The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters (Cadfael #13) - SPOILER Thread - (Dec 22/Jan 23)

[Susan]

Welcome to our Dec 22/Jan 23 buddy read of The Rose Rent the thirteenth book in the Cadfael series, first published in 1986.

Young widow Judith Perle bestows her house in the Monk's Foregate on the Abbey of Shrewsbury. The only rent: a single white rose, to be delivered annually. But a beautiful woman with a substantial dowry is a target for would-be suitors - and when a man is found murdered next to the rose, Brother Cadfael sets out to find the killer.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Jill]

I did think the plot of this book was a good one, but did find that it was a bit strung out at times. However it did have plenty of mixed feelings in it. Cadfael was his usual dogged self, and of course all becomes clear in the end.

[Susan in NC]

I thought the plot was very good, and the writing particularly moving about the Widow Perle, what she had lost at such a young age, yet carried on without complaint. Great character - and so nice to see a mature romance come to fruition under Cadfael’s avuncular eye!

[Sandy]

This may be one of my favorite Cadfaels and the Widow Perle one of my favorite characters. I loved how she took her kidnapper to task and worked out an arrangement acceptable to both of them. While, as Susan says, this is a mature romance with both parties being widowed, I think they are both still in their (late) twenties. Life started so much earlier then.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "This may be one of my favorite Cadfaels and the Widow Perle one of my favorite characters. I loved how she took her kidnapper to task and worked out an arrangement acceptable to both of them. While..."

Yes, it was often “nasty, brutish and short!” I agree, this is a favorite - two lonely people who have lost their first loves, the fact that he had a little girl in need of a mother, that he wanted to bring home from his sisters house, it all seemed so perfect!

[Judy]

I've finished this one and it was one of my favourites in the series too. I think we could possibly have done with one or two more suspects - I wondered about Gunnar but he didn't come in very much!

I also liked the mature romance. I have a feeling it was mentioned somewhere that Niall was 40, but maybe I've got that wrong - 40 was so much older then.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "I've finished this one and it was one of my favourites in the series too. I think we could possibly have done with one or two more suspects - I wondered about Gunnar but he didn't come in very much..."

I know - I would have been borderline ancient at 57! ;)

[Michaela]

I liked this too, especially with the Widow Perle. The story was predictable, concerning the criminal as well as the love story. The books are always well written though, and there was some suspense in this one too.

[Judy]

Michaela, glad you liked this one. I thought it was beautifully written with some lovely descriptions of nature, though I have to agree the story was predictable.