Brother Cadfael’s Penance (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Number 20), Ellis Peter. Open Road Media (ASIN: B00LUZNZB0) 2014 (first published in 1994).

Summary; Olivier, Cadfael’s son from his crusading days, is held hostage without ransom. Cadfael forsakes his vows to save him.

Frustrated by the stalemated civil war and Maud’s imperious and inadequate leadership, Philip FitzRobert switches sides to King Stephen. Philip is son of Robert of Gloucester, half-brother of Maud, and her most staunch supporter, so this hurts. Philip’s castellan also surrenders Faringdon. But not all of his men, among whom is Olivier of Bretagne, abandon their loyalty to Maud. They are held hostage for ransom. With an attempt at peace talks, a list is published. Olivier’s name is missing and his whereabouts unknown.

Olivier, if you remember, is Cadfael’s son from his crusading days. When he left Maria, the woman he loved to return home, he did not know she was with child. He only learned of this after his vows, when he and Olivier crossed paths. In passing, Olivier mentioned his mother’s name and the circumstances of his birth. However, to not interfere with Olivier’s life, Cadfael kept this knowledge secret, except to his confessor.

The bishops, tired of war and wanting to recruit for another crusade, bring Stephen and Maud together for a peace conference, offering safe conduct for all, including Philip and the castellan, Brien de Soulis. Hugh Beringar is among those attending. Cadfael secures permission from Radulfus to go to the conference to seek information about Olivier. But he must return with Hugh. Anything further is a breaking of his monastic vows.

When they arrive, Cadfael recognizes Yves Hugonin, Olivier’s brother-in-law, who Cadfael had rescued as a child. Yves is also seeking news of Olivier. But in his impulsiveness, he attacks de Soulis, accusing him of treachery. Order is restored, and in an audience with Empress Maud, he is both disciplined and given hints that she would not be displeased were de Soulis to be killed.

The peace talks fail. And Cadfael fails to get an answer to the whereabouts of Olivier. But before the proceedings end, at the end of Compline, Yves, one of the first to exit, trips over something and cries out. It’s a body. Brien de Soulis is dead, stabbed in the heart. And because of the earlier incident, Yves is the prime suspect. But Empress Maud invokes the safe conduct, and he leaves with her troops. But before they reach their destination, he is seized, most likely by Philip’s men.

Cadfael learns of this. He and Hugh also look at the body. They find de Soulis was killed with a dagger thrust, face to face with someone he had no reason to suspect. It couldn’t be Yves, an open enemy. They also find a strange seal among de Soulis’ possessions. Cadfael makes a fateful decision to break his vows and part from Hugh. He believes Philip is holding Yves, and Olivier.

On his way to Philip’s castle, La Musarderie, Cadfael finds one more clue confirming Yves innocence. He learns the seal belonged to one of deSoulis’ captains. Supposedly, he set his seal to the surrender of Faringdon before going on an errand. He was found dead, supposedly thrown by a horse. Everything points to de Soulis as his murderer, because he wouldn’t agree to the surrender. Someone else had a motive to kill de Soulis.

When Cadfael arrives at La Musarderie, he sees Philip, presenting the evidence that secures Yves release. He also learns that Philip is holding Olivier. Philip offers no explanation. He names no ransom. Though moved, he even rejects Cadfael’s offer of himself in place of his son.

Yves returns to Maud. Hoping to secure Olivier’s release, he reveals that Philip himself is at La Musarderie. Robert of Gloucester, Philip’s father, is away. Maud uses the opportunity for revenge. Not only will she besiege and conquer La Musarderie. She will take and hang Philip. Even Yves knew this would be disastrous. It would mark an escalation of the war. He gets word to Cadfael at La Musarderie.

Will they find a way to avert this grievous mistake? And will Cadfael somehow succeed in rescuing Olivier? And even if they manage to escape the sack of the castle, what will become of the apostate Cadfael? Will he have saved his son only to lose his vocation and his soul? And should Olivier learn that Cadfael is his father, how will he respond to this knowledge? When Cadfael parted from Hugh, in disobedience to his abbot, he risked all that was sacred. But would he succeed or would he lose all?

In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Cadfael embodies these words in the last of the Cadfael stories. We wait with bated breath in wonder that, even with faint hope, Cadfael risks all.

The Holy Thief (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael number 19), Ellis Peters. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781497671614) 2014 (first published in 1992).

Summary: During a flood in Shrewsbury, the relics of St. Winifrid are stolen; a dispute over their disposition and a murder follow.

On a hot summer afternoon, Geoffrey de Mandeville, who set up his control of the Fens at the Abbey of Ramsey goes out to survey his lines without helmet or mail. An arrow grazes him, infection sets in, and he dies. Consequently, his leaderless forces disperse and the monks can return to Ramsey. Alas, it has been ransacked and requires major restoration. The Abbot sends for help to other abbeys. So Sub-Prior Herluin and young Brother Tutilo arrive at Shrewsbury seeking to collect aid. Meanwhile, a traveling musician, a woman enslaved to him, Renata, and a servant, Benezet also arrive. Renata and Tutilo know each other.

Sent to Longner Manor, Tutilo plays and sings for the dying Lady Donata. She gives him jewelry and Longner donates lumber. The town and abbey also contribute generously. But to the zealous young Tutilo, this isn’t enough. If only Ramsey had relics like those of Saint Winifrid. As Herluin and Tutilo prepare to leave, a flooding Severn endangers the Abbey. Everything movable is moved to higher quarters, including the relics. Meanwhile a wagon is loaded with the lumber and a secured box with the money and jewels to be sent back to Ramsey while Herluin and Tutilo visit other abbeys. As they finish, a brother comes out and asks Aldhelm, a shepherd, to help move one more item to go at Ramsey, a long, wrapped box.

After the flood recedes, the brothers discover St. Winifrid’s relics are missing. The only ones to leave were the wagon to Ramsey. But before they can follow the wagon, two of the wagon drivers return, badly beaten. They were ambushed, and the wagon and horses taken. The hope is that the thieves dumped the wagon’s contents. A party from the Abbey, Hugh Beringar, the sheriff, along with Herluin and Tutilo return to the spot. The lumber is there. The box with the jewels and money is empty, and the relics are intact. The Earl of Leicester, on whose land they are, also shows up. When Herluin argues to claim Winifrid for Ramsey because she prompted the “mistake” in loading the relics, the Earl plays along, and lays claim as well, saying she stopped on his lands. The party returns to Shrewsbury to resolve the dispute.

A key is to figure out whether the relics were taken by mistake or deliberately stolen. They seek out Aldhelm. Through overheard whispered conversation between Prior Robert and Brother Jerome, the word gets out to Benezet, who tips off Renata, having noticed her interest in Tutilo. She gets him off the Abbey premises so Aldhelm can’t identify him. But Aldhelm never comes. When Tutilo returns, it is to report that he has stumbled on a dead man. When morning light comes, they see that the man is Aldhelm, killed with a blow to his head.

The question is who murdered him and why? Tutilo, the leading suspect, is held. While Cadfael and Hugh search for evidence to convict or absolve Tutilo, Abbot Radulfus proposes an unusual test to resolve the question of the relics disposition. Meanwhile, Renata is not done.

One of the fun things in this story is the contrast between the rigid Herluin and the Earl, who forges a friendship with Hugh that may come into play later. As always, Cadfael plays a role of both devotion to his rule and discerning the spirit versus the letter of the law.

The Summer of the Danes (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, Number 18), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B00LUZNZ60) 2014 (First published in 1991).

Summary: A peaceful embassy with Brother Mark to two bishops results in both becoming hostages to Danes at war with Wales.

It all began as a welcome break from monastic routines for the adventurous Brother Cadfael. His former assistant, Brother Mark is now a Deacon with Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. His return to Shrewsbury means more than a delightful reunion with Cadfael. Indeed, with the approval of Abbot Radulfus, he is to join Brother Mark as Welsh interpreter. In fact, Brother Mark is the bishop’s emissary to show support to both the new Bishop at St. Asaph and the Bishop of Bangor, both covering Welsh territory. It should be a ten day trip with a good friend in the country of his youth. What could be more pleasant?

At St. Asaph, Mark’s gift to Bishop Gilbert comes at an opportune time. Owain, prince of Gwynedd has also arrived in might. The gift signals Roman support when Gilbert most needs it. But another visitor signifies trouble. Bledri has come to plead the cause of Owain’s estranged brother, Cadwaladr. Owain agrees to hear him in Aber, his royal seat. Mark and Cadfael join the royal train to Aber.

But they are not the only ones on the journey. Father Meirion, a Welsh priest associated with Gilbert accompanies his daughter, Heledd, who he has arranged to marry a Welshman in Bangor. But not by her choice. Rather, with the coming of the Roman rite, married priests are not in vogue. Meirion is a widower, but his daughter is a reminder of his anomalous status. Until, that is, she is removed by marriage. She has great fun flirting with Bledri on the journey. Not exactly a submissive bride…or daughter.

Things go sideways at Aber. Bledri warns that Cadwaladr will come in force if Owain doesn’t settle the dispute and restore Cadwaladr’s land rights. A man brutally murdered by Cadwaladr’s men stands in the way. That night, warning comes that the Danes are coming ashore at Abermenai, hired to fight by Cadwaladr. Then a horse is found missing and it is thought that Bledri has fled with crucial intelligence. It is not so. Bledri is found by Cadfael, murdered in his bed. It is Heledd who has fled. But where?

The solution of the murder must wait. Owain rides in force to meet the Danes. Meanwhile Cadfael and Mark complete their mission in Bangor, taking time as they return to look for the girl. While they split up to search, Cadfael find Heledd only for the two to fall into the clutches of foraging Danes. Mark spies them captive and reports back to Owain.

Owain’s forces and the Danes are lined up a mile apart. Owain is unwilling to fight them–the fee the Danes agreed to with Cadwaladr is his to discharge. It seems this is what the Danes wish as well, and the hostages are well-treated, which eventually include Brother Mark, when Cadwaladr betrays his trust. Owain and the Danish leader are struggling for a peaceful resolution but there are others who could jeopardize it as well as the lives of the hostages. Meanwhile, Heledd, who has had no choices in the matter before fleeing, seems to flourish, even as she waits for who knows what.

The Owain of history appears to be a shrewd character, maintaining rule against the perfidy of Cadwaladr and the presence of the English. And so Peters portrays him here. He receives the grudging respect of the Danes and the mutual respect of Hugh Beringar, whose shire borders Welsh lands. Heledd is a fascinating character, a woman who refuses to accede to the marriage made for her. Cadfael alone suspects another future for her.

After this adventure, Cadfael welcomes the return to monastic routine. But for how long?

The Potter’s Field (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael No. 17) Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B07B6B2CSP), 2014 (First published in 1989).

Summary: The Potter’s Field, a gift to the abbey, turns out to be a mystery rather than gift when a plow turns up a woman’s body with long black hair.

King Stephen has suffered another reverse in his war with Maud. Geoffrey de Mandeville, one of Maud’s men, has escaped Stephen’s siege at Cambridge and is laying waste the Fen country. Though distant from Shrewsbury, King Stephen may call for Hugh and his men at any time. And a refugee from Geoffrey’s attacks will play an important role in this story.

Locally, the abbey has just received a gift of a field that had once been part of the Longner estate. It is known as the Potter’s Field, for the rich clay soil by the river formerly used by a potter who is now a brother in the abbey. Brother Ruald, hearing the call of God, left his work, and more significantly, his wife. In her last bitter conversation with Ruald, Generys, his wife, told him she had another lover. Shortly after, she disappeared, presumably with that man.

That’s all called into question when the brothers begin plowing the upper part of the field. The plow turns up a skeleton with long hair. In her hands, she is holding a cross made of twigs. Her body bears no mark showing how she died. But burial in an unmarked and unblessed grave suggests someone wanted to conceal her death. But who is she, and who buried her? And was that person responsible for her death? These are the questions Abbot Radulfus, Cadfael, and Hugh Beringar try to resolve. Meanwhile, since her body had been found on abbey land, she is given a proper burial in the abbey cemetery.

Ruald, who seems so happy in his calling, is under suspicion, if the body was indeed that of Generys. But a visitor, an escapee from Geoffrey’s seizure of the Benedictine abbey at Ramsay, arrives bearing the news to Abbot Radulfus. Yet he is no stranger. Rather Brother Sulien Blount is the younger brother of the Lord of Longner Manor. He had sought out the monastery after his father Eudo went to serve with King Stephen, and died in battle.

When he learns of the body found in the field, he says it can’t be Generys. On his way to Shrewsbury, he stays with a jeweler in Petersborough, and sees a ring that he recognizes as that of Generys. The jeweler says she had sold the ring in company with a man in the last three weeks–a fugitive from Geoffrey but very much alive. Brother Ruald is happily in the clear, though stricken with the trouble he has caused his wife. Meanwhile, Sulien returns home to his dying mother Donata, taking the time to resolve doubts about his vows.

Suspicion next turns to Britric, a pedlar known to have stayed in the potter’s shed once it had been abandoned. The previous year, he had a woman, Gunnild, with him. This year, he was alone. Could it be her body? Could Britric have killed her? He is held, but once again Sulien provides the alibi, having found Gunnild, serving as maid to a young woman, Pernel, who definitely is interested in Sulien, who has renounced his vows.

The investigation is back at square one…or is it? It seems a bit too convenient that Sulien is the one providing alibis for Ruald and Britric. Is he the one with the connection to the woman in the field and does he know who she is? The answer, and how it comes to pass, caught me by surprise. Peters masterfully spins this tale.

The Heretic’s Apprentice (Brother Cadfael, 16), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road (ASIN: B00LUZNZ42), 2014 (First published in 1989).

Summary: The Heretic’s Apprentice is charged with heresy for defending his deceased master’s theological views and held for murder of his accuser.

It has been seven years since William of Lythwood left Shrewsbury on pilgrimage. Then one day, the apprentice who accompanied him returns home with William’s remains. His servant, Elave, has two tasks to fulfill. First, he must transport William’s body to the abbey for burial in its cemetery, since William had patronized the abbey. Questions arose about his beliefs, rumored heterodox. But he had taken communion throughout his journey, and when dying, was shriven of his sins. And he had supported the abbey, and so they honor his wishes.

The other task was to deliver an intricately carved box to William’s foster daughter, containing her dowry. The contents were locked and left so until William’s return, although stowed away in the presence of William’s household. In foster daughter Fortunata’s eyes, Elave is another gift. She had always looked up to him and her love had blossomed into something else. And Elave discovered that the skinny girl had blossomed into a beautiful woman!

One of the household members was Aldwin, the clerk who had taken Elave’s place. Elave’s return has him fearing for his job, even though Elave had assured the lady of the house that he would find employment elsewhere. Aldwin, sadly had not heard this. He also tries to sneak a peak at the contents of the box. Jevan, Girard’s younger brother, who runs the vellum end of the family’s business, interrupts him before he glimpses its contents.

Aldwin conspires with Conan, Girard’s chief shepherd, to trip up Elave. Hearing rumors of William’s heterodox ideas, they question Elave about them. Elave not only defends them but owns them. The next day, he finds himself facing a heresy charge before Abbot Radulfus. Were it up to Radulfus alone, he’d probably have dismissed this as youthful questioning by an intelligent young man, but an Augustinian canon is visiting and joins in hearing the charges, which include questioning the teaching of Augustine. This sounds like heresy. They hold him for trial before the bishop. But he has the liberty of the abbey, and as he thought, to come and go as long as he returned each evening.

Conan and Fortunata were witnesses to the conversation and called to testify, and Fortunata is beside herself and sees through Aldwin’;s plot. When this comes to Lady Lythwood’s ears, she sets Aldwin straight, that Elave had no interest in Aldwin’s job. And Aldwin is mortified, and wants to set things right. Conan tries to dissuade him in a long conversation at a pub, before returning to his flocks. But Aldwin never speaks to the Abbot. Nor does he return home. Instead, Cadfael finds his body in the river. Someone stabbed Aldwin in the back.

This spells more trouble for Elave, who happened to have gone to visit Fortunata, to assure her he held no ill will toward her for her testimony at about the time Alwin pursued his errand. The canon’s assistants rudely arrest him on return to the abbey and all suspicion turns on him though he swears innocence. Neither Cadfael nor Hugh Beringer, the sheriff are so quick. He’s in custody, improving his understanding under the tutelage of Brother Anselm. And it will be some days before the Bishop arrives.

Cadfael and Beringer pursue several questions. What were the original contents of the carved box? Where had Anselm been killed? And where did he go after leaving the pub? Did anyone else have motive and opportunity to kill Aldwin?

It does seem that Peters has used a similar plotline in several stories in the series. A young man accused who falls in love with a young woman. Even so, the plot is twisty enough to make one wonder. What is more interesting is the contrast between the canon and the abbot. One is a zealot for orthodoxy, having seen the consequences of false teaching in France and wanting to save the church in England from a similar fate. The other is the wise shepherd, who understands that faith doesn’t preclude questioning, and that Elave’s ideas were ones held at times by others, some even by a younger Augustine. Will Elave be found innocent of both murder and heresy?

The Confession of Brother Haluin (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, 15), Ellis Peters. Open Road Integrated Media (ASIN: B00LUZNWTU), 2014 (First published in 1988).

Summary: From deathbed confession to arduous journey, Brother Haluin’s miraculous recovery results in a journey of penance accompanied by Cadfael.

In mid-December of 1142, heavy snows wrought heavy damage to the tile roof of the guest hall. Rather than risk worse damage by waiting until warmer weather, crews of monks climbed the treacherous roof to remove snow and make repairs. One of these, Brother Haluin, got caught in an avalanche of snow and tiles. Severely injured by a forty foot fall, with his feet and ankles a shredded mess from the tiles, No one expects him to live.

Brother Cadfael does his best. But the brother, sensing death near, calls for the abbot. And he confesses the terrible sin that drove him to monastic vows. Not only that, he betrayed Cadfael’s trust. His love for a girl resulted in pregnancy. Then he used Cadfael’s pharmacy to give the mother a compound to abort the girl. Sadly, he learns the girl and her child died in the process.

Contrary to all expectations, Brother Haluin recovers. But the fall irreparably crippled him. On his deathbed, he vowed to take a journey of penance. He would confess his sin to the mother and then pray a night vigil at the tomb of the girl, Bertrade. All attempts to dissuade him cannot stand against his vow. Abbot Radulfus assigns Brother Cadfael to accompany him.

To begin with, the journey to Lady de Clary’s takes several days. After the initial shock of encountering her daughter’s former lover, she absolves him of his sins. But she shares difficult news. Bertrade is not buried there but in Elford, in the family tomb, a much further journey. And so Cadfael and the crippled man, refusing mounts, must make their way. They observe Lady de Clary and two of her men ride ahead. They arrive in Elford, where Lady de Clary’s son lives. While afforded hospitality, it is clear they want the brothers to fulfill their errand. And so, Brother Haluin fulfills his vow and prays at the tomb through the night.

A young man, Roscelin, slips in and helps Haluin, stiff from his nights labors. Roscelin is serving Audemar, the lady’s son, sent away inexplicably, by his father Cenred. A snowstorm forces the brothers to stay at Vivers, Cenred’s manor. Haluin, who is an ordained priest, is asked to officiate a wedding. Cenred’s sister’s daughter Helisende is to marry a young landowner. But this does not sit well with Edgytha, a governess to both Roscelin and Helisende. She witnessed their growing love, forbidden by their close relationship. This is why Roscelin was sent away and is not present.

Then Edgytha disappears on an errand in the snow and does not return. Cadfael, among the searchers, finds her body on the road back to Elford. An assailant stabbed her and the snow beneath her suggests she was on her way back from Elford. Then Helisende disappears. With the wedding off, the brothers continue home, only to make a series of discoveries that explains the murder of Edgytha and changes the lives of Haluin, Roscelin, and Helisende.

This was a very different Cadfael. The murder occurs late in the story, which takes pace far from Shrewbury. In some ways, the murder was incidental to the story. Unlike most of the stories, there is little interaction between Hugh and Cadfael. Instead, Cadfael is the wise friend helping Haluin find peace. While incidental to the plot, the exercise of hospitality runs through the story. Through it all, Peters explores the question of finding forgiveness for grievous sin, far more crippling to Haluin than his physical injuries.

The Raven in the Foregate (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Integrated Media (ISBN: 9781497671386), 2014 (Originally published in 1986).

Summary: A graceless priest comes to Holy Cross church in Foregate and alienates his parish and is found dead, while a young man who came with him, assigned to Cadfael, is not what he seems.

December of 1141 finds both Abbot Radulfus and Hugh Beringar on the road. The Abbot is called to Winchester for a council to reaffirm church loyalties to King Stephen, now free after an exchange in which Robert of Gloucester returned to the side of Empress Maud. He returns with a priest, formerly clerk to Bishop Henry, along with his housekeeper, Diota Hammet and her nephew Benet, an apparently simple, unskilled young man. He is assigned to help Cadfael. Shortly after, Hugh, who assumed but has never been confirmed in the office of Sheriff, goes to a council with Stephen, his future uncertain.

Father Ailnoth is appointed to the parish of Holy Cross in Foregate. The former priest, Father Adam has recently died and was loved by the parish for his pastoral care, particularly the mercy he showed and the light penances he gave when the people came to confess their sins. Father Ailnoth is cut of different cloth and in just the brief time before Christmas has alienated most of his parish. Passionate but believing Eluned could not resist the enticements of men but came in genuine penitence. Ailnoth refuses her absolution, penance, and communion. Cast out from the church, she throws herself in a pond. A young worker comes pleading for Ailnoth to baptize his dying infant. Ailnoth will not come until he finishes praying his office. The infant dies and then Ailnoth refuses the babe burial in consecrated ground. He strikes boys with his staff when their play near the parish house annoys him. He accuses the baker, an upright man and known for his bread, of giving short measure, He gets into a property dispute.

Meanwhile, Cadfael has taken joy getting to know the lad Benet who works hard at all the tasks he has given with cheer. He quickly realizes there is more to Benet than was apparent. He’s a quick study with the herbs, and can be trusted to look after things in Cadfael’s absence. But he wonders, who is this young man, really? He notices when Diota visits not only his affection for his aunt but the message he slips her. He also sees the visit of Sanan Berniere from the house of local noble Ralph Giffard, formerly associated with Maud, and the instant bond that forms between her and Benet, who is plainly not cut out for a monastic life.

Christmas Eve is a cold blustery night signaling the coming of winter. Cadfael is out walking when he sees Father Ailnoth rapidly walking out of town, and Giffard unhappily walking back. He also notes clues that Benet and likely Sanan had been in his workshop during the latter part of Matins. Early Christmas morning, Diota comes to the monastery. Father Ailnoth never returned home. A search is formed and his body is found, out past the mill, with a wound on the back of his head.

There are a host of suspects who had motives to kill the priest. Hugh arrives home as newly confirmed Sheriff to confront this situation. He also has a task from Stephen, to hunt down Ninian Bachilar, a supporter of Maud suspected to be in Shrewsbury. Giffard, eager to put his connections with Maud in the past, announces that Benet is Ninian, from the secret message Diota had carried, and accuses him of murdering Father Ailnoth, who had learned of the young man’s true identity from Giffard. Father Ailnoth’s hasty mission out of town was to confront Ninian, who had been supposed to meet Giffard.

Benet/Ninian, with the help of Sanan has gone into hiding, but not before telling Cadfael the truth. In fact, Cadfael at points warns the young man not to tell him certain things. Neither Cadfael nor Hugh are convinced that Ninian is Father Ailnoth’s killer and play a coy game of turning a blind eye to what each knows about the fugitive young man and the woman who loves him. The discovery of two missing articles, not found with Ailnoth’s body, hold the clues to how Ailnoth met his end, if the pieces can be put together.

Peters makes an interesting contrast in the story between the graceless Ailnoth and the ways Hugh and Cadfael approach his death, seeking truth to be sure but without jumping to graceless conclusions, seeing all those who could be suspects in their full humanity. There is a commentary here about how law is administered, both in church and society. In Cadfael, we see devotion to God and in Hugh, devotion to the king, and yet both pursue very different paths than the hapless Father Ailnoth, who never had the chance to learn mercy.