About this title: In 1137 the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey has decided to acquire the remains of Saint Winifred for his Benedictine order. Brother Cadfael is part of the expedition sent to her final resting place in Wales and they find the villagers passionately divided by the Benedictines' offer for the saint's relics. Canny, wise and all too worldly, Cadfael isn't surprised when this taste for bones leads to bloody murder. The leading opponent to moving the grave has been shot dead with a mysterious arrow, and some say Winifred herself dealt the blow. Brother Cadfael knows that a carnal hand did the ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Fawcett
Date Published: 1985-05-12
ISBN-13:9780449207000ISBN:0449207005
Description: Very Good. Mass market paperback. Light general wear. Light spine slant. Clean, tight, unmarked. Dark cover, death by arrow with with castle in background. read more
Description: Good. Spine is smooth. Covers show some wear at the edges and corners. Good reading copy. Binding is Mass Market Paperback. Pages tanning. Used books may have price stickers. Most orders ship on the next business day. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Futura, London
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780708825525ISBN:0708825524
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Light edge wear to soft cover. Light hint of page tanning from age. 191p.; 18 cm. Originally published: London: Macmillan, 1977. read more
Description: Good. Futura, PB, 1971, 1988 UK reprint edition. Good reading copy, solid binding, ight wear, pages are edge toned. Check my store for more books by this author. read more
Description: Good. The first chronicle of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury. Welcome into the murderous, medieval world of Brother Cadfael. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mysterious Press
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780449207000ISBN:0449207005
Description: Grade: C. Catalog: Mystery General Synopsis: 250 pages. In the twelfth-century Benedictine monastery of Shrewsbury, Brother Cadfael has settled down to a quiet life in charge of the herbarium aft... read more
"This series offers excellent mysteries, compelling characters, with early medieval England (well researched) for a background. You learn social history as you enjoy the puzzles and good stories. The first of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, this novel deals with the murder of a man who opposes Cadfael's superior in a fight over where the relics of an early virginal saint will repose, in their traditional home in an obscure Welsh chapel, or at the Abbey at Shrewsbury, where they can become an object of pilgrimage and veneration. The suspenseful story that includes pinches of romance, devotion, and humor, as well as truly unique characters, portrays 12th Century England superbly. The author is a noted Medieval scholar. Positive. Caution: the series is aimed at adults, not adolescents. Many themes of later novels are ADULT themes, including rape, abuse of various sorts, etc. They are all positive, ultimately."
"Peters wrote Medieval-Lite, but. I know other authors who came behind her to write medieval mysteries tried to capture the grittier reality from a time that was not all Chivalry and Great Ideals, and I can appreciate them as well, but these are just so ... nice. Although the settings in these books are somewhat sanitized, the characters are compelling and the mysteries are good. In this the first of the series, we meet Brother Cadfael (who is nothing like Sir Derek and one wonders how that man hasn't changed since he was Claudius - perhaps he has a painting in his attic ... ), a former man of the world who has been both soldier and lover and now appreciates a bit of peace and quiet.
We are also introduced to other continuing characters, the gentle Abbott, the supercilious Prior and his sycophantic assistant, and other brothers. Cadfael is the herbalist and that and years of military service have taught him what death looks like. Years of amatory service have given him sympathy for those in love.
In this story, Prior Robert's ambitions for the monastery (and himself) send a party to Wales to extract an underutilized saint literally from that soil. The Welsh aren't happy about this and the village's most outspoken authority is murdered. An Englishman unaffiliated with the monks is implicated. Being Welsh, Cadfael is torn between loyalty to his brothers and to his countrymen. Being a cozy mystery, Peters neatly resolves everything and shows Cadfael to be whimsical at the same time as being Solomonic."
"Enoyable history candy. I find myself taking on the speech mannerisms of the books I'm reading, and after nearly a dozen Brother Cadfael's I was a walking talking 12C monk.
The mysteries are quite gentle, despite featuring murders. Brother Cadfael, the protagonist, is never put in danger--compare, for example, to Dick Francis where almost every book features the hero getting beaten up twice (once to show that he feels pain, and again to show that he's brave enough to take the beating he knows is coming). Peters doesn't reuse the same plot again and again, so there's variety in who gets murdered, how, and how the villain is uncovered. That said, there's always a beautiful girl and young man accused of the murder (often reckless at the start, but he matures as the plot continues) ... Peters is almost writing romance novels.
They were enjoyable, if a little "moreish" (I'd finish one and immediately start the next). Fortunately I began to tire after the tenth, much as I quickly tire of over-sweet candy or cake frosting."
"Rather similar to the "Knights Templar" mysteries, this monk-with-a-detective-flair is delightfully warm and a fun character to follow. The forensics-that-aren't-forensics are wonderful to watch, as the inventiveness of making modern assumptions old-school is well done by Peters. Here, the cast of Welsh characters is very real and easy to like; even the Benedictine brothers are believable and, in some cases, lovable. Great read for crime-fighting novel lovers, with a dash of medieval for those of us who are history buffs."
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