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Rating: 
Summary: A finely honed tale of mediaeval intrigue
Review: Barely four weeks past Easter of the Year of Our Lord 1140, with Shrewsbury and all its region secure within the King's peace, the conventual peace of Matins within the great Abbey church of St Peter and St Paul is suddenly and most rudely shattered. Hunted and hounded by an angry mob into the comparative safety of sanctuary within the House of God, a terrified young man, accused of robbery and murder, and closely followed by his accusers and would-be executioners, disturbs the midnight office of the good monks of Shrewsbury. And so starts the seventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfael, in which the mediaeval sleuth finds himself with yet another wrong to right, by once more putting his mind to the solving of one of Shrewsbury's small mysteries.In this particular case, the mystery is no greatly complex affair but it is, in any case, largely subsidiary to Ellis Peters' painting of a finely detailed picture of life in twelfth century England, and more especially here, within a moderately wealthy family household. There are some unexpected twists and developments along the way, though, and there is certainly nothing predictable about the way the story works itself out, although the ending is no particular surprise either. In some respects, this is one of the best of the Cadfael books. Its opening pages contain some of Ellis Peters' finest writing, with her descriptions of the running to ground of young Liliwin and the reactions of Abbot Radulfus being quite hair-raising in their potency. The tale unfolds at a sure and steady pace thereafter, too, ensuring that it is always difficult to put the book down, right up until the final exciting, and rather tear-jerking, denouement.
Rating: 
Summary: Rich and rewarding
Review: Ellis Peters, as always, creates a tense, yet delicately crafted, net of secrets and thoughts, and a solid and careful detangler of mystery in her beloved Brother Cadfael. I found the contrast of the pairs of the lovers in the end not syruppy, as one reviewer noted, but a fascinating study in the ribbons of pain and hate and even evil that can be woven through love. The two pairs are contrasts as clear as shadow and light, yet the source is the same - the flame of love is what creates the darkness of the shadows and the fire-glory of the light. You wish you could untangle them, give back the darkness to the night where it belongs, but in this book the heart turned awry cannot grow back, cannot untwist itself, and is thrown into the neverending dark. The reason I don't find it syruppy is that I think that while the focus seems to be on the fate of the two stubborn, delicate youngsters in love, Peters is really intent upon the other pair, the pair of lovers whose love brought them darkness instead of light. In any case, this book is like most of Peters' others - a finely texturized and woven tapestry of history and people in all the colors of blood and earth and that long-ago sky.
Rating:
Summary: Very fun read!
Review: If you are a person that just wants to enjoy a fun book and likes historical mystery's, this book is for you. Similar to "The Name of the Rose" in context, but much easier to understand! (although "The Name of the Rose" is great also) I would recommend this book to anyone. Reads very quick and characters are understandable. Have fun!
Rating:
Summary: Very fun read!
Review: If you are a person that just wants to enjoy a fun book and likes historical mystery's, this book is for you. Similar to "The Name of the Rose" in context, but much easier to understand! (although "The Name of the Rose" is great also) I would recommend this book to anyone. Reads very quick and characters are understandable. Have fun!
Rating:
Summary: This bird soars!
Review: Peters weaves a darn good tale. While it ends in the usual Peters's fashion with the love-birds off to a good start to a bright future, she constructs one of the most suprisingly vicious villians of the chronicles. She adeptly juggles a complex plot line and insighful characterizations.
Rating:
Summary: Great action in this one
Review: The story line is full of surprises and excellent suspense. The ending isn't up to Peters' standards, though. Enjoyable reading none the less.
Rating:
Summary: Great action in this one
Review: The story line is full of surprises and excellent suspense. The ending isn't up to Peters' standards, though. Enjoyable reading none the less.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice
Review: This is the first brother Cadfael book I read and it was one the better ones. I liked the plot and the mystery, however I thought the ending was a bit syruppy.
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