This is the second 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 fifteen years, and is sincere about his faith, his obligations to the Benedictines, and his maintenance of the monastery gardens. However, his intellect is always piqued by mysteries, especially concerning young people. These are fun little mystery novels, and this one is a great introduction to the series. My first recorded reading of this book was in 2002, and the next in 2010.
The civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud has come to Shrewsbury; forces loyal to Maud are holding the castle, and about to be taken by the larger forces of King Stephen outside the walls. Before the final assault, a boy comes from the town to be raised for a year at the Abbey; since he is short on young brothers and boys to do the scutwork of the Monastery gardens, Cadfael takes the boy as his helper. The castle is overrun, but two of the main three men escape, and the other ninety-four men in the garrison are all hanged. A young noblewoman, Aline Seward, comes to King Stephen to pledge her help to him, in the absence of her brother Giles, who may or may not have been in the Castle garrison; also come to pledge his help is Hugh Beringar, who is the contracted fiancé of the daughter of one of the men who escaped the garrison. Cadfael takes on the sad duty of collecting the hanged men to be properly laid out for identification if possible (many of them came from Shrewsbury) and burial, and finds ninety-five bodies instead of ninety-four; furthermore, the extra body was garroted, and his hands were not bound. Thus begins a tale of love, betrayal, young people in peril helped by Brother Cadfael, and the treasure of the garrison, which was being sent to Normandy and the Empress Maud.
This was a very good book, and a mystery where the solution was not determined until very late in the book, as is proper. And I look forward to the next book in the series.
From The Recamier 