Summer of the Danes

THE SUMMER OF THE DANES, number 18 in this charming medieval series by the late Ellis Peters was my introduction. Stories have been told and characters set and it left many questions about what went before, maybe enough to set me to reading the entire series. An older style with long descriptions of the landscape of Wales and travels, which were beautifully done. Today's reader would do well to take it on a long flight where you have time to read and nowhere else to go. The murder is almost lost in the struggle between the participants and remains a mystery until the last pages. Nash Black, HAINTS and WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS

Cadfael is out and about again, this time in the company of his favorite Brother, Mark, and the story is free, except incidentally, of the Maud/Stephen eternal wrangle for the crown. Summer of the Danes brings the oft mentioned Owain Gwynedd to the fore along with his ambitious, untrustworthy and terribly flawed younger brother Cadwaladr in an intricate tale involving the Danes, who seem to comport themselves rather well given all bad press they usually come in for. The mystery is minor, romance flourishes and, while Cadfael plays his part, he's not the story, alas. Neither is Mark who seems a bit odd in this one. On his way to a sainted greatness no doubt. While you may wonder, as I oft have done, why books of this series are called medieval novels of suspense, rest assured that Peter's ability to limn a character, evoke a time, and place you in the scene are rarely equaled. We must, therefore, with good grace, allow Cadfael to play second fiddle from time to time and tolerate her unrelenting devotion to romance. Small price to pay for a satisfying series.

This 18th chronicle of Brother Cadfael has less about him and more about history. In fact, he really only appears at the beginning and at the ending and doesn't have any hand at all in the solving of crimes. The story springs from the tempestuous relationship between Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Wales and Cadwaladr, his treacherous and headstrong younger brother. The brothers have had no peace between them for years as Cadwaladr is forever plotting to seize power for himself, being beaten at this game by his brother and then counting on the strong family ties that exist in all Welshmen, to be forgiven and taken back into the fold. This time, he has gone too far however, and has hired Danish mercenaries to attack Owain's troops. These Danes have been settled in Ireland for generations (a fact I did not know) and were just as much Irish as Danish and were Christian to boot! It was an interesting read for the historical contents alone, even if Cadfael scarcely appeared.

I found this a marvelous mystery, though, as in most of this author's mysteries, the mystery is not important. The important thing is the words, the well-developed characters, and the lack of stereotypical characters. I have a question for the person who said that all Peter's heroes were tall, blond, and muscular. I would like to ask how many he has read, as it is actually rare that the heroes are blond. Take a look at Hugh Beringar, Torold Blund and Brother Cadfael himself for some examples! And in the Hermit of Eyton Forest, the protagonist is a child with many childish characteristics.The books are very good in general, though there are one or two that are not up to par. This is not one of her best, however, so you might try A Morbid Taste for Bones or One Corpse Too Many, which are both very good. I recommend this series to anyone who likes medieval mysteries!

It is not the summer of his discontent, washed by the sun of Yorke; however, it is the season for another Cadfael adventure and mystery! And Ellis Peters, in her usual intriguing way, presents us with her 18th Brother Cadfael episode in "The Summer of the Danes." The year is 1144--the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud still rages on--and Brother Cadfael is called upon to be an interpreter to the Welsh village of Saint Asaph. Cadfael is Welsh born and he welcomes the journey to his homeland as a pleasant break from his duties as a brother at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury. As it turns out--and naturally, as this is an Ellis Peters mystery!--a Danish fleet is sighted along the coast of Wales, a real menace, indeed. Then a young girl goes missing. Then a body is found. And Cadfael is off and running. So is the reader! Having read all the Brother Cadfael series, I found this to be one of my favorites. Peters wastes no time in developing her story and does not hesitate to flavor her plot with plenty of Welsh history and lore. Will the Danes invade? Will the murderer be brought to justice? Cadfael's expertise, once again, proves to be essential in the resolution of the crimes. Cadfael is the former crusader now turned monk who, while not solving murder cases, works as the Abbey's herbalist and is known throughout the area for his skills in medicine. The "Sunday Express" writes: "Cadfael...springs to life in her books, which are novels with depth. He is a man of warmth, humanity and engaging nosiness." Do not be misled by the British TV series of the Cadfael stories. While on the surface they are quite adequate (Derek Jacobi is an ideal Cadfael), the 50-minute recounting of any of Peters' books does not do justice to the novel, which is a pity, for there are great gaps of (mis)understanding that simply cannot be supplied in such short time. Stay with the books! They are well-worth the read. Cadfael is a character worth [email protected]