Rating: 
Summary: A shame I didn't read this one first
Review: Having read one or two Cadfaels before, I decided it would be far better to try and read the 20 volumes in order, both to increase the sense of storyline and allow myself the feeling of accomplishment.It's a pity that I had to undertake this long journey having read one or two stories previously, because they showed up weaknesses in this story that would otherwise not been noticed so readily. The monks of Shrewsbury need a saint, because everyone else has one. It sounds ridiculous that people, especially monks, would think like this, but it is wholly believable considering just how much the fear of God existed in Cadfael's day. A visitation to one of the brothers and some generally strange antics from one of the younger ones, and the whole party ends up in the small Welsh village of Gwytherin. Cadfael is Welsh and so there is an interpreter. The language barrier is controlled well by Peters, and half trhe time we forget it exists - good storytelling. Anyway, the story meanders as the monks try to wrest the bones of the local Saint Winifred from the Welsh and needless to say they do not like it. Suddenly a murder, and Cadfael is onto it in a flash. The murderer is unmasked and we all go home happy. Or do we? For those familiar with PG Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster, the ending in this mystery is rather like one of the cunning and succinct ways in which Jeeves invariably solves all Wooster's woes. Whereas in Jeeves and Wooster we are looking at a comedy, with Cadfael , we have a serious affair. The concise and overtly convenient manner in which Cadfael rounds things off is too much for reality. There was another way to end this story, and one which did not stretch the bounds of belief. But Peters has opted for the clean ending and the whole story suffers. I know the Cadfaels get better, and this volume has not diminished my desire for more of the canny sleuthing monk. I do recommend to anyone that they start at the beginning and so I recommend to anyone, have a stab at this. If you like it, 19 more books sets you up for a while.
Rating: 
Summary: I love these books!
Review: I am generally not a fan of mystery novels, because so many of them are so poorly written. The Cadfael books, in contrast, are masterfully written, delightful mysteries. I have read the first 4, and I think they are terrific. My favorite so far is "One Corpse Too Many," but they are all great. These books are great reads for anyone who enjoys: a) mysteries, b)medieval stories, or c)a quick, enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Enjoyable Read
Review: I came to the world of Cadfael rather backwards. First I watched all the Brother Cadfael BBC/PBS productions, then I became interested in the books. Because of this aproach, when I read this book, I already knew the outcome. This gave the book less suspense than it would have had otherwise. However, I really enjoyed this book and the ending was just different enough from the video to give to make it interesting. The sections of character description were especially enjoyable to someone very familiar to them from the videos.
Rating: 
Summary: I may get hooked, but not yet
Review: I decided to start with this first Brother Cadfael novel after being intrigued by some comments I read about the series on the Internet. It does have its good points. Cadfael seems an interesting character and I hope to gain a clearer picture of him as I read the successive novels. The setting is serene by day and somewhat mysterious by night. The fear that a corpse would bleed when touched by its murderer was a good point, but not completely accurate. It was indeed believed that a body would bleed in the presence of the murderer, but touching wasn't necessary and bleeding need not happen when the murderer touched the corpse-it only happened sometimes. Hence, Peredur's reaction is a bit much. But just to have this little known point in the book, although inaccurately described, made this historian smile. I hope the other novels feature other interesting historical tidbits that may interest the lay reader. The bone I have with the novel (pun somewhat intended) is with the character Sioned. I could not find myself cheering for her as the author clearly intends the reader to do. We see her mainly as a kind of revenge figure, a hard, determined figure. Just a little more character development was needed here to get away from this hard, one-sided view of her. Nevertheless, I think there are elements here for this reader and other readers to get hooked on the series. But perhaps since this novel was not exactly a page-turner, a reader should start with another in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I had read other Cadfael mysteries before finding this one. It made me appreciate only too well the slightly rebellious Cadfael in this first book. His attitude toward Prior Robert and prissy, self-righteous prig Brother Jerome is only what I had been thinking the entire time. Of course, Cadfael will later control these rebellious thoughts but, oh, they are a joy to read after the others. I found a Morbid Taste for Bones a great book. It is very enjoyable and the ultimate secret act of rebellion (but never fear-it is just) that Cadfael commits towards the end is the crowning point, the punch line, to an enjoyable read. Peters injects the book with great humor and mystery and Cadfael's secret affords the biggest laugh of them all. This book was a great addition to the A&E Cadfael TV series.
Rating:
Summary: Great first in an addictive series
Review: I have read the first ten books in this series (mostly) in order, and would recommend doing so. Otherwise, you'll miss referneces to previous incidents of importance, and also lose a sense of continuity. Reading the series in order also allows you to enjoy the development of Cadfael's character and other characters who continue to appear throughout the series. Be advised, however, that most of those characters don't make their appearances until later books. This first mystery serves as an excellent introduction to Cadfael himself, the historical backdrop of medieval England and Wales, and the general literary pattern of the Cadfael stories. It is a pleasant and enjoyable read for those who don't necessarily need their mysteries to be of the noir persuasion and who have a love of history. The title is a little bit deceiving, tempting you to think the story is more violent than it is - though there is certainly a murder to be solved Read it, and begin a pleasant and long-standing association with Brother Cadfael.
Rating:
Summary: Ika
Review: I saw the leper of Saint Giles one day in a book store and thought it sounded good, It is the 5th book in the series,I liked it so much I decided to read the series in order. I thought this book Was really good also. Brother Cadfael is a very enjoyable character and, I'm getting a great mystery and learning something about 12th century England at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to the Cadfael series
Review: I've read the first five books in this series and I love them all! A Morbid Taste for Bones may not even be the best of them, but do read the stories in order, there are a few small spoilers in later books. And it is great to see the characters develope over time.
Rating:
Summary: The first Chronicle of a truly rare Benedictine's adventures
Review: In a number of visions, a young monk of the Benedictine abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Shrewsbury believes he has encounters with St. Winifred, in her earthly life a girl from a remote Welsh village decapitated by an evil-spirited nobleman. The saint, Brother Columbanus claims, tells him she is unhappy with the lack of care and dedication her grave receives from the local village folk, and wishes to be relocated nowhere else but to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. After a heated discussion over the appropriateness and dangers of such an excursion, the monks decide to mount an expedition to Wales to save the maiden saint's bones. Thus begins the first of what would ultimately come to be twenty Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, former crusader turned herbalist monk living in the 12th century world of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Predictably, the monks are anything but welcome in Wales - not only are they emissaries from an English abbey, which in itself would be bad enough already; they also seek to take what village folk consider their greatest treasure and, more importantly, the village's holy protectress. When wealthy squire Lord Rhysart, who has led the village in opposing the monks' mission, is found murdered, the monks quickly find themselves implicated. ...Cadfael, of Welsh descendance himself but now part of a mission from an English abbey, finds himself between all lines of allegiance in trying to find Rhysart's murderer; but find the murderer he must, to ensure the success of his brothers' mission and their safe return home. And it will take all his world-wisdom *and* all his understanding of the divine to unravel the mystery. Like the nineteen Chronicles that would follow it, "A Morbid Taste for Bones" is rich in plot lines and subplots and demands the full attention of any reader intent on solving the mystery together with Brother Cadfael. Set in the time of the civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen for the throne of England, Ellis Peters's acclaimed series vividly and with great care for detail portrays medieval monastery life, as well as a society caught in the middle of a civil war, with shifting allegiances, intrigue, favoritism and again and again, the innocent victims caught between the front lines. More than once, the story lines also return to the animosities between Welsh and English that are at the center of this first Chronicle. In Brother Cadfael, Ms. Peters (a/k/a Edith Pargeter) created one of the most engaging detectives in literary history. His experiences as a crusader have left him with a keen sense of reality, a certain element of world-weariness and a deep sense of morality, not only understanding the letter of the law (both divine and worldly) but more importantly, the deeper implications of the same, thus enabling Cadfael to apply the church's teachings in a truly Solomonic manner, always coming to solutions which are as just as they are compassionate and pragmatic. To the novice who has just recently discovered the series, it probably makes sense to read the Chronicles in order, because they contain a number of cross-references and the cast of recurring characters is successively enlarged - Under-Sheriff Hugh Beringar for example, Cadfael's trusted worldly sidekick, is not introduced until the second Chronicle, "One Corpse Too Many." But even for those who are coming to "A Morbid Taste for Bones" only after already having read one or more of the other Chronicles there is plenty to enjoy, and it is sure to be fun to discover how it all began.
Rating:
Summary: an absorbing tale...I'm looking forward to the rest
Review: Life is full of twists and turns...and so is "A Morbid Taste for Bones." This "First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael" is the first book in a long series of mysteries set in medieval England and Wales. I came to this book via Eugene Peterson's recommendation of the series in his book (actually a prolonged and annotated reading list) "Take and Read." Peterson has rarely let me down, and did not do so here...this is a delightful book. "A Morbid Taste for Bones" is a cut above most of the other mysteries I have read. It not only keeps the reader guessing until the end, but it also has passages that reflect a keen insight into human nature. More than that, it well written (a lot of mysteries feel so mass-produced and sketchy). The characters here are well formed and eloquent. All of this is done without the usual gratuitous gore so often found in such books. One of the more interesting subtexts to watch for are the different conceptions of forgiveness that the characters hold; these conceptions largely determine the actions of each one...something to ponder in real life. I recommend "A Morbid Taste for Bones" to all those who enjoy absorbing and well written mysteries. I look forward to the other Chronicles of Brother Cadfael.
| 
