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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
The first Cadfael. The mystery itself was quite mundane, but I quite enjoyed the intrigue that Cadfael expertly negotiates, strategically ferreting out the murderer.
adventurous
slow-paced
I have read several Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters and decided that I needed to start at the beginning of the series. In 1137, the Prior of the Benedicine Order at Shrewsbury decides that the relics of a saint are needed at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. After some investigation, he discovers that the body of Saint Winifred is buried in the small Welsh village of Gwytherin and has been largely forgotten by the outside world. Brother Cadfael is sent with the small group of monks to try to transfer Saint Winifred's body because he is from Wales and he can act as an interpreter. Even though the monks have the approval of both the local Bishop and the Prince, predictably, the residents of the village don't want their Saint's body to be disturbed, much less taken back to England. When a leading critic of the plan is found murdered, Brother Cadfael calls upon the skills that he learned before entering the monastery (as an older adult) to solve the crime and make both sides of the dispute happy. This book is a reminder that what we believe is the truth is often as powerful as the truth itself.
I thought I would love this book, I got about 25-30 pages in and could care less what happened to anyone.
First abandoned book of 2011
First abandoned book of 2011
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A reread of a series I enjoy.
Pretty entertaining. I liked the historical setting a lot and the mystery stuff keeps the suspense up. Worth noting the mystery stuff is definitely not like a solvable puzzle or anything but it also doesn't pull any big tricks on you or anything so it's still interesting as a mystery. The characters are pretty charming and well written. I did find the regular extolling of the virtues of the Welsh pretty funny
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While this certainly is not literature with a capital L, it's a fairly pleasant mystery (murder notwithstanding)and an engaging read. It was a nice distraction from the more difficult things I've been reading lately for school, and the central character is charming and intriguing (what's not to like about a gardener monk with a mysterious past who solves murder cases?). There's not really much to it, all in all, but I'll end up checking out the other books in the series.