An Englishwoman, Edith Pargeter, wasn’t a trained historian; however, under the pseudonym Ellis Peters she created one of the most popular detective series, tightly linked to important historical events that shook 12th-century England and Wales, where Pargeter’s ancestors came from.
“The Cadfael Chronicles” is both a political detective story—because it unfolds against the backdrop of the civil war between supporters of the rightful claimant to Queen Matilda’s throne and King Stephen of Blois, who seized the throne by force—and classic, intimate stories that happen to the residents of the town of Shrewsbury and its surroundings, as well as to inhabitants of the Benedictine abbey in Shrewsbury. It was precisely here, in the twilight of his years, that an old crusader retired—the veteran soldier who, taking the name Brother Cadfael, decided to live out the rest of his days peacefully, serving God and tending people. But instead of that, Cadfael—an expert in the subtleties of human souls and a man with a wealth of life experience—keeps having to investigate all kinds of crimes and save not only
bodies, but also souls…
It is the year 1142, and England is engulfed in civil war. Yet in the Benedictine abbey, a chain of events begins no less dramatic than the upheavals of the outside world. Everything starts with the tragic death of Lord Richard Ludlow, whose ten-year-old heir studies in the abbey. The boy resists the influence of Lady Dionysia, who has secured the support of the local holy hermit. The arrival of an aged saint foretells many misfortunes for the monks. And when a corpse is found in the forest of Eaton, Brother Cadfael must apply his knowledge of human nature to uncover the merciless murderer.