should stop right now!
I honestly think I'm just tired of Ellis Peters' formula. If this had been one of the first books, I would have liked it better. But I found it similar to all the other books and I was just tired. There's always a murder, which is fine, that's the point of a mystery. But they ALWAYS pick the wrong suspect. And then Cadfael has to sleuth around and figure it out. Why couldn't one of the mysteries just have an unknown killer that everyone is looking for?
In this case, it's Elis, the Welsh boy who is being held for a prisoner exchange. He falls in love with the Sheriff's daughter who, coincidentally, he's being exchanged for. And they're both beautiful people who fall in love immediately. Why couldn't a character, for once, be average? Would that be so hard? They fall in love as well.
This book, like a few others, have these determined women who know which man they are going to marry and are just going to do it. That's not romantic, that's stalking. And, I know this isn't a happy ending, but not all couples end up together. That's life. Once in a while, couldn't there be some sadness? Why do the couples ALWAYS end up together?
Also, Elis is a suspect because, after Malicent tells him not to go and talk to her father, he attempts to. And then he's shrouded in suspicion. Why didn't he listen to her? Why didn't he respect her? It's her father? Couldn't he trust her?
Also, she is the one who accuses him of murder? But don't worry, he forgives her basically right off the bat. Why? Why are the characters so unrealistic? I mean, is that going to be a great story for the kids? "Gather round and let me tell you the HILARIOUS story of the time your mother accused me of murder and threw me to the proverbial wolves?"
Again, if this had been my first Cadfael, I might have liked it better, but I was just sick of the formula.
I honestly think I'm just tired of Ellis Peters' formula. If this had been one of the first books, I would have liked it better. But I found it similar to all the other books and I was just tired. There's always a murder, which is fine, that's the point of a mystery. But they ALWAYS pick the wrong suspect. And then Cadfael has to sleuth around and figure it out. Why couldn't one of the mysteries just have an unknown killer that everyone is looking for?
In this case, it's Elis, the Welsh boy who is being held for a prisoner exchange. He falls in love with the Sheriff's daughter who, coincidentally, he's being exchanged for. And they're both beautiful people who fall in love immediately. Why couldn't a character, for once, be average? Would that be so hard? They fall in love as well.
This book, like a few others, have these determined women who know which man they are going to marry and are just going to do it. That's not romantic, that's stalking. And, I know this isn't a happy ending, but not all couples end up together. That's life. Once in a while, couldn't there be some sadness? Why do the couples ALWAYS end up together?
Also, Elis is a suspect because, after Malicent tells him not to go and talk to her father, he attempts to. And then he's shrouded in suspicion. Why didn't he listen to her? Why didn't he respect her? It's her father? Couldn't he trust her?
Also, she is the one who accuses him of murder? But don't worry, he forgives her basically right off the bat. Why? Why are the characters so unrealistic? I mean, is that going to be a great story for the kids? "Gather round and let me tell you the HILARIOUS story of the time your mother accused me of murder and threw me to the proverbial wolves?"
Again, if this had been my first Cadfael, I might have liked it better, but I was just sick of the formula.
October 18, 2021
This series is consistently wonderful. Normally I'm annoyed at the bigger picture problems of the world at large in this series but this time they were so integral to the plot that I had no complaints. Seeing Avis again as a nun was *chef's kiss* to an already splendid book.
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