Saint Peter's Fair

Englishwoman Edith Pargeter was not a historian by training; 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, from where Pargeter’s ancestors came. "The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael" is also a political detective—because its action unfolds against the backdrop of a civil war between supporters of the rightful claimant to the throne, Queen Matilda, and King Stephen of Blois, who seized the throne by force—and classic, intimate stories that involve residents of Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, as well as the inhabitants of the Shrewsbury Benedictine abbey. It is here, late in life, that an old crusader, who had seen the world as a war-hardened fighter, retired. Taking the name Brother Cadfael, he decided to live peacefully out the rest of his days, serving God and healing people. But instead, Cadfael, a delicate expert in human souls and a man with rich life experience, is constantly forced to investigate all sorts of crimes and save not only bodies, but also souls…

In the fourth series, Brother Cadfael again has to come to the aid of the innocent and unravel a mysterious crime that occurs during the annual St. Peter’s fair, which takes place every year by the city walls of Shrewsbury. It is summer 1139, and in the struggle for the throne between King Stephen and Queen Matilda a brief lull has set in. The townspeople (and even the monks living in the abbey) eagerly await the fair, which brings fun, entertainment, new connections, and the much-needed purchases. But when one of the merchants is found murdered, Cadfael must step in and investigate his death. First, he is certain that the death of the wealthy Thomas of Bristol is in no way the work of ordinary thieves; second, help is needed for the young niece of the murdered Thomas, Emma—who may also be in danger…