The Summer of the Danes - Ellis Peters

   1991; 269 pages.  Book 18 (out of 20) in the “Chronicles of Brother Cadfael” series.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Historical Fiction; Historical Mystery; Cozy.  Overall Rating: 8½*/10.

 

    It’s the summer of 1144 CE and the Church in England needs a favor from Brother Cadfael.  Two bishops have recently been appointed to Sees in Wales, and the Archbishop of Canterbury has decided to send gifts to both of them.

 

    Brother Mark has been dispatched by Canterbury to deliver the presents, but there’s one slight problem: he’s journeying to Wales but doesn’t speak a word of Welsh.  Would Brother Cadfael be so kind as to accompany Brother Mark and serve as his translator?

 

    Cadfael is delighted to accept!  He was born and raised in Wales, but now is stationed nearby at the Shrewsbury Abbey and rarely gets to visit his old homeland despite its proximity.  This trip will mean he’ll get to travel in Wales for more than a week, while doing the church’s business, and enjoying the local hospitality.  What could possibly go wrong?!

 

    Well, there’s a reason why the book is titled The Summer of the Danes.

 

What’s To Like...

    The Summer of the Danes is the eighteenth book the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series.  I’ve read twelve of the completed 20-book series so far, and not reading them in any particular order.

 

    This book is unique to the series in several ways.  First of all, it predominantly takes place in Wales, which I don’t recall being done before.  Secondly, this is not a murder-mystery, which is what all the other books I’ve read in this series were.  Yes, a murder takes place, but not until more than a quarter of the way through the tale, and Brother Cadfael isn’t involved in the sleuthing at all.  Indeed, Brother Cadfael is mostly relegated to being an observer of events here, dispensing sage advice and making keen observations.

 

    The book is primarily a work of Historical Fiction, and what a fine job Ellis Peters does in presenting it!  Owain, prince of Gwynedd, is engaged in an internecine struggle with his estranged brother, Cadwaladr, who has hired a company of Danish mercenary seamen (hence the title) to help him procure the throne.  Cadfael and his companions become involved in the dispute when they are captured by the Danes and held for ransom.

 

    The main theme of the story is the role that Honor played in medieval conflicts.  There are leaders and fighters in both the Welsh and Danish forces who strictly abide by their pledges.  That’s true of captives as well; they can be released for pressing reasons if they promise return to their incarceration in an agreed-upon amount of time, and which most of them faithfully do.  There is also some Romance, which is a component of all the books in this series, but it's a secondary plot thread and male readers shouldn't be scared off by this.   

 

    Edith Pargeter (“Ellis Peters” is a pen name) was an English author, so the book is written in English, not American, but this wasn’t distracting at all.  There’s a Glossary of Terms in the back, which was helpful, although it ought to be expanded a bit for us Yankee readers.

 

    The ending is pleasant; all ends well for most of the characters.  Love and Honor both emerge triumphant, and the aforementioned murder is solved without any investigation needed.  The conflict between the two brothers is resolved, albeit not in the way I expected.  The Romance resolution will probably surprise some, but veteran Cadfael readers will correctly guess its outcome long before it plays out.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Tref (n.) : in medieval times, a hamlet in Britain.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.5*/5, based on 1,380 ratings and 169 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.08*/5, based on 5,087 ratings and 324 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “I had a younger brother, better content to sit on one strip of land lifelong.  I was for off, as far as the road would take me, and it took me half across the world before I understood.  Life goes not in a straight line, lad, but in a circle.  The first half we spend venturing as far as the world’s end from home and kin and stillness, and the latter half brings us back by roundabout ways but surely, to that state from which we set out.”  (loc. 898)

 

    “I am Turcaill, son of Turcaill, kinsman to Otir, who leads this venture.”

    “And you know what’s in dispute here?  Between two Welsh princes?  Why put your own breast between the blades?” Cadfael reasoned mildly.

    “For pay,” said Turcaill cheerfully.  “But even unpaid I would not stay behind when Otir puts to sea.  It grows dull ashore.  I’m no landsman, to squat on a farm year after year, and be content to watch crops grow.”  (loc. 1854)

 

Kindle Details…

    The Summer of the Danes sells for $12.99 right now at Amazon.  The other e-books in the series range in price from $9.99 to $14.99.  Ellis Peters is the pen name used by Edith Pargeter for the Brother Cadfael series, you can search under her real name for additional Historical Fiction books she wrote.

 

“There is no one who cannot be hated, against whatever odds.  Nor anyone who cannot be loved, against all reason.  (loc. 985)

    There’s not a trace of profanity in The Summer of the Danes, and I’m always in awe of any author who can do this while still writing a page-turner.  Neither are there any rolls-in-the-hay or other adult situations.  The closest we come to such things is some contemplation on the institution of arranged marriages and a bit of shed blood when someone gets stabbed with a dagger.

 

    I only spotted two typos: a capitalization (He/he) and though/through.  Kudos to the editor for a job well done.  There were a couple of “extras” in the back of the e-book that I didn't utilize.  One was a preview (the Prologue plus the first two chapters) of Book 19 in the series, The Holy Thief,  which I already have on my Kindle.  The other was a “Guide to Welsh Pronunciation”, which might come in handy for anyone who opts for the audiobook version.

 

    As with all the books I've read so far in this series, I enjoyed The Summer of the Danes.  Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael books tend to be formulaic, but it's a great formula, particularly since it involves well-researched 12^th-century medieval historical fiction.

 

    8½ Stars.  One last thing.  Knowing that Edith Pargeter was a meticulous historian, I was skeptical when I read that the base for the Danish seagoing raiding parties was Dublin, Ireland.  Really, Norsemen used to control of a portion of Ireland?!  But Wikipedia confirms this, even making the statement “The Vikings, or Ostmen (East-men) as they called themselves, ruled Dublin for almost three centuries”).  See the “History of Dublin” entry in Wikipedia.

The Virgin In The Ice - Ellis Peters

   1982; 200 pages.  Book 6 (out of 21) in the Brother Cadfael Chronicles series.  New Author? : No.  Genres: Cozy Mystery; Historical Fiction; Murder-Mystery.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

 

    It’s the winter of 1139 AD and civil war rages across England.  The Empress Maud controls sizable areas near the abbey in Shrewsbury, where Brother Cadfael dwells, but King Stephen is on his way with a huge army and a short temper.  Loyalties can change overnight and no one is safe from attacks by those on either side, or from the brigands roaming the countryside robbing, burning, looting and killing anyone they come across.

 

    Refugees fleeing from one town to another are particularly vulnerable, especially if they are young, female, highborn, or any combination thereof.  So when a brother and sister, both teenaged, flee the fighting around Worcester, people become worried about their safety, since he's the heir to a barony and she's...well... a headstrong sort.

 

    They were last seen headed in the general direction of Shrewsbury, accompanied by a nun in her twenties, presumably headed to Cadfael's abbey.  They should have arrived by now, but neither the abbey staff nor the local sheriff have seen or heard of them.

 

    Still, the authorities promise to ask around.  Hopefully the missing youths will be found holed up in someone's abode.  And it would be prudent for Brother Cadfael to be part of the search party; he is skilled in administering medicines and treating the wounded.

 

    Because bandits care little about royal loyalties when it comes to preying on poor, weak wayfarers, two of which are young and female.

 

What’s To Like...

    This is my eleventh Brother Cadfael book and, although admittedly Ellis Peters (the pen name of Edith Pargeter) always adheres to a formulaic plotline, The Virgin in the Ice is unusual in a couple ways.  First, almost the entire story takes place away from Shrewsbury, in and around the village of Bromfield, about twenty miles to the east.  Second, there’s a greater emphasis on armed conflict here, which means less attention is paid to Cadfael’s sleuthing.  Third, a 13-year-old boy plays a major part in the story here, getting almost as much attention as Brother Cadfael and deputy sheriff Hugh Beringar, the two main protagonists.

 

    But those who like the usual formula, and that includes me, need not worry.  There’s still the requisite “amor vincit omnia” romance, and Brother Cadfael does stumble across a  mystery to solve, involving the book's title.

 

    In addition to finding the three missing travelers, Cadfael and Hugh have other plot threads to investigate.  Someone beat another monk, Brother Elyas, to within an inch of his life, leaving him for dead, and Brother Cadfael has to nurse him back to health and find the dirty-deed-doer.  Meanwhile, Hugh’s top priority is to find and eliminate a marauding band of brigands that have been operating with impunity in the surrounding hills.

 

    Ellis Peters (1913-1995) was an English author, so British spellings are used here, including; sombrely, rumours, ageing, wilful, lustre, clangour, and languor, as well as a fair amount of  medieval terms, such as assart, castellan and croft.  A church relic being transported by Brother Eylas caught my eye: the finger-bone of Saint Eadburga, but when I consulted Wikipedia to learn more, no less than four Saint Eadburgas popped up.  I had to look up the meaning of the Latin phrase “nunc dimittis” and was thankflu that the author included a map of the Bromfield environs at the start of the book.  I referred to it often.

 

    The ending unfolds in a stepwise manner.  First the problem of the brigands is resolved, then Brother Elyas’s assailant is determined.  The fate of the three refugees comes next, and finally the romance thread is tied up.  But just when you think it's all over, Ellis Peters throws one last major plot twist into the mix that I guarantee you won’t see coming.

 

    The Virgin in the Ice is a standalone story, as well as part of a series.  All the plot threads get tied up neatly, and while the series has an overarching storyline, both personal (Brother Cadfael’s life at the Shrewsbury abbey) and historical (the series accurately complies with some astounding historical events of twelfth-century England), there is no need to read this series in chronological order.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Hale (v.) : to compel someone to go; to haul; to pull.

Others: Benighted (adj.); Thrapple (n.).

 

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.7/5 based on 659 ratings.

    Goodreads: 4.14/5 based on 8,195 ratings and 437 reviews

 

Excerpts...

    “He must be son or nephew to one of my father’s friends.  I never paid him much attention, nor he never noticed me, I was too young.  But I do remember his face, and I think . . . I think he has been visiting Ermina now and then in Worcester.”  (…)

    “You think she sent him word to come and fetch her?” asked Hugh.  “This was no abduction?  She went willingly?”

    “She went gaily!” Yves asserted indignantly.  “I heard her laughing.”  (pg. 42)

 

    “Who are you?”

    He meant to know.  And for all his present easy mood, if he was baulked he would not mind by what means he got what he wanted.  Yves spent a few seconds too long considering what he had better say, and got an earnest of what might follow obduracy.  A long arm reached out, gripped him by the forearm, and with a casual twist dropped him wincing to his knees.  The other hand clenched in his hair and forced his head back to stare into a face still calmly smiling.

    “When I ask, wise men answer.  Who are you?”  (pg. 110)

 

 

“Truth is never a wrong answer.  We will find it.”  (pg. 177)

    There’s not much to gripe about in The Virgin in the Ice.  Reading books written in English instead of American is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I happen to enjoy it.  Ditto for wading through all those technical terms from the Middle Ages.

 

    There seemed to be a higher-than-expected number of typos in the book, given that this was the mass-market paperback edition published by Fawcett Crest, and including things like winderness/wilderness, stiarway/stairway, and even a misspelling of one of the characters’ last name: Durel/Druel.  Proofreaders apparently could get away with sloppy efforts back in 1982.

 

    Last of all, and by far the most serious, I am appalled that it was worthy to note that the main bad guy was left-handed.  Even his name (this is not a spoiler) alluded to this: Alain le Gaucher.  The fact that I also am left-handed is purely coincidental.  😉

 

    8 Stars.  I should note that The Virgin in the Ice is incredibly “clean”.  I didn’t note any cussing and most of the violence takes place off-screen.  There are a couple “adult situations” alluded to, but nothing that would perturb anyone looking for an entertaining cozy mystery set a millennium ago in England.

Monk's Hood - Ellis Peters

   1980; 222 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 3 (out of 21) in the “Brother Cadfael” series.  Genre : Murder-Mystery; Cozy; Historical Fiction.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    It’s December in 1138 AD, and somebody at the Shrewsbury Abbey is definitely not in the Christmas spirit.

    Certainly not Gervase Bonel who, along with his wife and servants, has recently moved into one of the guesthouses on the abbey grounds.  He now lies at Brother Cadfael’s feet, dead of poisoning after eating his evening supper.  Who would do such a foul deed this close to Christmas?

    The foremost suspect is his wife’s son, Edwin, who was present at Gervase’s final meal, and had a heated argument with him.  Edwin had access to the poison, identified as the titular Monk’s Hood, and knew of its deadly qualities.  He fled during the meal, and is now being hunted by the local authorities.

    Actually, there’s a second suspect, and an embarrassing one at that.  The Monk’s Hood was taken from Brother Cadfael’s workshop, which means he had access to it and of course knew of its lethal properties.

    Ordinarily, Brother Cadfael is above suspicion, but it turns out he knows Gervase’s widow from an earlier time.  They were sweethearts long ago, before he went off to the Crusades and she became betrothed to another.  But surely now that he’s taken his vows of the brotherhood, he’s no longer tempted by the ways of the flesh, right?

    Then why was he caught sneaking over to see the widow at the guesthouse, “after hours”, and in secret?

What’s To Like...

    I’ve been an avid reader of the Brother Cadfael series for quite some time, since I like both historical fiction and a good murder-mystery.  It’s always fun to watch how Brother Cadfael, limited by 12th-century crime-solving technology, conducts his investigation, since things like fingerprints, lie-detector tests, and DNA-analysis are obviously not options.  Cadfael is blessed with a strong working knowledge of herbs and potions, which here allows him here to quickly deduce the “how” of the crime.  But the “why” and the “who” are well-hidden.

    The book is written in English, not American.  So we are honoured to be here, can baulk in revulsion at the ageing process, and wilfully keep up a stout defence.  Spellchecker hates it when I write sentences like that.

    Monk’s Hood is unusual in that it’s the first book in the series that I’ve read where there is no Romance angle as a possible motive.  Brother Cadfael’s past relationship with Richildis (Gervase’s widow) doesn’t make him a suspect to the reader (he is, after all, the protagonist in this series), but his getting seen in her cottage at night gets him grounded, which naturally impedes his sleuthing.  Not all of Cadfael’s other plans go smoothly: the sheriff’s sergeant doesn’t like him meddling and one of his handpicked hiding places for a suspect gets discovered by chance.  Ellis Peters also throws some dead ends and red herrings into the mix, and all this adds up to there being no slow spots in the tale.

    From a historical fiction angle, I was intrigued by the medieval “retirement plan”.  Gervase owns an estate, but he’s getting up in years.  So in exchange for a small guest cottage on the abbey grounds, plus room and board for life, he agrees to deed his land and home to the abbey.  I always wondered how the medieval churches accrued such vast holdings of real estate over the centuries.  This “arrangement” is certainly a factor.

    Monk’s Hood is 222 pages long, divided into 11 chapters; so they average 20 pages each.  The murder occurs on page 44, so you don’t have to wait too long for the intrigue and excitement to begin.  In addition to all the goings-on in Shrewsbury, we get to accompany Brother Cadfael to nearby Wales.  Cadfael has his roots there, and as a history buff, I always find his trips there to be a delight.

Kewlest New Word ...

Stravaiging (v.) : wandering about aimlessly; strolling; sauntering (Scottish/Irish).

Others : Moiety (n.); Messuage (n.).

Excerpts...

    “You’re young,” said Brother Cadfael, “and need your sleep.”

    “I forbear,” said Brother Mark cautiously, “from making the obvious rejoinder.”

    “I think you’d better.  Very well, then, you have signs of a cold, and should go to your bed.”

    “I have not,” Brother Mark disagreed firmly.  “But if you mean that you have some work on hand that you’d rather I did not know about, very well, I’ll go to the warming-room like a sensible fellow, and then to bed.”

    “What you know nothing about can’t be charged against you,” said Brother Cadfael, conciliatory.  (pg. 75)

    “I feel ashamed now.  It was wicked of me to feel such pleasure in someone else’s downfall.”

    “Oh, come, now!” said Cadfael absently, busy unpacking his scrip and replacing the jars and bottles he had brought back with him.  “Don’t reach for the halo too soon.  You have plenty of time to enjoy yourself, even a little maliciously sometimes, before you settle down to being a saint.  It was beautiful, and almost every soul there rejoiced in it.  Let’s have no hypocrisy.”  (pg. 215)

“He!  (…)  The he whose something that was not a vial, we did not find?”  (pg. 119 )

     The ending is good, although not particularly complex or twisty.  I had the murderer pegged from almost the beginning, but whether this was due to improving my sleuthing skills or just getting lucky, I can’t say.  I especially liked the way Brother Cadfael handled the sentencing of the perpetrator.

    The case is solved at page 192, and the remaining 30 pages deal with tying up several side plots, including :

    Abbot Heribert being called to London and expecting to be fired,

    The villein Aelfric becoming a freeman,

    An ambitious member of the abbey getting his comeuppance, and

    Cadfael and Richildis catching up on old news.

    Because these plotlines don't get tied up all at the same time meant that the ending doesn't feel rushed, which I appreciated.

    8 Stars.  Monk’s Hood was an enjoyable read for me from start to finish.  Perhaps this is because there was no “disapproved romance” in it, which is normally an Ellis Peters staple.  Or perhaps it’s because it’s been about a year-and-a-half  I last read a Brother Cadfael book, and everything in Monk's Hood, from both the historical and mystery angles, seemed fresh and vibrant.  I've read about half the books in the series now, and my Kindle and my TBR shelf both contain a couple more of the tales.

The Confession of Brother Haluin - Ellis Peters

   1988; 196 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 15 (out of 20) of the “Brother Cadfael” series. Genre : Murder-Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    Ah, yes.  Those deathbed confessions.  They’re good for your soul.  Especially when you’ve been carrying around an unconfessed sin for close to 20 years.

    Such is the burden Brother Haluin’s bearing.  But he’s slipped from the icy roof of the abbey’s guest hall while trying to clear the snowfall off.  It was a 40 foot drop, and now he lays at death’s door.  Best to confess the grievous transgression that drove him to take up the cloth in the first place.

    As head of the abbey, Abbot Radulfus is duly called to hear Brother Haluin’s final confession.  Brother Cadfael is also present, since Haluin says the sin was also against him, even though Cadfael was unaware of it.  And it is indeed a vile misdeed, something that definitely needed to be gotten off one's chest before approaching the pearly gates.  There’s just one problem.

    What do you do about it when, against all odds, Brother Haluin makes a dramatic recovery?

What’s To Like...

    The Confession of Brother Haluin is the ninth book I’ve read in this series, so I’m about halfway in completing it.  The plotlines are by-and-large formulaic: there’s always a heartwarming-but-forbidden love, somebody gets murdered, one or the other of the lovebirds gets accused, and Brother Cadfael saves the day via 12^th-century sleuthing.

    This book is no exception to this format, but the first half of the story is mostly about Haluin resolving to undertake a pilgrimage of penance, despite being unable to walk without crutches.  By page 100, I was muttering “Where’s the Murder?”  and “Where’s the Romance?”  I shouldn’t’ve fretted.  Both show up shortly thereafter, and things hum along swimmingly through the rest of the pages.

    Ellis Peters tackles some controversial issues here – abortion and incest – and I was wondering how she planned on resolving both while still maintaining the “cozy mystery” style.  Well, she managed this quite successfully and with impressive plausibility.

    All Brother Cadfael books are a vocabularian’s delight.  The best words of the bunch are listed below, and I was proud that my brain is retaining some of the medieval words, such as “lief” and “assart”.  The use of the word “solar” as a noun was totally new to me.

    The settings for the story are somewhat unusual in that very little takes place at the abbey and the nearby town of Shrewsbury.  Haluin makes his pilgrimage to a place somewhat removed from the abbey, and Cadfael accompanies him.  So most of the regulars are either missing or have only minor roles.  Ah, but this meant meeting lots of new people and going to lots of new places, and I enjoyed that.

   I also liked that none of the characters were totally black or white, not even those who perpetrated the murder.  Even Cadfael has some moments of self-doubt, such as when he reflects on his “meddling” in the past.  Everything builds to great, and somewhat surprising ending which, like any cozy should, will leave the reader with a warm and fuzzy feeling, despite a loose thread or two.

Kewlest New Word...

Solar (n., Middle English) : a loft or upper chamber forming the private accommodation of the head of the household in a medieval hall.

Others: Chilblained (adj.); Elegiac (adj.); Garth (n.); Colloquy (n.); Advowson (n.).

Excerpts...

    “You do know about my marriage – that Jean comes here today?”

    “Your brother has told us,” said Cadfael, watching the features of her oval face emerge softly from shadow, every plaintive, ingenuous line testifying to her youth.  “But there are things he could not tell us,” he said, watching her intently, “except by hearsay.  Only you can tell us whether this match has your consent, freely given, or no.”  (…)

    “If we do anything freely, once we are grown,” she said, “then yes, this I do freely.  There are rules that must be kept.  There are others in the world who have rights and needs, and we are all bound.”  (pg. 106)

    It is a terrible responsibility, thought Cadfael, who had never aspired to ordination, to have the grace of God committed to a man’s hands, to be privileged and burdened to play a part in other people’s lives, to promise them salvation in baptism, to lock their lives together in matrimony, to hold the key to purgatory at their departing.  If I have meddled, he thought devoutly, and God knows I have, when need was and there was no better man to attempt it, at least I have meddled only as a fellow sinner, tramping the same road, not as a viscount of heaven, stooping to raise up.  (pg. 114)

 Murder brings out into the open many matters no less painful, while itself still lurking in the dark.  (pg. 128)

    The quibbles are negligible.

    I‘m getting to the point, having read so many of these Brother Cadfael books, that I can anticipate the plot twists coming up.  But I still marvel at how plausible Ellis Peters makes them seem.

    Also, the pacing of the first half of the book kinda dawdles for a while as Cadfael and Haluin traipse around, and the reader waits for someone to get killed.  Plus, there were one or two incredible coincidences that strained my bridge of believability, but it has to be said they served to move the story along.

    Last, and least, if you like cozies but don’t like historical fiction, this series may not be your cup of tea.  Cadfael and the sheriff Hugh Beringar spend about 10 pages at the beginning discussing the ongoing civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud (yes, England did have an Empress once upon a time).   I love history, and so for me this was fascinating.  But for those who aren’t history buffs, it may be a bit tedious.

    8 Stars.  At Book 15 out of 20, The Confession of Brother Haluin comes rather late in the series, and most of the ones I’ve read so far are earlier entries.  So it was a nice surprise to see the series hadn’t lost any of its luster as it aged.

One Corpse Too Many - Ellis Peters

   1979; 188 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 2 (out of 20) in the “Brother Cadfael” series.  Genre : Murder-Mystery[ Cozy.  Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

    For the besieged defenders of Shrewsbury Castle, there is no hope.  King Stephen has decreed that no mercy shall be given to them.  And so, after the final assault by Stephen’s forces, the 94 surviving defenders are hanged from the castle walls, then cut down and their bodies unceremoniously dumped into a common ditch

    But enemies or not, they deserve a proper Christian burial, and it falls upon Brother Cadfael from the nearby abbey to oversee that duty.  And it is quite a shock when he discovers that, whereas 94 bodies went into that ditch, 95 were taken out.

    Who is the extra corpse?  Why was he murdered?  And perhaps most importantly. who killed him and then why did he feel the need to cover it up?

What’s To Like...

    The Brother Cadfael series takes place in 12^th-century England, in the westernmost area close to the border with Wales.  One Corpse Too Many is set in a particularly violent time – when civil war rages across England as King Stephen and the Empress Maud vie for power.

    As is usual for this series, the storyline is part Romance (two of them, in fact), part Murder-Mystery (of the ‘cozy’ variety), and part Historical Fiction, of which Ellis Peters (the pen name for Edith Pargeter) is an absolute master.  One of the recurring characters in the series, Hugh Beringar, is introduced here, and plays a lead role in the plotline.  This is my eighth Brother Cadfael book, although I’m not reading them in order, and it was neat to see from where and how Hugh makes his way into the greater plotline.

    The book is unusual in a couple ways.  First of all, at 188 pages, it is the shortest Brother Cadfael book I’ve read so far.  The previous ones have ranged from 198 to 275 pages.  Also, while this can still be called a “cozy” murder-mystery, the parts dealing with the 94 victims are somewhat gruesome.  Finally, both Romances are rather straightforward and uncomplicated.  Generally, the Romances in this series have “issues” – one of the lovebirds is a suspect, the duo come from different social classes or opposite sides of a conflict, etc. That isn’t so here.

    There’s more  action than usual, mostly because of the bitter war going on.  And if you like your protagonist subjected to situational ethics, you’ll quite enjoy the decisions Brother Cadfael has to make with regards to God, the warring parties, and the lovers themselves.

Kewlest New Word ...

Unchancy (adj.) : unlucky, inauspicious, dangerous.

Others : Distrained (v.); Sedulous (adj.); Caltrop (n.).

Excerpts...

    Nicholas Faintree was laid, with due honours, under a stone in the transept of the abbey church, an exceptional privilege. … Abbot Heribert was increasingly disillusioned and depressed with all the affairs of this world, and welcomed a solitary guest who was not a symbol of civil war, but the victim of personal malice and ferocity.  Against all the probabilities, in due course Nicholas might find himself a saint.  He was mysterious, feloniously slain, young, to all appearances clean of heart and life, innocent of evil, the stuff of which martyrs are made.  (pg. 65)

    When the dishes were cleared away, musicians playing, and only the wine on the tables, the servitors in their turn might take their pick of what was left in the kitchens, and the cooks and scullions were already helping themselves and finding quiet corners to sit and eat.  Cadfael collected a bread trencher and loaded it with broken meats, and took it out through the great court to Lame Osbern at the gate.  There was a measure of wine to go with it.  Why should not the poor rejoice for once at the kings cost, even if that cost was handed on down the hierarchies until it fell at last upon the poor themselves?  Too often they paid, but never got their share of the rejoicing.  (pg. 167)

“Brother Cadfael at least can tell a hart from a hind.”  (pg. 88 )

     There’s only one weakness to One Corpse Too Many, but it’s a significant one  - The Murder-Mystery itself.  For the first ¾ of the story, Brother Cadfael is up to his ears in various plot and intrigues, so his sleuthing takes a back seat.

    When he does finally get time to investigate the murder, it’s essentially a string of fortuitous discoveries.  A fragment of an artifact is conveniently found, which makes it a simple task to determine who the perp is – just look for the rest of the artifact.  Our baddie realizes this as well, and has the foresight to dispose of the rest of incriminating artifact.  But there is a convenient witness to the act, and said witness then conveniently crosses Brother Cadfael’s path.

    All this is trite enough, but it gets exacerbated by a medieval “let God decide” method of determining guilt or innocence.  It reminded me of the Monty Python Holy Grail “how do you know she’s a witch?” scene, except here the tone is supposed to be serious.  All works out, of course.  But it would’ve been much more entertaining if God had somehow chosen wrongly.

    7½ Stars.  Add 1 Star if you read Brother Cadfael books for the Historical Fiction and couldn’t care less about whodunit.

The Heretic's Apprentice - Ellis Peters

   1990; 250 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book #16 (out of 20) in the Brother Cadfael Chronicles.  Genre : Murder-Mystery; Cozy.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    After a 7-year pilgrimage to the Holy Land, William of Lythwood and his young apprentice, Elave, have returned to Shrewsbury, only to find themselves both accused of heresy.  William takes this stoically.  After all, he is dead and in a casket.  All the heresy charge does is determine whether he will be buried within the grounds of the abbey.

    But for Elave, the price may be higher.  And there are three witnesses against him, including the lovely Fortunata.  He admits the testimony against him is true, and is unrepentant.  But when one of the witnesses turns up dead, Elave finds himself incarcerated on suspicion of murder, as well as heresy.

What’s To Like...
    The Heretic’s Apprentice, Ellis Peters’ 16^th book in the series, has a somewhat different template.  Brother Cadfael does very little “solving” here, mostly he is just along for the ride as Brother Anselm, Fortunata, and the sheriff  do the sleuthing.  And atypically enough, Elave is eliminated as a murder suspect somewhat quickly.

    But that doesn’t detract from the story.  There is still the matter of who done it and why they done it.  You’ll walk beside Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh as the prime suspicion bounces around.

    It wouldn't be a Brother Cadfael story without a romance, of course.  This time the stumbling block is the charge of heresy against Elave.  There is also a lot of backstory.  The murder isn’t discovered until we’re more than 40% through the book.

    As always, the real joy of reading a Brother Cadfael story (besides the mystery) is Ellis Peters’ ability to create a believable 12^th-century setting.  Everything “feels” right for June, 1143, including the people, the mindsets, the town, and the terrain.  If you like historical fiction, Edith Pargeter/Ellis Peters is the author for you.

Kewlest New Word…
    Caparisoned (adj.)  :  clothed in finery (especially, a horse)

Excerpts...
    “The good who go astray into wrong paths do more harm than the evil, who are our open enemies,” said Canon Gerbert sharply.  “It is the enemy within who betrays the fortress.”
    Now that, thought Cadfael, rings true of Church thinking.  A Seljuk Turk or a Saracen can cut down Christians in battle or throw stray pilgrims into dungeons, and still be tolerated and respected.  But if a Christian steps a little aside in his beliefs he becomes anathema.  (pg. 29)

    “I will not bow to such superstitious foolishness.  It would be to encourage the madmen, and put other souls in worse danger than mine.  This I don’t believe can come to anything perilous, if I stand my ground.  We have not yet come to that extreme of folly, that a man can be hounded for thinking about holy things.  You’ll see, the storm will pass over."
    “No,” she insisted, “not so easily.  Things are changing, did you not smell the smoke of it even there in the chapter house?”  (pg. 89)

“What are wits for ... unless a man uses them?”  (pg. 76)
    If there’s a weakness to The Heretic’s Apprentice, it lies in the details of the heresy charges against Elave.  Ellis Peters brings up a slew of Augustinian issues – infant baptism, original sin, grace-vs.-works, free will vs. predestination, and something called the Patripassian Heresy.  These are all worthy topics, but it feels clunky as she tries to squeeze them all into the story.  The grand finale – the heresy trial itself – feels rushed, and I found its key arguments to be non-persuasive.

    The more subtle theological issues here – dying with un-confessed sins and renouncing one’s unorthodox beliefs – are done with a much defter touch.  But I kept wondering just how realistic these dogma debates were for that time period, especially among the common folk.

    Kudos to Ms. Peters for the ambitious attempt to address some weighty theological issues here.  She didn’t quite get the clunks out, but that doesn’t change the fact that the plusses of The Heretic’s Apprentice far outweigh the minuses.  8 Stars.

A Morbid Taste For Bones - Ellis Peters

    1977; 256 pages.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Murder-Mystery (Cozy).  Book #1 of the Brother Cadfael series.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

    By means of a divine healing, God has shown that Saint Winifred’s bones should be moved from their present grave in Wales to the nearby English abbey in Shrewsberry.  At least the brothers in the abbey are convinced of that.

    The Welsh are less convinced.  But when one of their own who opposes the move is struck down, is that not God’s judgment?  Perhaps.  But the arrow embedded in his chest belongs to his daughter’s beloved, to whom the father has refused to give her hand.  Hmm.

What’s To Like...
    This is the book that started it all.  Over the next 17 years or so, Ms. Peters (actually, Edith Pargeter) would pen 20 more in the series.  As her debut effort, A Morbid Taste For Bones is different in some respects; typical in others.  It’s a “cozy” murder-mystery, with a pair of “love-overcomes-all” sub-stories.  The murder doesn’t take place until 1/3 of the way through the book.  This is all vintage Peters.

    OTOH, Brother Cadfael is somewhat more cynical and devious than I remember him (this is my 6^th Brother Cadfael book, but it's been a while since I last read one).  And his abbey colleagues seem to be a lot more worldly-grounded than in the later stories.  Ellis Peters seems to use a bit less “old English” here, which makes it an easier read.  Or maybe I’m finally learning her medieval terms.

    The mystery itself is well-done, as the suspicion jumps from one person to another.  There’s probably a half-dozen prime suspects, which seems just the right amount.  The ending is satisfying, and includes a neat little twist that places Brother Cadfael’s carefully-laid plans in jeopardy.  There are a number of purported “miracles”.  Some are obviously terrestrial in nature, but Peters leaves you wondering if others aren’t heaven-sent.  I like that.

Kewlest New Word...
    Cantrip (noun)  : A trick; a mischievous or playful act.

Excerpts...
    The parents were ordinary enough, comfortable people grown plump from placid living, and expecting things to go smoothly still as they always had.  Cadwallon had a round, fleshy, smiling face, and his wife was fat, fair and querulous.  The boy cast back to some more perilous ancestor.  (pg. 63 )

    For would it be a miracle, if there was any reason for it?  Miracles have nothing to do with reason.  Miracles contradict reason, overturn reason, make game of reason, they strike clean across mere human deserts, and deliver and save where they will.  If they made sense, they would not be miracles.  (pg. 248)

“It’s a kind of arrogance to be so certain you’re past redemption.”  (pg. 198)
    Who knows why Ms. Peters “toned things down” as the series progressed.  Perhaps she feared losing church-going fans if the clerics kept on acting like lay persons.  Perhaps she simply felt the stories read better when the suspects were all new characters, instead of abbey residents.

    Personally, I liked the more-earthly tone of AMTFB.  Then again, I also like her later style.  8½ Stars.  Highly recommended.  Nearly 20 years after her passing, Ellis Peters still sets the standard for Medieval Cozies.  With good reason.

Dead Man's Ransom - Ellis Peters

1984; 275 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book #9 in the Brother Cadfael series.  Genres : Murder-Mystery; Cozy.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

    A recent border skirmish (Shrewsbury lies only a few miles from the border with Wales) has resulted in prisoners being taken by both sides.  The local sheriff, Gilbert Prestcote, has been captured by the Welsh.  And Elis, a young lad from a noble Welsh clan, has fallen into English hands.

    Brother Cadfael is sent across the border to propose a prisoner swap.  It is accepted, honorably; "a life for a life" so to speak.  Unfortunately, in the course of the exchange, one of the prisoners is murdered.  And "a life for a corpse" just doesn't quite cut it.

What's To Like...
    Dead Man's Ransom stays true to Ellis Peters' standard formula for a Brother Cadfael tale.  A cozy whodunit is intertwined with a romance.  Love becomes strained due to the crime; but wins out in the end after the case is solved.

    There's nothing wrong with that, provided the murder-mystery is well-crafted.  And once again Ms. Peters comes through.  There are enticing clues, red herrings, and a half-dozen suspects, all equally suspicious.  If you're alert enough, you can solve the case alongside Brother Cadfael, but I didn't.

    There are a few non-typical things about this particular book in the series (this is my fifth one).  First, Brother Cadfael journeys further out than usual - going twice into Wales itself (there's a useful map to help you keep track of who's heading where).  Second, there are actually two romances in the story.  And third, there is a key battle, involving hundreds of fighters, that Ellis Peters somehow handles "cozily".

Kewlest New Word...
Brychan : a woolen quilt or comforter.

Excerpts...
    Those who go forth to the battle never return without holes in their ranks, like gaping wounds.  Pity of all pities that those who lead never learn, and the few wise men among those who follow never quite avail to teach.  But faith given and allegiance pledged are stronger than fear, thought Cadfael, and that, perhaps, is virtue, even  in the teeth of death.  Death, after all, is the common expectation from birth.  Neither heroes nor cowards can escape it.  (pg. 4)

    "Which of us," said Owain sombrely, "has never been guilty of some unworthiness that sorts very ill with what our friends know of us?  Even with what we know, or think we know of ourselves!  I would not rule out any man from being capable once in his life of a gross infamy."  (pg. 195)

"The wisest man in his cups may step too large and fall on his face."  (pg. 157)
    This is vintage Ellis Peters.  It's a combination of a masterful murder-mystery, some heartwarming romance, and a brilliant piece of historical fiction.  There's also a smattering of humor (Brother Cadfael chafes at the thought that he might be old at the age of 61), and a thoughtful look at dementia through 12th-century eyes.

    Dead Man's Ransom may be formulaic, but that's not a problem when the template is great.  8½ Stars.