The Virgin in the Ice

Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #6

by Ellis Peters

In the winter of 1139, raging civil war has sent refugees fleeing north from Worcester, among them an orphaned boy and his beautiful 18-year-old sister. Traveling with a young nun, they set out for Shrewsbury, but disappear somewhere in the wild countryside. Now, Brother Cadfael embarks on a dangerous quest to find them.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Medieval, Historical Mystery

202 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1982

About the author

A 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.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written historical fiction and mystery

By Charles van Buren on February 18, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This volume of the Cadfael books is mystery and historical fiction set against the background of the civil war between Empress Maud and King Stepen. The division of the country caused by this war, appropriately known as the Anarchy, directly complicates things for Brother Cadfael and deputy sheriff Hugh Beringar. I do not like spoilers so no answers here, just some of the questions to be answered in the story - whose body is in the ice; where are the children; who is the stranger searching for the children; why does Cadfael feel a connection to the stranger; who is committing the raids and murders; who attacked Brother Oswin and left him for dead? These and other questions puzzle Cadfael, Hugh, the reader and others.

It is always a pleasure to read Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael books. One of my little pleasures in life is the knowledge that I have deliberately not yet read them all.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mystery/historical fiction of the Cadfael Chronicles. I read it some time ago but somehow neglected to share my deep and insightful views with everyone here at Goodreads.

How remiss of me.

If you are familiar with Cadfael and his "history" then you know that our monkish mystery solver is never allowed a peaceful life for long. (sad considering he lives in Shrewsbury Abbey [a real place by the way]). Here the love "interests" (Cadfael seems to draw "star-crossed lovers like honey does bees) are a bit different than in most of the other books I won't say why or how as that would be telling). That said murder is also still a factor in Cadfael's life.

As always we have a good mystery here with a nice "chunk" of history thrown in to boot. You don't go to these books "for" history but if you're interested in the period (as I am) you'll also find these interesting. I suppose it's like more seasoning on a good steak....

I can recommend this one as I can most of the other Cadfael books for mystery and historical fiction fans.

Enjoy.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written historical fiction and mystery

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This volume of the Cadfael books is mystery and historical fiction set against the background of the civil war between Empress Maud and King Stepen. The division of the country caused by this war, appropriately known as the Anarchy, directly complicates things for Brother Cadfael and deputy sheriff Hugh Beringar. I do not like spoilers so no answers here, just some of the questions to be answered in the story - whose body is in the ice; where are the children; who is the stranger searching for the children; why does Cadfael feel a connection to the stranger; who is committing the raids and murders; who attacked Brother Oswin and left him for dead? These and other questions puzzle Cadfael, Hugh, the reader and others.

It is always a pleasure to read Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael books. One of my little pleasures in life is the knowledge that I have deliberately not yet read them all.

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My reading experience of the sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael is peculiar. In a mystery novel, my first focus is the mystery plot. I want it to be the dominant feature of the story rather than secondary. So, I wasn't too pleased to see that the murder-mystery was just a backdrop in The Virgin in the Ice. Of course, the murder-mystery was resolved, and the criminal was neatly apprehended at the end; it was only a platform to build the story. However, to my surprise, despite my slight disappointment, I actually enjoyed the story.

The main reason is that I saw the novel as an important one in the Cadfael series. I cannot reveal it without spoiling the story, but anyone who'd read would understand my meaning. The Virgin in the Ice made me realize the significance of reading the series in order. Although I have been doing that, I didn't think it was necessary until this one. So, anyone who wants to read the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, kindly take note and try to read as much in their publication order.

My whole enjoyment of this novel is attributed to the characters, action, and Peters' writing. Ellis Peters has this amazing quality of making her characters likable, even the villains! I remember feeling the same about her portrayal of villains in the previous chronicle, The Leper of Saint Giles. Her character presentation is excellent, so you feel them as real. She seems to have had a good understanding of human nature. Emerging writers have much to learn from her. I have always enjoyed the Beringar-Cadfael union in their adventures and solving mysteries, and I was not disappointed here. I also liked the new characters, the Hugonin children and Olivier de Bretagne. I get the feeling that I'll meet them yet again.

The Virgin in the Ice was full of action, perhaps more than any other chronicle I've read so far. It was fast-paced and a page-turner. Ellis Peters must be given her due for bringing characters and their actions to life with her beautiful prose. I particularly enjoyed how she captured the winter season of medieval England. I was almost transported to the scenes and enjoyed the white beauty of the snow.

I'm becoming quite attached to this series. I'm not the sort of reader who can devote herself to an entire series, although the series of Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, and Miss Marple have been exceptions. I get a feeling that Brother Cadfael may join them.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[Jane Jago · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not doing plot spoilers.

Instead I want to talk about Ellis Peters' impeccable ear for dialogue, and the way she evokes her period with seeming effortlessness. There are also wonderful characterisation and intricately woven plot lines.

If you have never attempted a Cadfael story, now would be a good time to take the plunge.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

"England was already frozen into a winter years long, and he knew it. King Stephen was crowned, and held, however slackly, most of England. The Empress Maud, his rival for the throne, held the west, and came with a claim the equal of Stephen’s. Cousins, most uncousinly, they tore each other and tore England between them, and yet life must go on, faith must go on, the stubborn defiance of fortune must go on in the husbandry of the year, season after season, plough and harrow and seed, tillage and harvest. And here in the cloister and the church, the sowing and tillage and harvest of souls."

Many might find this descriptive interlude too much or want to get on with the plot. But, for me this is a large part of why I am attracted to Peters’ storytelling.

I love how Peters provides the reader with the growing relationship between the monk and the deputy sheriff. Yet, she reminds us that they represent two separate and often distinct functions: "“It is the sheriff’s duty. It is not mine. Among men of honor and decent Christian life I see no enemies, on either side. Mine is a different discipline. With any man who comes only to rescue and fetch away children to their proper guardian, I have no quarrel.”"

Their banter as Hugh Berringer’s wife is about to give birth to their first child is a good example:
"“Now I am going home to my own bed, for once—even if I am banished from my wife’s by my own arrogant brat. But what would a devout religious like you know about a father’s tribulations!”
What, indeed? “You must all come to it,” said Brother Cadfael complacently, “you married men. Third and unwanted where two are lost in admiring each other. I shall go to Compline and say a prayer for you.”"

As you now understand, England is suffering from this Civil War and Cadfael’s monastery is thrust into the midst of it when Worcester is attacked and vandalized. So, we learn that there are more than two political factions; there is a criminal element in Shropshire. "Whoever commanded there must have gathered to him the lawless, restless, masterless men of two or three shires, happy at seeing England torn in two, and its open wounds inviting their teeth."

Three of the refugees, ostensibly seeking refuge in Shrewsbury are missing; an adolescent sister and brother of nobility and a young nun who accompanies them. Mayhem and death are what much of this story forebodes. It is a good solid tale of investigations by Cadfael (and Berringer) but my high rating is for how skillfully the author gives us every nuance of that place and time.

From the weather, to the way a patient is treated, to how directions are provided, all is so perfectly rendered and so well put. And, there is a thread that runs through it all: "“You must not take to yourself more than your due. What you yourself did, that you may rue, and confess, and do penance for, to your soul’s content, but you may not lift another man’s sins from his shoulders, or usurp God’s right to be the only judge…There is no profit in ifs. We go on from where we stand, we answer for our own evil, and leave to God our good.”"

If the plot isn’t quite originally brilliant, it isn’t far from it. And the descriptions of characters, activities and places is brilliant. One of the best of all Peters’ stories. 5*

Below are some further examples:
"Cadfael saw a great quiver pass over the mangled face and past the swollen lips. The tip of a dry tongue strove to moisten, and shivered and withdrew from pain, but the lips remained parted. The strong teeth unclenched to let out a long, sighing groan. Cadfael had honeyed wine standing in a jug beside the brazier, to keep warm. He trickled a few drops between the swollen lips, and had the satisfaction of seeing the unconscious face contort in muscular spasm, and the throat labor to swallow. When he touched a finger to the man’s lips, again closed, they parted in thirsty response. Drop by drop, patiently, a good portion of the drink went down. Only when response failed at last did Cadfael abandon the process. Cold, oblivious absence had softened gradually into sleep, now that a little warmth had been supplied him both within and without. A few days of lying still, for his wits to settle again right way up in his head, thought Cadfael, and he’ll come round and be on his way back to us. But whether he’ll remember much of what befell him is another matter. He had known men, after such head injuries, revive to recall every detail of their childhood and past years, but no recollection whatever of recent injury. He removed the cooling brick from the foot of the bed, fetched a replacement from the kitchen, and sat down to resume his vigil."

"I’m for Bromfield again.” He had come by the most used roads, but they were less than direct, and he had a good eye for country. “If I make straight southwesterly from here, I take it that’s the way the crow flies for Bromfield. How are the tracks?”

“You’ll be threading part of Clee Forest if you try it, but keep the sunset a little on your right hand and you’ll not go wrong. And the brooks are no stay, nor have been since the frost set in.” The steward started him off in the direction he should go, and saw him out of the wooded hollow and on to the narrow, straight track between gentle hills, turning his back upon the great, hunched bulk of Brown Clee, and his left shoulder on the grimmer, more rugged shape of Titterstone Clee."

"….the claimants began to come in to look for their horses, as doubtless they were flocking to Ludlow to pick out their own cows and sheep. Some, no doubt, would be claimed by more than one, and give rise to great quarrels and the calling in of neighbors to identify the disputed stock. But here there were only a handful of horses, and little ground for the opportunist greed of the cunning. Horses know their owners as well as the owners know their horses. Even the cows in Ludlow would have plenty to say about where they belonged."

"It is not enough to say that a thing is so because of one fragment of knowledge, even so clear as a confession, and put away out of sight those other things known, because they cannot be explained. An answer to a matter of life and death must be an answer that explains all.”"

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rousing tale which I enjoyed very much. This is a wonderful series.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although when I first read Ellis Peters' sixth Brother Cadfael novel, when I perused her The Virgin in the Ice in 1986, it rapidly became one of my then favourites of the series, rereading The Virgin in the Ice over the past couple of days has proven to be a trifle frustrating. For although and of course Ellis Peters does in The Virgin in the Ice (and like in all of her novels of Brother Cadfael) brilliantly and realistically bring the 12th century AD British Civil War between Stephen and Mathilda (Maud) descriptively and atmospherically to life, I also have found that in The Virgin in the Ice, there are for one far too many strange coincidences and that for two (at least for me), there also is a bit too much murder and mayhem, too much killing happening. For while of course the Brother Cadfael series are historical mysteries and therefore will naturally feature dead bodies, usually Ellis Peters at least in my opinion tends to steer away from presenting too much of a body count. And albeit that The Virgin in the Ice is thankfully not awash with blood and with one body after the other appearing, there is still too much of an emphasis on the latter for me to feel totally comfortable and for me to equally consider The Virgin in the Ice as still a personal series favourite.

And truth be told, while I did and do find the advent of Olivier de Bretagne both interesting and personally satisfying (and that yes, I did manage to guess what his relationship with and to Brother Cadfael is even before the latter, even before Cadfael himself makes that connection), the manner in which Olivier suddenly appears basically out of the blue so to speak and clandestinely helps Hugh Beringar and Brother Cadfael with locating and securing Yves and Ermina Hugonin, while yes, necessary and indeed even important for the continuation of the Brother Cadfael series as a whole, this does at least to and for my reading eyes now feel a bit like a deus ex machina. As come on, in many ways, Olivier de Bretagne basically swoops down like some kind of fairy tale hero knight, making sure by his actions and deeds that The Virgin in the Ice has a positive conclusion, that the Hugonin children are found safe, that the lawless killers terrorising the area are routed, and yes, even that Sister Hilaria's murder is adequately solved (for without Olivier's heroics, in my opinion, Evrard Botterel's crimes would probably not ever have totally come to the surface, as Brother Cadfael could only match Botterel's horse with the mane hair he had collected after Olivier had helped them destroy the villains plundering and pillaging the area and to have then secured the livestock taken by them, including Botterel's horse). And therefore, but three stars for The Virgin in the Ice, but still rather highly recommended and indeed, since Olivier de Bretagne does becomes an important part of Brother Cadfael's life, one really should read The Virgin in the Ice (and yes indeed, before reading both The Pilgrim of Hate and the last novel of Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael series, Brother Cadfael's Pennance).

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

(After fourth reading, June 2016)

“Never go looking for disaster. Expect the best, and walk so discreetly as to invite it, and then leave all to God.”

Among the most popular of the Cadfael chronicles, this tale heralds the first appearance of Oliver de Bretagne. (You’ll have to read the book to discover his significance.)

“In a land at war with itself, you may take it as certain that order breaks down and savagery breaks out.”

By this sixth volume, Peters has reached her stride. Firmly set in the history and geography of twelfth-century England, these tales dig into the always-current dirt of humanity and find both gold and dross. Often it’s our favorite monk doing the digging.

“It would have been an insult to repent of having loved a woman like Mariam.”

Here the series takes a decidedly personal turn with the lives of Cadfael and Hugh Beringar becoming part of the warp of future tales.

“Youth destroyed for a folly. When youth should be allowed its follies on the way to maturity and sense.”

As always, there’re dead bodies--more than usual here--young lovers, pride, deceit, humility and honor. A very different culture than the one we live in now. And yet, not so different.

“Don’t arrogate to yourself God’s own role of apportioning blame and praise, even when the blame lands on your shoulders.”

A friend’s definition of a five-star novel is one you re-read regularly. Since this is my fourth reading, that seems to apply. But, while I may yet read it again (because it’s so much better than what’s being written today) it’s not monumental; just very good.

“Need you always be the one to put your hand straight into the hornet’s nest?”

Also a personal favorite. Our first glimpse of--I can't tell you that! Read it for yourself. (Mystery was close on this one.)

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.

[Tijana]

Svi romani o bratu Kadfaelu su ujednačeni kvalitetom i baš sam se prijatno iznenadila posle svih ovih godina kad je jedan odskočio: Devica u ledu ima i malo više radnje i avanture i kompleksnije likove nego obično, pa čak i složeniji zaplet, nisam pogodila ko je ubica (što se sa Elis Piters baš retko dešava) i još je na kraju Kadfael shvatio nešto što vam neću spojlovati ali mi je baš bilo toplo oko srca kad sam zatvorila knjigu.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is almost the epitome of "comfort read" for me, and right now, that's just what the doctor ordered.

[Cherisa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable medieval mystery. First Brother Cadfael title for me.

[Christine PNW · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite so far - absolutely loved it.

[hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

set in November 1139, midst a civil war sweeping thru Southern England... those seeking refuge from it arrive in Shrewsbury.

and a search for two children who were in Benedictine care in Worcester, who got lost on the way to Shrewsbury.


🌳🐴⚔👨🏼‍🦳👨🏻⚔🐴🌳


🙂 there's lots of to-ing and fro-ing amongst the cast of characters in securing the whereabouts of all! be it the children, injured monks, each other... and the occasional sheep 😉

🙂 there was alot of complexity to the different attacks on person and property, and the solving of these.

🧡 young Yves' boyhood-hero crush on Olivier was sweet! it seemed Olivier was the object of affection, and commanded obedience from, both brother and sister 🙂

💚 not so much focus in this novel on the herb garden, and brews and decorations and more... but brother Cadfael usually had a plant potion or three about his person, for eventualities 😉😁

🤎 the scene with the reuniting of horses with their humans was sweet 😁

❤ and some serious suggestions that some of Cadfael's past might be briefly present with them before parting! 😃♥


then all the children away to the west, Cadfael and Hugh ride back contentedly to Shrewsbury 🙂

loved the closing pages 😁 ♥ ♥ ♥


🌳🐴⚔👨🏼‍🦳👨🏻⚔🐴🌳


amongst the many good lines, and turns of phrase, and bits of dialogue, I was moved to note down:

"we can't restore them their dead, only their cattle"

"windows on a great contained grief for which there was no cure"

"even the cows in Ludlow would have plenty to say about where they belonged"

tho perhaps not quite so good out of context 🙃🤔🙃


🌳🐴⚔👨🏼‍🦳👨🏻⚔🐴🌳


the Brother Cadfael novels, and their author, have definitely grown on me. I think in part the characters become more whole/full, and faceted, as the series progresses, bringing in new details, and/or simply acting consistently across novels. and the story-smithery and word-smithery of the author have become increasingly clear. I've noticed I've developed an affectionate regard for both Cadfael and the author! 🙂


🌳🐴⚔👨🏼‍🦳👨🏻⚔🐴🌳


I've always considered these novels adult novels, but have noticed a trend of them often including plucky young people in peril... and of course they often come into/under the care of the calm and compassionate Cadfael. this one made me wonder if the series might have a young adult following too 🤔🙂


🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟


accessed as an RNIB talking book, nicely read by Rosemary Davis 🙂

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest. Throughout most of the book I thought it was just OK, two stars, even though from the very beginning I did really like the atmosphere of the cold and snowy winter; it was perfectly depicted. It wasn't until the last chapter that I understood the importance of this book. It too is a must read! These books hold together; to get the most from them they must be read as a group. Each builds upon the other, and in a beautiful way! Ellis writes beautifully, with humor, descriptive ability and with plot content carefully planned. You effortlessly learn about a past era.

I do not agree with those who say this series need not be read in order. Maybe you do not need to, but that is how you will get the most out of them. However start with book two and read the rest in order. Throw in book one when you want to fill in lost details. The more you read, the more you will fall in love with the different monks and other influential characters. They grow; you learn who they are. Each action builds upon another.

This book, book 6, isn't wow until the end, and then you realize its importance. I am not saying it is bad, it is just not one of the best, but it must be read!

Narration by Vanessa Benjamin was in my view not as good as narration by Johanna Ward (alias Kate Reading) or Stephen Thorne.

*********************


BEFORE READING:
Previously, I have listened to the abridged version at BBC and disliked it, but since I know now I like the series, I will listen instead to the unabridged audiobook. It is not abridged and not destroyed by BBC dramatization!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An atmospheric invocation of a land at war with ordinary people swept up in violence. A headstrong girl and her younger brother in charge of a nun are astray in appalling weather and dangerous country. Brother Cadfael follows their tracks only to discover the nun murdered and her body concealed in the ice. Taking advantage of the civil unrest, a robber band is ravaging the countryside but several helpers are looking for the children and all ends well, the murder is solved and comparative peace restored.

[Cecily Felber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: This is my absolute favorite Brother Cadfael story! (although The Sanctuary Sparrow and Dead Man's Ransom follow closely)

In the middle of a harsh winter, a band of marauders is on the loose, killing, raping and pillaging the countryside. Also on the loose are a pair of noble children and the nun that is their guardian, refugees from the sack of the town of Worcester to the south. Hugh Beringar and Cadfael are called in, the hunt is on...and Cadfael is destined to find that which he never suspected he had.

Brother Cadfael (pronounced Cad-file) has definitely entered the ranks of great fiction detectives alongside Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. But these stories are more than just murder mysteries in medieval drag. Ellis Peters actually lived in Shrewsbury, England, where Cadfael's monastery of St. Peter and Paul can still be visited. Her knowledge of the land and people and history permeates her work and gives her the incredible gift of transporting her reader into the past. You really do feel as though you are in that long-lost world lit only by fire, where it's quiet and green and life moves at a pace most people can be happy in.

Cadfael is a suitably complex man. He's from Wales, but now living in England (though Wales is not very far away). He was once a soldier, but now he's a monk. He's lived a full life, now he wants to be quiet. But he also has a strong sense of right and justice and refuses to compromise on these things, even when it means getting himself in trouble. He's also picked up a lot of knowledge, especially of herbology and medicine and (somehow for the time) logical analysis that stands him in good stead as a solver of mysteries.

Another charming step along the journey of Cadfael!

[Ikonopeiston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite of the Brother Cadfael series. The evocation of England during the Little Ice Age is precise enough to make me shiver and the images of the land under the blanket of snow are beautiful. The first appearance of Olivier is worth the price of admission all by itself. It is well nigh impossible not to fall head over heels for that young man on sight.

As usual, the plot is impeccably tied up with no annoying straggling ends. Peters has her story well in hand again. We come to expect her to perform in a thoroughly professional manner. At no time does she seem to 'phone her book in' as so many authors with a long running series and established reputation tend to do. (I speak here specifically of the "Cat Who..." series.)

Reading Peters led me to research into the Stephen/Matilda battle for the crown. It is a fascinating time in history. England had nothing but civil wars for so much of its early history. Peters manages the difficult feat of coming down on neither side and letting Cadfael generate understanding for both.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

(After fifth reading, August 2024)

“Never go looking for disaster. Expect the best, and walk so discreetly as to invite it, and then leave all to God.”

Among the most popular of the Cadfael chronicles, this tale heralds the first appearance of Oliver de Bretagne. (Read to discover his significance.)

“In a land at war with itself, you may take it as certain that order breaks down and savagery breaks out.”

By this sixth volume, Peters has reached her stride. Firmly set in the history and geography of twelfth-century England, these tales dig into the always-current dirt of humanity and find both gold and dross. Often, it’s our favorite monastic sleuth doing the digging.

“It would have been an insult to repent of having loved a woman like Mariam.”

Here the series takes a decidedly personal turn with the lives of Cadfael and Hugh Beringar becoming part of the warp of future tales. As always, there are dead bodies--more than usual here--young lovers, pride, deceit, humility, and honor. A very different culture than the one we live in now. And yet, not so different.

“Don’t arrogate to yourself God’s own role of apportioning blame and praise, even when the blame lands on your shoulders.”

A friend’s definition of a five-star novel is one you re-read regularly. Since this is my sixth reading, that seems to apply. But while I may read it again (because it’s so much better than what’s written today) it’s not monumental; just very good.

“Need you always be the one to put your hand straight into the hornet’s nest?”

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.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this book Ellis Peters swings into a high level of entertainment. It has two children and their Benedictine companion lost in war torn England during a freezing winter when bands of ruthless raiders are terrorizing the countryside. It has swashbuckling of the highest level by a romantic, mysterious crusader from the East. It has a wounded, amnesiac monk who may hold the only clue to the children's whereabouts. It has a highly unusual murder. And, of course Brother Cadfael who wends his way through the chaos using both his medical and military skills.

In fact, it has everything and kept me on the edge of my seat. By the time the adventure stopped and the murder was really being solved it wasn't hard to guess the murderer but Peters' complex plot and big cast muddled the waters very well until that time.

These books always have solid moral grounding, which is unsurprising considering that Brother Cadfael is a monk and the author holds true to the historical context in which the novels are set. This book had more emphasis on that than most and I liked seeing how Cadfael took the lesson his friend gave him and used it to lend perspective for several other people who were falling into the same error.

Really enjoyable and a high point in the series so far.

[♪ Kim N · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s 1139 and England is in the midst of civil war. Brother Cadfael is called to Bromfield Priory to care for a visiting brother, victim of a brutal attack by a band of marauders roaming the countryside. He also seeks the whereabouts of a sister and brother of noble birth who fled their village to find refuge in Shrewsbury, but never arrived. When Cadfael finds the body of a young woman frozen in the ice at the edge of a stream, it's the beginning of an investigation that will force him (and Hugh Beringar) out in the dead of winter to track the murderer and find the missing children. The ending is very satisfying and includes a personal revelation for Brother Cadfael.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another Cadfael mystery I can't find my original review for!

This is one of the better books in this series, I think, because the story is quite good and the characters are overall well done. I can understand why the average rating for this is 4.17! If we could give half stars, I'd have rounded this up to 4.5. There are some particularly clever twists in this one, as well. The main blurb for this book is quite well done--just enough information to let you know what it's about but not enough to give anything away.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderfully rendered Brother Cadfael mystery. This installment takes us away from Shrewsbury, as Cafael is called upon to tend to an ailing monk, battered and left for dead in the snow. Winter, in and of itself, is a character in the story, as 12th century living was very much beholden to the elements. We get love triangles, kidnapping, daring rescues, pillaging, arson, and ravaging. It makes you realize that even in a place that was ordinarily stable and secure, in times of turmoil and civil unrest, that people were vulnerable to armed gangs of ne'er-do-wells intent on murder and theft.
Once again Peters gives us the archetypes of the brazen-eyed, willful, beautiful young maiden, the charming wolf in sheep's clothing, and Cadfael as everyone's favorite confidante. But somehow this repetitiveness in character types does not take away from the captivating world building that these novels embody. If anything, I think it portrays a world that was far simpler in its shaping--life changed very little from one day to the next. One had to be able to judge a person's character fairly quickly--by their bearing, their body language, their eyes, their speech, and of course their behavior. It would be easy to see how people would get put into broad categories, so one knows who to trust, and who to put up their guard against. Yes, there is some predictability in the plotting, but there is a certain comfort to this, and I consider these books to be the ultimate comfort reading.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to have gotten hooked on brother Cadfael. I am starting to see the formula: people in need stumble into Cadfael’s path, he takes care of them; something bad happens, someone gets murdered, and Cadfael uses his forensic skills and logic to figure it out. There is always a young couple that falls in love, or perhaps two, and there is always an obstacle that Cadfael helps them overcome, whike musing over his own bygone days when he was young and in love. He looks on youth as an age of innocence and rash mistakes. And there is the historical backdrop of medieval civil war.

This installlment is quite dark, as it involves raping, pillaging and mass murder by bandits. But all comes to good end as our young couple gets together, and we get an unusally (even for Peters) cheesy bit at the end. Yes, this is cheesier fare than my usual, especially the innocent lovers bits, but I enjoy the characters, the monastic life, and there is a good variety of the mysteries so far.

I am listening and the availability of the audiobooks is out of order, but it does not seem to matter, as each story is independent.

[Faith Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than the other two I've read, but I still guessed the murderer and surprise ending well in advance of the reveals. I've just read too much. What I did enjoy was the "voice" of the book, the dialog, and the beautiful descriptions of the countryside under snow. I find myself getting these books as a palette cleanser. They are fun, fast reads and this one does not disappoint.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury, in the England of the twelfth century. Cadfael lived a full life before becoming a monk, having been to the Crusades; he has now been a monk for some sixteen or seventeen years, and is sincere about his faith, his obligations to the Benedictines, and his maintenance of the monastery herb gardens. However, his intellect is always piqued by mysteries, especially concerning young people. These are fun little mystery novels, and this one is a great introduction to the series. My first recorded reading of this book was in 2002, and the next in 2010.

In early December, 1139, the town of Worcester is sacked by forces of the Empress Maud, and refugees stream north to Shrewsbury. A week or so later, the sub-prior of the Benedictine monastery of Worcester comes seeking word of three people; seventeen year old Ermina Hugonin and her thirteen year old brother Yves Hugonin, orphaned nobles under the care of the Benedictines until their uncle, Laurence d'Angers, a Crusader knight just home from the wars, can take them; however, d’Angers is aligned with the Empress Maud (but arrived in England after the sack of Worcester), and cannot search for his niece and nephew himself. The two children were with Sister Hilaria, a pretty young nun at the Benedictine convent at Worcester. As the first snowstorms of winter sweep the countryside, Brother Cadfael goes to the Benedictine Priory at Bromfield near Ludlow to treat a monk who has been attacked and left for dead. Brother Elyas of Perhsore, who recently became a monk after the death of his wife, has lost his wits, and babbles about a party of refugees who might be the children and the nun. As Cadfael heads out on his mule (after notifying Hugh Beringar, the Deputy Sheriff of Shrewsbury, that he has word of the party), a tale spins out of searching in the snowdrifts, the discovery of a young woman’s body in the frozen ice of a stream (ravished and smothered, but with her attacker’s blood on her), young headstrong women running off with inappropriate suitors, a boy who knows how to act and be noble, a young man who claims to be a forester’s son but who appears to be a noble man of arms, and a bloodthirsty set of brigands taking advantage of the civil war to attack settlements and steal livestock and foodstuffs, leaving as few survivors to tell the tale as possible.

This was a marvelous book, and one that I very much enjoyed reading, and I look forward with pleasure to the next book in the series.


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2nd recorded reading: May 2010

I had forgotten just how good this particular Brother Cadfael mystery is; I had read it in September, 2002, and remembered, as usual, very little of the book. But this is indeed one of the best ones, and is the one I would recommend to anyone who wished to read just one Brother Cadfael mystery.

In November of the Year of our Lord 1139, word comes to the Abbey of the sack of the town of Worcester. King Stephen is in possession of the Crown, but the Empress Maud holds the town of Gloucester, from whence those who attacked the town of Worcester came. Refugees from Worcester make their way to the Abbey; and on the last day of November word comes of three people who fled from the sack but who have not reappeared yet; the thirteen-year-old son and eighteen-year-old daughter of a deceased noble, who were under the care of the Benedictines of Worcester. They fled with the daughter’s tutor, one Sister Hilaria; and their noble uncle, Laurence d’Angers, cannot make search for them himself, because he is recently returned from the Crusades to his home town of Gloucester, and is thus considered an enemy of the Crown, not least because he is a supporter of the Empress Maud.

Thus matters stand until the fifth of December, with the snow laying deep across the countryside, when an urgent message comes to the Abbey at Shrewsbury, requesting Brother Cadfael’s aid; a monk has been brought half-dead to he priory of Bromfield, who had been beaten and left to die in the snow, and the Prior of Bromfield fears for the monk’s life. So Brother Cadfael makes his way forth into the snow to the priory of Bromfield; and for the rest of the book, it seems that every major character is going out into the snow for one purpose or another. Brother Cadfael hears of lawless men, who suddenly appear from somewhere to rape, kill, pillage, and burn at outlying settlements, and who apparently hope that the attention of King Stephen and the upholders of his law are concerned elsewhere; and it is Brother Cadfael who finds a young woman, wearing only her shift, dead and frozen into a stream. Whoever killed her put her into the stream before the last iron freeze, and her eyes gaze upward when Brother Cadfael looks down as he crosses over the stream.

Again, this is one of the best Brother Cadfael books (in my humble opinion), and is one that I regret having finished, even though I am now free to move to the next mystery in the series.
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1st recorded reading: September 2002

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Virgin in the Ice is #6 in The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, a set of 20 medieval murder mysteries by Ellis Peters. This is one of the best of the series I have read so far, and the medieval mystery is complex and the plot is sound. Set in 12th century Wales, the story revolves around a Welsh Benedictine monk whose past as a warrior sets him apart from his cloistered community. He lives at the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in Shrewsbury, Western England.

"It was early in November of 1139 that the tide of civil war, lately so sluggish and inactive, rose suddenly to sweep over the city of Worcester . . . "

There is enough realism in the story and attention to broad historical detail that there is some violence and implied sex; however, there is no foul language or gruesome imagery. This disparity between the realism of the historical period of the late Crusades and the subtlety in which the author relates the tale is smoothly done and the reader will not feel they are being treated as a child, but as an adult who is given just enough details to add some darkness and some spirituality in the setting of the monastery.

The narration drifts into a dreamy poeticism at unexpected places. "The dry, fine snow turned the night into a white, whirling mist, shrouding outlines, burying paths, blown into smooth, breaking waves only to be lifted and hurled again into new shapes."

The Christian reader will find many places in the text to contemplate and to find Christian wisdom, practices related to a monastery or simply religious piety. My Kindle copy is heavily annotated and highlighted. "It was all too easy to turn honest anxiety over someone loved into an exaltation of a man's own part and duty as protector a manner of usurpation of the station of God. To accuse oneself of falling short of infallibility is to arrogate to oneself the godhead thus implied."

Caedfel instructs:"You must not take to yourself more than your due. What you yourself did, that you may rue, and confess, and do penance for, to your soul's content, but you may not lift another man's sin from his shoulders, or usurp God's right to be the only judge." No scripture is quoted directly, but the morality of the New Testament is in abundance, greatly softening the atmosphere of suspense and fearsome adventure where lives are often at stake.

Ellis Peters is sophisticated and highly educated, a linguist and an English scholar, and her knowledge is revealed in her handling of the medieval plot and the customs and practices of a Benedictine monastery. Her novels have won numerous awards and accolades.

Brother Cadfael is the archetype of the wise elder. “Never go looking for disaster,” said Cadfael cheerfully. “Expect the best, and walk so discreetly as to invite it, and then leave all to God.”

I enthusiastically recommend this book and the entire series for light reading with a medieval atmosphere of simply religious piety.

[Ned Hanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all of Ellis Peters’ Cadfael mysteries and this is no different; I would actually go so far as to say that this is one of the best. While for much of the novel it it feels more a historical fiction thriller than mystery, Peters bring the story around very nicely and finds a very Cadfaelian mystery: a tragic injustice that is overlooked in the chaos of the age that only Cadfael can unravel.

What makes these novels is not the stories nor the characters (although they are frequently wonderful), it is the atmosphere. Peters allows us to truly be in medieval England; the rules and beliefs of that time apply. The dominance of the Catholic Church over the minds of the inhabitants, for better and for worse, is taken for what it was then, not how it is often perceived now. In a novel like World Without End by Ken Follett the characters are judged by our modern values; Follett cheats by having the principles with whom we are supposed to identify with most be those that share our modern values closest. In doing this modern beliefs become equated to good and contemporaneous beliefs with bad, a terribly frustrating and unfair situation to anyone who wants to read a legitimate attempt at historical fiction. (as you can probably tell I really disliked World Without End!). Peters does not fall into this trap. Her heroes and villains are heroes and villains in the context of their time, not ours. Cadfael preaches reliance and submission to God in a very medieval way: hardly the ideas that are associated with heroism now: “Cadfael went to Matins and Lauds before seeking his bed. The order of observances must not be disrupted, even to go out in defense of innocent lives.” However, it is not one sided dogma (‘"Beautiful!"... “Even sub-priors,” Said Cadfael mildly, stirring the bubbling cough linctus he was simmering over his brazier in the workshop, “have eyes”.’) Ellis Peters’s world of Shrewsbury and its environs is realm but it's the reality of dark ages England, not now.

If I had one little niggle with The Virgin in the Ice it is in the setting of the action. Most of the story occurs outside of Shrewsbury abbey while Cadfael is visiting Broomfield. This essentially frees him from the confines of the Benedictine order and Cadfael can act and do whatever he wants. One of the great paradoxes of his character is that he is a man of action who has voluntarily devoted himself to a life and rules of peace and inactivity. It creates a r through which Cadfael must act when and how he can; free from this structure, Cadfael loses this internal antagonism. Like with other great historical fiction heroes such as Horatio Hornblower or Richard Sharpe if you remove them from the rules that bind their society (the navy and army respectively), it becomes easy for them to become superheroes capable of everything. Peters largely avoids this with Cadfael so it really is not a problem. However, I hope that removing Cadfael from the Abbey so he may act more freely is not a device that Peters employs more frequently as the series continues.

This is a fantastic novel and a great representation of a great series of mysteries. Read them!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the Cadfael I have read most often. I had a sort of fascination with the idea of frozen bodies, and the ending of this one is so terribly joyful despite all the death and destruction that precedes it, that I reread it frequently. On audio, I have bumped it up a star since my past read.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book to read during hot weather.
December 1139--the civil war may have flared hot in November with the fighting in and around Worcester, but here in December winter is starting to set in with a vengeance. The story opens with the sub-prior from Worcester's Abbey visiting Shrewsbury in search of Ermina and Yves Hugonin, two siblings of a well-connected family who had been in that Abbey's care. They went missing during the period of chaos, supposedly headed for safety in Shrewsbury, accompanied by the young nun who was tutor to 17 year old Ermina. Alas, they had not made it to Shrewsbury after all. Are they lost? Did any harm befall them? A lot of questions, with very few answers at this point.
Brother Cadfael gets involved, in a very roundabout way, when the prior at Blomfield Abbey (near Ludlow) seeks his medical expertise for the care of Brother Elyas, who had been attacked and left for dead. It comes out that Ermina, 13 year old Yves, and Sister Hilaria had safely made it as far a Blomfield and Brother Elyas was added to their party to escort them on to Shrewsbury. Now, the good brother is near death and the other three are missing.
What follows is a complicated dance of people found, lost, found again--it would almost be a farce, if the stakes weren't so high. A large, well-organized group of outlaws is pillaging the area; burning, looting and killing with impunity. Of course, just what was needed! As if heavy snow and bitter cold weren't enough to complicate matters...
There is a murder to solve as well as missing people to be found. The two cases go hand in hand. The outlaws are prime suspects in the death of the young woman, but are they guilty of that particular crime?
There's a wonderful fight between between the outlaws and the local forces, complete with the daring rescue of an important hostage as our dramatic finale. By the time the reader gets to the end all the story threads are tied in a nice bow: mysteries are solved, the lost are found.
As always, Cadfael is wise and wonderful. It was so nice to see under-sheriff Hugh Beringer in a major role in this one. The politics of the day weave their way through the story, adding difficulties to the search. All in all, a worthy entry in the series.