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A review by crazygoangirl
Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
In this fourth outing with Brother Cadfael, we are visiting the annual St. Peter’s Fair held on Abbey grounds. I loved Peters descriptions of the Fair - the preparations, the vibrancy of sounds and colours, and the merchants and their goods coming from all over England by road, horse and boat. She made it all come alive as she always does 😊
Murder seems to follow Cadfael around as do beautiful, young damsels in distress! It’s a running theme in the series! In this one, a merchant, Thomas of Bristol is found stabbed and his young niece Emma must deal from the fallout of his death. Once again, Peters’ heroine is young, beautiful, resourceful and fearless! Emma is under the protection of Hugh and Aline Beringar at the Abbey but danger often comes unexpected in safe places!
As always, Cadfael investigates but in this story, Hugh and the boy Phillip Corviser - young, rash but honest and steadfast, are major accomplices in the solving of this crime. Peters’ plots are detailed without being overwhelming. I love how she makes the detecting process feel contemporary even in the twelfth century, when methods are basic and often crude, Cadfael and Hugh get the job done with their keen observation and sharp deductions. I love that she gives her regular cast of characters believable arcs and realistic dreams and aspirations along with the willingness to pursue them. Even her new characters are well-fleshed and feel real! Ivo Corbiere and his party play vital roles in the matter and the climax once again showcases Emma’s determination and Phillip’s bravery.
I liked this one a little less than I did Monk’s Hood hence the slightly lower rating, but it was an engaging read all the same. Peters has the incredible ability to tell a rocking tale in a short time (most of her books are 250 pages or so), which just goes to show that in the hands of a skilful author, one doesn’t always need a tome to write an epic!
Unfortunately this is the last of the books available on Kindle Unlimited so far. The next two are available for free on Audible. I’ve been researching which editions of the series to collect and haven’t quite made up my mind. Physical copies are not easily available and are expensive when they are, but I MUST have them 😊
Murder seems to follow Cadfael around as do beautiful, young damsels in distress! It’s a running theme in the series! In this one, a merchant, Thomas of Bristol is found stabbed and his young niece Emma must deal from the fallout of his death. Once again, Peters’ heroine is young, beautiful, resourceful and fearless! Emma is under the protection of Hugh and Aline Beringar at the Abbey but danger often comes unexpected in safe places!
As always, Cadfael investigates but in this story, Hugh and the boy Phillip Corviser - young, rash but honest and steadfast, are major accomplices in the solving of this crime. Peters’ plots are detailed without being overwhelming. I love how she makes the detecting process feel contemporary even in the twelfth century, when methods are basic and often crude, Cadfael and Hugh get the job done with their keen observation and sharp deductions. I love that she gives her regular cast of characters believable arcs and realistic dreams and aspirations along with the willingness to pursue them. Even her new characters are well-fleshed and feel real! Ivo Corbiere and his party play vital roles in the matter and the climax once again showcases Emma’s determination and Phillip’s bravery.
I liked this one a little less than I did Monk’s Hood hence the slightly lower rating, but it was an engaging read all the same. Peters has the incredible ability to tell a rocking tale in a short time (most of her books are 250 pages or so), which just goes to show that in the hands of a skilful author, one doesn’t always need a tome to write an epic!
Unfortunately this is the last of the books available on Kindle Unlimited so far. The next two are available for free on Audible. I’ve been researching which editions of the series to collect and haven’t quite made up my mind. Physical copies are not easily available and are expensive when they are, but I MUST have them 😊