One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #2), Ellis Peters. New York: Mysterious Press/Open Road, 2014 (Originally published in 1979).

Summary: Burying 94 defenders of Shrewsbury loyal to Empress Maud, executed by King Stephen, Cadfael finds 95 bodies, one of which had been murdered. Could the killer be the young man seeking a daughter of a supporter of Empress Maud, hiding in the abbey under Cadfael’s protection?

The abbey at Shrewsbury is caught amid a civil war between those defending the town of Shrewsbury, loyal to Empress Maud who is in France, and the present, dominating forces under King Stephen. When the town falls, ninety-four of the defenders, loyal to Maud are executed by hanging, cut down and left in a heap outside the town. Cadfael is delegated to lead the group to provide them a decent burial or be claimed by their families. The grim task becomes grimmer when Cadfael counts, no doubt to make sure they have retrieved all, only to find that there are ninety-five. One of the corpses had been murdered, garrotted from behind and hidden among the others.

He secures King Stephen’s permission to investigate the murder. It is only one of the burdens he bears as he copes with the effects of war. A young boy has been assigned to him, provided for by a year’s gift to the abbey. Godric works hard and listens well–and refuses to strip down on a hot day–and Cadfael realizes this is no boy. He learns that she is Godith Adeney, daughter of one of Maud’s patrons, who had escaped the city. He arranges for her to stay with him rather than the other boys, and tries to protect her secret until he can arrange to get her to safety in neighboring Wales. She also identifies the murdered man–one of her father’s young servants, smuggling family wealth out of the city to aid Maud’s cause

The task is complicated by Hugh Beringar. Years ago he was betrothed to Godith. Now he has sided, or tried to, with King Stephen. He’s a skilled horseman and swordsman, but the proof of loyalty remains. Finding Godith and turning her over to the King as hostage and bait to bring her father out of hiding will confirm Beringar’s loyalties. He stays at the Abbey and attaches himself to Cadfael. Does he know, or suspect? The only thing that distracts is the recently bereaved Aline siward who lost her brother among the ninety-four. His rival for her affections is Adam Courcelle, a young soldier of the king, who apologizes that he could not save her brother.

Godith discovers a wounded young man in bushes outside the abbey, a companion assisting the man who was murdered, who had fought with his assailant in a barn. Cadfael attends to the young man, Tobold, who quickly develops a bond with Godith, and investigates the scene, finding a broken flower from the hilt of a knife–a key to finding the murderer. There is also the family treasure, which Tobold has hidden.

Peters does an effective job building the tension as it is evident that Beringer both enlists Cadfael’s help in secreting away some horses and provides bait for Cadfael to use with the two he is hiding who need to get to Wales, along with the treasure, which Cadfael suspects Beringar is also seeking. Beringar is both stealthy and clever. How much does he know? Can the former soldier and herbalist Cadfael outfox him? More than that, if the treasure is Beringar’s object, is he the murderer? For all that, a kind of admiration has arisen within Cadfael for this young man.

Peters has some surprises yet in store that both further the tension in the plot, and heighten the satisfaction with its outcome…but I will say no more! It’s masterful!

In back of all this, Peters captures the knife-edge abbeys lived on amid such civil distress. They do not take sides but provide stores and horses for the king–and refuge for those associated with his rival. All the while, they pursue a higher call, to care for souls, to heal bodies when they can and bury them with dignity when that fails. In Cadfael, the former soldier we read the tension of understanding the way of the warrior and the pursuit of his spiritual calling. He exemplifies one who lives “as wisely as a serpent and as innocently as a dove.”