Reviews

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

_lilbey_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I wavered a lot on this one. One of the Friends Library workers recommended this to me upon hearing I like mysteries of the mid-1900s. And in the end, I think I did enjoy it, it just took SO LONG to get started. The murder didn't even take place until 1/3 of the way through and even then the action was slow. But the mystery was solid and had some complexity, so- 3 stars.

cernunnos's review against another edition

Go to review page

relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

thejdizzler's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Came here because this was advertised as a more realistic depiction of medieval europe than SKP.

I was not dissappointed. This book had a wonderful atmosphere that felt very distinct from our own world. People acted like they believed in God and saints and magic, even the cynical, kind-of-modern, main character.

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Not sure if it's a 3.5 or 4 stars. This was an enjoyable and a little bit of a cozy mystery set in medieval times following munks. The mystery revolves around saint and it gets really interesting. Really want to continue the series but it seems to be a lot and I only got two more

radella_hardwick's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

I was entirely wrong in who I thought the murderer was, which is rare enough.
And really love the neat resolution Cadfael found.

dexychik's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

When I was at school, this book was in the library and me and my friends used to wet ourselves laughing at the title because we were twelve and idiots. Some twenty-odd years later, it turns out to be a remarkably satisfying book, nothing like what I'd expected. Time to read the lot!

garnetofeden's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

A Morbid Taste for Bones introduces us to the irrepressible and delightful Brother Cadfael, a Benedictine monk in 12th century England. This aptly-titled chronicle follows Cadfael as he tags along on his English abbey’s haughty hunt to bring a Welsh saint’s relics home.

As a veteran of the Crusades, Cadfael possesses more experience about worldly pleasures than the average cloistered brother, and this has made him a sage and broad-minded romantic. The author deftly develops even the minor characters and subtly incorporates relevant historical information. My increased familiarity with Christianity’s history has imbued additional humor with each reread.

A Morbid Taste for Bones is an excellent start to an excellent series that has aged like fine wine. Historical mystery lovers will find much to enjoy in this high-quality tale, and I hope to finally finish the full series in this read-through.

A couple of my favorite quotes:
- “God, nevertheless, required a little help from men, and what he mostly got was hindrance.” (46)
- "It's a kind of arrogance to be so certain you're past redemption." (149)

Last finished reading 9/10/2023.

maureen_fox's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

After a very slow start, this was quite fun! I'm not rushing to the sequel, but it's a nice idea to have in my back pocket if I need a new audiobook.

mugglemom's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I'm not sure when this got added to my tbr list but for a challenge I picked this up and now I'm in love with Brother Cadfael - move over Father Brown because there's a new clergy detective in town.

themadmadmadeline's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

I had a hard time staying focused with this one. It was fine, maybe the series could adapt to be something I enjoy more (it has all the right ingredients I was just bored) but I may give the next book in the series a try.