A monk embarks on a dangerous quest to find a trio of missing travelers in this medieval mystery by an Edgar Award-winning author. The winter of 1139 will disrupt Brother Cadfael’s tranquil life in Shrewsbury with the most disturbing of events. Raging civil war has sent refugees fleeing north from Worcester. Among them are two orphans from a noble family, a boy of thirteen and an … thirteen and an eighteen-year-old girl of great beauty, and their companion, a young Benedictine nun. The trio never reaches Shrewsbury, having disappeared somewhere in the wild countryside.
Cadfael is afraid for these three lost lambs, but another call for help sends him to the church of Saint Mary. A wounded monk, found naked and bleeding by the roadside, will surely die without Cadfael’s healing arts. Why this holy man has been attacked and what his fevered ravings reveal soon give Brother Cadfael a clue to the fate of the missing travelers. Now Cadfael sets out on a dangerous quest to find them. The road will lead him to a chill and terrible murder and a tale of passion gone awry. And at journey’s end awaits a vision of what is best, and worst, in humankind.
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Entertaining story of a mystery solved without modern technology. Just good common sense and faith in your fellow men.
Brother Cadfael is an interesting middle age sleuth. I very much enjoyed Candace Robb’s Owen Archer series (read them all) and thought I would try Cadfael. An acceptable fill in until Robb writes another installment. I will read more…..
It was an historical work describing a tragic death of a young Nun and the injury to the man trying to take her to safty. It was well written as usual and I would suggest it to anyone interested in mysteries and history.
I loved the brother Cadfael character, and I loved the early British time period.
Ellis Peters makes that period in history come to life.
Love this series of books. Great mideval setting.
You have to read this book carefully because of the language, but that is part of the charm. You also have to read it carefully because of the clues that are dropped along the way.