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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
The head of the Benedictine Abbey in Shrewsbury, England, sends an expedition of monks to retrieve the remains of Saint Winifred from her resting place in Gwytherin, Wales. But the villagers of Gwytherin are not uniformly keen on the idea of losing their beloved saint. When the leading opponent to moving the saint’s bones is found dead, apparently shot with an arrow, some take it as a sign that the Saint approves the move. But Brother Cadfael recognizes that the murder was done by a human, and though he is an outsider, he begins to investigate.
I’ve heard about this series set in 12th century England for some years, and always wanted to try them. I found it rather slow moving; the murder doesn’t happen until page 68. Granted, as the first in the series, Peters does have to spend more time in establishing the characters and setting, but I like my mysteries – even the cozy mysteries - to move along at a brisk pace.
I really liked Brother Cadfael as a central character, however. He is a keen observer and is methodical and deliberate in his investigation. I also rather liked his rather unorthodox approach to solving the mystery and achieving justice.
I’d be willing to read another in the series.
I’ve heard about this series set in 12th century England for some years, and always wanted to try them. I found it rather slow moving; the murder doesn’t happen until page 68. Granted, as the first in the series, Peters does have to spend more time in establishing the characters and setting, but I like my mysteries – even the cozy mysteries - to move along at a brisk pace.
I really liked Brother Cadfael as a central character, however. He is a keen observer and is methodical and deliberate in his investigation. I also rather liked his rather unorthodox approach to solving the mystery and achieving justice.
I’d be willing to read another in the series.
pickpoppies's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wanted to like this one because my brother likes it (even if he hadn’t read it since he was a child) but… slow and hard to care for the characters and there’s a line towards the end, a woman wrote this? Different times I guess but what the heck. I do like the idea of medieval mystery so might give another book a try to see if they get better and keep my eye out for other mysteries set in this era.
kris_tea516's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I didn’t think I was going to like this book at first but, in the end, I really enjoyed it. I would be willing to read more in this series.
devlinwav's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
I like Brother Cadfael's pragmatism. Very practical man, and it is he and not that lofty, holier-than-thou Prior Robert who is really a better case for religion. The murder mystery was all right, it's more of a B-plot to me as it was rather transparent who the fool was. I was much more interested in the cloister life, it is most fascinating as I know nothing of it except for what was portrayed in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. The introduction to Wales village culture is also a bonus, although I do not find such clannishness and inward-looking attitudes as a positive thing. At any rate, I like how the author humanizes the monastic life, and shows that they are just ordinary people like the rest of us, striving to live well and make better the lives of others.
accidentalspaceexplorer's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I'd watched & enjoyed the Cadfael series several years ago, so when I ran across this I thought it could be pretty fun, and it absolutely was. I'm pretty sure I've seen this episode but I completely forgot about the plot so it worked out ok. I was really surprised though! I really enjoyed Cadfael's perspective, and I thought the murder plot & ending were both really clever and surprising. Very good, and I'll definitely read the next one.
aberdeenwaters's review against another edition
4.0
A Whodunit in Medieval times? How could I resist? A fun read.