A terrible secret is hidden in the abbey’s newly acquired lands. Previously, these ominous lands belonged to a potter whose wife, it was believed, ran off with a lover. However, the novices discover a woman’s body hidden among the fertile fields. Now Brother Cadfael must find out whether the murder is connected to the former potter—who has become a novice in the abbey—and what secrets might have led to the death of his wife.
Edith Pargeter, known as Ellis Peters, was not a professional historian, but she created one of the most popular detective series set in the 12th century in England and Wales. “The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael” is a historical detective story about the civil war between Matilda and Stephen of Blois, and about everyday events in the town of Shrewsbury and its surroundings, as well as in the Benedictine abbey. This peaceful crusader, who took the name of Brother Cadfael, is drawn into investigating various crimes and saving not only bodies, but also souls.