Monk's-Hood: 3 (Cadfael Chronicles)

An excellent and exciting read. The characters really come alive in the novel.

Brother Cadfael comes face to face with the love of his life in this well written and intriguing mystery. A guest at the Abbey is taken ill and Brother Cadfael is sent to try and treat him. The sick man's wife - Richildis - was once betrothed to Cadfael before he went off to the Crusades. She did not wait for him to return and married another. Now her husband has been poisoned with something which could have come from Cadfael's stores. Cadfael finds himself facing suspicion of murder when the man dies as well as trying to defend Richildis' son, Edwin against similar suspicions. This is a fast paces story with plenty of action and some clever reasoning from Cadfael which almost leads him into mortal peril. This is the third book I've read in this series and it is growing on me. I love Cadfael - he is a marvellous character - wise and humorous and totally suited to his calling. He sees further through a brick wall than most. Because of his life before the cloister he is wise in the ways of the world as well as in the ways of God. I am looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series.

The best of any whodunnit is to divert the reader's attention away from the true culprit. I sussed him out before the end, but surprised me to the point that I marshalled strong arguments against the truth right up to the page where his guilt became obvious. Even then, the story provided further twists. A good read.

I love cadfael books and even though born hundred of years later in Shrewsbury I can invisage how it was then sometimes in my time but I love all our names in my town the abbey which it's known as was my church and some relics stand opposite on the other side of the road cadfael is a likeable man who many of us I think would have liked to have met this book sums up both joy and I think regret real life like today I hope if you are reading our thoughts you will read it another enjoyable book like all in the series

Ellis Peters' characters are well drawn and her knowledge of the history of the 12th century gives an interesting background to this murder mystery series. This book brings in the differences between English and Welsh law and customs as an additional twist to the plot. A very enjoyable, if undemanding, read.

This is the third instalment of the Cadfael series, written in 1980. It's now December 1138 and we swap the besieged town of Shrewsbury that was the centre of action in `One Corpse Too Many' for a Shrewsbury in peacetime. "It was a better world than it had looked in the spring, and an ending that improves on its beginning is always good news." Monk's-hood is a poison, otherwise known as wolfsbane, which hints at the type of murder involved in this instalment. Without giving too much of the plot away, circumstances point to the murderer being a fourteen-year-old boy, but Cadfael considers that, "A hot-tempered, proud, affronted boy seemed to him a possible suspect had Bonel [the victim] been struck down with a fist or even dagger, but a very unlikely poisoner"; a poisoner's temperament is "secret, dark and bitter." This Cadfael tale also has interesting complications arising when English and Welsh law meet over the question of inheritance. As usual, Ellis Peters guides the narrative well in a good naturalistic style and natural justice runs its course at the end.

Excellent mediaeval whodunit

I already had the paperback - got the Kindle version because it's easier to read in bed! No problems downloading it as usual.

It is always a pleasure to read a Brother Cadfael novel. There's a mystery, well fleshed out characters, a glimpse of life in the past and food for thought.

Such a pleasure to reread Brother Cadfael! At one point I had read all of this series but that was a long time ago. Ellis Peters has such an understanding of the time, the law, the history and the language! Obviously she can't write or have the characters speak as they would have then. Not many people today can read Chaucer in the original after all. However, she doesn't write in today's parlance either. The cadence of the sentences and some of the words are medieval. Brother Cadfael fits into that world perfectly. All his mysteries are both simple and complex. Absolutely great read.

I love all the brother Cadfael books. To me they are just the top of the barrel in the historical murder mystery category. Ellis Peters has created one of the most fascinating and memorable characters ever. The PBS series is also very well done and worth checking out, as is all the 20 or so books in this series.

My wife loves these books. Great stories with good morals and happy endings. You either like them or not. But if you like them you will buy more than one.

Good old-fashioned detective story.