Customer Reviews (11)

This Forest Is Full of Surprises
This is number 14 in the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. In this book, with the 12th century English civil war in the background, several unhappy events take place in and around Shrewsbury and beyond. Peters fits these seemingly unrelated events together for readers making for a good story.

As the book opens, the Lord of Eaton finally dies due to battle wounds; his son and heir named Richard is ten years old and in school at the abbey in Shrewsbury. The boy's grandmother is determined to take him home and marry him off right away to a neighbor who has only a daughter and very good lands. She is thwarted in her plans by the abbot, since the boy was put into his charge by the boy's father who wanted him educated.

At the Lord of Eaton's funeral, readers get the first glimpse of the hermit for whom the book is named. The grandmother installs this hermit in a small dwelling in a forest on Eaton land. Soon after, some disasters take place nearby on abbey land which are reported to the abbot. Not long after this, the hermit's servant appears at the abbey to announce that the hermit believes the disasters are God tying to tell the abbot to send Richard back to his grandmother. The abbot is not convinced.

Somewhere around this point in the book, news concerning some treasure of the Empress Maude's that has apparently been stolen comes to Shrewsbury. The messenger carrying this treasure is presumed dead given the condition of his horse when found. This turns out to be very important in the story.

A very unpleasant man named Bosiet shows up to lodge at the abbey. He is in search of a bondman of his who has run off - apparently for good reason. Bosiet shows up dead in the forest not long afterward. It looks like the hermit's servant is the missing bondsman.

The servant has made friends with the boy Richard. The boy finds out that Bosiet is heading off to find the servant, so he goes off to warn him, and does so, but disappears on the way back to the abbey. A massive search is started for the servant now suspected of the murder and for the boy.

As the story progresses, the boy is found, the hermit is killed and the mystery of the missing treasure is solved. The details are left out here so as not to spoil the plot.

I figured out what happened before it was actually revealed by the book, but only about a page or so beforehand. It is always exciting when that happens. I mean figuring it out ahead of time, but only at the last moment, so the book was indeed worth finishing.

Cadfael played a major part in this book, but he was not involved in several scenes. This may be why this book was not used for the TV series, which is a shame because it tells a very good story.

Anyway, if you like the Cadfael series, certainly give this one a try.

It's all politics and war
Once again there is the backdrop of the political turmoil that surrounds the civil war interweaved in the story. Without it, the mystery would not stand, and by far that makes the telling the weaker. There are several nice twists to arrive at a conclusion but that we need something that touches the war between Maud and Stephen seems a stretch once again.

Ellis is gone and Cadfael shall have no new mysteries in the canon, but with the knowledge of others in the field, the violent times of the dark ages should more than lend itself to murders without the need for princes and kings. The Abbey and Shrewsbury have more than an abundant wealth of detail that we have seen previously to support a rich environment for mayhem.

This story and the mystery seem to stem from just such an environment, but the murders that come about end up being related once more to our civil war and the impetus of life going on in spite of such a war is denied.

The fifteenth chronicle
In October of 1142, Empress Maud is still besieged in the town of Oxford, surrounded by the forces of King Stephen. She sends an emissary bearing jewels and money to her brother, begging him for help, but the man's horse is found with the leathers bloodstained and, of course, with no sign of the money or jewels. A local Lord and father of Richard, one of the young pupils at the Abbey of St.Peter and St.Paul dies and Brother Cadfael is charged with the duty of escorting the boy to his home to attend the funeral. The boy's grandmother, a harsh and grasping woman, wishes to force Richard into a marriage with an older girl, the daughter of a neighbour, so that the lands may be conjoined, but the 10 year old wants only to return with Cadfael to the Abbey and his friends. A minor, local landowner stays as a guest at the Abbey while mounting a search for his missing villein and enlists the reluctant help of Sheriff Hugh Beringar who agrees to help with the search, knowing that the man is a brutal master who treats his servants very badly. A series of events causes Richard to be kidnapped and forced into a marriage by his grandmother and Cuthred, a local hermit and holy man. Yet another stranger arrives at the Abbey with a slight wound and so is taken to be treated by Cadfael who makes his usual assessment of all the events and uses his insatiable curiosity to tie all the loose ends together for a very satisfactory conclusion.

A forest full of dangers, holy hermit or no
As with several other entries in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, at the center of this book stands one of the younger members of the community of the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, and his relationship to the community versus his romantic relationships in the world outside. But this time the youngster isn't a novice who made a mistaken commitment to the cloister after a love affair gone wrong, nor even an embittered older man seeking solace after a disastrous marriage.

No, Richard Ludel (his father's namesake and only child) is ten years old, doesn't yet see any use for girls, and is happy enough to be one of the handful of students boarded at the monastery, well away from his formidable grandmother's plans to marry him off to the heiress of a neighbouring manor - "quite old", being past twenty, and a nuisance rather than a person from Richard's point of view. This makes an oblique, fairly subtle contrast to the events of the ongoing civil war between the empress and the king - the empress, like Richard's intended, is years older than her husband, tied to him in a marriage with little love lost, as demonstrated when Geoffrey of Anjou not only refuses to send so much as a single soldier to her aid while she is under siege in Oxford, but has lured away her half-brother and best general to help *him* with the battles for the Norman lands in contention in the struggle for the throne.

Upon the death of the elder Richard Ludel (still young, but never recovered from wounds suffered in the battle of Lincoln), Richard's elders plan to let matters proceed according to their settled routine - but there's a disagreement about what that routine is. Hugh Beringar as sheriff has no wish to antagonize the loyal Ludels by interfering with Richard's inheritance, despite his being a minor; his only concern is that the Ludels' steward should be competent and loyal. Abbot Radulfus (by charter the boy's guardian until he comes of age), intends for the boy to stay in school - as Radulfus objects to children being handed over as infant oblates into monastic vows before they can consent, he also objects to children being bound in marriage, without any designs on pressuring the boy into becoming a monk. But Dame Dionisia Ludel's idea of the status quo is to continue with her campaign to marry the boy off, beginning by playing on public sympathy for a poor bereaved widow, cruelly kept from bringing her grandson home for a visit (and backing it up with judicious threats of taking the abbey to law).

Even as Dame Dionisia piously installs the hermit Cuthred in a long-empty hermitage in Eyton forest - who unlike the brothers of Shrewsbury would be under vows to remain solitary and enclosed in his hermitage, with only a youngster acting as his errand boy for regular company - the lady at first seems piously resigned, though she sees no use in having him educated and a *lot* of use in getting the neighbouring manors of Wroxiter and Leighton joined with the Ludel's manor of Eaton. Curiously, events then seem to conspire against the brothers, as accidents become disturbingly frequent in the abbey lands near Eaton, and the hermit (through his errand boy, the mischievous Hyacinth) issues a public warning to the abbey that perhaps these signs of nature in revolt should be taken as a sign that Richard should not unnaturally be kept away from his only remaining blood kin.

Despite this, young Richard immediately takes to Hyacinth, after waylaying him upon Hyacinth's delivery of the message, and the much older Hyacinth is happy enough to give Richard all the information his elders have been withholding from him, in exchange for being put in the picture about Richard's own situation. So when Richard later overhears an abbey guest in pursuit of a runaway villein being informed that Hyacinth matches the runaway's description, he immediately sets out for the hermitage at Eyton to warn his friend, naturally leaving no word at the abbey that he's playing truant, let alone venturing into his grandmother's reach.

But Richard fails to return to the abbey (and as his fellow students cover up for him into the next day, his absence isn't discovered until many hours have passed). Well aware of Dame Dionisia's plans for the boy, the lands in her care are searched thoroughly - but with no trace of the boy, and as the manor folk are more loyal to the boy than to her, it's hard to see where he could've been hidden - or how he can be rescued before being browbeaten into saying vows and signing marriage settlements.

As always, I recommend the unabridged recording narrated by Stephen Thorne. And as usual in Cadfael novels, there *are* love stories amid the pair of loveless arranged marriages for joining lands and titles featured in the story of the civil war and the private war over Richard's future. My congratuations to the reader who manages to spot *all* the puzzles to be solved, and not to be distracted by the enjoyable drama and romance that accompany them. Not least, one of the most dramatic episodes of the war - King Stephen's siege of Oxford, with total victory almost within his grasp as the empress is trapped within the castle - is playing out as the people of Shropshire are concerned with events nearer home.

Drive-in totals:
- Three disappearances (counting the mystery of the missing villein, being hunted ruthlessly by his former masters).
- Three deaths (counting Richard's father).
- Three love stories (the most dramatic of which is played out entirely off-stage, but no less affecting for that).

Another Pleasant Tale
THE HERMIT OF EYTON FOREST is another installment in Ellis Peters' popular Brother Cadfael series. I've read most of them and fully intend to read the rest. Clearly, I'm something of a fan. Not because the mysteries are so riveting. They aren't. In fact, most of them are fairly transparent. The how and why might not always be so obvious, but the who isn't usually too hard to figure out. The suspicious characters are rarely difficult to identify.

Further, the picture Ellis paints of life in the eleventh century is sanitized for our enjoyment. Despite the violence of the civil war raging in the background, life in Shrewsbury is slow-paced, calm, and ordered. Filth, squalor, brutality, disease and the appallingly short life expectancy of the period rarely intrude here.

Despite this (or perhaps because of it), the stories are engaging, the characters charming, and Peters' idyllic vision of the time is very attractive. Her prose has an elegant, graceful quality that enhances the pleasure of the overall experience, making these books a delight to read. I never fail to enjoy them, and THE HERMIT OF EYTON FOREST is certainly no exception. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Detect -- and Misdirect
Gotcha!The clues are there.She just tells you they're something else while shows them to you in plain sight.

As usual an interesting cast of well-developed secondary characters.

An pleasant series in addition to Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael saga.

Another great story from the wonderful Ms. Ellis Peters.
This is another solid entry in the George Felse series.We see a great deal of George this time, and that is a good thing.George is a wonderful character - straight, no-nonsense, and smart as a whip.The wonderful thing about Ellis Peters books is her wonderful plots and characterizations.She will take something simple like an old, medieval door and build a tale around it.This whole story revolves around this old door, and the old door has a lot of secrets to tell.George is willing to listen to the door and its hidden secrets and is therefore able to solve the case.We have a nice mix here of an old cold case and two new cases (a murder and an attempted murder).Ms. Peters weaves them all together seamlessly.

The Doorway to Death
Best known for her "Brother Cadfael" series, Ellis Peters (1913-1985) was also the author of thirteen novels featuring Inspector George Felse. Published in 1970, THE KNOCKER ON DEATH'S DOOR is the tenth novel in that series--and among the best.

Peters often worked with contrived-but-witty plots, and this work shows her at her best.The Macsen-Martels have a notable family tree and historic home, but their time has passed.In the face of dwindling fortunes, they have decided to pass their home into the hands of the National Trust--but before they do so they restore to the local cathedral a historic door that fell into their possession.But along with the door goes a legend, the tale of a man who was carried off by the devil when the door refused to admit him into the church.

Needless to say, no sooner is the door returned to its rightful place at the church than there is a body to go with it: a news photographer is found dead at the threshold, his hand extended to the great cast iron knocker.But his soul wasn't spirited away by the devil, at least not judging from the gaping wound on the back of his head.It is murder, and Inspector Felse is on the scene.

Unlike most Felse novels, this particular entry does not feature his son Dominic; it instead offers an array of locals, some of whom are determined to play detective.Although hardcore mystery fans will likely spot the killer early on simply due to the way Peters sets up the plot, the characters are well drawn and the story is an amiable companion for the hour or two it requires.Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The mediaeval church door led only to the grave
This was the first Inspector Felse mystery I ever read. After I'd finished all of Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries, I finally gave in, despite having groused to myself for years that she'd spent time on these when she could have been spreading mayhem through medieval Shropshire for our fun and her profit.

It's a shame I took so long to give Felse a fair chance. Peters was already an excellent writer when this story was written; the Felse stories are good novels, not just clever puzzles. They carry the bonus that they aren't bound to a formula as tightly as are the chronicles of Brother Cadfael.

Felse's turf is on the Welsh border, but in the last half of the twentieth century, and in "Midshire" (technically not Shropshire). As in the Cadfael stories, time doesn't stand still for the characters. This, as one of George's later appearances, doesn't feature his son Dominic in an active role in the investigation - Dominic is on holiday abroad, having just graduated from university. This particular story is set in Mottisham, one of the villages near Felse's home base of Comerbourne; the area is also the scene of RAINBOW'S END, for anyone who'd like to see how the supporting characters fared in later years.

The Macsen-Martels, as their double-barreled name suggests, are an old family, but their fires are burning out. The valley, as local Sgt. Moon says, is tribal, not feudal - 'squire' is a dirty word around here. The best they ever did was in acquiring Mottisham Abbey out of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. "Count for nothing now. Never will again. Never *did*, for all that much."

Robert senior was a notorious womanizer who sank the family deep in debt before finally breaking his neck in the hunting field. His widow, a cousin whom he married for her money, would never hear a word against him. Robert junior, the elder son, takes after his mother in looks and values, but what in her is aristocratic arrogance has in him been eroded like a medieval carving. He grew up helping her cope with his father's endless debts and paternity suits, and it seems to have taken its toll on more than the family fortunes - he's worn to the bone. Far from being a lord of the manor, he works in a realtor's office. His younger brother Hugh, on the other hand, has his father's energy, but he turns it to a more profitable end as the junior partner of Cressett and Martel, local garage. (The senior partner, Dave Cressett, is only a year younger than Robert, and where Hugh provides flash and dazzle, Dave provides sturdy dependability. Dinah, Dave's younger sister, chips in - a pocket edition, but made of the right stuff; Hugh's got sense enough to be moving toward marriage with her.)

The family can't maintain the Abbey anymore, and they've finally convinced the National Trust to step in. The building must be restored to original condition as much as possible, so they've started by reinstalling the old wine cellar door in the church porch - there's a family story that it belongs there. George Felse, just returning from a holiday after promotion to deputy head of the county CID, passes the time of day with Sgt. Moon while stuck in traffic, caused by the bishop's stately progress of reconsecrating the door. It's a *DOOR* - 7 x 5 mediaeval oak, flanked by carved angels that were outdated when it was carved and have come all the way around to being modern, and weighing a quarter of a ton. It and its knocker come complete with a Macsen-Martel family legend, which we hear when the younger son, Hugh, takes his Dinah to officially meet his family.

Only a local sensation, not even a nine-days'-wonder; Bunty's comfortable statement that there's nothing to fetch them back for a second look, though, goes into the category of Famous Last Words. At first, it only begins with the regulars of the Sitting Duck taking the mickey out of the small gang of pressmen who turned out for the ceremony. (The pub conserves its home-brewed beer for the regulars, and anyhow such strangers are nature's way of providing entertainment.) Nobody expected Gerry Bracewell, the quickest-witted of the pack, to return a few weeks later in pursuit of a potential story - and still less for Dave Cressett to find him dead in the church porch, head beaten in before the door.

Felse opts to hang onto the case rather than passing it to the Yard; something was significant about the door itself, not the man. All that was unusual about him was that he'd seen the door once before, years ago, when photographing the house for a series of articles on obscure country houses. But what could be so deadly about a door that was already on public display?

The only touches of amateur hour in Felse's thoroughly professional investigation are Dave Cressett's inquiries when he returns Bracewell's car to the widow, and a few scenes from Dinah's point of view. They're adequately explained by the closed-shop attitude of Mottisham's people - when there's trouble, they pull together, but right must be done. Although those psychic researchers are fair game when they show up at the pub...

Destiny Knocking: Sanctuary or Portal to Eternity?
Mild-mannered DCI George Felse, who prefers to solve English country crime without the aid of the Yard, finds himself near the Welsh/English border--first on vacation, then on business.He is abruptly shaken out of his appreciation of Midshire's
natural beauty when confronted by a manorial/monastic mystery--complete with curse.Could monks gone amuck at the time of the
Dissolution actually influence lives (i.e., cause death) in this century?What is the fatal attraction of a curiously-wrought knocker on an oaken door, which was hung first in a church, then in a private wine cellar, but has since been donated back to an ecclesiastical setting?

Ellis Peters, known to aficionados as the creator of the Brother Cadfael series, weaves a delightful web of suspicious characters, cryptic legend and mundane motives into a contemporary thriller, with medieval over--or rather, undertones.Her fans will recognize her penchant for incidental romance: in this case an unexpected but platonic love affair at the end.Socially-conscious in her own time, she raises poignant commentary on the role of impoverished aristocracy, dying out gracefully (?) for lack of cash and new blood...apologies for the ill-chosen expression. Will the Manor be saved by the Trust or is this the end of the line for the Macsen-Martel family?Will the sins of the philandering patriarch be visited upon future generations?Anything by Peters is sure to please; savor this novel as her literary premonition of a medieval Welsh monk dabbling in mystery.My advice: beware of the cowl in the mist and don't knock first! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Detect -- and Misdirect
Gotcha!The clues are there.She just tells you they're something else while shows them to you in plain sight.

As usual an interesting cast of well-developed secondary characters.

An pleasant series in addition to Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael saga.

Another great story from the wonderful Ms. Ellis Peters.
This is another solid entry in the George Felse series.We see a great deal of George this time, and that is a good thing.George is a wonderful character - straight, no-nonsense, and smart as a whip.The wonderful thing about Ellis Peters books is her wonderful plots and characterizations.She will take something simple like an old, medieval door and build a tale around it.This whole story revolves around this old door, and the old door has a lot of secrets to tell.George is willing to listen to the door and its hidden secrets and is therefore able to solve the case.We have a nice mix here of an old cold case and two new cases (a murder and an attempted murder).Ms. Peters weaves them all together seamlessly.

The Doorway to Death
Best known for her "Brother Cadfael" series, Ellis Peters (1913-1985) was also the author of thirteen novels featuring Inspector George Felse. Published in 1970, THE KNOCKER ON DEATH'S DOOR is the tenth novel in that series--and among the best.

Peters often worked with contrived-but-witty plots, and this work shows her at her best.The Macsen-Martels have a notable family tree and historic home, but their time has passed.In the face of dwindling fortunes, they have decided to pass their home into the hands of the National Trust--but before they do so they restore to the local cathedral a historic door that fell into their possession.But along with the door goes a legend, the tale of a man who was carried off by the devil when the door refused to admit him into the church.

Needless to say, no sooner is the door returned to its rightful place at the church than there is a body to go with it: a news photographer is found dead at the threshold, his hand extended to the great cast iron knocker.But his soul wasn't spirited away by the devil, at least not judging from the gaping wound on the back of his head.It is murder, and Inspector Felse is on the scene.

Unlike most Felse novels, this particular entry does not feature his son Dominic; it instead offers an array of locals, some of whom are determined to play detective.Although hardcore mystery fans will likely spot the killer early on simply due to the way Peters sets up the plot, the characters are well drawn and the story is an amiable companion for the hour or two it requires.Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The mediaeval church door led only to the grave
This was the first Inspector Felse mystery I ever read. After I'd finished all of Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries, I finally gave in, despite having groused to myself for years that she'd spent time on these when she could have been spreading mayhem through medieval Shropshire for our fun and her profit.

It's a shame I took so long to give Felse a fair chance. Peters was already an excellent writer when this story was written; the Felse stories are good novels, not just clever puzzles. They carry the bonus that they aren't bound to a formula as tightly as are the chronicles of Brother Cadfael.

Felse's turf is on the Welsh border, but in the last half of the twentieth century, and in "Midshire" (technically not Shropshire). As in the Cadfael stories, time doesn't stand still for the characters. This, as one of George's later appearances, doesn't feature his son Dominic in an active role in the investigation - Dominic is on holiday abroad, having just graduated from university. This particular story is set in Mottisham, one of the villages near Felse's home base of Comerbourne; the area is also the scene of RAINBOW'S END, for anyone who'd like to see how the supporting characters fared in later years.

The Macsen-Martels, as their double-barreled name suggests, are an old family, but their fires are burning out. The valley, as local Sgt. Moon says, is tribal, not feudal - 'squire' is a dirty word around here. The best they ever did was in acquiring Mottisham Abbey out of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. "Count for nothing now. Never will again. Never *did*, for all that much."

Robert senior was a notorious womanizer who sank the family deep in debt before finally breaking his neck in the hunting field. His widow, a cousin whom he married for her money, would never hear a word against him. Robert junior, the elder son, takes after his mother in looks and values, but what in her is aristocratic arrogance has in him been eroded like a medieval carving. He grew up helping her cope with his father's endless debts and paternity suits, and it seems to have taken its toll on more than the family fortunes - he's worn to the bone. Far from being a lord of the manor, he works in a realtor's office. His younger brother Hugh, on the other hand, has his father's energy, but he turns it to a more profitable end as the junior partner of Cressett and Martel, local garage. (The senior partner, Dave Cressett, is only a year younger than Robert, and where Hugh provides flash and dazzle, Dave provides sturdy dependability. Dinah, Dave's younger sister, chips in - a pocket edition, but made of the right stuff; Hugh's got sense enough to be moving toward marriage with her.)

The family can't maintain the Abbey anymore, and they've finally convinced the National Trust to step in. The building must be restored to original condition as much as possible, so they've started by reinstalling the old wine cellar door in the church porch - there's a family story that it belongs there. George Felse, just returning from a holiday after promotion to deputy head of the county CID, passes the time of day with Sgt. Moon while stuck in traffic, caused by the bishop's stately progress of reconsecrating the door. It's a *DOOR* - 7 x 5 mediaeval oak, flanked by carved angels that were outdated when it was carved and have come all the way around to being modern, and weighing a quarter of a ton. It and its knocker come complete with a Macsen-Martel family legend, which we hear when the younger son, Hugh, takes his Dinah to officially meet his family.

Only a local sensation, not even a nine-days'-wonder; Bunty's comfortable statement that there's nothing to fetch them back for a second look, though, goes into the category of Famous Last Words. At first, it only begins with the regulars of the Sitting Duck taking the mickey out of the small gang of pressmen who turned out for the ceremony. (The pub conserves its home-brewed beer for the regulars, and anyhow such strangers are nature's way of providing entertainment.) Nobody expected Gerry Bracewell, the quickest-witted of the pack, to return a few weeks later in pursuit of a potential story - and still less for Dave Cressett to find him dead in the church porch, head beaten in before the door.

Felse opts to hang onto the case rather than passing it to the Yard; something was significant about the door itself, not the man. All that was unusual about him was that he'd seen the door once before, years ago, when photographing the house for a series of articles on obscure country houses. But what could be so deadly about a door that was already on public display?

The only touches of amateur hour in Felse's thoroughly professional investigation are Dave Cressett's inquiries when he returns Bracewell's car to the widow, and a few scenes from Dinah's point of view. They're adequately explained by the closed-shop attitude of Mottisham's people - when there's trouble, they pull together, but right must be done. Although those psychic researchers are fair game when they show up at the pub...

Destiny Knocking: Sanctuary or Portal to Eternity?
Mild-mannered DCI George Felse, who prefers to solve English country crime without the aid of the Yard, finds himself near the Welsh/English border--first on vacation, then on business.He is abruptly shaken out of his appreciation of Midshire's
natural beauty when confronted by a manorial/monastic mystery--complete with curse.Could monks gone amuck at the time of the
Dissolution actually influence lives (i.e., cause death) in this century?What is the fatal attraction of a curiously-wrought knocker on an oaken door, which was hung first in a church, then in a private wine cellar, but has since been donated back to an ecclesiastical setting?

Ellis Peters, known to aficionados as the creator of the Brother Cadfael series, weaves a delightful web of suspicious characters, cryptic legend and mundane motives into a contemporary thriller, with medieval over--or rather, undertones.Her fans will recognize her penchant for incidental romance: in this case an unexpected but platonic love affair at the end.Socially-conscious in her own time, she raises poignant commentary on the role of impoverished aristocracy, dying out gracefully (?) for lack of cash and new blood...apologies for the ill-chosen expression. Will the Manor be saved by the Trust or is this the end of the line for the Macsen-Martel family?Will the sins of the philandering patriarch be visited upon future generations?Anything by Peters is sure to please; savor this novel as her literary premonition of a medieval Welsh monk dabbling in mystery.My advice: beware of the cowl in the mist and don't knock first! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Music For Murder
Best known for her "Brother Cadfael" series, Ellis Peters (1913-1985) was also the author of thirteen novels featuring Inspector George Felse. Published in 1967, BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVE'S HEART is the sixth novel in that series.Like most of Peters' work, it is a lightly written, enjoyable read.

In this novel, Inspector Felse's son Dominic and his girlfriend Tossa are attending a weekend course on folk music at Follymead--but not all the interest involved is of a musical variety.Singing star Lucien Galt draws all eyes; ballad singer Liri Palmer makes it plain from the stage that she loathes him; and television host Dickie Meurice seems determined to fan the flames for the sake of his own ego.It is all in a day's work in the music business... until two men disappear from the college under very mysterious circumstances and Inspector Felse is called in to determine if foul play is afoot.

Peters will never compare to the great masters of the mystery genre, but she can be quite a lot of fun in her own right, and MY TRUE LOVE'S HEART is among the best of her Felse novels.The book has considerable atmosphere, the characters are memorable, and the plot is very tight indeed.Recommended for first timers and old fans alike.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer ... Read more

Product Description
In the summer of 1144, a strange calm has settled over England. The armies of King Stephen & Empress Maud, the two royal cousins contending for the throne, have temporarily exhausted each other. On the whole, Brother Cadfael considers peace a blessing & agrees to accompany a friend to Wales. When Cadfael is captured by an army of Danish mercenaries, he finds himself in the midst of a brotherly quarrel that could plunge an entire kingdom into deadly chaos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

That's All She Read
[...]

I have now officially read every single Brother Cadfael mystery novel. It took me quite a time to find this one in a format I can access readily. I found it at last on Audible.com and downloaded it to my Kindle2.

This is just barely a mystery. There is a murder. There is a call to track down the killer. The killer is, in fact, revealed. Brother Cadfael does supply the forensics, meager though they be. But that is simply not all that relevant to the story. This is an adventure and love story unlike any Brother Cadfael you have read.

Brother mark, now a deacon in the Bishop of Lichfield's service, arrives at the Abbey of St. peter and St. Paul as he makes his way on a special mission. He is to travel to the two bishops in Wales to present gifts from his own bishop. One is Gilbert, a new bishop, a Norman who speaks no Welsh, and the other is a thoroughly Welsh and well-beloved bishop. The mission is to remind each of the importance of sticking together. Mark asks for and receives Brother Cadfael as companion and translator on his traversals. On the way they meet a young woman, Helleth (sorry, I can't find the spelling online), who is the daughter of a canon who wants her out of the way. The same night as a liegeman of Prince Owine's rebellious brother Cadwallader bisits the prince's court and is thereafter murdered, Helleth disapears and a horse with her.

Jump to main plot. Mark, Cadfael and Helleth all wind up prisoners of the Dublin Danes that Cadwallader has hired to convince Owine to give him back his lands lost after one of his rebellions. Their captors treat them splendidly, and something seems to start up between the tall, robust, sexy Danish captain of the longship that captured Helleth and Cadfael and Helleth herself. As the struggle between Danes, Owine's Welsh and Cadwallader's Welsh goes through a series of broken oaths, sneakiness, ill-considered loyalties, and efforts by Mark at diplomacy, Helleth and the Dane are ever in the background making googoo eyes ever-so-subtly at each other. Meanwhile the man who was supposed to marry Helleth is creeping about. I know, you are rooting for the Dane. Me too. Cadfael gets a few weeks off from sleuthing and just watches it all transpire.

It may be that Cadfael fans will be disappointed, and perhaps this is why the novel was so hard for me to locate. I liked Helleth a lot, she was a refreshing female role. I also liked her Danish sweetie. It's a nice story of a woman who wants to choose her own mate. I suppose Peters made it a Brother Cadfael mystery so his fans would buy the book. After all, that's why I read it, though I liked her other novels I've read that were published under the name Edith Pargeter. I would say the adventure part of the novel is something Sharon Kay Penman could have done more with, but it's fine as a backdrop for the love story.

Just not a mystery, and not as engaging as it should be
I am finding as I read these novels that Peters is not consistent. This one should not be labeled a mystery. Oh there is a body and early enough that one thinks a mystery is to be solved, but Cadfael certainly has no part in it, or so little at the begining that one thinks that Peters/Pargeter wanted to indulge in the aspects of the time period that she found more fascinating.

Through 17 earlier adventurers we have warmed to Brother Cadfael and seen that his keen mind and his ability to be a deep study of human nature leads him to uncover man's basest nature, that of the murderer. Here in this novel we see that Cadfael still is an observer of humanity and history, but his skill set in solving crime is unneeded. Prince Owain and his brother Cadwaladr have a falling out. Cadwaladr is banished, in order to get back to his lands, he hires Dane raiders from Dublin, hence the title.

Cadfael happens to be deep in Wales and far from Shrewsbury as a translator for his old protege, Brother Mark and immediately he is caught up on the edge of events. But the body and the murder have little to do with the Danes and the two princely brothers. Indeed at the end of the book, Peters just conveniently resolves it. What happened to the smart Cadfael who allowed me to read alongside his discoveries to solve the mystery too?

Lust for Power
THE SUMMER OF THE DANES, number 18 in this charming medieval series by the late Ellis Peters was my introduction. Stories have been told and characters set and it left many questions about what went before, maybe enough to set me to reading the entire series.
An older style with long descriptions of the landscape of Wales and travels, which were beautifully done. Today's reader would do well to take it on a long flight where you have time to read and nowhere else to go.
The murder is almost lost in the struggle between the participants and remains a mystery until the last pages.
Nash Black, HAINTS and WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS

Strained relations
This 18th chronicle of Brother Cadfael has less about him and more about history. In fact, he really only appears at the beginning and at the ending and doesn't have any hand at all in the solving of crimes. The story springs from the tempestuous relationship between Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Wales and Cadwaladr, his treacherous and headstrong younger brother. The brothers have had no peace between them for years as Cadwaladr is forever plotting to seize power for himself, being beaten at this game by his brother and then counting on the strong family ties that exist in all Welshmen, to be forgiven and taken back into the fold. This time, he has gone too far however, and has hired Danish mercenaries to attack Owain's troops. These Danes have been settled in Ireland for generations (a fact I did not know) and were just as much Irish as Danish and were Christian to boot! It was an interesting read for the historical contents alone, even if Cadfael scarcely appeared.

not quite as good as the rest of the series
The first 50 pages are mostly travelogue, and the next 50 pages are mostly set-up.The story doesn't really take off until around page 115.Once it gets going, it's good, but I found myself skimming huge paragraphs of bucolic description in the beginning.It's worth reading if you're working your way through the series, but if you're looking for an introduction to the Cadfael series, don't start with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Starting with Boadicea, one of the most powerful, historical Celtic female figures, Ellis highlights basic questions such as whether women had equal status and equal rights of inheritance in Celtic society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Celtic Women - Strong Women
Peter Berresford Ellis reveals the important role Celtic women played in their society in his book, "Celtic Women: Women in Celtic Society & Literature." Using historical documents, Ellis offers evidence that women in Celtic society had rights that were protected by law to own property, to choose who and when they wanted to marry, to divorce if they wanted and to take with them the property they owned prior to marriage, as well as half of the property held with their husband (after a certain period of time). The women of the Ancient Celts fought in battles, and trained young warriors. They could be rulers, priests, doctors and lawyers. Ellis reveals how all of these rights granted to Celtic women gradually changed after the introduction of Christianity by the Roman priests. Well written and documented, Ellis makes the history of the Ancient Celts, particularly women, very interesting reading.

Mixing fact and fiction
Ellis makes interesting points, but seems very uncritical in his use of mythology in a way that's been debunked in Celtic studies for decades.If you want a much more compelling analysis of the real roles of Celtic women at least in early Irish society, I'd suggest *Isle of Women* by Lisa Bitel.

Good resource, but plagued by Ellis' typical downfalls...
While Ellis' "Celtic Women" is the best book I have yet read on the subject, it suffers from peculiar inconsistencies, as well as the author's tendency to disregard or dismiss evidence which contradicts histhesis.This work is definitely preferable to Jean Markale's book of thesame title, as Ellis seems to be more of a scholar and less of a mystic. Ellis focuses on material from the Classical authors, native Celtic lawtexts, and vernacular works of literature and history in painting a vividpicture of the many roles of Celtic women and Celtic female divinities. This work is not without flaws, however, for one must ask, would a bookabout Celtic men include an overview of Celtic male gods?Femaledivinities are also prominent in Greek mythology, but I find the argumentthat the stature of goddesses reflects the status of women in the culturewhich worships them to be, at best, highly speculative.While there isdefinitely evidence that women could attain high social positions in Cleticsocieties, Mr. Ellis seems to gloss over the fact that ruling queens andinfluential female Brehons (judges) were notable exceptions to the rule. In addition, while there is much material introduced from native lawregarding women's rights to property and divorce, nothing is saidconcerning women's rights to child custody.The reader is left to wonderwhether nothing is said in these law texts about such an important andrevealing point as a woman's right to her own children, or if the authorconsidered it to be of no importance.As a woman, I would love to look tothe Celts as an example of the "original egalitarian model" thatthe book's jacket claims, but as a scholar I feel that Mr. Ellis overstateshis case, a failing of many of his otherwise fine works.Perhaps moredisturbing, there are sections of the book that strike a strangelydiscordant note in view of the overall theme.For instance, Mr. Ellisdevotes an entire chapter (out of 10) to the subject of personal adornment. In this chapter, he discusses not only the costume and adornments ofwomen, but of men as well.Does this suggest a view on the part of theauthor that the whole subject of dress is a concern specific to women, oris this material introduced solely by way of comparison?While I wouldrecommend this book as being the best available on the subject, I believethat a truly 5 star book on Celtic women has not yet been written.

This book is an excellent research resource.
After researching for years and looking desperately for a good resource on Women in the Celtic times, this book was an amazing find. I was thrilled by the information I found here. I learned things about Celtic Women that I had never imagined could be true. I know that I will be using this book for many years to come.

An excellently researched book on a fascinating subject.
There are many non-fiction books written on the Celts, but only a few on the subject of Celtic Women.This book is well-written and researched with care.Most interesting to this reader, was the chapter on a Celtic woman's legal status during different times of history.If you like this book I would also suggest the Mr. Ellis' book on the Druids, aptly named, "The Druids". ... Read more

Product Description
An omnibus volume containing the first two chronicles of Brother Cadfael, the remarkable medieval detective, features A Morbid Taste for Bones and One Corpse Too Many, as well as photographs and text from Cadfael Country. 17,500 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Benediction of Brother Cadfael
This is a wonderful introduction to the joyous world of Brother Cadfael, 12th century monk and amateur sleuth.
The second book, especially is a solid beginning of the Cadfael journey. It is my all time favourite.
Stunningly written it is a gentle clever read without any of the gratuitous violence, sex and nastiness so prevalent in most novels.
Books for adult, teenager and child alike.
10 out of 10.

A wonderful coffee-table book about your favorite monk.
"The Benediction of Brother Cadfael" is a wonderful introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the murder-solving "Brother Herbalist" of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury.It also makes a wonderful gift for those already in love with the good brother.

This oversized volume contains the complete text of the first two "Brother Cadfael" novels, seperated by a lovely illustrated section discussing medieval Benedictine life, Shrewsbury, the Welsh border, St. Winifrid, the Abbey (which is still in existence) and other items of interest.

Enjoy this wonderful book.A solid four stars. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of Cadfael mysteries containing 'Morbid Taste For Bones', 'One Corpse Too Many' and 'Monks Hood'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Ellis Peters at her best
It took quite some time for the author to get round to him, but the Brother Cadfael mysteries were a winner from the start. The mixture of medieval atmosphere, strong characters and intrigue keep us reading, but it's the honest, intelligent, sympathetic, fair-minded and occasionally grumpy Cadfael himself who makes these books so memorable.

the first few Cadfaels are the best ones
If you are unfamiliar with Brother Cadfael, buy this book and read the second story, "One Corpse Too Many," first.IMHO, it's the best of the whole series.You can go back and read "A Morbid Taste for Bones" later.

Not counting "Bones" (which is a sort of "prequel" like the Hobbit is to the Rings saga), the 17-story series follows a tight chronology, pacing a real civil war that plagued England for several years beginning in about 1137 (which ended in a stalemate, where both claimants to the throne agreed to support their mutual nephew, Henry Plantagenet as king).The first three or four stories should be read in order, so while you're at it, buy the Second Cadfael Omnibus too.These set the scene and the characters.They're also the best -- the later 12 stories are quite readable, but only intermittently excellent, and often recycle plot devices from the first few.

But, heck.Do what you want, as long as you read "One Corpse Too Many."

Contents
The seller did not list the contents of this "omnibus".It should be: A Morbid Taste For Bones, One Corpse Too Many and Monk's Hood.I would not buy it if I did not know the contents.

1st Cadfael Omnibus
These are the books contained in this Omnibus:A Morbid Taste for Bones,
One Corpse Too Many, Monks-Hood ... Read more

Product Description
"I did not set out deliberately to make use of my origins. Shropshire is simply in my blood, and in the course of creation the blood gets into the ink, and sets in motion a heartbeat and a circulation that brings the land to life,"wrote Ellis Peters. Shropshire is Ellis Peters country - the beautiful border county that is the real world of her medieval mysteries. In this evocative book, the author takes us into the heart of the county which has been so much a part of her and her writing. Here she describes the Roman road on the flank of the Long Mynd with its grand stormy view of the river below that she walked so often while writing The Heaven Tree and its sequels. She tells of her connections with the town of Shrewsbury, the setting for the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter and St Paul featured in the Brother Cadfael novels. She traces the history of the county through its border castles, Georgian country houses and old Elizabethan town houses, old monasteries and the modern office blocks of a newly-created town and in doing so recounts her personal connection with the county of her birth, from her childhood spent near Coalbrookdale to her later years in Madeley near Telford.Photographs by Roy Morgan ... Read more

Product Description
From the Brother Cadfael oeuvre comes a book of quotations for each day of the year. These words of wisdom are extracted from Ellis Peters' popular novels and are divided into the four seasons, each illustrated with illuminated letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Medieval musings
Brother Cadfael is one of my favourite literary characters:a Welshman, a former Crusader, an herbalist and healer, and a late vocation to the cloister after a real life.He sought the peace of enclosure after decades of fighting, and this book is such a good example of what he was looking for.It's a book of days with a quote by or about Brother Cadfael for each day in the year, some long ones, some short.There are wood-cut illustrations at the month title pages and scattered throughout, so it is a beautiful book.It's a quiet book, a restful book, a thoughtful book.It gives a thought for each day, something to muse on and consider as you go about your busy life.It's like settling down for a rest after a long cold day of outside winter work -- just appreciating the quiet and the warmth and the book in your hand and the thoughts it provokes.

... Read more

Product Description
Peter Berresford Ellis, the pre-eminent Celtic scholar, examines the first millennium of Celtic history - up to the time of Christ. The Celts were the first European people north of the Alps to emerge into recorded history. Their civilisation dominated the ancient world - from Ireland in the west to Turkey in the east, from Belgium in the north, south to Spain and Italy, where they sacked Rome itself in 390 BC. This was the 'Celtic Empire', but without an emperor or central government, made up instead of independent tribes who moved across Europe imposing their distinctive culture and social values on other peoples. In a new paperback edition of this lucid and expert account, Peter Berresford Ellis accords the Celts their proper place in the history of ancient Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good to a point
This book's title is rather redundant.The Celts were never unified long-term; from Julius Caesar we learn that most individual tribes were divided into lots of factions.So there never was a Celtic 'empire', as the author admits in his introduction.I bought this book out of curiosity, knowing nothing important on the subject and thinking the Celts were just the Scots-Irish and Welsh.The book served as an introduction for me, and encouraged me to pursue ancient Celtic studies in earnest.The author is obviously a believer in Celtic unity spanning thousands of years and, at one point, much of Europe.I do not agree with the the common modern belief that the ancient Gauls and their relatives are not 'Celtic' (where do we get 'Celt' from? The Greek word for 'Gaul', Keltoi!), and the author still shows how the Graeco-Roman and the Celtic world influenced one another.The story of the ancient Gauls as told in this book (sometimes with the 'freedom!' and 'noble savage' stereotypes, but I've seen much worse) is a heroic and bloody one, but the author manages to capture the truths of their human nature-the warring factions and politics, and even alcohol, that made the Gauls so weak and pathetic before the might and unity of their civilized Roman neighbors.This book contains lots of information on the Celtic mercenary influence in the campaigns of the Greeks, as well as the Punic and Iberian Wars.It also devotes a whole chapter to Celtic mercenary presence in Egypt and North Africa, and also give chapters to Celtic influence in Spain, the Caesarian conquest of Gaul, and the Celts of Ireland, Britain, and Cisalpine Gaul.The author concludes his history with a somewhat romantic account of the defeat of Caratacos by the Romans in AD 50.He concludes the book with a chapter to dispel some modern myths about the Celts, like their supposed influence on the Etruscans.This book is also unique for the author's use of the apparently proper forms of Gaulish personal names, which are ended with an '-os' rather than a Latin '-us' (for example, Ellis spells Caesar's 'Indutiomarus' as 'Indutiomaros').Overall, Ellis reveals himself as a linguist knowledgeable in the Celts' role in Classical history, and presents a good basic history of this role.The book also has some black-and-white photos of Celtic archaeological sites and artifacts.

An interesting book worth the Celtophile's attention
(Four and a half stars)
One of the first things that attracted me to this book was the title (using the word "empire") and the subtitle (which puts the beginning of the Celtic world at 1000 B.C. and not the traditional date of 800 B.C.). So at the very beginningthe book already had "my Irish up" so to speak.
Although Ellis is no Cunliffe (but then again who is?) he offers a number of interesting facts and plausible explanations that one usually does not find in many works on the Celts.
For those who have difficulty plowing through the works by the Classical Mediterranean world on the Celts Ellis does a very admirable job summarizing them anddistilling them.
Although I would not recommend this book as a first book or the only book for one to read on the Celts it is still well worth reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Four Brother Cadfael Mysteries in One
Four of the best of a splendid series. Edith Pargeter, using the pen name Ellis Peters, brings her reader smoothly into the twelfth century. Welsh Brother Cadfael of the Benedictine abbey in Shrewsbury is as adept at finding a murderer as he is at healing with potions he makes from the herbs of his garden.The background of the series is the English war of succession three generations after the Norman conquest and persons and events in the Cadfael series move through and with the changing fortunes of that war. Unfortunately the four mysteries combined in this volume are arranged out of order.

Superbly crafted, the author's command of the era. of the setting on the border separating England and Wales and of the English language makes this book a pleasure to read. ... Read more

Product Description
This perceptive survey of the two faces of prolific and award-winning author Edith Pargeter explores both her life and her work. Pargeter is best known as Ellis Peters, the author of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. These 20 novels have been televised and adapted for radio and have played a major role in turning crime writing into a literary genre and making historical detectives popular. Also discussed are Pargeter's series of 14 Inspector Felse novels, written under her real name, and her further novels, including two outstanding historical sequences, The Brothers of Gwynedd quartet and The Heaven Tree trilogy. The Eighth Champion of Christendom, a trilogy of novels about the Second World War, is also illuminated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

disappointed by 14 blank pages!
Second time I've been asked for this but anyway: book was CHEAP but had I seen it before, I'd not have bought...14 pages were blank! Yes, I notified the seller.... ... Read more

Product Description
Peter Berresford Ellis charts the struggle for the supremacy of Britain between the invading ancestors of the English and the British Celts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Unbalanced Historical View
Peter Beresford Ellis's book gives the initial impression of a scholarly and thorough treatment of his subject, but its unpleasant political undertones eventually become clear.

He claims that the Anglo-Saxons waged a war of extermination against the people of Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire.He attributes a unity and aggressive purpose to a haphazard series of Germanic migrations, that is simply not borne out by the evidence presented.Indeed, his accusations against the English people border on racism.He misses the point that the British imperial drive has its roots in Norman, not Saxon history; the record of the Normans in the Mediterranean and the Holy Land are evidence enough of this.It is a shame that such a potentially important book should be ruined by predjudice.

Refreshing counterpoint to new age celtic fairy tales
A gritty, covincing history lesson on what really went down all those years ago. A scene setting eye opener that lays it all out in place and time.von Eschenbach, de Troyes, Charlotte Guest, Monmouth et al wrotesome ripping yarns, but Peter Berresford Ellis is the bloke for me - nowall it's going to take is finding a long lost replacement for a piecethat's now out of of print ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Inspector Felse like mystery
I recently found this book at the library and was eager to read it, since it is hard to find non-Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters.I was happy to find it was as good as the Inspector Felse mystery series she wrote at the same time.Inspector Felse is not in it, but the plot is just as good.It reminded me of The House of Green Turf with it's unraveling of the past piece by piece.

It takes place in a tiny Austrian village where the WWII war hero returns after many decades to conduct the first performance of his new compositon, The Horn of Roland.Unfortunately, not only do old memories surface, but also new threats from the time of the Nazi occupation.

The mood is set, the characters seem real, the scenery is magnificent, the plot is believable, and the end is surprising.Just what you'd expect if you're a fan of Ellis Peters.

Cozy mystery
I recently found this book at the library and was eager to read it, since it is hard to find non-Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters.I was happy to find it was as good as the Inspector Felse mystery series she wrote at the same time.Inspector Felse is not in it, but the plot is just as good.It reminded me of The House of Green Turf with it's unraveling of the past piece by piece.

It takes place in a tiny Austrian village where the WWII war hero returns after many decades to conduct the first performance of his new compositon, The Horn of Roland.Unfortunately, not only do old memories surface, but also new threats from the time of the Nazi occupation.

The mood is set, the characters seem real, the scenery is magnificent, the plot is believable, and the end is surprising.Just what you'd expect if you're a fan of Ellis Peters.

Inspector Felse mystery
I recently found this book at the library and was eager to read it, since it is hard to find non-Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters.I was happy to find it was as good as the Inspector Felse mystery series she wrote at the same time.Inspector Felse is not in it, but the plot is just as good.It reminded me of The House of Green Turf with it's unraveling of the past piece by piece.

It takes place in a tiny Austrian village where the WWII war hero returns after many decades to conduct the first performance of his new compositon, The Horn of Roland.Unfortunately, not only do old memories surface, but also new threats from the time of the Nazi occupation.

The mood is set, the characters seem real, the scenery is magnificent, the plot is believable, and the end is surprising.Just what you'd expect if you're a fan of Ellis Peters.

Bad Mystery - Good Book
I don't think Ellis Peters' "The Horn of Roland" is a great detective novel, but in spite of its flaws I liked it.

The setting is a village in Tyrolian area of Austria.As a teenager during World War II Lucas Corinth worked with the underground escorting anti-Nazis across the Alps into Switzerland. As the Nazis were closing in on his cell, he escaped but his mentor/friend was captured.30 years later Lucas, now a world famous composer and conductor, returns.Amidst the festivities, he is accused of betraying his friend and warned he will be killed.

As a mystery this book is only so-so.The identity of the avenger is pretty clear early-on, the protective actions of the police are inept, and the private sleuthing is absurd.What I liked about the book is the how the would-be avenger and would-be victim affect each other.I hesitate to use it, I believe the word spiritual best describes what happens to them.


... Read more