1145 - Brother Cadfael arrives in Coventry to find the prospect of peace not universally welcome. And in the heated debates, passions can turn into violence and murder.
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From Publishers Weekly
In Brother Cadfael's 20th chronicle, Peters deftly binds the medieval monk's new adventure with family ties, moving from issues intensely public to problems determinedly private. Olivier de Bretagne, who (unknown to himself) is Brother Cadfael's son, has been taken prisoner during England's dynastic war between two grandchildren of William the Conqueror. Cadfael is determined to find Olivier, although to do so he must leave the monastery without his abbot's "leave or... blessing." The search begins badly when, at an unsuccessful peace conference, Yves Hugonin, Olivier's hot-headed brother-in-law, picks a fight with Brien de Soulis, a commander who may know where Olivier is held-but won't say. When Brien is found murdered, Yves is abducted by one who holds him responsible for the killing, and then Cadfael has two men to find. In the process, he delicately explores puzzles related to Brien's death and to shadowy deeds in the larger political scene. While Cadfael does his usual excellent sleuthing, Peters succeeds at an equally subtle game, demonstrating how personal devotion can turn to enmity-and how such enmity can be forestalled by justice and mercy. Mystery Guild selection.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
Peters's last Brother Cadfael mystery, The Holy Thief (Mysterious Pr., 1993), sold nearly a third more than its predecessor, so Peters is clearly on a roll. In his 20th outing, Brother Cadfael decides to break his monastic vows in order to save his long-lost son.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Audio Cassette
It is unfortunate that Ellis Peters has died. I do not know if this book was meant to be the final chapter in the Cadfael series, but it brings the series to an appropriate ending. Brother Cadfael's search for his son, the end of much of the series political strife, and Cadfael's acceptance and embracing of his clerical life tie up many of the series' themes.
A terrific series that transcends usual mystery genre's conventions and limitations.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) came to my attention early in the Brother Cadfael series, and has seldom been a disappointment. This novel has an interesting, historically sound plot, a keen grasp of human nature, and great characterization throughout.
More than one reviewer has marveled at the virtuousness of her medieval characters, but when Peters paints a portrait of virtue, it is never cheap, sentimental, or caricatured. In a 21st-century culture trying to light the dead wood of honor and chivalry with the fickle tinder of cynicism, warrior monks like Brother Cadfael were and are a welcome breath of fresh air. Those reviewers who dismiss Cadfael as too saintly have let his faithfulness to Benedictine rule and Catholic orthodoxy blind them to his literary kinship with the good-but-not-to-be-messed-with likes of Huckleberry Finn and Phillip Marlowe.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After reading Ellis Peters' 20th and last Cadfael story I can't help but feel a little sad knowing that there will be no more coming. The Cadfael novels were all finely written and satisfying as mysteries and historical novels. In this last installment, there is a murder mystery, but Cadfael ends up solving much more than a crime. In fact, the crime solving aspect is a small part of this story that mostly surrounds the relationships between a father and an estranged son. I think most fans will agree that it isn't one of the best three or four, but it was very good, and is a fitting conclusion to the Cadfael story.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Left me longing for more
I was disappointed with this book. I am a big Ellis Peters fan and I hate that this is her final book. Read more
Published on Mar 29 2003
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good yarn, nice period detail
The twentieth and final book in the popular series, Brother Cadfael's Penance finds the title character drawn out of his home at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul... Read more
Published on Sep 4 2001 by Christian Wheeler
5.0 out of 5 stars
a splendid ending to Cadfael's legacy!
This final installment of the mysteries of Brother Cadfael finds Ellis Peters in outstanding form- what prose this Englishwoman conjures! Read more
Published on Jan 26 2001 by J. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miss Peters we will miss you!
BUT! Now Brother Cadfael belongs to history, and the readers who love him so.
Start at the beginning and READ THIS SERIES! Read more
Published on Dec 20 2000 by Gillian Middleton
5.0 out of 5 stars
an excellent final volume for the Cadfael saga
Ellis Peters has again delivered an outstanding Brother Cadfael book. This adventure combines all of the elements we have grown to love - a pivotal event in the war between Maud... Read more
Published on Aug 2 2000 by J. W. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cadfael is set to pay the price!
...it should come as no surprise that BrotherCadfael feels he must pay penance for his, as well. And in this20th--and final--chronicle of Brother Cadfael, Ellis Peters takes us a... Read more
Published on Jun 19 2000 by Billy J. Hobbs
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very good but....
I'm a Brother Cadfael fan but also an Empress Matilda (Maud) fan, so I was very disappointed that Peters chose to portray her as the stereotypical vengeful "dragon lady"... Read more
Published on May 25 2000 by Cynthia L. Mclendon
5.0 out of 5 stars
I could not put it down
It was such a vivid picture of Cadfael and his son among the military and political happenings of that time period. Read more
Published on Nov 7 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
I didn't want to put it down.
This book is about Cadfael's son being kidnapped, and held WITHOUT ransom. Those of us serious Brother Cadfael fans love the depth that Ellis Peters uses to describe his feelings... Read more
Published on Dec 5 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
Were there more books to follow?
I have read all the Cadfael books in chronological order to follow the development of the characters and historic line. This book leaves questions unanswered. Read more
Published on Sep 24 1998 by haskelhenderson@sprintmail.com
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