St. Peter's Fair (Brother Cadfael Mysteries (Audio))

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Summary: More mediaeval goings-on to puzzle over
Review: Ellis Peters' fourth Brother Cadfael mystery is set in the summer of 1139, in a Shrewsbury still recovering from the siege of town and castle by the army of King Stephen the previous summer. To speed the rebuilding of its defences, the townsfolk are eager for financial help from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which, being located just outside the town, came through the episode of the siege without harm. With the lucrative annual three-day St. Peter's fair fast approaching, the burghers of the town are anxious to secure a share of its profits - normally given over entirely to the abbey. The new abbot, however, is far from anxious to set a dangerous precedent by ceding away the abbey's dues.

Thus it is that merchants arriving from distant towns for the fair find themselves suddenly embroiled in a dispute between town and cloister - and embroiled rather too deeply for comfort as the town's youth escalate the situation out of hand. And so it is that Shrewsbury (and therefore Brother Cadfael, of course) suddenly finds itself with the mystery of another murder (and various other nefarious goings-on) to solve.

With her characteristic meticulous attention to period detail, Ellis Peters weaves an intricate web of deceit and intrigue into this far from obvious murder mystery. As usual, she balances the political manoeuvrings of the principal parties with the playing out of a separate romantic sub-plot. This serves to keep the reader (and, in this case, Cadfael too) guessing almost up to the very end as to the real drama running through the story and, of course, to the identity of the villain of the piece. Indeed, the reader is well into the nail-biting conclusion to the story before realising fully what has been going on.

Peters' writing style ensures that this book is as enjoyable as Brother Cadfael books ever are. Fans of the mediaeval sleuth may be somewhat disappointed to find that he actually has very little to do here beyond collating the pieces of others' findings but this does not really detract from the tale over all. If the Cadfael books are new to you, I would really recommend reading the first two volumes before any others to truly get the most from them. On the other hand, if you are not interested in reading the whole series but simply want an evocative tale of mediaeval England, then you need look no further than this.

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Summary: Brother Cadfael with a chase scene!
Review: Of the chronicles of Brother Cadfael that I have thus far read, "St. Peter's Fair" is the most "mystery-like." No cut and dried solution springs to mind as the plot unfolds. This one had me guessing for some time.

All the regular ingredients of the previous stories are here: Political wrangling, personal intrigue, a love story, and of course--a murder.

Cadfael once more is a treasure trove of wisdom. Some of his lines here are classic. Cadfael is a very noble, very humane, world-weary protagonist. Ellis Peter has truly created a detective for the ages in him.

In "St. Peter's Fair" Cadfael is up against one heck of a baffling case. He and Hugh Berengar (my favorite secondary character) team up to try and solve the murder of a visiting merchant. I have no desire to give the ending away. I will only say that "St. Peter's Fair" has the added bonus of a chase scene.

"St. Peter's Fair" is a worthy entry in this series. The more I read of Ellis Peters, the greater my respect for her becomes. I recommend this book highly.

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Summary: Medieval Controversy
Review: St. Peter's Fair is another excellent Brother Cadfael chronicle by Ellis Peter's. She continues the story of a monk inside the monastery, who has already seen much of the world. St. Peter's Fair opens with a controversy between the locals and monastery. The local people of Shrewsbury feel that the monastery is reaping unjust benefit from the fair without giving the town its just due. Soon a merchant at the fair is found murdered and a local is implicated.

Cadfael uses the skills he developed outside of the monastery to help track the murderer. Aiding him is Hugh Beringar, who was introduced in a previous chronicle. Cadfael continues to develop as a warm, loving human, who has a sense of justice.

Ellis Peters is a must for any fan of medieval tales.

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Summary: Good book for PBS viewers of Brother Cadfael
Review: St. Peters Fair. For those who like watching the Brother Cadfael series on PBS, St. Peters Fair is a must read. This book will fill in much of the missing character development of those we meet on the television screen. We also get a much fuller picture of the town and castle of Shrewsbury. The story is engaging and leaves one guessing as to the final outcome until the very end. As one who loves to watch the televised productions of Brother Cadfael, St Peters Fair will encourage you of the value of also reading the chronicles of Brother Cadfael. Also check out the Brother Cadfael web sites. You can find a list of the Ellis Peters books and maps and history about Shrewsbury.

Rating:
Summary: A very well woven story.
Review: The great Saint Peter's Fair brings merchants from miles around to Shrewsbury. The fair of 1138 had been canceled by the siege of the city. This year's fair seems to go better than usual except for the murder of a participant. Brother Cadfael begins the fair interpreting for a Welsh merchant who speaks no English, and ends up in the middle of a very confusing and dangerous political plot. This book is interesting reading from start to finish.