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The Rose Rent (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #13)

Ellis Peters

Start date: December 15, 2022

Finish date: January 5, 2023

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in this popular series.
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What Members Thought

Apr 04, 2008 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, audiobook, currently-re-reading, kindle, tbr-with-gr-groups, want-to-reread

Absolutely lovely reread for me, for Reading the Detectives group December buddy read.

I read all of the Cadfael books decades ago, so don’t remember “whodunnit” for any of them, but I love the beauty of Ellis Peters’ writing; she evocatively captures the natural beauty of Shrewsbury, the English countryside, and Brother Cadfael’s herb garden at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Brother Cadfael is a wonderful creation, a twelfth-century monk who came to the cloister late in life, after time as Absolutely lovely reread for me, for Reading the Detectives group December buddy read.

I read all of the Cadfael books decades ago, so don’t remember “whodunnit” for any of them, but I love the beauty of Ellis Peters’ writing; she evocatively captures the natural beauty of Shrewsbury, the English countryside, and Brother Cadfael’s herb garden at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Brother Cadfael is a wonderful creation, a twelfth-century monk who came to the cloister late in life, after time as a soldier in the crusades, and as a sea captain. (view spoiler)

This story opens in late spring - the feast of St. Winifred approaches, and with it, the day a single rose must be paid by the abbey to the wealthy young Widow Perle. She gifted her former home to the abbey; it was the home where she lived, happily married, for a few years before her young husband died, and soon after, she miscarried their first and only child. All she asks in return, as rent, is a single white rose from the bush in her old garden. Such heartbreaking circumstances, but Cadfael reflects when he sees her at Mass:

“She was barely twenty-five years old, and had enjoyed only three years of a happy marriage, but she went about her deprived and solitary life without fuss or complaint, cared scrupulously for a business which gave her no personal pleasure, and faced the prospect of perpetual loneliness with a calm countenance and a surprising supply of practical energy. In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”

I really liked Judith Perle as a character, and typically for a Cadfael mystery, there is a romantic subplot, but this was refreshingly subtle and quiet, with two mature characters - Peters has given readers several charming pairs of young lovers in this series, so this was a nice change.

So, time for the annual presentation of the rose is approaching, when the young monk assigned to deliver it is found dead beside the bush, which has been hacked up and badly damaged. Judith Perle is a wealthy, much-pursued widow; would a potential suitor, anxious to secure her worldly goods and attractive person, stoop to murder to break the generous bequest?

Before Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beringar can investigate the shocking murder, Judith herself disappears, and another murder is discovered.

I am so enjoying rereading this historical mystery series - Cadfael started my love affair with historical mysteries 30 years ago, and any trip to Shrewsbury is a comfort read! ...more

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Mar 23, 2019 Christine PNW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really liked this one!

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Dec 03, 2022 Jill rated it liked it

Shelves: ellis-peters

As is usual for these books, there is a romance, but it is not there main focus. A wealthy widow who has an agreement with the Abbey to let a house where she happily lived with husband before his death for a white rose once a year (what we would call a peppercorn rent), is kidnapped just before the rent is due. On non payment of this annual rent, the property reverts to her, thus expanding her wealth. The woman has plenty of would-be suitors, but she has absolutely no plans to remarry, and even ...more

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