Book Review

[kenjari]

One Corpse Too Many
by Ellis Peters

This is the second of the Cadfael medieval mysteries, a series I am becoming increasingly fond of. This one does an ingenious job of bringing in the larger political landscape surrounding Cadfael's quiet abbey outside of Shrewsbury, specifically, the conflict between Stephen and Maud. When Stephen lays siege to Shrewsbury, Cadfael finds himself embroiled in involving a disguised noblewoman, a hidden treasure and, of course, murder. I really love how Peters weaves in a lot more than just a murder mystery, to the point where uncovering the murderer is more or less a subplot for a large portion of the book. The murder is not just a mystery to solve, it's also the foundation on which Peters is able to build a complex and engaging story. There's intrigue, romance, and battle. Cadfael is a great character - as a Crusader turned Benedictine monk, he has great insight into people and their motivations as well as a deep understanding of the ways of the world. He's also smart and clever in just the ways a mystery-solving protagonist should be.

Comments

[ladybird97.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! I'm glad you're getting into this series. They're fun mysteries and good history, too - I once saw a fabulous conference paper on the actual saint's translation that inspired the first book. And Cadfael is a great character, who gets even more interesting and clever over the course of the series :)

[jasons-227.livejournal.com]

I loved the TV series with Derek Jacobi. Happy to hear that you are enjoying the books.

[storyjen.livejournal.com]

The audio books with Patrick Tull are also wonderful.