A Morbid Taste for Bones

Author : Ellis Peters

Genre : Favorites, Fiction

Edith Mary Pargeter, (1913 – 1995), also known by her nom de plume Ellis Peters, has written a delightful 20-book murder mystery series, always with a hint of romance included. I so enjoyed the twists and turns and the cleverness and humor of Brother Cadfael that a friend and I eventually made a pilgrimage to the Shrewsbury Abbey one year while we were visiting England.

In this book, Ellis Peters introduces us to the murderous medieval world of Brother Cadfael. Formerly a soldier of the Crusades, Brother Cadfael, a Welsh Benedictine monk, is now the herbalist at Shrewsbury Abbey in western England in the year 1137.

He picked up his knowledge of herbalism in the Holy Land and he spends much of his time tending the herbs and vegetables in the garden. But now there’s a more pressing matter. Cadfael is to serve as translator for a group of monks heading to the town of Gwytherin in Wales. The team’s goal is to collect the holy remains of Saint Winifred, which Prior Robert hopes will boost the abbey’s reputation, as well as his own. But when the monks arrive in Gwytherin, the town is divided over the request.

When the leading opponent to disturbing the grave is found shot dead with a mysterious arrow, some believe Saint Winifred herself delivered the deadly blow. Brother Cadfael knows an earthly hand did the deed, but his plan to root out a murderer may dig up more than he can handle.