This mystery starts with a scrap of a song. A song about a Christian pilgrim, imprisoned by Saracens, hugging his lady love’s undershirt. This is how we are reminded that Cadfael had a life before the tonsure. He went to the Holy Land. Later we learn that he left behind a lady love of his own. And that lady love is the wife of the murdered man. Since she was Cadfael’s former girlfriend and he had the poison that was used to kill the man, he’s a suspect also. Along with everybody else in the house when the poison was administered, 2 servants, a illegitimate son, and a step son. Added into this mix is the fact that the abbot has been called away to attend a church council and isn’t around to help Cadfael sort things out. Instead he has to contend with the officious Prior Robert who doesn’t want anyone to out shine him, no matter what they’re shining at.

The mystery proceeds in a complex and not easily solved way (unless you happen to know a lot about medieval Wales and then you’ll get it as soon as Cadfael does.) I was beating my brain for a long time trying to sort it out. Everyone who seemed obvious also had very obvious reasons for wanting the old man to live a long happy life. I was starting to think somebody snuck in the back door.

The writing and research are peerless. With the exception of the actual language, this story could have (and very well might have) taken place, as written, in the winter of 1138. Food, clothing details, monastic work, all quite accurate and interesting. If I were taking a class (or teaching one) on the 12th century I’d want these books on the reading list for local color.

The characters, the back biting monks, the various shifty relatives, the ex girlfriend, the townsfolk, all act like real people. Real 12th century people. Let me explain to the 21st century mind what this means. We live in a time when it’s perfectly copacetic to get uppity with anyone of a superior station with impunity. If I choose to insult Dubya, I can and he can’t have me dragged out and flogged (not even after he's figured out that I’ve insulted him.) However, at this time, the Magna Carta was 2 generations away and nobody called the king and idiot to his face if he planned to breathe much longer. This pretty much went down the line with the freemen not getting snotty with the nobles and the slaves not getting snotty with the freemen, and NOBODY getting snotty with the church. This, marvelously, holds true in Cadfael. Only one desperate person attacks the church in the form of Cadfael and that’s where all that training in the Middle East comes in handy.

I did have a minor problem with that. Cadfael gets jumped by the murderer near the end of the book and, despite being quite at peace for many, many years he defends himself with force. How realistic is this? I mean, I understand defending oneself and I suppose that in a life or death situation old training would take over, but he's a monk. Well, I didn’t say it was big problem, I just find it hard to believe that a monk would respond with deadly force.

Once again, but the end of the tale Cadfael has seen that not only the law, but justice is served. The body count is a minor one and everything is tied up with a neat bow, allowing you to close the book with all questions answered and all plot lines finished. Sounds like a good afternoon to me.


Recommended: Yes