An Excellent Mystery

Set against a backdrop of a lengthy civil war where King Stephan and Empress Matilda contend for the mastery of England, this installment of the chronicles of Brother Cadfael sets out the dilemma posed by two refugees of the war who come to Shrewsbury after their own Benedictine monastery in Winchester is burned to the ground. Brother Humilis is a former nobleman and Crusader, wounded and crippled in the holy wars. Returning a broken man, he enters the monastery in Winchester. Soon after, a young man also takes the cowl, going by the name of Brother Fidelis. Fidelis is mute, and attaches himself as friend and attendant to Humilis whose wounds often reopen and lay him low. This unlikely pair has now reached Shrewsbury, in need of all the aid that Brother Cadfael can give: Humilis is dying and Fidelis's silence conceals a secret that if brought to light could shatter the reputation of the abbey and the Benedictine order! History buffs will enjoy the solid insights offered on the "summer of stalemate" in the struggle between king and empress. Peters has a great talent for presenting the mysteries of the medieval mind to modern readers. Mystery fans will mull the fate of Julian Cruce, a young woman once engaged to the Crusader, who has disappeared into the wreckage of the civil war. Was she murdered for the silver she carried? Fans of romantic literature will sympathize with Nicholas Harnage, squire to Humilis during the Crusade. He was the one who had to bring the bad news to Julian that her intended husband was unable to marry her. That glimpse of her in grief won his heart. Now he wants to find her and marry her himself. He embarks on a quest that sets him searching the length of war-torn England either to find her or to learn of her fate and revenge her! The title is most apt; this is an excellent work in all respects. Like other books in the Cadfael series, it can stand alone. Highly recommended!

This is the fourth Brother Cadfael mystery that I have read (I happened upon a random selection in a neighbor's giveaway bin) and it is definitely the best so far. The title, taken from the Book of Common Prayer ("O God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery"), is more than apt. The overall theme of this installment could be briefly summarized as "things are not what they seem". While this is true in most mystery novels it is true in spades here. A young women is mugged and murdered--or is she? A monk has a homosexual crush on another monk--or does he? Sorry, I've probably already said too much. As usual, there are several romantic plot threads, always a nice touch in the midst of a mystery story. Brother Cadfael, in this installment, does not use his deductive powers so much to solve the mystery as to analyze it as it unfolds. This heightens the suspense because we don't get let in on the inner workings of Cadfael's mind. Another reason why this novel rises a notch above the others is the role that the 12th century English history plays in the story. In previous installments the history, while interesting and informative, sometimes makes the book hard to get into. Here, the history plays a central role in the story, as the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud provides both the impetus for several new characters to show up in Shrewsbury, as well as making it more difficult to track down the information necessary to solve the mystery. In addition to being a good read, I think this would make a great movie. I see from another review that the series has been dramatized, presumably for British TV. It's too bad this series is not more widely circulated, perhaps if more people knew about it a movie would be more likely. Or, alternatively, maybe somebody should make a movie anyway, so that people who would not normally read the books can enjoy these excellent mysteries.

In this eleventh chronicle of Brother Cadfael of the Abbey of St.Peter and St.Paul in Shrewsbury, the ongoing war between King Stephen and Empress Maud has come to a stalemate, following the sacking and burning of the city of Winchester. With Stephen still a prisoner in Bristol, Maud had barricaded herself and her forces within the city when Stephen's queen, Matilda, attacked the city with fire arrows, destroying the monasteries and convents and causing the general flight of all who could escape. Two Benedtictine monks arrive at the Shrewsbury Abbey, begging for refuge and a new home. Humilis, the elder, is an ex crusader, like Cadfael, but had been severely wounded in battle. Fidelis, the younger monk, is mute, and is Humilis's carer, tending him with complete devotion. Cadfael realises that Humilis is close to death and tends him with loving care. At the same time, a hue and cry is set up to find the whereabouts of the former fiancee of Humilis who had wished to enter a convent after her betrothal vows were rescinded by Humilis who knew that he could never be a husband to her with his shocking wounds. Sheriff Hugh Beringar is afraid that the girl was robbed and murdered en route to the convent as she was never seen again. Wise and worldly Cadfael sees beyond outward appearences and soon becomes aware of the deceptions being carried out. With his aid, the well meant perpetrators reach a satisfactory conclusion to their trouble and the life of the Abbey goes on as smoothly as possible in these turbulent times.

I have to say that this is my favorite of the Chronicles. It has great characters, a riveting storyline, and the most beautiful picture of true, sacrificial love I have ever read. To say anymore would give away the ending. DO NOT skip ahead in this one or you will not get the full impact of the story. It is better to keep guessing. But read it a second time to get the details that you missed from not knowing the secret.

In this moving and dramatic story,Ellis Peters succeeds in doing something I thought was impossible in a mystery - and I am a mystery writer myself. I can't tell what it is without giving away the end. All I can say is that in addition to a story that intrigues from the first scene,characters and relationships you will never forget, and a fully-realized historical setting, there is an ending that will first thrill you and then make you say, "How did she do that???" And then you will want to read it all over again.