I didn’t really like the Cadfael series on TV, and I thought I had read at least one book long ago and decided not to pursue it. However, I saw that the first book filled a hole in my A Century of Books project, so I thought I’d give it another try. Now, I’m not sure I ever read any, because this book is pretty good!
In 1137, Brother Cadfael is a Welsh monk in a Benedictine order in Shrewsbury. He has led an exciting life, but now a quiet one taking care of the monastery garden suits him. He has two young assistants. Brother Columbanus is from a family of high Norman blood who seems almost too devout and eager to please. Brother John is practical and full of mischief.
Brother Columbanus is stricken with something that seems like epilepsy, so Prior Robert, an ambitious, proud man, suggests sending him to the Shrine of Saint Winifred in nearby Wales. When Brother Columbanus is miraculously cured, Prior Robert suggests that what the order needs are some relics, and Saint Winfred’s bones may answer the case.
Although Prior Robert wouldn’t normally include Cadfael in his expedition to get the bones, he needs him as a translator. Brother Columbanus is allowed to go as the subject of the miraculous healing, and Brother John offers to take care of the livestock. After getting permission from the Welsh authorities to remove the bones, the party encounters opposition from Rhisiart, the major landowner in the area, and thus from the rest of the locals.
Prior Robert meets with Rhisiart to try to talk him around, but he mishandles this discussion badly by trying to bribe him. They schedule a second meeting, but Rhisiart never arrives. Once they learn he left home for the meeting and never returned, everyone goes out to look for him. They find him shot in the chest with an arrow that belongs to Engelard, a Saxon boy who wants to marry Sioned, Rhisiart’s only child and his heir.
Suspicion immediately focuses on Engelard, but to Cadfael that doesn’t make sense. Even though Rhisiart opposed the marriage, he has treated Engelard like a son since he arrived, in a country where you usually must belong to a family to get work.
Does the murder have to do with the marriage? with Sioned? a love triangle? the monk’s expedition?
I enjoyed this mystery. It seems well-researched and is written with a wry sense of humor. Although I did guess the murderer, Peters tricked me enough to move my guess to two other people before I returned to my original suspect just about the time Cadfael did.
What? Me Read? 
I enjoyed this too, though I can’t remember if I guessed the murderer or not. I still haven’t read any of the other books in the series, but I do want to.
I have the second one on my pile. I’ve been looking for another series or two to stay interested in.
I’m glad you enjoyed this one! Cadfael was a favourite of mine back in the day and I keep meaning to reread some of them. I always felt they were well researched and avoided anachronism, and Cadfael himself is an attractive character.
I have the second one, but it’s far down in the pile, and I haven’t been working on the pile lately, trying to get my Century of Books project over with. Goodness knows when I will get to it.
I used to love reading medieval fiction, but it has been a long time for me!
Thank you for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
Of course, this one is a mystery, and I don’t know if you like those, but it’s pretty good.