Brother Cadfael discovers a murder amid the wreckage of Shrewsbury Castle in this mystery series featuring “a colorful and authentic medieval background” (Publishers Weekly). In the summer of 1138, war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud takes Brother Cadfael from the quiet world of his garden into a battlefield of passions, deceptions, and death. Not far from the safety of the abbey walls, … safety of the abbey walls, Shrewsbury Castle falls, leaving its ninety-four defenders loyal to the empress to hang as traitors. With a heavy heart, Brother Cadfael agrees to bury the dead, only to make a grisly discovery: one extra victim that has been strangled, not hanged.
This ingenious way to dispose of a corpse tells Brother Cadfael that the killer is both clever and ruthless. But one death among so many seems unimportant to all but the good Benedictine. He vows to find the truth behind disparate clues: a girl in boy’s clothing, a missing treasure, and a single broken flower . . . the tiny bit of evidence that Cadfael believes can expose a murderer’s black heart.
more
Great historical mystery!
Enjoyed reading one of the first of this series.
Ellis Peters is a master story teller. Her characters are well developed and her historical research accurate.
Wonderful medieval mystery that’s historically accurate.
There is just something comforting to this armchair historian about taking a leisurely trip to the Middle Ages. Brother Cadfael is a great character, and the mystery is always played out perfectly!
I love this entire series! Very well written and a wonderful look at England in the 12th Century.
Ellis Peter’s Cadfael series is a treasure for lovers of historical mysteries. Think of it as The Name of the Rose with a tongue flirtaciously in cheek.