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Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #0.5
A Rare Benedictine: The Advent Of Brother Cadfael: Three medieval whodunnits featuring classic crime’s most unique detective
Set in the Year of Our Lord 1120, three tales of intrigue and treachery, featuring the chain of events that led one-time crusader Cadfael into the Benedictine Order.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
1215 people are currently reading
2893 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
208 books1,147 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews
July 8, 2024
Three Prequels.
These three stories are a prequel to the Brother Cadfael books.
Each story is short and are from the early days of Brother Cadfael’s life in the monastery.
The first story tells how Brother Cadfael came to join the monastery.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
These three stories are a prequel to the Brother Cadfael books.
Each story is short and are from the early days of Brother Cadfael’s life in the monastery.
The first story tells how Brother Cadfael came to join the monastery.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
December 23, 2017
Ever wonder about Brother Cadfael's past before this good man joined the Benedictine order? Be careful what you wish for!
I thought all three of these short stories would refer to the good brother's pre- monastic past,but fortunately only the first one does. I say fortunately as A Light on the Road to Woodstock is a very half hearted affair. It gives the appearance of being written to satisfy the curiosity of Brother Cadfael's fans & I think Peters enjoyed writing it as little as I enjoyed reading it. This slight tale reveals very little, the "mystery" is very easy to guess. I read this story twice, convinced I had missed something. I hadn't 2★
The Price of Light on the other hand is as satisfying as a short story mystery can be. Well drawn characters good narrative description, plausible resolution. 5★
Eye Witness Not quite as good as the above, but wittier and a pleasure to read. 4★
Rounding the overall book to 3.5★
I thought all three of these short stories would refer to the good brother's pre- monastic past,but fortunately only the first one does. I say fortunately as A Light on the Road to Woodstock is a very half hearted affair. It gives the appearance of being written to satisfy the curiosity of Brother Cadfael's fans & I think Peters enjoyed writing it as little as I enjoyed reading it. This slight tale reveals very little, the "mystery" is very easy to guess. I read this story twice, convinced I had missed something. I hadn't 2★
The Price of Light on the other hand is as satisfying as a short story mystery can be. Well drawn characters good narrative description, plausible resolution. 5★
Eye Witness Not quite as good as the above, but wittier and a pleasure to read. 4★
Rounding the overall book to 3.5★
June 16, 2025
a 'prequel' collection of three stories that give some background to Brother Cadfael 🙂
I was mildly surprised by how much I enjoyed the short, but sweet, introduction by the author: abit of background to the name Cadfael... readers wanting to know Cadfael's background before he became a monk, and how he became a monk... and the author being happy to write it 😁
❗maybe some mild spoilers❗
⚔🌳🎚 A Light on the Road to Woodstock
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
men returning from a campaign in Normandy, Cadfael and his companion of the past year, talking about their lives before (and potentially after) soldiering.
over the course of a journey, Cadfael finds his way physically, politically and spiritually 😁😍
🌱🌿🕯 The Prince of Light
🌟 🌟 🌟 +
a man seeking welfare for his soul... at minimal cost for maximum gain... donates candlesticks (and the rent of one farm) to the Benedictine Abbey 😉🙂 the Lady changes the nature of the gift 😉🙂😍
🌿📚💰 Eye Witness
🌟 🌟 🌟
Brother Ambrose, who usually collects the rents, is poorly... the steward William, and his son, go instead, but William is attacked. Brother Cadfael tracks down the person who attacked him and stole the yearly rents 🙂😁
🌟 🌟 🌟 .5
accessed as an RNIB talking book, well read by Dorothy Tuting (? spelled by ear). the reader had a really confiding manner in the way she read the introduction - I thought I was listening to/in conversation with the author for a while 🙂😍
I was mildly surprised by how much I enjoyed the short, but sweet, introduction by the author: abit of background to the name Cadfael... readers wanting to know Cadfael's background before he became a monk, and how he became a monk... and the author being happy to write it 😁
❗maybe some mild spoilers❗
⚔🌳🎚 A Light on the Road to Woodstock
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
men returning from a campaign in Normandy, Cadfael and his companion of the past year, talking about their lives before (and potentially after) soldiering.
over the course of a journey, Cadfael finds his way physically, politically and spiritually 😁😍
🌱🌿🕯 The Prince of Light
🌟 🌟 🌟 +
a man seeking welfare for his soul... at minimal cost for maximum gain... donates candlesticks (and the rent of one farm) to the Benedictine Abbey 😉🙂 the Lady changes the nature of the gift 😉🙂😍
🌿📚💰 Eye Witness
🌟 🌟 🌟
Brother Ambrose, who usually collects the rents, is poorly... the steward William, and his son, go instead, but William is attacked. Brother Cadfael tracks down the person who attacked him and stole the yearly rents 🙂😁
🌟 🌟 🌟 .5
accessed as an RNIB talking book, well read by Dorothy Tuting (? spelled by ear). the reader had a really confiding manner in the way she read the introduction - I thought I was listening to/in conversation with the author for a while 🙂😍
September 18, 2024
This slender volume, which I first read in 2010, consists of three short stories about Brother Cadfael, and they thus finish the bedtime reading I have been doing for the last few months. These stories, as the twenty books in the series, are neat little mysteries, not always about murder, but ones that Cadfael, with his knowledge of the world and of his fellow man, is quite able to solve.
The first story is set in 1120, when Cadfael, a Welsh man-at-arms, is returning to England from the Continent. He and a clerk are asked to remain with their master for a few days, until a suit at law that he has against the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Shrewsbury comes to pass. Cadfael knows Shrewsbury well, having lived there at one time in his youth, and he is lucky, as he did not take passage from Normandy on the White Ship. The clerk with Cadfael turns out to have once been a monk; he had been given to his Abbey at Evesham at the age of five, and left at the age of fifteen to go out into the world; he and Cadfael discuss the fact that now he is ready to go home. In the course of the story, in which he solves a kidnapping and determines who tried to kill his master, he considers what to do with the rest of his life. The second and third stories are set in Shrewsbury, with Cadfael now a Monk; the first one is set in 1135, and concerns the gift, and then the theft, of silver candlesticks, and the second, set in the 1140s, concerns the attempted murder of the man collecting the Abbey rents, and the theft of those rents.
And so I am done with Brother Cadfael, and leave him to finish out his life at the Abbey, while I turn to another series of books to read at bedtime.
------------------------------------------------
1st Recorded Reading: August 16th, 2010
This is a book that is not in the series of Brother Cadfael mysteries, as it is not a novel; it is a book that contains three separate stories about Brother Cadfael. As such, it is a wonderful little book; one can never have too much of Brother Cadfael, and I am sorry that the author, Ellis Peters (the pen name of Edith Pargeter, English fiction author and translator works from the Czech language into English) died in 1995, a year after the publication of the last mystery in the series.
The first story in the collection, A Light on the Road to Woodstock, is set in the autumn of 1120; not-yet-Brother Cadfael ap Meilyr ap Dafydd, in his early fifties, has just returned from being a man at arms in the war waged by Henry I of England to secure the union of England with Normandy; before that, he was in the First Crusade to the Holy Land, and had lived for several years in the Holy Land and in Syria as a sailor. He is now in the service of a nobleman, Roger Mauduit, who asks Cadfael and another man (a former Benedictine monk) to remain with him until he gets a suit settled that he has with the Abbey of Shrewsbury.
The second story, The Price of Light, is set at the Abbey in 1135. It is Christmastide, and a nobleman, Hamo FitzHamon of Lidyate, a harsh, brutal, alcoholic man, has reached a certain age, and has decided to get right with God not by reforming his life, but by giving the Abbey a magnificent pair of silver candlesticks. He arrives at the Abbey with his retinue, and the candlesticks are with ceremony installed at the high altar on Christmas Eve; however, the next day, they turn up missing, and Brother Cadfael learns what has happened to them, and decides according to his lights how to best deal with the situation.
Eye Witness, the third story in the collection, is set again at the Abbey in 1139, or (chronologically) between the third and the fourth books in the regular series. It is time for the rents to be collected on all of the numerous Abbey properties in the Foregate and in Shrewsbury, and Master William Rede, the chief steward of Brother Matthew the Cellarer of the abbey, is put out that Brother Anselm, Brother Matthew’s clerk, has fallen ill just at the time when the rent rolls are being made ready for the collection. He does allow, though, that young Brother Jabob, just four months into his novitiate, is an able clerk, though apparently too willing to see good in everyone and everything, even disreputable peddlers such as Warin Harefoot, who is living in the common guesthouse of the Abbey for a time. Brother Eutropius is also employed under Brother Matthew, and has been in the Abbey just two months; but nothing is known of him, as he is of mature age, taciturn, and keeps himself apart from the other brothers. The mystery in this book occurs when William Rede goes out to collect the rents, and is knocked over the head, robbed of the rents, and tossed into the river, with only the fortuitous presence of Madog of the Dead Book fishing on the river at the time saving him from drowning. Naturally, Brother Cadfael is able to uncover who did this dastardly deed.
I very much enjoyed this short story collection; would that there was more Brother Cadfael material for me to read!
The first story is set in 1120, when Cadfael, a Welsh man-at-arms, is returning to England from the Continent. He and a clerk are asked to remain with their master for a few days, until a suit at law that he has against the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Shrewsbury comes to pass. Cadfael knows Shrewsbury well, having lived there at one time in his youth, and he is lucky, as he did not take passage from Normandy on the White Ship. The clerk with Cadfael turns out to have once been a monk; he had been given to his Abbey at Evesham at the age of five, and left at the age of fifteen to go out into the world; he and Cadfael discuss the fact that now he is ready to go home. In the course of the story, in which he solves a kidnapping and determines who tried to kill his master, he considers what to do with the rest of his life. The second and third stories are set in Shrewsbury, with Cadfael now a Monk; the first one is set in 1135, and concerns the gift, and then the theft, of silver candlesticks, and the second, set in the 1140s, concerns the attempted murder of the man collecting the Abbey rents, and the theft of those rents.
And so I am done with Brother Cadfael, and leave him to finish out his life at the Abbey, while I turn to another series of books to read at bedtime.
------------------------------------------------
1st Recorded Reading: August 16th, 2010
This is a book that is not in the series of Brother Cadfael mysteries, as it is not a novel; it is a book that contains three separate stories about Brother Cadfael. As such, it is a wonderful little book; one can never have too much of Brother Cadfael, and I am sorry that the author, Ellis Peters (the pen name of Edith Pargeter, English fiction author and translator works from the Czech language into English) died in 1995, a year after the publication of the last mystery in the series.
The first story in the collection, A Light on the Road to Woodstock, is set in the autumn of 1120; not-yet-Brother Cadfael ap Meilyr ap Dafydd, in his early fifties, has just returned from being a man at arms in the war waged by Henry I of England to secure the union of England with Normandy; before that, he was in the First Crusade to the Holy Land, and had lived for several years in the Holy Land and in Syria as a sailor. He is now in the service of a nobleman, Roger Mauduit, who asks Cadfael and another man (a former Benedictine monk) to remain with him until he gets a suit settled that he has with the Abbey of Shrewsbury.
The second story, The Price of Light, is set at the Abbey in 1135. It is Christmastide, and a nobleman, Hamo FitzHamon of Lidyate, a harsh, brutal, alcoholic man, has reached a certain age, and has decided to get right with God not by reforming his life, but by giving the Abbey a magnificent pair of silver candlesticks. He arrives at the Abbey with his retinue, and the candlesticks are with ceremony installed at the high altar on Christmas Eve; however, the next day, they turn up missing, and Brother Cadfael learns what has happened to them, and decides according to his lights how to best deal with the situation.
Eye Witness, the third story in the collection, is set again at the Abbey in 1139, or (chronologically) between the third and the fourth books in the regular series. It is time for the rents to be collected on all of the numerous Abbey properties in the Foregate and in Shrewsbury, and Master William Rede, the chief steward of Brother Matthew the Cellarer of the abbey, is put out that Brother Anselm, Brother Matthew’s clerk, has fallen ill just at the time when the rent rolls are being made ready for the collection. He does allow, though, that young Brother Jabob, just four months into his novitiate, is an able clerk, though apparently too willing to see good in everyone and everything, even disreputable peddlers such as Warin Harefoot, who is living in the common guesthouse of the Abbey for a time. Brother Eutropius is also employed under Brother Matthew, and has been in the Abbey just two months; but nothing is known of him, as he is of mature age, taciturn, and keeps himself apart from the other brothers. The mystery in this book occurs when William Rede goes out to collect the rents, and is knocked over the head, robbed of the rents, and tossed into the river, with only the fortuitous presence of Madog of the Dead Book fishing on the river at the time saving him from drowning. Naturally, Brother Cadfael is able to uncover who did this dastardly deed.
I very much enjoyed this short story collection; would that there was more Brother Cadfael material for me to read!
December 14, 2024
I love Cadfael ❤️ such a cozy mystery
February 2, 2017
tri kratke priče tri zlodjela, tri rješenja, koje nam govore o ranim danima najpoznatijeg benediktinskog detektiva. sasvim ugodno i inteligentno štivo.
edit: a da ne spominjem tu igru riječi u naslovu. Gotta love it!
edit: a da ne spominjem tu igru riječi u naslovu. Gotta love it!
July 14, 2025
Cadfael Shorts
A review of the Headline Book Publishing paperback (March 10, 2016) of the Headline hardcover original (September 22, 1988) collecting 3 short stories published earlier in the journal Winter's Crimes (1. in Vol 17 - 1985), (2. in Vol 11 - 1979), (3 in Vol 13 - 1981).
A Rare Benedictine isn't completely satisfactory as a Brother Cadfael prequel, but it is all we will get, so we have to settle for it. Only story #1 A Light on the Road to Woodstock gives us a glimpse of Cadfael ap Meilyr ap Dafydd (Welsh Cadfael son of Meilyr son of Dafydd) prior to his becoming a monk at Shrewsbury Abbey.
Shortly after returning from a Normandy campaign for King Henry I, Cadfael continues his pledged service to Lord Roger Maduit. Events reveal that the story takes place at the time of the White Ship tragedy on November 25, 1120. Further circumstances reveal that Maduit is unscrupulous in his dealings and a disheartened Cadfael ends his service and chooses instead to follow a group of monks back to Shrewsbury, although we never see his actual entry into monkhood.
Stories #2 The Price of Light and #3 Eye Witness take place when Cadfael has already lived many years at Shrewsbury Abbey. #2 is dated during Christmas 1135 and involves a theft of silver candles from the Abbey. #3 is undated* and involves the theft of the Abbey's rents. Confusingly and in what seems a coincidence, there is a character named Alard in both stories #1 and #2 but they are not the same person (one is a scribe and the other is a silversmith). Ellis Peters either liked the name or had forgotten she had used it already.
There is a passing mention in #2 of Cadfael learning his use of "poppy juice" from his time as a crusader in the Middle East. Again this is a rather slim and unsatisfactory background to his becoming a herbalist and healer at the Abbey. So we never get a full picture of Cadfael in his early years. There are of course flashbacks mentioned in the main series.
The front cover of the original Headline hardcover (1988). Image sourced from Goodreads.
The book contains about a dozen black & white illustrations by Clifford Harper done in a period authentic style. The colour illustration on the cover is by the same artist.
Footnote
* While no specific date or year is given in the story, it is mentioned that it is during the time of Abbot Radulfus aka Ranulph aka Ralph, which puts it sometime between the years 1138 to 1148. See listing under Abbots of Shrewsbury.
Trivia and Links
None of the stories in A Rare Benedictine were adapted for the Cadfael TV series (1994-1998).
Ellis Peters was one of the pennames used by author Edith Pargeter (1913-1995), who was of Welsh ancestry. Aside from her own fiction and non-fiction works, she also became fluent in the Czech language and translated Czech works into English.
A review of the Headline Book Publishing paperback (March 10, 2016) of the Headline hardcover original (September 22, 1988) collecting 3 short stories published earlier in the journal Winter's Crimes (1. in Vol 17 - 1985), (2. in Vol 11 - 1979), (3 in Vol 13 - 1981).
A Rare Benedictine isn't completely satisfactory as a Brother Cadfael prequel, but it is all we will get, so we have to settle for it. Only story #1 A Light on the Road to Woodstock gives us a glimpse of Cadfael ap Meilyr ap Dafydd (Welsh Cadfael son of Meilyr son of Dafydd) prior to his becoming a monk at Shrewsbury Abbey.
Shortly after returning from a Normandy campaign for King Henry I, Cadfael continues his pledged service to Lord Roger Maduit. Events reveal that the story takes place at the time of the White Ship tragedy on November 25, 1120. Further circumstances reveal that Maduit is unscrupulous in his dealings and a disheartened Cadfael ends his service and chooses instead to follow a group of monks back to Shrewsbury, although we never see his actual entry into monkhood.
Stories #2 The Price of Light and #3 Eye Witness take place when Cadfael has already lived many years at Shrewsbury Abbey. #2 is dated during Christmas 1135 and involves a theft of silver candles from the Abbey. #3 is undated* and involves the theft of the Abbey's rents. Confusingly and in what seems a coincidence, there is a character named Alard in both stories #1 and #2 but they are not the same person (one is a scribe and the other is a silversmith). Ellis Peters either liked the name or had forgotten she had used it already.
There is a passing mention in #2 of Cadfael learning his use of "poppy juice" from his time as a crusader in the Middle East. Again this is a rather slim and unsatisfactory background to his becoming a herbalist and healer at the Abbey. So we never get a full picture of Cadfael in his early years. There are of course flashbacks mentioned in the main series.
The front cover of the original Headline hardcover (1988). Image sourced from Goodreads.
The book contains about a dozen black & white illustrations by Clifford Harper done in a period authentic style. The colour illustration on the cover is by the same artist.
Footnote
* While no specific date or year is given in the story, it is mentioned that it is during the time of Abbot Radulfus aka Ranulph aka Ralph, which puts it sometime between the years 1138 to 1148. See listing under Abbots of Shrewsbury.
Trivia and Links
None of the stories in A Rare Benedictine were adapted for the Cadfael TV series (1994-1998).
Ellis Peters was one of the pennames used by author Edith Pargeter (1913-1995), who was of Welsh ancestry. Aside from her own fiction and non-fiction works, she also became fluent in the Czech language and translated Czech works into English.
Read
January 17, 2025I really enjoyed this short story collection of stories about Brother Cadfael before he gets his official start in “A Morbid Taste for Bones”. The first short story gives the context for how Cadfael ended up in Shrewsbury. The other two stories are set at the monastery. Here are my ratings for the individual stories:
- A Light on the Road to Woodstock: 4 stars
- The Price of Light: 5 stars
- Eye Witness: 3.5 stars
Brother Cadfael is a delight. He shares many qualities with one of my other favorite detectives, Lorac’s Robert Macdonald. They both know human nature and observe people with a kind of piercing calm and insight. I’m looking forward to reading more of Cadfael this year.
- A Light on the Road to Woodstock: 4 stars
- The Price of Light: 5 stars
- Eye Witness: 3.5 stars
Brother Cadfael is a delight. He shares many qualities with one of my other favorite detectives, Lorac’s Robert Macdonald. They both know human nature and observe people with a kind of piercing calm and insight. I’m looking forward to reading more of Cadfael this year.
May 29, 2024
An interesting set of stories and is an excellent read
December 27, 2022
A Rare Benedictine is a collection of three short stories about the wonderful Brother Cadfael, including one about him trading in his helmet for a tonsure. In case you haven't (yet) met Cadfael, he was both "blunt and insubordinate… [and] also experienced and accomplished in arms, a man of his word, once given, and utterly reliable in whatever situation on land or sea, for in both elements he had long practice behind him" (p. 8). Cadfael was wise, compassionate, capable, and intelligent.
Cadfael was ready for a change, to have the time to appreciate the beauty in stillness.
The three mysteries in these stories – a kidnapping, a theft, and an attempted murder – have much in common with the mysteries that we face daily. When all is good, we lose our keys and step back, retrace our steps, and keep our eyes on our greater goal. We don't trash the house, yell at our toddlers. In this case, Cadfael's (unstated) goal seemed to be to foster Justice, albeit a justice different from that which the law – either 12th c or 21st – might commend. Cadfael was often more concerned with mending the small tears in the social fabric – or setting the wheels in motion to do so. "Brother Cadfael knew better than to be in a hurry, where souls were concerned. There was plenty of elbow-room in eternity" (p. 86).
For me, reading Cadfael is an antidote to the news. He was truthful and just, never cynical. He often searched for and addressed the deeper rather than only the presenting problem. He reminds me that there is more good in the world than bad – and that even the best of us is not perfect.
Cadfael was ready for a change, to have the time to appreciate the beauty in stillness.
The three mysteries in these stories – a kidnapping, a theft, and an attempted murder – have much in common with the mysteries that we face daily. When all is good, we lose our keys and step back, retrace our steps, and keep our eyes on our greater goal. We don't trash the house, yell at our toddlers. In this case, Cadfael's (unstated) goal seemed to be to foster Justice, albeit a justice different from that which the law – either 12th c or 21st – might commend. Cadfael was often more concerned with mending the small tears in the social fabric – or setting the wheels in motion to do so. "Brother Cadfael knew better than to be in a hurry, where souls were concerned. There was plenty of elbow-room in eternity" (p. 86).
For me, reading Cadfael is an antidote to the news. He was truthful and just, never cynical. He often searched for and addressed the deeper rather than only the presenting problem. He reminds me that there is more good in the world than bad – and that even the best of us is not perfect.
January 22, 2024
Este livro é uma prequela de uma série que contém vinte livros, “As Crónicas Irmão Cadfael”, onde o começo desta obra, relata as circunstâncias que levaram a personagem principal, Irmão Cadfael, já com 60 anos, a entrar no Mosteiro Shrewsbury e querer fazer parte da Ordem Beneditina.
Esta prequela está dividida por três contos, mostrando cronologicamente o Irmão Cadfael, na sua jornada à integração como beneditino entre os anos 1120 a 1130 , que mais tarde começa as suas aventuras como “detetive monástico” na região Shropshire, Inglaterra.
É a primeira vez que leio este tipo de género literário, policial medieval. Nunca tinha ouvido falar da autora inglesa Ellis Peters e o que se trata esta série.
Gostei de ler o livro, a sua escrita foi fácil de compreender e a narrativa da história foi bastante fluída. Achei giro que durante a leitura, continha ilustrações tipicamente medievais, mostrando alguns acontecimentos no desenrolar da história.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 15, 2023
A Rare Benedictine gives us three short, cozy mystery stories featuring Brother Cadfael. The first, A Light on the Road to Woodstock, gives us Cadfael's origin story. This one I liked least of the three. The mystery was easy to figure out, and it seemed like a half-hearted effort, even though it was good to see how he ended up at Shrewsbury. The second story, The Price of Light, is the type of story I expected when I started this book (I've never read any of the other entries in this series). It was the shortest of the three, but it gives the reader a nice intro to the now Brother Cadfael. Last was a longer story, Eye Witness, which I quite enjoyed for its resourcefulness. I also think that it gives us a much better idea of who Brother Cadfael is, along with his wit and personality. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries!
August 8, 2012
I haven't read any Cadfael in years, so when I picked this up from the shelf where it had been silently languishing, I was pleasantly surprised! This book is a sort of prequel to the series; it starts off with the beginning of Brother Cadfael's religious life and continues in the next two stories. Well-written, meticulously researched (well, as far as I, no Medieval scholar, can tell!), this is an insightful book of humans and their foibles. Cadfael is not only the watcher of those around him, but he is also their helper. I like his tolerance and his humanity.
July 9, 2025
It is rare when I come across a Brother Cadfael book that I have not read a number of times, and this was one of those. Ellis Peters (pseudonym of Dame Edith Mary Pargeter) has written many under her own name, but this moniker is her mystery name.
Brother Cadfael even has a show (he was assigned the endearing personage of Derek Jacobi between 1994 and 1998 in the show) is one of my very favorite characters ever. . . .that old question about a deserted island, and you can take only one character from a book? I'm taking Brother C.
This particular book is a few stories gathered from the author - so many fans wanted Cadfael's backstory - hints are scattered throughout the books - there's a deep and saucy romance (his one true love?) in his Crusader days (?productive?), he's traveled far and wide, he's a ninja fighter when he has to be, he's an herbalist that can cure anything mediaeval, has Needle/WillTravel, can be found in monasteries - but doesn't seek top positions, and will solve any mystery / corpse / missing treasure issues in your village, and should a birthing surprise the Brethren, Cadfael was immediately untangled from his vines to welcome a new soul to the world. He's described as old (the series starts with him in his 50's - end has him really feeling it at 60). (NOTE I started these books in my 20's, and really had him ancient; now that I'm way beyond that age, I'm very amused to be reading about this youngster. The first book was written in 1977 - the last in 1994.)
I've decided to go through the entire series again. . . so you'll be hearing more from me on the wonderful Brother C!
Brother Cadfael even has a show (he was assigned the endearing personage of Derek Jacobi between 1994 and 1998 in the show) is one of my very favorite characters ever. . . .that old question about a deserted island, and you can take only one character from a book? I'm taking Brother C.
This particular book is a few stories gathered from the author - so many fans wanted Cadfael's backstory - hints are scattered throughout the books - there's a deep and saucy romance (his one true love?) in his Crusader days (?productive?), he's traveled far and wide, he's a ninja fighter when he has to be, he's an herbalist that can cure anything mediaeval, has Needle/WillTravel, can be found in monasteries - but doesn't seek top positions, and will solve any mystery / corpse / missing treasure issues in your village, and should a birthing surprise the Brethren, Cadfael was immediately untangled from his vines to welcome a new soul to the world. He's described as old (the series starts with him in his 50's - end has him really feeling it at 60). (NOTE I started these books in my 20's, and really had him ancient; now that I'm way beyond that age, I'm very amused to be reading about this youngster. The first book was written in 1977 - the last in 1994.)
I've decided to go through the entire series again. . . so you'll be hearing more from me on the wonderful Brother C!
October 15, 2016
"'Could a price really be set for light?'"
I really enjoyed entering the quirky world of Brother Cadfael with this series. Ellis Peters has combined two very cult genres to create a winning and original creation with all the charm and decency of a cozy mystery, and all the detail and light education of a historical fiction. Great concept, well-executed, and I'm looking forwards to reading the full length Broth Cadfael novels in the series later this year and at the start of next.
It's very rare that I give a crime novel a 3-star rating or higher, because I usually have to deduct for having guessed whodunnit before the big reveal at the end. Although this was true to an extent with the three mysteries in A Rare Benedictine, as the cozy genre often plays of the psychology of the different characters to create a heart-warming redemption for the suspect who appears most villainous whilst giving the comfort-shock of condemning the most innocent-seeming suspect, these novellas were detailed with so many additionally interweaving motivations that there were lots of things I did not predict in advance. So I got to feel good about myself for working out who the bad-guy was and I still got a surprise at the end! I really hope this structure continues throughout the full-length novels.
All the stories had an interesting message behind them. A schemer unaware that his cronies were just as ready to betray him as they were to betray he hapless monks. A vision of loveliness who makes off with an expensive set of candle-holders to put the money to more humanitarian use. And finally, the scoundrel son who rallies to capture his father's attempted-murderer. I enjoyed Cadfael's patience and resilience against the rumours which characterise medieval interactions between church and nobility. His sensitivity towards the near-blind brother who reverently seeks out the light, and the tormented brother who is shocked out of attempting to commit suicide by the attempted murder in the final novella were very touching and added a level of depth to this fun, light read.
Broth Cadfael himself is a very intriguing character. He is worldly and independent in a way that makes him the ideal detective, despite being cloistered his mind is very much that of a free agent. He seems calm, can be cutting and his astute psychological judgements of others bring out the best of the cozy genre in a male protagonist, which is unusual and refreshing in itself. I'm excited to learn more of the skulduggery of Shrewsbury Abbey!
I really enjoyed entering the quirky world of Brother Cadfael with this series. Ellis Peters has combined two very cult genres to create a winning and original creation with all the charm and decency of a cozy mystery, and all the detail and light education of a historical fiction. Great concept, well-executed, and I'm looking forwards to reading the full length Broth Cadfael novels in the series later this year and at the start of next.
It's very rare that I give a crime novel a 3-star rating or higher, because I usually have to deduct for having guessed whodunnit before the big reveal at the end. Although this was true to an extent with the three mysteries in A Rare Benedictine, as the cozy genre often plays of the psychology of the different characters to create a heart-warming redemption for the suspect who appears most villainous whilst giving the comfort-shock of condemning the most innocent-seeming suspect, these novellas were detailed with so many additionally interweaving motivations that there were lots of things I did not predict in advance. So I got to feel good about myself for working out who the bad-guy was and I still got a surprise at the end! I really hope this structure continues throughout the full-length novels.
All the stories had an interesting message behind them. A schemer unaware that his cronies were just as ready to betray him as they were to betray he hapless monks. A vision of loveliness who makes off with an expensive set of candle-holders to put the money to more humanitarian use. And finally, the scoundrel son who rallies to capture his father's attempted-murderer. I enjoyed Cadfael's patience and resilience against the rumours which characterise medieval interactions between church and nobility. His sensitivity towards the near-blind brother who reverently seeks out the light, and the tormented brother who is shocked out of attempting to commit suicide by the attempted murder in the final novella were very touching and added a level of depth to this fun, light read.
Broth Cadfael himself is a very intriguing character. He is worldly and independent in a way that makes him the ideal detective, despite being cloistered his mind is very much that of a free agent. He seems calm, can be cutting and his astute psychological judgements of others bring out the best of the cozy genre in a male protagonist, which is unusual and refreshing in itself. I'm excited to learn more of the skulduggery of Shrewsbury Abbey!
September 1, 2019
2002 Review: Read this book first! Too late? Read it next.
Not part of the Cadfael main sequence, this is three short Cadfael stories including the essential tale of when, how and why Cadfael became a Benedictine.
2019 review:
“My son, you are not one of these sinful men?” “Sinful man I am, but not of their company.”
Excellent introduction to Cadfael and to the series. Three novelettes, spread over the career of our monastic sleuth, introduce the reader to Ellis’s style of medieval cozy.
“He had been in the world fifty-five years, and learned to temper his expectations, bad or good.”
Then first story is an origin tale, which readers of the corpus will not wish to miss: Cadfael before he joined the Benedictines.
“Many a man has fled from grief in the cloister, only to find that grief can follow him there.”
Ellis Peters is a nom de plume of the late Dame Edith Pargeter OBE BEM, who published the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael from 1977 through 1994. Excepting this work, I intend to read and review all twenty-one novels in order. It will be my fourth survey of the entire series.
“Cadfael was liable to brood on the unlikely.”
Not part of the Cadfael main sequence, this is three short Cadfael stories including the essential tale of when, how and why Cadfael became a Benedictine.
2019 review:
“My son, you are not one of these sinful men?” “Sinful man I am, but not of their company.”
Excellent introduction to Cadfael and to the series. Three novelettes, spread over the career of our monastic sleuth, introduce the reader to Ellis’s style of medieval cozy.
“He had been in the world fifty-five years, and learned to temper his expectations, bad or good.”
Then first story is an origin tale, which readers of the corpus will not wish to miss: Cadfael before he joined the Benedictines.
“Many a man has fled from grief in the cloister, only to find that grief can follow him there.”
Ellis Peters is a nom de plume of the late Dame Edith Pargeter OBE BEM, who published the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael from 1977 through 1994. Excepting this work, I intend to read and review all twenty-one novels in order. It will be my fourth survey of the entire series.
“Cadfael was liable to brood on the unlikely.”
August 2, 2014
There's an introduction to this set of three short stories that is as good as any of the stories, a note from Ellis Peters talking in her own voice about Brother Cadfael and about his Chronicles. It's only three pages, so don't expect too much, but it is, in my opinion, a wonderful short note from a historian turned novelist whose 12th Century hero was conceived in the 20th Century and is still quite popular in the 21st.
The first of these stories, A Light on the Road to Woodstock, gives some background on Cadfael's decision to join the brothers in Shrewsbury. The second, The Price of Light, deals with issues of arranged marriage, fidelity and the treatment of peasants, along with Cadfael's nonjudgemental attitude towards some behavior that John Paul II would have frowned on. The third story, Eye Witness, has a very nice little plot twist at the end that I guess I should have at least of but did not. One interesting fact: no-one gets killed here. I'm not saying that attempts aren't made (stabs at murder?) but none are successful.
All in all, a very satisfying couple of hours in Ms. Peters' company.
The first of these stories, A Light on the Road to Woodstock, gives some background on Cadfael's decision to join the brothers in Shrewsbury. The second, The Price of Light, deals with issues of arranged marriage, fidelity and the treatment of peasants, along with Cadfael's nonjudgemental attitude towards some behavior that John Paul II would have frowned on. The third story, Eye Witness, has a very nice little plot twist at the end that I guess I should have at least of but did not. One interesting fact: no-one gets killed here. I'm not saying that attempts aren't made (stabs at murder?) but none are successful.
All in all, a very satisfying couple of hours in Ms. Peters' company.
February 19, 2024
Boring as hell. This is not Cadfael. Ellis Peters mistook him for this uptight, tedious, and dogmatic doppelgänger. This is the shadow of Cadfael. This is William Wilson in a Benedictine habit.
March 21, 2020
This was a reread to just revisit Cadfael and some tales from his interesting life. It remains one of my favorite series.
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June 8, 2016
I am glad to have the background on Brother Cadfael and why he became a "brother". I now look forward to enjoying the mystery series. We all know how much I love this time period! I did love a couple of quotes/thoughts:
"Do you know what I want most of Evesham? The silence, it might be...or the stillness. To have no more running to do...to have arrived, and have no more need to run. The appetite changes. Now I think it would be a beautiful thing to be still."
"And who knows, thought Cadfael, which is in the right, the young man who sees the best in all, and trusts all, or the old one who suspects all until he has probed them through and through? The one may stumble into a snare now and then, but at least enjoy sunshine along the way, between falls. The other may never miss his footing, but seldom experience joy. Better find a way somewhere between!"
"Brother Cadfael know better than to be in a hurry, where souls were concerned. There was plenty of elbow-room in eternity."
"Do you know what I want most of Evesham? The silence, it might be...or the stillness. To have no more running to do...to have arrived, and have no more need to run. The appetite changes. Now I think it would be a beautiful thing to be still."
"And who knows, thought Cadfael, which is in the right, the young man who sees the best in all, and trusts all, or the old one who suspects all until he has probed them through and through? The one may stumble into a snare now and then, but at least enjoy sunshine along the way, between falls. The other may never miss his footing, but seldom experience joy. Better find a way somewhere between!"
"Brother Cadfael know better than to be in a hurry, where souls were concerned. There was plenty of elbow-room in eternity."
June 5, 2013
This, the last (?) of the Brother Cadfael books, creates the legend of his origin as a monk. The transition from knight to monk is explained as a reason but not the process. Cadfael returns from one of the many Medieval wars, interferes in a lawsuit between Roger (de) Mauduit and the Abbey at Shrewsbury. The result makes him turn to the cloth. The book is really 3 short stories, or a short story and two longer ones, 150 pages (with charming illustration) in length. For Brother Cadfael fans the book is a must!
August 9, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this compact collection of three novellas.
1. A Light on the Road to Woodstock: Thus began Cadfael's journey from being a soldier to become a Brother. Almost inevitably a comparison with another beginning of a series comes to mind, where also journey to Woodstock was involved. Although Inspector Morse and Brother Cadfael have almost a millennia between them, I think they might have approved each other.
2. The Price of Light: Although presented with charm and humility, this story also provides us with a glimpse of the harsh, unforgiving realities of the time.
3. Eye Witness: A classic mystery told with warmth and candour, this one ended the collection neatly.
And now, it seems, I must get more works of Brother Cadfael. I may have to consider it as a penance for enjoying such exquisite writing.
Highly recommended.
1. A Light on the Road to Woodstock: Thus began Cadfael's journey from being a soldier to become a Brother. Almost inevitably a comparison with another beginning of a series comes to mind, where also journey to Woodstock was involved. Although Inspector Morse and Brother Cadfael have almost a millennia between them, I think they might have approved each other.
2. The Price of Light: Although presented with charm and humility, this story also provides us with a glimpse of the harsh, unforgiving realities of the time.
3. Eye Witness: A classic mystery told with warmth and candour, this one ended the collection neatly.
And now, it seems, I must get more works of Brother Cadfael. I may have to consider it as a penance for enjoying such exquisite writing.
Highly recommended.
December 26, 2020
Three short stories so I didn’t really get into the characters. Still an enjoyable read though.
July 13, 2025
Cadfael mysteries are my cozy place in reading--so good. I loved that I recognized a historical moment in the first short story with Barfleur and Henry I. Super cool!
April 24, 2017
I have read and enjoyed several Brother Cadfael books and wondered what it was in his life that led Cadfael to become a Benedictine monk rather late in his life. This book answers many of those questions through three short stories that are a wonderful addition to the canon of Brother Cadfael.
July 16, 2017
This is a delightful collection of three of longish short mysteries about Brother Cadfael, a Welsh Benedictine monk in early twelfth century England.
I love Ellis Peters's writing, though this is the first time I've read her short stories. Some novelists can't write in a shorter form. Not true for Peters. What I've found with all her Brother Cadfael stories is that whatever length she writes in, it always seems exactly write to tell the story. No wasted words in her novels, and no wishing these short stories were longer. As for characters, like all the Cadfael stories, the characters are vivid, 3D and mostly likeable. The historical setting is expertly depicted. My favorite of these stories was the middle one, "The Price of Light."
This was an audio book, read by Stephen Thorne (Dr. Who; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; Brit sitcoms, etc). I love his Cadfael voice--very down-to-earth and engaging. All his other character voices are very distinctive and energetic. Great, entertaining reading.
Highly recommend.
I love Ellis Peters's writing, though this is the first time I've read her short stories. Some novelists can't write in a shorter form. Not true for Peters. What I've found with all her Brother Cadfael stories is that whatever length she writes in, it always seems exactly write to tell the story. No wasted words in her novels, and no wishing these short stories were longer. As for characters, like all the Cadfael stories, the characters are vivid, 3D and mostly likeable. The historical setting is expertly depicted. My favorite of these stories was the middle one, "The Price of Light."
This was an audio book, read by Stephen Thorne (Dr. Who; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; Brit sitcoms, etc). I love his Cadfael voice--very down-to-earth and engaging. All his other character voices are very distinctive and energetic. Great, entertaining reading.
Highly recommend.
March 27, 2018
This is a set of three short stories that serve as a sort of prequel to the main Cadfael historical mystery series. The first, "A Light on the Road to Woodstock", tells how Cadfael came to join the monastery at Shrewsbury. The other two, "The Price of Light" and "Eye Witness", tell of mysteries that occur before the main series begins. In each of the stories, the crimes to be solved are not murders, so the stakes are a little lower than in the other books. Nonetheless, Cadfael is the the same sympathetic and clever observer of human nature and behavior My favorite of the three was "The Price of Light" for the way Peters economically delineates a complex melodramatic situation among some guests of the abbey and for how Cadfael provides a compassionate solution to a theft.
May 14, 2024
A Rare Benedictine is the author's attempt to explain to her readers where Brother Cadfael originated. Her actual first book in the series (A Morbid Taste For Bones) had some explanations, such as that he had fought in the Crusades, but in this book, Cadfael actually steps off the ship, sheds his soldier's regalia, solves a mysterious crime almost immediately, and then chooses the life of the cowl.
There are actually three stories in this book: A Light on the Road to Woodstock, The Price of Light, and Eye Witness. I love Peter's writing; she has the perfect turn of phrase that I delight in. I'm ready for the next book in the series.
There are actually three stories in this book: A Light on the Road to Woodstock, The Price of Light, and Eye Witness. I love Peter's writing; she has the perfect turn of phrase that I delight in. I'm ready for the next book in the series.
August 30, 2022
This was ok, nothing special and while I liked one of the stories, the other two were uninspiring. It's an easy read but it didn't really do what it suggested, explain and look at why Cadfael became a monk and how he settled into his role. I don't think it really adds anything to the series and I have to say, the actual mysteries didn't feel that well thought out either. Not her best.
December 4, 2017
3.5 stars for this set of short stories.
The first story tells of how Cadfael the soldier decides to join the monks at Shrewsbury. The other two feature Brother Cadfael some yeas later. All three have a mystery (of course). My favorite is the middle story, 'The Price of Light', set over Christmas.
The author's introduction is a nice bonus, as she tells how she chose the name Cadfael.
The illustrations are charming--icing on the cake, as it were.
The first story tells of how Cadfael the soldier decides to join the monks at Shrewsbury. The other two feature Brother Cadfael some yeas later. All three have a mystery (of course). My favorite is the middle story, 'The Price of Light', set over Christmas.
The author's introduction is a nice bonus, as she tells how she chose the name Cadfael.
The illustrations are charming--icing on the cake, as it were.
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