A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977)

Brother Cadfael Mysteries by Ellis Peters (4 stars)
A Morbid Taste for Bones (#1) / The Virgin in the Ice (#6)
These books are part of a 21-book series about a 12th century Monk named Brother Cadfael, who has a talent for solving murder mysteries. There is also a PBS series about Brother Cadfael starring Derrik Jacobi as the monk. I have seen a few of these shows so I decided to give the books a try as I was sampling different types of mystery stories. Cadfael is an interesting character, having been a crusading soldier in his younger days he is, you might say, a bit unconventional as a monk. He has a long colorful history behind him and there is a lot of pretty accurate historical fact thrown in with the novels as well keeping them entertaining and figuring out the ‘who done it’ portion with Brother Cadfael.
Morbid Taste for Bones: The monastery where Cadfael lives is looking to gain more notoriety by beefing up their collection of relics from Saints, so one of the brothers has a miraculous vision showing him where to find some relics to take back to his monastery, it just so happens the relics are in Wales and the people of the town are not so convinced they need to give them up to these English Monks….
The Virgin in the Ice: The story begins with the historical sacking of Worcester in 1139, historical information is revealed, including a good inside look at English society in the middle ages and Cadfael sets out to look for a pair of royal youths who have been missing since the battle and solving murders along the way. ( )

An entertaining mystery, packed with historical detail. It's perhaps a little bit slight, hence the 3 stars rather than 4, and the characters are a little indistinct at times, but still an enjoyable read. ( )

With no relics in the reliquary of Shrewsbury Abbey, its prior sets his eyes on the Welsh village of Gwytherin, hoping to acquire a local saint's relics. The prior puts together an expedition to Gwytherin which includes Brother Cadfael, who is to act as the group's interpreter. Naturally, the people of Gwytherin are not pleased with the prior's plans. However, when the most adamant opponent in the village to moving Saint Winifred's remains is found dead, Cadfael becomes suspicious. He knows that it wasn't Saint Winifred who killed the man; it was a mortal man who must be found.

This book came highly recommended to me from a cozy mystery group I'm in and it did not disappoint! It's a thoughtful historical mystery set in 12th century Wales with interesting characters and a deeper philosophical message (which is something you don't often see in mystery novels). Brother Cadfael in particular, is an intelligent and empathetic man who also happens to be rather adept at solving mysteries.

As an irreligious person, I sometimes find it difficult to understand and enjoy books where religion is important to the plot because the references and allusions fly right over my head (eg. [b:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|12067|Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|Terry Pratchett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615552073l/12067._SY75_.jpg|4110990]). Thankfully, that wasn't the case with this book at all, which I really appreciated!

I do recognize however, that this book isn't going to be for everyone. For one, the language used can be a bit difficult to understand (which is understandable, given that it's set in medieval times). But the language, combined with the wordiness, can make for a tough read. It's also a slower-paced mystery. The mystery is not the 'star' of the plot, as it doesn't begin to unfold until several chapters into the book. There are also other plotlines, including the dispute over what to do with Saint Winifred's relics and complicated relationships between characters.

All in all, I really enjoyed this read, and I think mystery fans who are looking for something a little different from the books usually found in the genre might enjoy it too. In 1990, this book was listed in the top 100 crime novels of all time by the Crime Writers Association in the UK. After reading this book, I can see why they included it!

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I enjoy Cadfael mysteries. Slower paced, not crazily exciting, but enjoyable, interesting, and fun. This one is a good introduction to the series. ( )