Another Cadfael Mystery this week, for two simple reasons - I really enjoy these stories, and I have them on hand, and unread. As you recall, I purchased the entire set of seven omnibus editions. Currently, I have only one book on hold from the library and it will only become available months down the road. The other not -yet-read books I have on hand are the old, public domain P G Wodehouse books I downloaded from the Gutenberg Project. The next one of those will be coming next week.
My reviewer criteria. I like light, entertaining novels. I like smaller scale stories rather than epics. I like character focused novels featuring pleasant characters, with a minimum number of unpleasant ones. I greatly value clever and witty writing. I like first person, or close third person narratives. I dislike a lot of "head jumping" between POVs and flashbacks. I want a story, not a puzzle. While I am not opposed to violence, I dislike gore for the sake of gore. I find long and elaborate fight, action, and battle sequences tedious. Plot holes and things that happen for the convenience of the author annoy me. And I fear I'm a born critic in that I don't mind pointing out what I don't like in a story. However, I lay no claim to be the final arbitrator of style and taste, you need to decide for yourself what you like or dislike in a book.
Your opinions are always welcome. Comment below.
The Pilgrim of Hate by Ellis Peters A
As I have mentioned, these stories are set within a very specific time frame - during a civil war in England, in this case the early summer of 1141. King Stephen is now a prisoner in the north of England, and the other contender, Empress Maud is preparing to crown herself Queen of England outside of London. The momentous events of the time play a role in all of these books and in this one, Empress Maud is attempting to gain the support of London, with the King's brother, a powerful churchman, seeking a way to end the strife, even at the cost of his brother's thrown. Within this volatile situation a knight of the Empress who had come to the aid of one of the King's followers being attacked by a gang of thugs, is murdered, seemingly by one of the Empress's party, and the prime suspect has gone missing, said to have fled north.
In the meanwhile, in Shrewsbury, Cadfael's monastery is celebrating the fourth year of the arrival of their pet saint, Winifred whose bones they had gone to Wales to collect - the story of which is recounted in the first book of the series, A Morbid Taste for Bones, so I'll say no more about that. In this story the monastery and city are filled with pilgrims, people seeking cures for their ailments, as well as thieves and conmen, one of whom may be the murder on the run. We also have the arrival of another character we'd met in a past book tied to Cadfael's crusading past. He is on a diplomatic mission for Empress Maude, though Shrewsbury and its sheriff Hugh are loyal to the imprisoned king.
As in all these books, there is a mystery to solve, but the charm of them, at least for me, is the rich flavor of history Peters weaves in her stories. This is another well done story, with all the usual elements - mystery, a murder to be solved, young people in love, and another glimpse into the character of Brother Cadfael.
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