The Raven in the Foregate

Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12

by Ellis Peters

In a mild December in the year of our Lord 1141, a new priest comes to the parishoners of the Foregate outside the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Father Ailnoth brings with him a housekeeper and her nephew- and a disposition that invites murder. Brother Cadfael quickly sees that Father Ailnoth is a harsh man who behaves like a doom-saying raven. The housekeeper's nephew, Benet, is quite different, a smiling lad, a hard worker in Cadfael's herb garden but, as Brother Cadfael soon discovers, an impostor. And when Ailnoth is found drowned, suspicion falls on Benet, though many in the Foregate had cause to want the priest dead. Now Brother Cadfael is gathering clues along with his medicinals to treat a case of unholy passions, tragic politics, and perhaps divine intervention.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Medieval, Historical Mystery

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1986

About the author

A 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.

Reviews

[Piyangie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Raven of the Foregate, the 12th chronicle of Brother Cadfael, is another interesting installment of the series. Here, too, we find an instance of assumed identity (an element quite repeated), a mysterious death, and a romance. Ellis Peters seems to be enjoying her pattern. That works, apparently, since through various elements, often repeated, she caters to a wider audience.

In The Raven in the Foregate, a young man with an assumed identity is placed in the hands of Brother Cadfael. As Hugh Beringar points out, Cadfael has a way of crossing paths with these aliases, protecting them from undue harm, and sometimes even helping them in their mission. The reason here is political. The young man is a stranded spy sent by FitzAlan. With the empress Maud falling out of favour, he is in danger of being captured. Brother Cadfael's sympathy falls naturally with this friendless man in peril. What's more, the young man also draws sympathy from Sheriff Beringar. He agrees to spare him as long as they don't openly cross paths.

The mystery here is a simple one. Ellis Peters executes it well. The victim priest has taken it upon himself to reform his parishioners with his rigid exercise of religious rules. Though his conduct is correct, his arrogance and inability to forgive make him thoroughly disliked. So when he dies, suspicion naturally falls on many who had grievances. Peters weaves these threads nicely, bringing out the diverse characteristics and unity of the ordinary people at a time of crisis. I enjoyed reading through the lines of investigation and the difficulty in finding the truth from a tight-lipped community.

The romance here is spontaneous. In some of the installments, the romance felt forced, as if there was an obligation to include that element. By contrast, it felt natural and right in this installment, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the subtle humour. Some instances were outright hilarious. The plot twist was equally amusing. This is the funniest chronicle in the series, in my opinion. Cadfael, a newly introduced character, and Peters' writing generously contributed towards that.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short entry in a series that I have been saving for Christmas reading. It does take place during the Yuletide season, but in an environment that few of us will be familiar with, the monastery. Not many of us spend Christmas Eve singing and praying through the night into Christmas Day! I do wonder if our society would be better off if we focused more on the spirit of the season and less on the material aspects.

The story has many of the elements that Peters favours: a young man using an alias, a young woman who likes what she sees, the reveal of the young man's true identity, the search for him, and the near miss of discovery. The entangled story of the priest whose lack of compassion shows him to be completely unsuitable for the position that he has been given. How will the Abbot deal with him, when he is proud of his lack of flexibility?

So, not the most Christmassy of my December choices, but as enjoyable as I usually find Brother Cadfael.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free for Audible-UK-Plus members.

A pastor dies and is to be replaced. Who will follow? The abbot has chosen one, at least temporarily, but is he a good choice for the parishioners of the “foregate” community? Wait and see wat happens.

What defines a good parish priest? Is it simply one who follows the rules? Aren’t empathy, humility and kindness necessary ingredients too?

The story is set at Yuletide in the year of 1144. Civil war is raging . In Shrewsbury, not far distant the border with Wales, some support King Stephen, others Empress Maud. Historical events play into the tale. History is taught in an engaging manner.

What is important for me to tell you is why I think this particular story by Ellis Peters is worth four stars. I love how Peters recreates medieval times. You feel like you are there. The words, the scenery, the actions and thoughts of the characters feel genuine. They create an atmosphere and a mood. They put you in a time and place so very different from our own. I find this utterly enjoyable; we escape the rat race of today.

I am not a religious person, but here we see how religion pervaded society. I like how Peters draw this. It is all-enveloping. You are there and it feels natural, right and good.

I like how sexual attraction and love affairs are drawn. What is drawn is down to earth. Theorizing is kept to the minimum. I like how the characters vary in temperament. We smile at those who overdo things. What is drawn feels true to life, honest and real. Drama and exaggeration are minimized.

The language fits the story told but is never hard to follow. Characters do not talk as we do today. They shouldn’t--they talk as one might imagine they would back in the 1100s.

At the end there is a fun twist of humor. Good end to the tale!

Don’t miss this one of the Cadfael series. It is one of the better ones.

Vanessa Benjamin reads the audiobook. It is not hard to hear what she says, but I cannot say I enjoy her narration, so two stars for the audiobook’s narration is as high as I can go. I don’t like the intonation she uses for Brother Cadfael! Not getting him right makes it difficult to give a higher rating. When Benjamin narrates, I always turn the speed down to 90%. I like to pay attention to Ellis’ words. You don’t want to just listen to “what happens”, you want to savor the atmospheric descriptions and well thought out lines. This is not a story to simply zip through. It is too well written for that.


Book 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) unavailable
*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) unavailable
*The Potter's Field (17) unavailable
*The Summer of the Danes (18) TBR
*The Holy Thief (19) TBR
*Brother Cadfael's Penance (20) TBR

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience of this story was through the Cadfael tv show, and I have to say I enjoyed the book far more. There’s a bitterness, and surprising sexism in the show’s interpretation - and it’s adding of useless secondary characters - that just isn’t there in the book.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do very much and firmly believe that I can certainly claim and point out with I think more than adequate truth and personal confidence that the absolute best parts of Ellis Peters' utterly delightful Brother Cadfael series of Mediaeval mysteries are generally and usually both Peters' spot-on and historically accurate sense of historical time and geographic place (how she makes Mediaeval 12th century England come both realistically and imaginatively, spectacularly to life) and equally so how Ellis Peters also manages to present historical mysteries which might include mayhem, murder, revenge, nastiness and the like but consistently in a textual manner where albeit the stories are always more than sufficiently descriptive and detailed, Peters' Brother Cadfael stories are (and happily so for me personally) never overtly, exaggeratedly horribly or gratuitously violently depicted, presented and told (not to mention that often if not even generally so in the Brother Cadfael series, the mysteries, the necessary whodunnit aspects thereof in fact and appreciatively so seem to come a trifle secondary to the day to day happenings of Shrewsbury and Brother Cadfael's home abbey of Saint Peter and Paul, and which I for one absolutely and hugely appreciate and majorly enjoy, and furthermore, how the English history parts Ellis Peters provides in and with her Brother Cadfael mysteries, these are superbly authentic, these are realistic and as such solid historical fiction and not annoyingly fantastical).

But yes, I do have to admit that the twelfth Brother Cadfael mystery, that The Raven in the Foregate (1986) is, even if Ellis Peters' sense of time and place is once again outstanding (see above), not one of my favourite series novels. And my biggest issue with The Raven in the Foregate is quite simply that the priest, that Father Ailnoth, whose death Brother Cadfael and Hugh Beringar are investigating is depicted by Peters as such a cardboard thin and stereotypical villain (and whose death is as such also quite deserved) that both when I read The Raven in the Foregate in 1988 and equally so when I reread The Raven in the Foregate in 2026, I have found much of Ellis Peters' text somewhat tedious and thus also not at all engaging. And furthermore, the romance element of The Raven in the Foregate feels pretty frustratingly repetitive as well and it reminds me far too much of the love story found in One Corpse too Many (but that while in the latter, this was a lovely and delightful story, having basically rather the same set-up in The Raven in the Foregate just feels annoying and also somewhat lazy of Peters).

But while Ellis Peters' plotting of The Raven in the Foregate is thus somewhat thin and that The Raven in the Foregate is definitely not a Brother Cadfael story that truly shines for me, yes, I still have found The Raven in the Foregate sufficiently readable and pleasurable for a solidly three star rating. For Peters with The Raven in the Foregate also does make a wonderful as well as an essential contrast between the graceless and ruthlessly following Church regulations above basic humanity Ailnoth and the ways Hugh and Cadfael approach his death, seeking the truth to be sure but without ever jumping to conclusions, seeing all those who could be suspects (and in their full humanity). There is therefore a commentary in The Raven in the Foregate about how law should be administered (both in church and in society), and that in Brother Cadfael, we see Ellis Peters show his devotion to God and in Hugh his devotion to King Stephen. But yes, both are also shown in The Raven in the Foregate as pursuing their paths with an eye for both justice and mercy and as such very differently than the hapless and also pathetic Father Ailnoth, whose complete lack of mercy actually causes his death (with him drowning in the Mill Pond after slipping into the water while being nasty and judgmental, with no-one willing to help since in the short time Ailnoth had been the Foregate priest, he had basically at best alienated everyone and had also caused deaths due to his cruelty and lack of any and all humanity and humility).

[Tijana]

Gledam sad šta sam proteklih godina pisala o romanima o bratu Kadfaelu, sve same varijacije na "meni se ovo baš sviđa" i "vedro je i dobrodušno, PA ŠTA", zaista nemam ništa novo da dodam :)

[Valerie]

In December, 1141, the wheel has spun again, and this time left Stephen on the throne, if shakily. He begins shoring up his lead by gathering ecclesiastical and worldly authorities together to support him. This means that Abbot Radulfus has to go first, to (another!) legatine council, and then Hugh Beringar has to go off to a meeting of sheriffs, barons, etc...with the chance that he won't be confirmed in his post, which (you'll recall if you've read the earlier books) he inherited rather irregularly.

In the meantime, the parish of Holy Cross (comprising the Foregate and the rural areas out of town) has lost its beloved priest, Father Adam, aged before his time (he was only sixty), by worry for his fallible parishioners. His death leaves many people bereaved, but most especially Cynric the Verger, a taciturn but kindly man. Cynric eulogizes him succinctly: "A sad,kind man,...a tired man with a soft spot for sinners." Others may condescend toward Father Adam for his want of learning, but his parishioners loved him for his compassion.

It's the want of that same compassion that causes such hatred for his successor. There's no doubt that the young man is talented and learned; but he's sadly lacking in that 'charity' that is 'the greatest of these'. Some translations translate this term as 'love', but that's not quite an adequate translation. The English term 'love' is too broadwinged. What's meant here is familial love: merciful and generous; which doesn't despair of anyone, and doesn't put forth perfection as a minimum criterion for acceptance.

Thinking it over, Father Ailnoth might very well have had a long, successful career if he'd stayed in royal courts, putting his learning to the service of Church and State, and not meddling in the affairs of ordinary sinners. There are some people who are lacking, not only in bedside manner, but even in the kind of generosity which can forgive "even unto seventy times seven". These people should NEVER be hired as spiritual counselors. And once the original mistake was made, Abbot Radulfus should have seen sooner that Father Ailnoth was completely unsuited to the job. Any man who would refuse to attend (and christen) a dying newborn because he won't interrupt his own prayers, and THEN refuse the dead child burial in sanctified ground because the child died before being christened is CLEARLY not suited to the job of parish priest.

But before a recognition and correction of the mistake can be completed, Father Ailnoth ends up dead. There is no shortage of possible suspects. Many people were infuriated by Father Ailnoth's scrupulously cruel behavior. So the investigation has to be very careful, especially since most of the people in the parish have no intention of betraying any member of their community who might have been pushed too far.

One of the things I've always liked about Hugh Beringar is that he has always respected community solidarity (indeed, even when it becomes a significant hindrance to his official duties, he's always recognized that, in the long run, it makes his job easier). So when people refuse to implicate others, he quite rightly respects their right to remain silent, and seeks information by other means. His sergeants and deputy aren't quite as understanding in that regard: which causes people to be all the more worried by the chance that he won't be confirmed in office.

The obvious suspect is cleared almost immediately, but, because he is a fugitive as a result of the schisms in the land, he's often inaccessible for questioning. Brother Cadfael finds himself acting as an intermediary, asking questions and relaying answers to the authorities. The Church often takes this role in the troublous times. It's not quite a matter of the Church not having a dog in the races. The Church hierarchy has strong familial and social ties with the secular authorities, and several churches, monasteries, etc have already proved not very secure sanctuaries when the fire arrows start flying. Bur when looking for a 'disinterested' emissary, people tend to turn to the church.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was it truly perfection? I don't know, perhaps. What I do know is that I enjoyed the b'jesus outta this volume of the Cadfael chronicles!

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time for me to re-read this series, and I'm beginning in the middle.

We start with Brother Cadfael, and we are smack in the middle ages in the year 1141, not exactly a time when you'd think a mystery would captivate the Reader of these days 884 years in the future. But this re-read just goes to show (this Reader at least) that I can still work up a mighty curiosity and big opinions on a story of which I already know the end.

There is a new Father in the village and he's the guy everyone loves to hate but that's not good because he's a Man of God and crossing them, well. Just don't. Anyway, no worries, he gets his just deserts (um, not a hot, sandy place). Best of all, is the star of the show, B Cadfael, who has all the answers, and his buddy Hugh B.

If you've never read these, I recommend them 1141%!

25|52:CC1

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book (see below.) The less said about what happens in the book, the better, in my opinion. One of the reasons I liked this so much the first time is a mystery to me, because I might have given this 4 stars this time, but am going to go with what I put here first. However, I quite liked the "guest star" characters and a number of things particular to this mystery. In addition, I particularly enjoyed Cadfael's continued friendship with a recurring character, but if you've never read any books in this series please read the second one before any subsequent ones, although the ideal way is to read them in order from the first one.

This is my second time reading this book and I know I rated it 5 stars, but I can't find any review or a date for when I read it before sometime between 2016 and 2018 (when I read the one right before and after it so since I first added this on July 8, 2017, I'm going with the end of that month for a first read.

[hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

(review to come, all being well)

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A man with every virtue, except humility and human kindness. That is what I have brought upon the Foregate, [redacted]. And now what are we to do about him?”

Medieval clergy at their worst, and Cadfael at his best. Two apparently independent plots collide with a dead body to mark the spot. Will Cadfael fail to unravel this skein and innocents suffer? Who is innocent?

“Keep him out of sight. I’m no mind to clap a good lad into prison for being loyal to a cause which isn’t mine.”

Another gallant, but slightly hare-brained beaux saved by a capable-as-she-is-beautiful maiden. Peters excels at strong female characters. Typical-for-that-age superstitions and suspicions notably absent. A sympathetic rendering of both fallibility and strengths of churchmen. Most theology-dense Cadfael story to date.

“Did I say I was being obliged to search my conscience? But not too diligently—that always leads to trouble.”

Concerning that a female author used such derogatory nouns (however appropriate to that time and place) to describe a female character—no, I’ll not repeat them. Peters is normally intentional about her vocabulary. A convoluted medieval murder mystery with the usual political and romantic entanglements, but the story verges on formulaic. Still, a good read.

“You are a devious creature. I wonder why I bear with you?” [redacted] turned in the doorway to give him a flashing glance over his shoulder. “Like calling to like, I daresay!”

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.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just didn't hold my interest. There was a lot of repetition, with the characters discussing the same events several times, which got a bit annoying. As for the actual mystery, it turned out to be the most boring murder ever. No one killed him. He fell down and hit his head. I know, exciting stuff.

I will grant this book one positive nod--Brother Cadfael's a sympathetic character. I know this is a popular series. Maybe the other books are better.

[cloudyskye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to write a review about this. The Cadfael chronicles are altogether more like one single long story to me than 20 separate ones. And I love the whole thing.
This instalment is not a very memorable one - a very unpleasant man getting his just deserts, the obligatory romance story, the civil war - King Stephen vs. Empress Maud - continuing to tear England apart.
Still a charming outing to mediaeval Shrewsbury in wintertime.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be the Cadfael book that I like the least. For two reasons: 1) the character of Father Ailnoth is abhorrent and completely without compassion. And 2) I personally have a hard time separating the book's plot from the BBC/PBS adaptation's plot. I have strong memories of characters and events from the TV adaptation that are not in the book so the story becomes a bit of a muddle. (Most of the TV adaptations were pretty faithful to the books.) I think the TV Raven sticks with me more than the book Raven because the portrayal of the aforementioned Abhorrent Ailnoth was so very strong. That character just looms over everything. Like the rest of the Foregate, I'm glad when he's dead.

I'd give the book three stars just because of Ailnoth, and because he seems to cast a pall over the entire book even after he's dead. However, I bump it up to four because there's some wonderful rhetoric from Cadfael, Hugh, and Abbott Radulfus regarding fallibility, sin and sinners. Also, the book rewards the reader by mentioning events and characters from several previous books, including lovely Torold Blund and Godith from One Corpse Too Many.

And I love the scene at the end with Brother Jerome!

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #1)
3* One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2)
3* Monk's Hood (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #3)
3* The Leper of St. Giles
4* The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #6)
3* The Sanctuary Sparrow (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #7)
3* Dead Man's Ransom (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #9)
CR The Raven in the Foregate (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12)
3* The Summer of the Danes (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #18)

2* Flight of a Witch (Felse, #3)

Edith Mary Pargeter:

5* Sunrise in the West (Brothers of Gwynedd, #1)
TR The Dragon at Noonday (Brothers of Gwynedd, #2)
TR The Hounds of Sunset (Brothers of Gwynedd, #3)
TR Afterglow and Nightfall (Brothers of Gwynedd #4)

Empress Maud v King Stephen continues

See also Cadfael Country: Shropshire & The Welsh Borders

[Dominic Piacentini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas in Shrewsbury. Two dead priests: one will be missed, one certainly won’t be.

Empress Maud sat upon her throne less than year before her cousin once again usurped her, reshuffling increasingly wary allegiances. I appreciate the entries in this series whose plots lean into the English Anarchy more deliberately. And here, we see another on-the-run Maud loyalist in disguise as an herbalist-in-training and smuggled into Wales with their newly found lover by none other than Brother Cadfael (This trope might be getting tired.) There are many similarities (and callbacks) to One Corpse Too Many, which is still the strongest in the series, but I don’t care. The pacing on this one is pitch perfect.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's December of 1141 and Empress Maud and King Stephen are STILL tearing up their kingdom, focused more on winning the crown than considering what England needs. It makes me want to introduce them to King Solomon.

Still, what I love about the Brother Cadfael series is that in Brother Cadfael and Hugh Berringar there is competence, compassion, wisdom, and empathy in the world. Rather than focusing on putting someone in prison for every crime, they instead focus on righting the world.

In Raven in the Foregate, a new priest is assigned to the parish in the town adjoining the abby. Father Ailnoth is described as being "like a scavenging raven swooping through the Foregate to hunt out little venial sins, and consign the sinners to damnation" (p. 63). He quickly turns the members of the parish against him as he "had no notion how to coax and counsel and comfort common human sinners" (p. 91).

When Father Ailnoth is found dead, most of the town are suspects – and none will give the others up. What is justice following the death of a rigid, moralistic man with little empathy? What is justice when one finds a traitor? The answers Cadfael and Hugh Berringar arrive at are likely different than what you expect if your culture's approach to jurisprudence is like mine.

And that's why I like Brother Cadfael mysteries: they open my eyes to other ways of seeing.

[SarahKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly acceptable Cadfael story. I had a feeling who the culprit would be after the older woman shares her story. Father Ailnoth trips, hits his head, and falls into the river after trying to hit the woman again. Serves him right. He was a horrible person.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Adam, the loving, endlessly-forgiving priest of the parish church of the Foregate, has died and laid to rest, much mourned by his parishioners. Abbot Radulfus has a new priest, Father Ailnoth, recommended to him by no less than Bishop Henry, the papal legate to England. But Father Ailnoth’s Christianity is more rigid and uncompromising, and he quickly alienates many in his flock, particularly in two instances that end in tragedy.

One couple sends for Father Ailnoth to baptize their newborn daughter, but he refuses to interrupt his Offices. When he does respond, the infant has died, and according to some medieval doctrine, she is doomed to limbo and is denied burial in consecrated ground.

The second is even worse, involving a young woman who it seems is mildly mentally impaired. She is habitually, um, generous with her favours, but afterwards feels shame and goes to confession. Father Adam was mindful of her condition and always granted absolution and gave her penance, but Father Ailnoth denied her the comfort of the Church and cast her out. She throws herself into the Severn and drowns, leaving her infant daughter in her aged mother’s care.

So know one is surprised, or terribly sorry, when Father Ailnoth’s body is found in the river. At first it’s assumed he slipped and fell, for the December weather has been icy. But Cadfael points out head injuries on the corpse that would be inconsistent with a slip and fall.

Suspicion soon falls on Benet, the “nephew” of the priest’s housekeeper, who is secretly a supporter of Queen Maud. Benet, whose real name is Ninian, has been assisting Cadfael as a gardener’s assistant. Hugh has been ordered to arrest him, but he very carefully does not try to find him, not wanting to arrest simply for supporting another legitimate contender to the throne.

Once again thanks to Cadfael and Hugh, the murder is solved and it’s assumed that Ninian and his fiancée successfully sneak out of town and reach France via Wales.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, low key entry in this long running series, reread with Reading the Detectives Group. Brother Cadfael started my love for historical mysteries long ago, and I treasure these rereads; I always listen to the audiobooks, beautifully narrated by Patrick Tull.

It’s Christmas again, and the tide has turned yet again in the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud. Stephen is free from captivity, Maud was rejected by London and is on the run. Stephen has his crown back, and has called his loyal forces together for the Christmas feast. In Shrewsbury, Hugh Beringar has been acting sheriff, so must leave his young family to attend the king. Meanwhile, the kind, elderly priest of the Abbey Foregate church has died, and the new priest sent to replace him, though learned and well-spoken, has none of his predecessors humility or understanding of human weakness among his flock. The harsh, unbending Father Ailnoth manages to upset everyone, and when Christmas morning dawns cold and crisp, he is found dead in the river.

As always, Cadfael is drawn into investigate with Hugh, and there are a pair of young lovers - both loyal to Maud’s cause, which puts the young man at risk of arrest as a traitor to King Stephen.

We’ve discussed in our group how these mysteries can be rather “samey”, so we don’t read them every month. I love the beautiful writing, descriptions of the seasons and Cadfael’s herb garden, and the slower pace of life lived around the liturgical and natural calendars. Very peaceful, despite the backdrop of civil war!

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this rather quiet episode that sticks close to home in Shrewsbury.
It is December, 1141. Abbot Randulfus has a problem on his hands. The parish of Holy Cross and the Abbey of St Peter and St Paul share the same church building; the Abbey is responsible for appointing the parish priest. Father Adam has died and the Abbot needs to find a replacement for the long-time and much beloved parish priest.
Alas, the new priest, Father Ailnoth is a really bad fit--aloof, strict, quick to anger, with no patience for sinners, especially common folk sinners. Matters go from bad to worse--so much so that Father Ailnoth is found dead, probably murdered, on Christmas. Suspicion quickly falls on two suspects--the priest's housekeeper and her 'nephew' (who is there under false pretenses).
Cadfael believes in their innocence--but if not either of them, then who else is there?
There is a lovely romance flitting through the background that has its roots in the unsettled political situation of the day. Sheriff Hugh Beringar again shows that he has a cool head and a flair for drama. The climax in the graveyard is very well-staged; the mystery of Fr. Ailnoth's death is solved.
The author saves the best for the ending--a wonderfully upbeat way to close the story.
I'm looking forward to what 1142 brings for Brother Cadfael, Hugh and all the others.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Cadfael mysteries. Ellis Peters really digs into morality and human frailty and the need for compassion in leaders. Sometimes her novels tie everything up in a neat bow at the end, a little too tidily for reality. But this one leaves a few questions that readers will have to decide for themselves. She always focuses on 'true justice', which doesn't always follow the letter of the law. It's a quick read with great storytelling and insights.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can a say? Another good book by Ellis Peters well worth reading.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTF

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 12th book in the Cadfael series and the 12th Cadfael I have read. While the plot in this book is relatively simple, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. It made for a rewarding escape read in the Christmas holidays.
The story involves the death of the new priest, Father Ailnoth who is sent to take over at the local parish. He is strict and relatively heartless in his administration, quickly becoming unpopular with his parishioners, So, when his body is discovered drowned and with a blow to the head indicating murder, there are several possible suspects. The suspects include both parishioners badly impacted by Allnoth’s ruthless actions, and Ailnoth’s two aides he brought with him to Foregate: his housekeeper and her “nephew” Benet. Politics is involved as Stephen is on the rise having recently resumed his reign and Maud is out but looking to get back in.
Benet is an active Maud supporter and is a natural suspect. Due to his skills, Benet is assigned to Cadfael to help him in his gardening and herbal medicinal work, Cadfael soon becomes quite fond of the spunky yet hardworking and truthful Benet. When Benet becomes one of the chief suspects in the Allnoth ‘murder,’ Cadfael has an additional motive, besides his natural penchant, to investigate who is the culprit.
What results in a fairly straightforward murder mystery with well-defined suspects with rationale motives. Other characters and their relationships are well-drawn too. I enjoyed getting a look at the personality of the townspeople and their relationship to the religious hierarchy. The book also manages to have good scenes and further insight into some series regulars such as Abbot Radulfus and Sheriff Hugh, and even some fun with Brother Jerome’s anal activities.
I thought the character of Benet was especially well-drawn, with the depiction of his political background, his romance, his motives to kill and his relationship with Cadfael. Benet’s romance was pleasantly clear, relatively undramatic and only a side plot that never interfered with the general intrigue. The Cadfael/Benet relationship was another in the series’ depictions of Cadfael as mentor, a series I will call ‘Cadfael and the Younger Generation’, to paraphrase a Rumpole short story. This was a high quality one of the series’ portrayals.
This book has a straightforward murder mystery, easy to visualize setting, good and rational suspects and well-developed characters and relationships. While not spectacular it was entertaining and very satisfying. It was also the right book at the right time. A 4+ star read for me.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

King Stephen is back on the throne of England but Brother Cadfael and company are more concerned with a local death. This is the first book in the series that I have actually read and, while I did miss Patrick Tull's narration, the mix of history and mystery along with the great characters made it an enjoyable and quick read.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a vicious head cold and was looking for something distracting to read. I could have turned to a familiar and favorite title, but instead the only Brother Cadfael mystery that I haven't read called to me. And, yes, it was nice to revisit familiar 'friends' in a new story.

[Ruth Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raven imagery is always a good idea.
Ends with a good joke to chase the doom and gloom away, and has valuable musings on whether or not a heavy hand or a mild, forgiving one is better on the souls of repeat sinners.