Edith Pargeter was not a historian by training, but under the pseudonym Ellis Peters she created one of the most popular detective series, closely tied to the major historical events that shook 12th-century England and Wales—where Pargeter’s ancestors came from.
“The Brother Cadfael Chronicles” are both a political detective story—because the action unfolds against the backdrop of a civil war between supporters of the rightful claimant to Queen Matilda’s throne and King Stephen of Blois, who seized the crown by force—and classic intimate tales that happen to the residents of the town of Shrewsbury and its surroundings, as well as to the inhabitants of the Benedictine abbey in Shrewsbury. It is here, in the autumn of his life, that an old crusader retired—the soldier who had seen the world. Taking the name Brother Cadfael, he decided to spend the rest of his days peacefully, serving God and healing people. But instead, Cadfael—an astute connoisseur of human souls and a man with vast life experience—has to investigate all kinds of crimes again and again, saving not only bodies but also souls…
Christmas of 1141. The death of a beloved priest leaves the parish in grief. His successor is talented and educated, but he lacks mercy to guide ordinary sinners. And when the young priest is found dead, there is no shortage of suspects: he somehow managed to turn the entire congregation against him. Who is guilty of the death of a cruel moralist? What is justice? As always, Brother Cadfael must answer questions not only of reason, but also of the heart.