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A review by jlynnelseauthor
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
5.0
1138 is overshadowed by Civil War between the two heirs of Henry I, and Brother Cadfael, an ex-Crusader-turned-herbalist as well as Benedictine Monk, is called to sort through the aftermath of a mass hanging where he discovers an extra body. Now Cadfael must uncover the name of the victim as well as that of the murderer.
This book was written in 1979, and while the characters can be a bit long-winded, this is a delightful historical mystery. The prose is poetic in construction with sumptuous passages that feel as if from a mythical past time and place. The robustly detailed setting adds to the mystery as Brother Cadfael must sort through clues like the shod of horseshoes, a broken piece of a dagger hilt left behind at the murder site, and other hints that we as readers so often take for granted with modern forensics. It’s a game of calculation and politics, of sword fights to the death, of budding love, and of daring escapes.
There are a variety of characters including two highly capable and intelligent women, and I do love me that girl power. I also enjoy that not all the men are chauvinistic in nature, ready to dismiss or put women down, as is often presented in historical fiction set in medieval times. This, book 2 of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, surpasses its predecessor in terms of depth of the mystery (with its plots and subplots) and urgency as political forces inject themselves as obstacles for our characters. These books are short reads about life in perilous times and mysteries to unravel that are enjoyable and engaging mysteries.
This book was written in 1979, and while the characters can be a bit long-winded, this is a delightful historical mystery. The prose is poetic in construction with sumptuous passages that feel as if from a mythical past time and place. The robustly detailed setting adds to the mystery as Brother Cadfael must sort through clues like the shod of horseshoes, a broken piece of a dagger hilt left behind at the murder site, and other hints that we as readers so often take for granted with modern forensics. It’s a game of calculation and politics, of sword fights to the death, of budding love, and of daring escapes.
There are a variety of characters including two highly capable and intelligent women, and I do love me that girl power. I also enjoy that not all the men are chauvinistic in nature, ready to dismiss or put women down, as is often presented in historical fiction set in medieval times. This, book 2 of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, surpasses its predecessor in terms of depth of the mystery (with its plots and subplots) and urgency as political forces inject themselves as obstacles for our characters. These books are short reads about life in perilous times and mysteries to unravel that are enjoyable and engaging mysteries.