From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives

St. Peter's Fair
by
Start date
June 13, 2020
Finish date
July 11, 2020
Discussion
Buddy reads
Why we're reading this
Next in our series of Cadfael buddy reads.

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Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 468 topics — 9,049 comments total
+ Buddy reads
* Starting/joining in with buddy reads
By Judy · 1336 posts · 372 views
last updated 1 hour, 17 min ago
* White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Shetland #2) (August/Sept 25)
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last updated Sep 04, 2025 12:17PM
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What Members Thought

Susan
Jun 11, 2020 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
This, fourth, book in the Brother Cadfael series, takes place around the Abbey and the town of Shrewsbury. For three days, the Abbey holds St Peter's Fair, where wealthy merchants gather and people come from far and wide to buy goods. However, the local townspeople are displeased and a row brews between them and the Abbey, when they ask for a proportion of the fair tolls to be given to the town to restore the walls after recent outbreaks of war - seen in earlier books, when the town was besieged ...more
Damaskcat
May 09, 2017 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
The Abbey and town of Shrewsbury are looking forward to the annual St Peter's Fair as a respite from the battles of the civil war. Then a wealthy merchant - come to sell his goods at the fair - is found dead and it looks as though violence hasn't gone from the town at all. Brother Cadfael witnessed a violent incident which may have led to the murder but as ever things are not as they seem and it will take all Cadfael's intelligence and ingenuity to discover the truth.

I like Cadfael and I always
...more
Ann
Apr 07, 2013 rated it liked it
This Brother Cadfael mystery is set in the summer of 1139, in Shrewsbury The townsfolk are eager for the annual three-day St. Peter's fair. The tradesmen of the town are eager to get a share of its profits - normally given entirely to the abbey. The abbot, however, refuses which creates a protest from the businessmen. When the town's youth escalate the situation out of hand one of the merchants attending the fair is found murdered.

Brother Cadfael is always present and keeps a watchful eye out f
...more
Jill
Jun 09, 2020 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: ellis-peters
No long journeys in this one, as it all happens in and around the Abbey. We get to know the new abbot from the beginning, and this one gets on well with Cadfael. St Peter's Fair is held within the grounds of the Shrewsbury Abbey, but historically the town has to close down for it's duration. This makes life difficult for the town's people,who ask for compensation from the Abbey, for loss of earnings. So we get our first sighting of the new Abbot, who refuses. The merchants selling their wares, c ...more
Sherran
Apr 05, 2013 rated it really liked it
Chris
Aug 09, 2013 rated it liked it
Kajehas
Jan 29, 2015 rated it liked it
Lori
Mar 25, 2015 rated it really liked it
Miss M
Oct 28, 2015 marked it as second-in-line  ·  review of another edition
Dipanjan
Jan 26, 2016 marked it as to-read
Shelves: own-in-kindle
Doris
Feb 25, 2016 rated it really liked it
Gary Vassallo
Oct 01, 2016 marked it as ebook-library
Thomas
Sep 14, 2017 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Rachel Burke
Sep 24, 2017 marked it as want-to-buy
Lori
Apr 28, 2018 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Karen
Jun 06, 2020 marked it as to-read
Valerie Brown
Nov 28, 2021 rated it really liked it
John Frankham
May 07, 2024 rated it really liked it
Shelves: crime-detective