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Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #13
The Rose Rent
A late spring in 1142 brings dismay to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, for there may be no roses by June 22nd. On that day the young widow Perle must receive one white rose as rent for the house she has given to benefit the abbey or the contract is void. When nature finally complies, a pious monk is sent to pay the rent - and is found murdered beside the hacked rose-bush.
The abbey's wise herbalist, Brother Cadfael, follows the trail of bloodied petals. He knows the lovely widow's dowry is far greater with her house included, and she will likely wed again. But before Cadfael can ponder if a greedy suitor has done this dreadful deed, another crime is committed. Now the good monk must thread his way through a tangle more tortuous than the widow's thorny bushes -- or there will be more tears...
The abbey's wise herbalist, Brother Cadfael, follows the trail of bloodied petals. He knows the lovely widow's dowry is far greater with her house included, and she will likely wed again. But before Cadfael can ponder if a greedy suitor has done this dreadful deed, another crime is committed. Now the good monk must thread his way through a tangle more tortuous than the widow's thorny bushes -- or there will be more tears...
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1986
1232 people are currently reading
2180 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
207 books1,146 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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October 11, 2019
"“Madam, there is here matter that must distress you, that we cannot deny. I will not hide anything from you. This house is your gift, and truth is your due. But you must not take to yourself more than is customary from any godly gentlewoman in compassion for a young life taken untimely. No part of this stems from you, and no part of what must be done about it falls to your duty.""
Judith Perle has suffered a great loss. She watched the death of her husband from disease and then lost their child to miscarriage several weeks later. Her family of clothiers was the most successful in Shrewsbury. In her grief and wish to give up some of her worldly things she gave to the Abbey of St. Peter and Paul one of her properties that was in the town. The payment for it was the “rose rent” of the title. One perfect rose from the magnificent large bush that grew in that building’s garden. Then comes a murder that affects the Abbey and her in ways never anticipated.
This is one of the most poignant stories in the Cadfael series. It isn’t that Peters makes Judith pitiable. She is a strong woman who has the intellect to consider issues both large and small. She also is willing to look at herself, her life and her purpose in ways that most wouldn’t. And all of this is again probed by the ever curious Cadfael whose compassion and insights are so interesting to follow. "Judith Perle stood embattled and alone, captive to greed and brutality. Even her good works conspired against her, even her generosity turned venomous, to poison her life."
Having said all of that, I again want to praise Peters for her research and ability to inform us of what life was really like at that period of time, in a turbulent England. That is what makes this series so unique and has me hooked. Peters can weave a mystery but what she does best is to give us as full a picture as possible of context of that mystery. The characters are nuanced and they often have deep psychological or pathological elements. Here she explores the relationship between the town and the abbey as well as between classes of townspeople and those who live outside in “the country.” Each time that I re-read one of these stories, I find that I take it at a slower pace, savoring what she is offering.
This book is one of her very fine efforts yet I feel the need to supply some examples so you know what to expect:
Descriptions of work and trade:
"As heiress to the clothier’s business for want of a brother, she had learned all the skills involved, from teasing and carding to the loom and the final cutting of garments, though she found herself much out of practice now at the distaff. The sheaf of carded wool before her was russet-red. Even the dye-stuffs came seasonally, and last summer’s crop of woad for the blues was generally used up by April or May, to be followed by these variations on reds and browns and yellows, which Godfrey Fuller produced from the lichens and madders. He knew his craft. The lengths of cloth he would finally get back for fulling had a clear, fast colour, and fetched good prices."
"There was room enough in all that elongated building, besides the living rooms of the family, to house ample stores in a good dry undercroft, and provide space for all the girls who carded and combed the newly dyed wool, besides three horizontal looms set up in their own outbuilding, and plenty of room in the long hall for half a dozen spinsters at once. Others worked in their own homes, and so did five other weavers about the town. The Vestiers were the biggest and best-known clothiers in Shrewsbury. Only the dyeing of the fleeces and fulling of the cloth were put out into the experienced hands of Godfrey Fuller, who had his dye-house and fulling-works and tenterground just down-river, under the wall of the castle. At this time of year the first fleeces of the clip had already been purchased and sorted, and sent to be dyed, and on this same day had been duly delivered in person by Godfrey."
"Niall did a good trade in everything from brooches and buttons, small weights and pins, to metal cooking pots, ewers and dishes, and paid the abbey a suitable rent for his premises. He had even worked occasionally with others of his trade in the founding of bells, but that was a very rare commission, and demanded travel to the site itself, rather than having to transport the heavy bells after casting. The smith was working in a corner of his shop, on the rim of a dish beaten out in sheet metal, pecking away with punch and mallet at an incised decoration of leaves…"
Family life and retreat from it:
"Cecily’s two boys and a girl ranged from ten years old down to six, and Niall’s own chick was the youngest and the pet. Now all four were curled up like a litter of puppies on their hay mattresses in the little loft, fast asleep, and round the trestle table in the hall the elders could talk freely without disturbing them."
"But if ever you need a place to hide, for a little while or a long while, come to Godric’s Ford and bring all your frets in with you, and you shall find a refuge for as long as you need, with no vows taken, never unless you come to it with a whole heart. And I will keep the door against the world until you see fit to go forth again.”"
Nature:
"As so often happened in a late season, the summer had all but caught up with the laggard spring, flowers which had lingered shivering and reluctant to bloom suddenly sprang into fevered haste, bursting their buds overnight into a blazing prime. The crops, slower to take risks, might still be as much as a month late, but they would be lavish and clean, half their hereditary enemies chilled to death in April and May."
Understanding of what the church offered and required:
"For if Eluric was not a suicide, but had gone to his end faithfully bearing his burden and seeking to prevent an evil act, then his resting-place in the cemetery was assured, and his passage through death, however his account might stand for little sins needing purging, as safe as a prodigal son re-entering his father’s house."
"His year’s novitiate was almost over, and soon he would be admitted as a full brother. No power or persuasion could have induced him to depart from the service of the saint who had healed him. What to Cadfael was still the serious burden and stumbling-block of obedience, Rhun embraced as a privilege, as happily as he accepted the sunlight on his face."
Judith Perle has suffered a great loss. She watched the death of her husband from disease and then lost their child to miscarriage several weeks later. Her family of clothiers was the most successful in Shrewsbury. In her grief and wish to give up some of her worldly things she gave to the Abbey of St. Peter and Paul one of her properties that was in the town. The payment for it was the “rose rent” of the title. One perfect rose from the magnificent large bush that grew in that building’s garden. Then comes a murder that affects the Abbey and her in ways never anticipated.
This is one of the most poignant stories in the Cadfael series. It isn’t that Peters makes Judith pitiable. She is a strong woman who has the intellect to consider issues both large and small. She also is willing to look at herself, her life and her purpose in ways that most wouldn’t. And all of this is again probed by the ever curious Cadfael whose compassion and insights are so interesting to follow. "Judith Perle stood embattled and alone, captive to greed and brutality. Even her good works conspired against her, even her generosity turned venomous, to poison her life."
Having said all of that, I again want to praise Peters for her research and ability to inform us of what life was really like at that period of time, in a turbulent England. That is what makes this series so unique and has me hooked. Peters can weave a mystery but what she does best is to give us as full a picture as possible of context of that mystery. The characters are nuanced and they often have deep psychological or pathological elements. Here she explores the relationship between the town and the abbey as well as between classes of townspeople and those who live outside in “the country.” Each time that I re-read one of these stories, I find that I take it at a slower pace, savoring what she is offering.
This book is one of her very fine efforts yet I feel the need to supply some examples so you know what to expect:
Descriptions of work and trade:
"As heiress to the clothier’s business for want of a brother, she had learned all the skills involved, from teasing and carding to the loom and the final cutting of garments, though she found herself much out of practice now at the distaff. The sheaf of carded wool before her was russet-red. Even the dye-stuffs came seasonally, and last summer’s crop of woad for the blues was generally used up by April or May, to be followed by these variations on reds and browns and yellows, which Godfrey Fuller produced from the lichens and madders. He knew his craft. The lengths of cloth he would finally get back for fulling had a clear, fast colour, and fetched good prices."
"There was room enough in all that elongated building, besides the living rooms of the family, to house ample stores in a good dry undercroft, and provide space for all the girls who carded and combed the newly dyed wool, besides three horizontal looms set up in their own outbuilding, and plenty of room in the long hall for half a dozen spinsters at once. Others worked in their own homes, and so did five other weavers about the town. The Vestiers were the biggest and best-known clothiers in Shrewsbury. Only the dyeing of the fleeces and fulling of the cloth were put out into the experienced hands of Godfrey Fuller, who had his dye-house and fulling-works and tenterground just down-river, under the wall of the castle. At this time of year the first fleeces of the clip had already been purchased and sorted, and sent to be dyed, and on this same day had been duly delivered in person by Godfrey."
"Niall did a good trade in everything from brooches and buttons, small weights and pins, to metal cooking pots, ewers and dishes, and paid the abbey a suitable rent for his premises. He had even worked occasionally with others of his trade in the founding of bells, but that was a very rare commission, and demanded travel to the site itself, rather than having to transport the heavy bells after casting. The smith was working in a corner of his shop, on the rim of a dish beaten out in sheet metal, pecking away with punch and mallet at an incised decoration of leaves…"
Family life and retreat from it:
"Cecily’s two boys and a girl ranged from ten years old down to six, and Niall’s own chick was the youngest and the pet. Now all four were curled up like a litter of puppies on their hay mattresses in the little loft, fast asleep, and round the trestle table in the hall the elders could talk freely without disturbing them."
"But if ever you need a place to hide, for a little while or a long while, come to Godric’s Ford and bring all your frets in with you, and you shall find a refuge for as long as you need, with no vows taken, never unless you come to it with a whole heart. And I will keep the door against the world until you see fit to go forth again.”"
Nature:
"As so often happened in a late season, the summer had all but caught up with the laggard spring, flowers which had lingered shivering and reluctant to bloom suddenly sprang into fevered haste, bursting their buds overnight into a blazing prime. The crops, slower to take risks, might still be as much as a month late, but they would be lavish and clean, half their hereditary enemies chilled to death in April and May."
Understanding of what the church offered and required:
"For if Eluric was not a suicide, but had gone to his end faithfully bearing his burden and seeking to prevent an evil act, then his resting-place in the cemetery was assured, and his passage through death, however his account might stand for little sins needing purging, as safe as a prodigal son re-entering his father’s house."
"His year’s novitiate was almost over, and soon he would be admitted as a full brother. No power or persuasion could have induced him to depart from the service of the saint who had healed him. What to Cadfael was still the serious burden and stumbling-block of obedience, Rhun embraced as a privilege, as happily as he accepted the sunlight on his face."
October 13, 2025
The Rose Rent brings us an interesting story with a good mystery. Following the death of her husband and child, Judith Perle gifts the property in which she lived her married life to Shrewsbury Abbey. Her wish is that the once beloved house must belong to God so that it'll be blessed. But this wish comes with a condition. She expects a rose rent. Once a year, one white rose from the rosebush belonging to the property must be given to her.
When, after a lapse of three years, the rosebush is attacked a few days before the rose rent is due, and a brother of the Abbey is found murdered at the foot of the rosebush, it is clear that someone wants the charter broken at any cost. To make matters worse, Judith suddenly disappears, arousing suspicion of a possible abduction. Cadfael and Hugh face the double task of investigating a murder as well as an abduction.
The Rose Rent is a well-written story. I was spellbound from the first to the last. The mystery plot is smartly done that it is hard to guess the identity of the culprit until towards the very end. Cadfael plays a crucial role here despite his low-key appearance. And with the help of Hugh Beringar, he manages to resolve the baffling mystery satisfactorily.
We meet a strong heroine in Judith Perle. Despite her grief, she is level-headed, kind, and generous. Judith faces her trials with quiet strength and a resolute mind, never fearing to do the right thing. During the course, she learns to appreciate the value of living life to its fullest.
Ellis Peters adds a bit of romance as well to spice things up. This time, she creates a mature romance, which is refreshing. It runs subtly like an undercurrent throughout the story. I liked how Peters handled the romance element in this chronicle. She made it feel without direct allusions.
This thirteenth chronicle of the Brother Cadfael series is an enjoyable read. It has one of the better mysteries, in my opinion.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
When, after a lapse of three years, the rosebush is attacked a few days before the rose rent is due, and a brother of the Abbey is found murdered at the foot of the rosebush, it is clear that someone wants the charter broken at any cost. To make matters worse, Judith suddenly disappears, arousing suspicion of a possible abduction. Cadfael and Hugh face the double task of investigating a murder as well as an abduction.
The Rose Rent is a well-written story. I was spellbound from the first to the last. The mystery plot is smartly done that it is hard to guess the identity of the culprit until towards the very end. Cadfael plays a crucial role here despite his low-key appearance. And with the help of Hugh Beringar, he manages to resolve the baffling mystery satisfactorily.
We meet a strong heroine in Judith Perle. Despite her grief, she is level-headed, kind, and generous. Judith faces her trials with quiet strength and a resolute mind, never fearing to do the right thing. During the course, she learns to appreciate the value of living life to its fullest.
Ellis Peters adds a bit of romance as well to spice things up. This time, she creates a mature romance, which is refreshing. It runs subtly like an undercurrent throughout the story. I liked how Peters handled the romance element in this chronicle. She made it feel without direct allusions.
This thirteenth chronicle of the Brother Cadfael series is an enjoyable read. It has one of the better mysteries, in my opinion.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
Read
October 1, 2023Ništa ovde nije neočekivano, a opet: imam utisak da je ovo jedan od boljih romana o Kadfaelu. Ima malo više krvi nego što je uobičajeno, ubica se (za standarde Elis Piters) otkriva neočekivano kasno, a i ljubavna priča je za nijansu-dve zrelija od standardnih. Samo je Kadfael jednako drag.
January 20, 2024
I liked this book as much this time as I did the first, and had conveniently forgotten almost everything. While there are some book stories I do remember, for the most part I don't try since I read a lot of books and many novels I read simply for entertainment.
I particularly liked Judith, the young widow (the same age as one of my daughters, but thankfully she's no widow, nor even married at this point) who, despite her sorrow, is still level headed, kind and generous, among other things. The mystery is well done, and of course the romance that will happen is rather obvious, but in a good way to a worthy man.
Original review
A house is bequeathed to the monastery in exchange for one rose to be delivered to the owner annually. The young monk given this job is found dead, days before the rent is due, and the owner of the house, a wealthy young widow being wooed by many men as much for her business as anything else, has vanished. This is one of the better books in this series (all are fairly good) that I've read so far (this being the last one I've read at this writing). This is one of those rare series that seems to keep a steady level of writing throughout and not wane out of good ideas and writing level.
I particularly liked Judith, the young widow (the same age as one of my daughters, but thankfully she's no widow, nor even married at this point) who, despite her sorrow, is still level headed, kind and generous, among other things. The mystery is well done, and of course the romance that will happen is rather obvious, but in a good way to a worthy man.
Original review
A house is bequeathed to the monastery in exchange for one rose to be delivered to the owner annually. The young monk given this job is found dead, days before the rent is due, and the owner of the house, a wealthy young widow being wooed by many men as much for her business as anything else, has vanished. This is one of the better books in this series (all are fairly good) that I've read so far (this being the last one I've read at this writing). This is one of those rare series that seems to keep a steady level of writing throughout and not wane out of good ideas and writing level.
January 19, 2024
Review to follow
September 2, 2015
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/2...
This book fulfills the ‘published in the year you were born’ obligation for my 2015 Reading Challenge – but really, I was long overdue for another Brother Cadfael mystery. I have mentioned before that I am easily scared and gore really does not interest me in the slightest. Increasingly, modern crime fiction seems to concentrate on progressively baroque incidents that really put the offensive into criminal offense, all of it solved using high-powered technology and borderline supernatural forensic techniques. I am thinking here in particular of Criminal Minds, which my family enjoyed for the first two series but then the rising levels of sexual depravity put us off. We were not alone – one of the show’s chief leads left it for the same reason. It’s interesting to me therefore that people such as my own dear Dad are turning towards vintage crime. Sophie Hannah wrote an Agatha Christie inspired Poirot story. More and more pieces of crime fiction are being set in the 1940s or even earlier. If you like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, or The Railway Detective – remember, Ellis Peters was doing that whole vintage thing several decades ago. Cadfael is crime fiction for people who don’t like crime.
rose rentThis is Cadfael’s thirteenth outing but given that I tend to read them in no particular order, I am not sure how far into the series I really am. Oddly though, this was the only story which I remember being adapted for television. I watched it aged roughly nine and tried to read it the book but gave up after only a few pages. Still, the mists of time had made the ending slightly fuzzy so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. The plot revolves around wealthy widow Judith Perle – still only twenty-five, she is mourning her husband who passed away four years previously, the grief of which caused her to miscarry a much-wanted baby. Mistress Perle has chosen to make a gift of the house she once shared with her husband to the abbey, requesting only one white rose a year as rent. However, with the deadline for the rent approaching, it appears that someone is very keen for the contract to be defaulted upon, with first the rose bush being attacked and then Mistress Perle herself going missing.
Ellis Peters is a very gentle writer, the very sentences of her prose feel dainty. Each book introduces where we are with the Stephen-Matilda conflict before zooming in to the action in Shrewsbury. Although it may stretch credulity slightly that all these crimes could occur in such a relatively small town and that the person best-placed to investigate should be a monk who has sworn to a life in the cloister, but somehow it works. Cadfael, as regular readers of the series are aware, is no ordinary monk. He fought in the Crusades, knew the love of several good women, lived in the world and travelled it and finally, when he heard the call, he settled down to a life tending a herb garden. He is no innocent, he knows his stuff and he should never have been played onscreen by David Jacobi. Here he is called upon for life advice by the mournful Judith Perle, garden tips by people interested in the rose bush and then also a bit of the standard crime scene investigation with a sideline in footprint analysis.
ellis petersThe lovely thing about coming to a series as long as The Brother Cadfael Mysteries is that for the returning reader, there are so many recurring characters and in-jokes. The Rose Rent takes place around the festival marking the translation of St Winifred, patron saint of the Abbey. Hugh Berringar, local sheriff and Cadfael’s closest friend, slyly notes that not all is as it seems about that particular figure. Sister Magdalena makes a welcome reappearance, having become something of a deus ex machina in her ability to assist Cadfael in sorting out issues of a delicate nature to do with ladies’ problems – Sister Magdalena having made her first appearance as the mistress of a murder victim who chose the cloister because she was done with living in sin but wanted something with career progression opportunities. Ellis Peters may look sweet and prim in the photos, but she has such grace for her characters – there are few sins which she is unwilling to forgive and even the most culpable characters are generally explained as having been weak or foolish or having got themselves into situations which overwhelmed them. Nobody is ever wholly evil.
There is a particular unhappiness at the core of The Rose Rent however, with a strong woman being got at by all sides because her unmarried state makes her an anomaly in a world governed by strict rules. Judith Perle is beholden to no man, she has neither husband nor father to order her but nobody is willing to let her be. Peters contrasts her life as yet unfulfilled with that of Sister Magdalena who flourishes as a nun and thus hopes to expatiate her sin. On the other hand there is Niall the bronzemith, widower with a child who he has not the time to care for but who longs for a life with a greater softness. It may seem obvious that these two characters’ paths will converge but it makes it no less lovely when they do. The Rose Rent is one of those editions of the series where Cadfael himself takes something of a back seat, stepping in only at crucial moments and holding his tongue when he thinks it wise. For all that Cadfael may play by the social mores of medieval Britain, written by someone with borderline Victorian sensibilities, it is a pure comfort read. While An Excellent Mystery was a hymn to love in all its forms, I think that The Rose Rent was more about finding a way back to contentment, discovering a way and a place of being. There are few authors who write with such a holistic sense of kindness as Peters and as always, I finished The Rose Rent thinking that the world was a nicer place than I did before I started it.
This book fulfills the ‘published in the year you were born’ obligation for my 2015 Reading Challenge – but really, I was long overdue for another Brother Cadfael mystery. I have mentioned before that I am easily scared and gore really does not interest me in the slightest. Increasingly, modern crime fiction seems to concentrate on progressively baroque incidents that really put the offensive into criminal offense, all of it solved using high-powered technology and borderline supernatural forensic techniques. I am thinking here in particular of Criminal Minds, which my family enjoyed for the first two series but then the rising levels of sexual depravity put us off. We were not alone – one of the show’s chief leads left it for the same reason. It’s interesting to me therefore that people such as my own dear Dad are turning towards vintage crime. Sophie Hannah wrote an Agatha Christie inspired Poirot story. More and more pieces of crime fiction are being set in the 1940s or even earlier. If you like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, or The Railway Detective – remember, Ellis Peters was doing that whole vintage thing several decades ago. Cadfael is crime fiction for people who don’t like crime.
rose rentThis is Cadfael’s thirteenth outing but given that I tend to read them in no particular order, I am not sure how far into the series I really am. Oddly though, this was the only story which I remember being adapted for television. I watched it aged roughly nine and tried to read it the book but gave up after only a few pages. Still, the mists of time had made the ending slightly fuzzy so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. The plot revolves around wealthy widow Judith Perle – still only twenty-five, she is mourning her husband who passed away four years previously, the grief of which caused her to miscarry a much-wanted baby. Mistress Perle has chosen to make a gift of the house she once shared with her husband to the abbey, requesting only one white rose a year as rent. However, with the deadline for the rent approaching, it appears that someone is very keen for the contract to be defaulted upon, with first the rose bush being attacked and then Mistress Perle herself going missing.
Ellis Peters is a very gentle writer, the very sentences of her prose feel dainty. Each book introduces where we are with the Stephen-Matilda conflict before zooming in to the action in Shrewsbury. Although it may stretch credulity slightly that all these crimes could occur in such a relatively small town and that the person best-placed to investigate should be a monk who has sworn to a life in the cloister, but somehow it works. Cadfael, as regular readers of the series are aware, is no ordinary monk. He fought in the Crusades, knew the love of several good women, lived in the world and travelled it and finally, when he heard the call, he settled down to a life tending a herb garden. He is no innocent, he knows his stuff and he should never have been played onscreen by David Jacobi. Here he is called upon for life advice by the mournful Judith Perle, garden tips by people interested in the rose bush and then also a bit of the standard crime scene investigation with a sideline in footprint analysis.
ellis petersThe lovely thing about coming to a series as long as The Brother Cadfael Mysteries is that for the returning reader, there are so many recurring characters and in-jokes. The Rose Rent takes place around the festival marking the translation of St Winifred, patron saint of the Abbey. Hugh Berringar, local sheriff and Cadfael’s closest friend, slyly notes that not all is as it seems about that particular figure. Sister Magdalena makes a welcome reappearance, having become something of a deus ex machina in her ability to assist Cadfael in sorting out issues of a delicate nature to do with ladies’ problems – Sister Magdalena having made her first appearance as the mistress of a murder victim who chose the cloister because she was done with living in sin but wanted something with career progression opportunities. Ellis Peters may look sweet and prim in the photos, but she has such grace for her characters – there are few sins which she is unwilling to forgive and even the most culpable characters are generally explained as having been weak or foolish or having got themselves into situations which overwhelmed them. Nobody is ever wholly evil.
There is a particular unhappiness at the core of The Rose Rent however, with a strong woman being got at by all sides because her unmarried state makes her an anomaly in a world governed by strict rules. Judith Perle is beholden to no man, she has neither husband nor father to order her but nobody is willing to let her be. Peters contrasts her life as yet unfulfilled with that of Sister Magdalena who flourishes as a nun and thus hopes to expatiate her sin. On the other hand there is Niall the bronzemith, widower with a child who he has not the time to care for but who longs for a life with a greater softness. It may seem obvious that these two characters’ paths will converge but it makes it no less lovely when they do. The Rose Rent is one of those editions of the series where Cadfael himself takes something of a back seat, stepping in only at crucial moments and holding his tongue when he thinks it wise. For all that Cadfael may play by the social mores of medieval Britain, written by someone with borderline Victorian sensibilities, it is a pure comfort read. While An Excellent Mystery was a hymn to love in all its forms, I think that The Rose Rent was more about finding a way back to contentment, discovering a way and a place of being. There are few authors who write with such a holistic sense of kindness as Peters and as always, I finished The Rose Rent thinking that the world was a nicer place than I did before I started it.
October 3, 2024
“What does it prove?” “It proves that I am a fool, said Cadfael ruefully, “though I have sometimes suspected as much myself.”
One of the better chronicles of Cadfael. A convoluted who-dun-it with excursions into the meaning of justice, vocation and love. For a refreshing change, the potential lovers are not starry-eyed youths. And several may have mercenary motives.
“In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”
Medieval life was hard, doubly so for a widow. And a rich widow had her own threats, some of them murderous. Cadfael relies less on his knowledge of plants and more on traditional crime scene investigation.
“It would be a most welcome refuge, to have a vocation elsewhere.” “Which you have not, or you could not say that.”
Pargeter explores the motives and consequences of those who seek to drop out of life. In the process she examines not only medieval but modern alternatives. (PBS Mystery did a decent job of their video of this story.)
“Grace is not a river into which a man can dip a pail at will, but a fountain that plays when it lists, and when it lists is dry and still.”
Cadfael series: excellent historical fiction. Ellis Peters draws the reader into the twelfth century with modern story telling but holds us there with a richness of detail which evokes a time and place which might as well be mythic. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven in a wondrous tapestry.
One of the better chronicles of Cadfael. A convoluted who-dun-it with excursions into the meaning of justice, vocation and love. For a refreshing change, the potential lovers are not starry-eyed youths. And several may have mercenary motives.
“In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”
Medieval life was hard, doubly so for a widow. And a rich widow had her own threats, some of them murderous. Cadfael relies less on his knowledge of plants and more on traditional crime scene investigation.
“It would be a most welcome refuge, to have a vocation elsewhere.” “Which you have not, or you could not say that.”
Pargeter explores the motives and consequences of those who seek to drop out of life. In the process she examines not only medieval but modern alternatives. (PBS Mystery did a decent job of their video of this story.)
“Grace is not a river into which a man can dip a pail at will, but a fountain that plays when it lists, and when it lists is dry and still.”
Cadfael series: excellent historical fiction. Ellis Peters draws the reader into the twelfth century with modern story telling but holds us there with a richness of detail which evokes a time and place which might as well be mythic. Though the foreground of each chronicle is a murder mystery, behind it a nation and a culture are woven in a wondrous tapestry.
March 21, 2019
An almost melancholy book--one of the quietest of the series thus far.
Young Judith Perle is still grieving for her husband, who died way too young and for the child she miscarried shortly after his death. Unable to bear living in the house where she had been so happy, she signed it over to the Abbey for the nominal yearly rent of one rose from the house's garden.
Judith is still rich, as she was the heir of her late father, an important clothier in Shrewsbury. She oversees the business from the carding of the wool to the weaving of the cloth. Judith has no lack of young men in her life (her cousin Miles, who helps run the business; young Bertred, who is foreman of her weavers; Vivian Hynde, young man-about-town with a fondness for high living). each of whom would love to marry her. Each of whom would love for the rose rent to not be paid and the house return to Judith's ownership. But would any of them stoop to sabotaging the rose bush, would any of them stoop to committing murder?
For murder has been done--young Brother Eluric is found dead in the garden, next to the rose bush. He had delivered the rose rent for several years, but why is he in the garden days before the rent is due? and who would kill such an innocent young man? Then Judith vanishes...
Lovely little mystery with a very satisfactory conclusion. The real treat for me was Peters' giving us a good look at one of the town's businesses. She had done it in prior books, one featuring a master carpenter, another featuring a goldsmith--this time the wool trade/cloth making take a turn in the spotlight. Over the course of the series the reader gets a good look at how Shrewsbury functioned as a town--There's more to history than just battles and politics; the day to day life of ordinary people is also important.
Young Judith Perle is still grieving for her husband, who died way too young and for the child she miscarried shortly after his death. Unable to bear living in the house where she had been so happy, she signed it over to the Abbey for the nominal yearly rent of one rose from the house's garden.
Judith is still rich, as she was the heir of her late father, an important clothier in Shrewsbury. She oversees the business from the carding of the wool to the weaving of the cloth. Judith has no lack of young men in her life (her cousin Miles, who helps run the business; young Bertred, who is foreman of her weavers; Vivian Hynde, young man-about-town with a fondness for high living). each of whom would love to marry her. Each of whom would love for the rose rent to not be paid and the house return to Judith's ownership. But would any of them stoop to sabotaging the rose bush, would any of them stoop to committing murder?
For murder has been done--young Brother Eluric is found dead in the garden, next to the rose bush. He had delivered the rose rent for several years, but why is he in the garden days before the rent is due? and who would kill such an innocent young man? Then Judith vanishes...
Lovely little mystery with a very satisfactory conclusion. The real treat for me was Peters' giving us a good look at one of the town's businesses. She had done it in prior books, one featuring a master carpenter, another featuring a goldsmith--this time the wool trade/cloth making take a turn in the spotlight. Over the course of the series the reader gets a good look at how Shrewsbury functioned as a town--There's more to history than just battles and politics; the day to day life of ordinary people is also important.
August 7, 2024
This is the thirteenth book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury, in the England of the twelfth century. Cadfael lived a full life before becoming a monk, having been to the Crusades; he has now been a monk for some nineteen years, and is sincere about his faith, his obligations to the Benedictines, and his maintenance of the monastery herb gardens. However, his intellect is always piqued by mysteries, especially concerning young people. These are fun little mystery novels. My first recorded reading of this book was in 2005, and the next in 2010.
The spring of 1142 came very late, but by June everything is now blooming. Judith Pearle is the sole mistress, operator, and owner of the Vertiers' clothier business; three years ago she was happily married and pregnant, but her husband died and she miscarried. At that time she gave the house in the Foregate she had lived in, half of her assets, to the Abbey; the only payment she asks for is that she be given a white rose from the bush in the garden each year on the Feast of the Translation of Saint Winifred; if this annual payment is not made, the property reverts back to her. She has thought at times of taking the veil, if only to stop all of the eligible bachelors in town from pressing her to remarry. At present the tenant of the house in the Foregate is Niall Bronzesmith; he is a widow, and his five year old daughter is living with his sister’s family three miles outside of town. As the story opens, the young monk Brother Eluric, who was given to the Abbey at the age of three, is the person tasked with delivering the white rose to Judith each year; but he asks to be relieved of this duty, as he is tormented with the thought of the woman. Abbot Radulfus gives the duty to Niall. A few days later, Brother Eluric is found dead at the rosebush, which has been hacked with an axe. The next day, Judith disappears, and Brother Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beranger believe that she has been abducted by someone wishing to force marriage upon her.
This was a dandy mystery, and full of red herrings; and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
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2nd Recorded Reading: June 17, 2010
One would think that Abbot Radulfus of the Abbey would have long since confined Brother Cadfael to his herbarium to keep him out of trouble; or, more accurately, to keep dead bodies from multiplying with alarming frequency. One wonders if anyone has written a parody of Brother Cadfael, in which he is insane (craftily so) and is actually the murderer of all the dead bodies that pop up near the Abbey. Having said all that, this Fourteenth Chronicle is good, and liberally supplied with red herrings to confuse the unwary reader.
Spring is late to arrive in Shrewsbury in 1142; in fact, the spring thaw does not occur until the first of June. This is a good thing (not least that the crops can now be sown), because the Rose Rent is due to the widowed Judith Pearle on the day of the Translation of St. Winifred, June 22. When Judith was widowed, some four or five years ago, followed by the miscarriage of her only child, she gave her house in the Foregate (where she and her husband had lived) to the Abbey, with the only proviso being that she is to receive one white rose from the rosebush at the house on St. Winifred’s Day. She lives in Shrewsbury proper now, running her weaving business with the help of her cousin Miles Coliar and his mother (her aunt); Niall the bronzesmith lives in the property in the Foregate that was given to the Abbey; he is widowed, and his five year old daughter lives with his sister out in Pulley (some five miles distant).
A young monk, who has been resident in the Abbey since his early youth, has been the designated person to take the rose from the bush to the young Widow Pearle each year; but Brother Eluric asks that he be relieved from the duty this year, as he has fallen in love with the widow, and is tormented by his desire for her. He is relived of the duty; but soon afterward, he is found dead under the rose bush in question, with the rosebush hacked but not destroyed.
It is true that there are those who would like to marry the Widow Pearle, who is in her mid-twenties, most notably Vivian Hynde (whose father owns the largest flock of sheep in the Shire) and Godfrey Fuller, another local merchant in the town. The Abbey (and Brother Cadfael) must determine who killed their monk, and why, and what it has to do with the annual Rose Rent due to Judith Pearle.
I enjoyed reading this book; while I was fairly sure WhoDunIt by the middle of the book, the Red Herrings distracted me (as they are meant to do).
---------------------------------------------
1st Recorded Reading: February 11, 2005
The spring of 1142 came very late, but by June everything is now blooming. Judith Pearle is the sole mistress, operator, and owner of the Vertiers' clothier business; three years ago she was happily married and pregnant, but her husband died and she miscarried. At that time she gave the house in the Foregate she had lived in, half of her assets, to the Abbey; the only payment she asks for is that she be given a white rose from the bush in the garden each year on the Feast of the Translation of Saint Winifred; if this annual payment is not made, the property reverts back to her. She has thought at times of taking the veil, if only to stop all of the eligible bachelors in town from pressing her to remarry. At present the tenant of the house in the Foregate is Niall Bronzesmith; he is a widow, and his five year old daughter is living with his sister’s family three miles outside of town. As the story opens, the young monk Brother Eluric, who was given to the Abbey at the age of three, is the person tasked with delivering the white rose to Judith each year; but he asks to be relieved of this duty, as he is tormented with the thought of the woman. Abbot Radulfus gives the duty to Niall. A few days later, Brother Eluric is found dead at the rosebush, which has been hacked with an axe. The next day, Judith disappears, and Brother Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beranger believe that she has been abducted by someone wishing to force marriage upon her.
This was a dandy mystery, and full of red herrings; and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
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2nd Recorded Reading: June 17, 2010
One would think that Abbot Radulfus of the Abbey would have long since confined Brother Cadfael to his herbarium to keep him out of trouble; or, more accurately, to keep dead bodies from multiplying with alarming frequency. One wonders if anyone has written a parody of Brother Cadfael, in which he is insane (craftily so) and is actually the murderer of all the dead bodies that pop up near the Abbey. Having said all that, this Fourteenth Chronicle is good, and liberally supplied with red herrings to confuse the unwary reader.
Spring is late to arrive in Shrewsbury in 1142; in fact, the spring thaw does not occur until the first of June. This is a good thing (not least that the crops can now be sown), because the Rose Rent is due to the widowed Judith Pearle on the day of the Translation of St. Winifred, June 22. When Judith was widowed, some four or five years ago, followed by the miscarriage of her only child, she gave her house in the Foregate (where she and her husband had lived) to the Abbey, with the only proviso being that she is to receive one white rose from the rosebush at the house on St. Winifred’s Day. She lives in Shrewsbury proper now, running her weaving business with the help of her cousin Miles Coliar and his mother (her aunt); Niall the bronzesmith lives in the property in the Foregate that was given to the Abbey; he is widowed, and his five year old daughter lives with his sister out in Pulley (some five miles distant).
A young monk, who has been resident in the Abbey since his early youth, has been the designated person to take the rose from the bush to the young Widow Pearle each year; but Brother Eluric asks that he be relieved from the duty this year, as he has fallen in love with the widow, and is tormented by his desire for her. He is relived of the duty; but soon afterward, he is found dead under the rose bush in question, with the rosebush hacked but not destroyed.
It is true that there are those who would like to marry the Widow Pearle, who is in her mid-twenties, most notably Vivian Hynde (whose father owns the largest flock of sheep in the Shire) and Godfrey Fuller, another local merchant in the town. The Abbey (and Brother Cadfael) must determine who killed their monk, and why, and what it has to do with the annual Rose Rent due to Judith Pearle.
I enjoyed reading this book; while I was fairly sure WhoDunIt by the middle of the book, the Red Herrings distracted me (as they are meant to do).
---------------------------------------------
1st Recorded Reading: February 11, 2005
November 11, 2022
Absolutely lovely reread for me, for Reading the Detectives group December buddy read.
I read all of the Cadfael books decades ago, so don’t remember “whodunnit” for any of them, but I love the beauty of Ellis Peters’ writing; she evocatively captures the natural beauty of Shrewsbury, the English countryside, and Brother Cadfael’s herb garden at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Brother Cadfael is a wonderful creation, a twelfth-century monk who came to the cloister late in life, after time as a soldier in the crusades, and as a sea captain.
This story opens in late spring - the feast of St. Winifred approaches, and with it, the day a single rose must be paid by the abbey to the wealthy young Widow Perle. She gifted her former home to the abbey; it was the home where she lived, happily married, for a few years before her young husband died, and soon after, she miscarried their first and only child. All she asks in return, as rent, is a single white rose from the bush in her old garden. Such heartbreaking circumstances, but Cadfael reflects when he sees her at Mass:
I really liked Judith Perle as a character, and typically for a Cadfael mystery, there is a romantic subplot, but this was refreshingly subtle and quiet, with two mature characters - Peters has given readers several charming pairs of young lovers in this series, so this was a nice change.
So, time for the annual presentation of the rose is approaching, when the young monk assigned to deliver it is found dead beside the bush, which has been hacked up and badly damaged. Judith Perle is a wealthy, much-pursued widow; would a potential suitor, anxious to secure her worldly goods and attractive person, stoop to murder to break the generous bequest?
Before Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beringar can investigate the shocking murder, Judith herself disappears, and another murder is discovered.
I am so enjoying rereading this historical mystery series - Cadfael started my love affair with historical mysteries 30 years ago, and any trip to Shrewsbury is a comfort read!
I read all of the Cadfael books decades ago, so don’t remember “whodunnit” for any of them, but I love the beauty of Ellis Peters’ writing; she evocatively captures the natural beauty of Shrewsbury, the English countryside, and Brother Cadfael’s herb garden at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Brother Cadfael is a wonderful creation, a twelfth-century monk who came to the cloister late in life, after time as a soldier in the crusades, and as a sea captain.
This story opens in late spring - the feast of St. Winifred approaches, and with it, the day a single rose must be paid by the abbey to the wealthy young Widow Perle. She gifted her former home to the abbey; it was the home where she lived, happily married, for a few years before her young husband died, and soon after, she miscarried their first and only child. All she asks in return, as rent, is a single white rose from the bush in her old garden. Such heartbreaking circumstances, but Cadfael reflects when he sees her at Mass:
“She was barely twenty-five years old, and had enjoyed only three years of a happy marriage, but she went about her deprived and solitary life without fuss or complaint, cared scrupulously for a business which gave her no personal pleasure, and faced the prospect of perpetual loneliness with a calm countenance and a surprising supply of practical energy. In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”
I really liked Judith Perle as a character, and typically for a Cadfael mystery, there is a romantic subplot, but this was refreshingly subtle and quiet, with two mature characters - Peters has given readers several charming pairs of young lovers in this series, so this was a nice change.
So, time for the annual presentation of the rose is approaching, when the young monk assigned to deliver it is found dead beside the bush, which has been hacked up and badly damaged. Judith Perle is a wealthy, much-pursued widow; would a potential suitor, anxious to secure her worldly goods and attractive person, stoop to murder to break the generous bequest?
Before Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beringar can investigate the shocking murder, Judith herself disappears, and another murder is discovered.
I am so enjoying rereading this historical mystery series - Cadfael started my love affair with historical mysteries 30 years ago, and any trip to Shrewsbury is a comfort read!
May 1, 2021
Rose Rent is the 13th in the Brother Cadfael series. It takes place in England, near the Wales/England border, during the Spring of 1142. I am very fond of the Brother Cadfael series for several reasons: (a) this is a smart series, (b) feminist issues and perspectives are frequently/always at the books' centers, and (c) justice wears more humane and compassionate clothing than often seen in the contemporary US.
In Rose Rent, one of the central characters is a young widow who is still mourning for her dead husband. She ran her dead husband's business well, although without much interest. Much to the dismay of many, she left her marriage home to the abbey for an annual rent of one white rose, which needed to be paid on Saint Winifred's feast day. A well-intended decision, but one with negative consequences. Several men in town had their eyes on Judith, although she did not want to remarry.
Judith was in the lucky position not to have parents or an older brother who could pressure her to marry – although was also without their protection. In a period where a woman's virtue could be sullied if she were kidnapped, and when she could be forced to marry if raped, Judith's position was precarious.
As is common in Ellis Peters' books, Rose Rent is as thoughtful and measured as is her protagonist. Peters articulates a distinctly less modern and a more appealing (to me) form of justice. When the assumed murderer was dead, one character commented, "What point in blazoning forth guilt where there can never be a trial?” (p. 151). Later, when considering whether to disclose Judith's kidnapping, another character declared, "Justice is a very fine thing, but not when it does more harm to the victim than to the wrongdoer" (p. 180). (That statement should be emblazoned on the walls of some courtrooms.)
I'm not saying that these were always kinder and gentler times – Peters' characters may have needed to state these conclusions because they were not the common conclusions – but I nonetheless enjoyed reading a contextualized and compassionate style of justice. It reminds me that there are options.
In Rose Rent, one of the central characters is a young widow who is still mourning for her dead husband. She ran her dead husband's business well, although without much interest. Much to the dismay of many, she left her marriage home to the abbey for an annual rent of one white rose, which needed to be paid on Saint Winifred's feast day. A well-intended decision, but one with negative consequences. Several men in town had their eyes on Judith, although she did not want to remarry.
Judith was in the lucky position not to have parents or an older brother who could pressure her to marry – although was also without their protection. In a period where a woman's virtue could be sullied if she were kidnapped, and when she could be forced to marry if raped, Judith's position was precarious.
As is common in Ellis Peters' books, Rose Rent is as thoughtful and measured as is her protagonist. Peters articulates a distinctly less modern and a more appealing (to me) form of justice. When the assumed murderer was dead, one character commented, "What point in blazoning forth guilt where there can never be a trial?” (p. 151). Later, when considering whether to disclose Judith's kidnapping, another character declared, "Justice is a very fine thing, but not when it does more harm to the victim than to the wrongdoer" (p. 180). (That statement should be emblazoned on the walls of some courtrooms.)
I'm not saying that these were always kinder and gentler times – Peters' characters may have needed to state these conclusions because they were not the common conclusions – but I nonetheless enjoyed reading a contextualized and compassionate style of justice. It reminds me that there are options.
August 24, 2020
A soothing reading, like a British cuppa tea. Dear husband and I stepped back into the medieval world of Brother Cadfael, a multi-talented conversus, who entered the cloister relatively late in life (in his 40s) after being a soldier, sailor and traveler to the Holy Land, where he had acquired a number of useful skills which he then employed in the service of his monastery.
The Rose Rent is a mystery, but the good brother takes a slightly different approach from his fellow sleuths of more recent date. He applies the scientific method of the era, but also considers the morality of the case, something usually ignored in modern mysteries. For once it was not impossible to figure out whodunit; I had strong suspicions and was proved right, yet this in no way trivialized or diminished the story's quality. Authors who have to constantly show off by tricking their readers weary me.
This was the 13th in the Brother Cadfael series. Want to go back and read the earlier ones. Most enjoyable!
The Rose Rent is a mystery, but the good brother takes a slightly different approach from his fellow sleuths of more recent date. He applies the scientific method of the era, but also considers the morality of the case, something usually ignored in modern mysteries. For once it was not impossible to figure out whodunit; I had strong suspicions and was proved right, yet this in no way trivialized or diminished the story's quality. Authors who have to constantly show off by tricking their readers weary me.
This was the 13th in the Brother Cadfael series. Want to go back and read the earlier ones. Most enjoyable!
October 19, 2024
I can’t make up my mind about this one compared to others in the Brother Caedfel series. Most definitely it fits into my late night requirement of being a calm approach to solving murder mysteries, with no graphic violence or sex. This one has a love story all tied in neatly with white roses. Just a touch of the medieval life with its flavoring of the religious lives of its monks and a shadow of how women actually faced the option of becoming cloistered nuns.
Worth reading for the above reasons; probably I won’t remember this one in a year or two.
Worth reading for the above reasons; probably I won’t remember this one in a year or two.
August 25, 2018
The chronicles of the 'mediaeval whodunnit' continue (that description, apt as it is, always makes me chuckle): Brother Cadfael, a Welshman who after a long, adventurous and varied life decided to renounce the world and become a brother in the Shrewsbury Abbey is faced with a new murder mystery.
A young widow, Judith Perle, has bestowed her valuable property on the Abbey, the only rent required is a single white rose from a bush in her former home, to be given into her own hand on a specific day. For a couple of years all went well, the widow has returned to her family home to command the valuable family weaving business, the roses are delivered to her hand and life goes on.
This year however, strange a fatal events seem to be surrounding the widow and her legacy. The rose bush is burnt by a mysterious invader, a brother is left dead, then the widow herself vanishes, leaving more dead bodies in her wake..
Brother Cadfael investigates in his quite unobtrusive way, the the course of which, we the readers get a lovely detailed picture into the Abbey and town of Shrewsbury in 1142 and beautifully drawn pictures of the people and their lives.
I am very fond of this series of gently intriguing mysteries set in the twelfth century. The historic element is the main draw card for me, but the writing is beautiful, rarely repetitious (which is unusual in a long running series) and the murder mysteries themselves are always intriguing with a very strong 'human' element. These mysteries are not about flash and thriller details, they are about people, there interests and small doings.
A young widow, Judith Perle, has bestowed her valuable property on the Abbey, the only rent required is a single white rose from a bush in her former home, to be given into her own hand on a specific day. For a couple of years all went well, the widow has returned to her family home to command the valuable family weaving business, the roses are delivered to her hand and life goes on.
This year however, strange a fatal events seem to be surrounding the widow and her legacy. The rose bush is burnt by a mysterious invader, a brother is left dead, then the widow herself vanishes, leaving more dead bodies in her wake..
Brother Cadfael investigates in his quite unobtrusive way, the the course of which, we the readers get a lovely detailed picture into the Abbey and town of Shrewsbury in 1142 and beautifully drawn pictures of the people and their lives.
I am very fond of this series of gently intriguing mysteries set in the twelfth century. The historic element is the main draw card for me, but the writing is beautiful, rarely repetitious (which is unusual in a long running series) and the murder mysteries themselves are always intriguing with a very strong 'human' element. These mysteries are not about flash and thriller details, they are about people, there interests and small doings.
February 9, 2017
This is the thirteenth book in the Brother Cadfael series. As such, it is much like the others in a general way. That is, the mystery isn't difficult to see through, so you'll probably have figured out "whodunit" before the solution is entirely revealed. On the other hand, the historical events are precise, the author makes a single historical detail the basis for a wonderfully imaginative tale in which the rich fabric of medieval life is beautifully unfolded. Then as always the prose is elegant, and the characterization is outstanding.
I plan on reading the rest, so it's safe to conclude I'm enjoying them. I recommend this one. I also recommend reading them more or less in order from the beginning, as later books sometimes refer to earlier ones.
I plan on reading the rest, so it's safe to conclude I'm enjoying them. I recommend this one. I also recommend reading them more or less in order from the beginning, as later books sometimes refer to earlier ones.
February 21, 2019
A wealthy young and beautiful widow is loved by many from afar and from nearby, but her heart is buried and the rose she takes in rent from the Abbey reminds her of that fact each year. Several crimes including a kidnapping keep the action moving along in this Cadfael, but he himself is a more limited presence than usual. I had trouble keeping track of the large cast and positing a solution but I suspect that was me and nothing to do with the book. The solution was intricate and the conclusion of the romance sweetly satisfying.
March 12, 2020
Another rather enjoyable trip to mediaeval Shrewsbury. It's rather low key, two not-so-spectacular murders around a widowed rich young lady.
There are no personal developments for Cadfael or our other friends, so I'm not surprised I had quite forgotten this one.
There are no personal developments for Cadfael or our other friends, so I'm not surprised I had quite forgotten this one.
March 24, 2019
Really liked this one!
June 27, 2019
A beautiful, wealthy widow turns her back on the world to find solace with the church and gives her house over to the abbey for the rent of a single white rose each year.
June 18, 2022
Another highly enjoyable Brother Cadfael mystery! ....Having said that, I feel like I should add that Cadfael himself plays a smaller role in this volume. It doesn't detract from the book, which flows quite naturally. I don't know if this is the best book of the series, but it "felt" really good, at least to me anyway!
August 30, 2021
One of my favorites. I love that Widow Perle gets a family at the end.
*******
I really like this one. This was my second or third time reading it and even though I know the ending, I just like the story and descriptions of the time and place- June in 12th century Shrewsbury.
My favorite quotation from this book: “In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”
*******
I really like this one. This was my second or third time reading it and even though I know the ending, I just like the story and descriptions of the time and place- June in 12th century Shrewsbury.
My favorite quotation from this book: “In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly.”
May 14, 2020
Another good read
SPOILER MAYBE.... In which the lead female and Cadfael both underestimate the value of an unmarried and wealthy woman. If only this had been thought of earlier, the whole plan may have been spotted earlier. I feel sorry for the poor rose bush!
SPOILER MAYBE.... In which the lead female and Cadfael both underestimate the value of an unmarried and wealthy woman. If only this had been thought of earlier, the whole plan may have been spotted earlier. I feel sorry for the poor rose bush!
Want to read
September 6, 2022Book Order and Availability:
*A Morbid Taste for Bones (1) 3 stars
*One Corpse Too Many (2) 5 stars
*Monk's Hood (3) 4 stars
*St. Peter's Fair (4) 4 stars
*The Leper of St. Giles (5) 5 stars
*The Virgin in the Ice (6)3 stars
*The Sanctuary Sparrow (7) 4 stars
*The Devil's Novice (8) 3 stars
*Dead Man's Ransom (9) TBR
*The Pilgrim of Hate (10) TBR
*An Excellent Mystery (11) TBR
*The Raven in the Foregate (12) 4 stars
*The Rose Rent (13) TBR
*The Hermit of Eyton Forest (14) TBR
*The Confession of Brother Haluin (15) unavailable
*The Heretic's Apprentice (16) 3 stars
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR
*A Morbid Taste for Bones (1) 3 stars
*One Corpse Too Many (2) 5 stars
*Monk's Hood (3) 4 stars
*St. Peter's Fair (4) 4 stars
*The Leper of St. Giles (5) 5 stars
*The Virgin in the Ice (6)3 stars
*The Sanctuary Sparrow (7) 4 stars
*The Devil's Novice (8) 3 stars
*Dead Man's Ransom (9) TBR
*The Pilgrim of Hate (10) TBR
*An Excellent Mystery (11) TBR
*The Raven in the Foregate (12) 4 stars
*The Rose Rent (13) TBR
*The Hermit of Eyton Forest (14) TBR
*The Confession of Brother Haluin (15) unavailable
*The Heretic's Apprentice (16) 3 stars
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR
September 17, 2019
I've always enjoyed Ellis Peters's Cadfael mystery series. The 13th book in the series, The Rose Rent was no exception. Cadfael is one of a few historical mystery series that I have particularly enjoyed; e.g. The Mistress of the Art of Death and also the Matthew Shardlake books. Cadfael is set the earliest I think. This story takes place in May 1142 in the town of Shrewsbury mainly at the Abbey where Cadfael works as a monk. The story is set during the battles between King Stephen and Queen Maud for overall rule of England. While some of the other stories use these wars as key aspects to the stories, it plays relatively no role in this particularly story.
A wealthy widow, Judith Perle, has rented her manor to the Abbey. With the deaths of her husband and child she no longer needs the house and instead lives in the home attached to her factory. In the garden of the manor is a rose bush. On the day of St Winifred's holiday, the abbey were to give Judith one rose from the bush as the annual rent. Currently living in the manor is a widower, a craftsman.
The rose is normally given by a young trainee monk who finds himself attracted to Judith. He asks to be taken off the duty. After this preamble to introduce the plot, the young monk is found dead at the base of the rose bush, which has been chopped but not destroyed. Various reasons are provided for this action. If the rose bush is destroyed, the arrangement Judith has with the monastery would become nul and void. A number of wealthy merchants in the town want to marry her to gain access to her properties.
Cadfael and Hugh (the sheriff of Shrewsbury) begin to investigate the murder. Other events take place that will add to the tension and the urgency of solving the crime(s). It's an interesting story. You will be lead down paths to various possible solutions and then (I hope) to a nice surprise and ultimately satisfying ending. Cadfael is always an interesting, a down-to-earth ex-soldier who found the monkhood late in life. He is always thoughtful and has a nice knack for working through the clues to solve crimes (probably pretty useful when it comes to crime solving, eh?) The stories never disappoint (3.5 stars)
A wealthy widow, Judith Perle, has rented her manor to the Abbey. With the deaths of her husband and child she no longer needs the house and instead lives in the home attached to her factory. In the garden of the manor is a rose bush. On the day of St Winifred's holiday, the abbey were to give Judith one rose from the bush as the annual rent. Currently living in the manor is a widower, a craftsman.
The rose is normally given by a young trainee monk who finds himself attracted to Judith. He asks to be taken off the duty. After this preamble to introduce the plot, the young monk is found dead at the base of the rose bush, which has been chopped but not destroyed. Various reasons are provided for this action. If the rose bush is destroyed, the arrangement Judith has with the monastery would become nul and void. A number of wealthy merchants in the town want to marry her to gain access to her properties.
Cadfael and Hugh (the sheriff of Shrewsbury) begin to investigate the murder. Other events take place that will add to the tension and the urgency of solving the crime(s). It's an interesting story. You will be lead down paths to various possible solutions and then (I hope) to a nice surprise and ultimately satisfying ending. Cadfael is always an interesting, a down-to-earth ex-soldier who found the monkhood late in life. He is always thoughtful and has a nice knack for working through the clues to solve crimes (probably pretty useful when it comes to crime solving, eh?) The stories never disappoint (3.5 stars)
September 17, 2022
Another fun mystery with Brother Cadfael. Judith, a young widow, whose husband was a master weaver and who continues to manage a cloth business, had given her home in the Foregate to the Abbey for the rent of one rose from the ancient rosebush growing in the garden. The house is now occupied by Niall the Bronzesmith, and the annual rent is due in a few days. The past two years, one of the Abbey’s novices, one who was given to become a monk since early childhood, has carried the rose to Judith. Having no experience with women — literally — he has fallen in love with Judith and begs to be released from the duty. Abbot Radulfus has great compassion and agrees.
So when the novice’s body is found in the bronze smith’s garden, next to a mutilated rose bush, everyone is puzzled. Why was here there? Who hacked at the rose bush? Why was he murdered?
All of the Brother Cadfael books include a romance between a young man and young woman with Cadfael helping the couple as well as solving the mystery. The romance in this book is between a more mature couple and I loved it!
So when the novice’s body is found in the bronze smith’s garden, next to a mutilated rose bush, everyone is puzzled. Why was here there? Who hacked at the rose bush? Why was he murdered?
All of the Brother Cadfael books include a romance between a young man and young woman with Cadfael helping the couple as well as solving the mystery. The romance in this book is between a more mature couple and I loved it!
October 18, 2025
A wealthy young widow had given her home in the foregate to the abbey with one condition: that a white rose from its garden be presented to her once a year as rent. Such an odd condition, but it was a bittersweet reminder to her of the love she and her husband had shared while they lived there. But several years later that rent will end up bringing grief to her and others... and even a murder.
Well! For the first time in this series I struggled a bit with this book. I found some of the characters quite annoying, and Brother Cadfael seemed less of a presence than usual. It was feeling like a 3 star book, but that was quite an ending! (And in spite of my hope of stringing this series along into next year, I can't wait to move on to the next book.)
Well! For the first time in this series I struggled a bit with this book. I found some of the characters quite annoying, and Brother Cadfael seemed less of a presence than usual. It was feeling like a 3 star book, but that was quite an ending! (And in spite of my hope of stringing this series along into next year, I can't wait to move on to the next book.)
September 10, 2023
Surprisingly, I preferred the Cadfael episode of The Rose Rent over the book. The motivations of the murderer were much more interesting in the show. It's still a good historical mystery though!
3.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
June 25, 2023
Μυστήριο και θάνατοι γι αυτο το λευκο Ρόδο. Ωραίες περιγραφες ωραίο βιβλίο που σου κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον μεχρι τέλους το οποίο τέλος μου άρεσε πολύ.
January 25, 2023
damn those onion cutting ninjas
March 25, 2017
"Rather a sequence of events had set off each the following one, and called in motives and interests until then untouched, so that the affair had come about in a circle, and brought up the hapless souls involved in it where they never wanted to go."
During A Raven in the Forgate, Abbott Radulfus had to accept responsibility for his ditached scholarship in appointing a parish priest with great learning and very little compassion. Here, for his sins, he is much more attentive to the fragilities of his human charges. The story open with the predicament of young widow Judith Perle who has given up half her estate for a single white rose to remind her of the happiness which had once been there when her husband and child were alive. "In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly." This one white rose will lead to two murders, a trial, and a kidnapping.
A really interesting premise. However, here Peters departed significantly from her hugely successful narrative formula of following Cadfael from psychological misgivings to forensic evidence. Here, both Cadfael and Hugh are slow to pick up leads, a factor which is compounded by scenes which Judith's kidnapper is identified directly. This can be an interesting framing for some novels, but here it did not work for me. Also, there were a lot of new characters in this novel, some of which did not appear for several chapters in a row which made it difficult to feel intimately involved in their development. I appreciate that Peters tried a number of new techniques here, but felt over all that this was not one of her best Cadfael novels.
"'You brought me here to this sordid hole, locked in behind your wool bales, without comfort, without decency, and do you expect gratitude?'"
There was lots of good though. I enjoyed the slowly intensifying romance between Judith and widower Niall as a more mature depiction of love. "'However late they come, they always bloom equally in the end.'" Niall the bronzesmith was incredibly sweet, a dedicated father, and a gentle man without preconceptions. "For her he would make a thing of beauty, however small and insignificant" He has been one of the best secondary characters yet. I think Peters' writing was very sensitive to the loss they had both suffered. "'When a man suffers such a wound, he learns how to value such a mercy.'"
It was also interesting to see Abbott Radulfus' growing misgiving about accepting child oblates into the monastery. "The conversi were preferred for the responsible offices, perhaps as having experience of the deceits and complexities and temptations of the world around them." When the first victim is a socially anxious young monk whose cloistered life has driven him wild with love for the first woman he has spoken to, Radulfus' composure is shaken. More and more he is leaning on other members of the monastery as his serenity over the brothers is called into question. His philosophical rule is continually floated by the random mess of humanity. I'm really interested to see how this develops over the coming books!
But the best feature of this tale by far is The Shoe. Yes, The Shoe. Cadfael gets really really over-excited about shoes. "Meanwhile, Cadfael betook himself and his waxen footprint into the town ..." After the first murder, he finds a well-preserved footprint and makes a mold of it which he carries around lovingly for the rest of the story. He is constantly navel-gazing trying to work out if peoples' gaits match that the of The Shoe, and even resorts to sending a nun to steal some odd shoes as some kind of strange sacrificial offering to The Shoe. Oh, Cadfael, whatever will you do next?
"'No one should take to the cloistered life as a second-best, and that is what you would be doing. It is not enough to wish to escape the world without, you must be on fire for the world within."
During A Raven in the Forgate, Abbott Radulfus had to accept responsibility for his ditached scholarship in appointing a parish priest with great learning and very little compassion. Here, for his sins, he is much more attentive to the fragilities of his human charges. The story open with the predicament of young widow Judith Perle who has given up half her estate for a single white rose to remind her of the happiness which had once been there when her husband and child were alive. "In happiness or unhappiness, living is a duty, and must be done thoroughly." This one white rose will lead to two murders, a trial, and a kidnapping.
A really interesting premise. However, here Peters departed significantly from her hugely successful narrative formula of following Cadfael from psychological misgivings to forensic evidence. Here, both Cadfael and Hugh are slow to pick up leads, a factor which is compounded by scenes which Judith's kidnapper is identified directly. This can be an interesting framing for some novels, but here it did not work for me. Also, there were a lot of new characters in this novel, some of which did not appear for several chapters in a row which made it difficult to feel intimately involved in their development. I appreciate that Peters tried a number of new techniques here, but felt over all that this was not one of her best Cadfael novels.
"'You brought me here to this sordid hole, locked in behind your wool bales, without comfort, without decency, and do you expect gratitude?'"
There was lots of good though. I enjoyed the slowly intensifying romance between Judith and widower Niall as a more mature depiction of love. "'However late they come, they always bloom equally in the end.'" Niall the bronzesmith was incredibly sweet, a dedicated father, and a gentle man without preconceptions. "For her he would make a thing of beauty, however small and insignificant" He has been one of the best secondary characters yet. I think Peters' writing was very sensitive to the loss they had both suffered. "'When a man suffers such a wound, he learns how to value such a mercy.'"
It was also interesting to see Abbott Radulfus' growing misgiving about accepting child oblates into the monastery. "The conversi were preferred for the responsible offices, perhaps as having experience of the deceits and complexities and temptations of the world around them." When the first victim is a socially anxious young monk whose cloistered life has driven him wild with love for the first woman he has spoken to, Radulfus' composure is shaken. More and more he is leaning on other members of the monastery as his serenity over the brothers is called into question. His philosophical rule is continually floated by the random mess of humanity. I'm really interested to see how this develops over the coming books!
But the best feature of this tale by far is The Shoe. Yes, The Shoe. Cadfael gets really really over-excited about shoes. "Meanwhile, Cadfael betook himself and his waxen footprint into the town ..." After the first murder, he finds a well-preserved footprint and makes a mold of it which he carries around lovingly for the rest of the story. He is constantly navel-gazing trying to work out if peoples' gaits match that the of The Shoe, and even resorts to sending a nun to steal some odd shoes as some kind of strange sacrificial offering to The Shoe. Oh, Cadfael, whatever will you do next?
"'No one should take to the cloistered life as a second-best, and that is what you would be doing. It is not enough to wish to escape the world without, you must be on fire for the world within."
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