A review by judyward
The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters

3.0

The 13th book in the Brother Cadfael series. In 1142, spring is very late in arriving and there is concern in the town of Shrewsbury for the crops. There is also concern that the late spring will prevent the white rose bush in the garden of the house that Niall, the bronzesmith, rents from blooming by the feast day of St. Winifred Judith Perle, a widow whose husband and unborn child died within 20 days of each other, leases the house to the Abbey and asks only a single white rose each year as rent. If the bush fails to product a bloom by St. Winifred's feast day, the contract is broken. Brother Elurie, who had delivered the rose for the past three years to Judith, is found murdered at the base of the rose bush and the bush itself is heavily damaged in an apparent attempt to destroy it. Brother Cadfael joins the Sheriff in investigating this crime and those that come after it in an effort to protect Judith and uphold the contract. The strength of this series is not only the plot--although in this book, I guessed the outcome fairly early--but in the impressive historical research that was obviously conducted by the author. I think that it's time to revisit this series and get to know Brother Cadfael, the other brothers in the Abbey, and the residents of Shrewsbury better.