A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977)

A morbid taste for bones, the first chronicle of Brother Cadfael at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury, gives us our initial glimpse of the monk who came to the monastery in late life after first being a crusader in the Holy Land. Prior Robert has decided that the Abbey needs relics of a saint - Wales has the bones of Saint Winifred which he feels they have ignored. So off he goes with a band of brothers to retrieve the saint and bring her to Shrewsbury. Cadfael, being Welsh and speaking the language accompanies the group. Of course Winifred is not the only dead body they encounter in this endeavor!

All in all, a fine introduction to Ellis Peters' medieval detective. ( )

Morbid Taste for Bones is the first book in the Cadfael Chronicles. In a nutshell: Prior Robert is looking a saint for his abbey. The abbey is in dire need of some reputable relics and not finding anything within his region Prior Robert has the idea to branch out to Wales. He has heard of a saint buried in Gwytherin where her ghost claimed in a dream mistreatment and neglect of her grave. She requests a burial elsewhere. Of course there is drama when Robert and a crew of support show up to exhume her. Words are exchanged but because of the late hour both parties agree to take up the argument the next day. The new day brings a fresh murder. Only Cadfael recognizes the death for what is truly was, a framing of an innocent man. This always happens when there is a love triangle. Read the book for more...

I chose this book because it is the first of the series. My fellow listener and I are already familiar with the Brother Cadfael character, having watched the TV series with Derek Jacobi playing the leading role, decades ago. We have also been to Shrewsbury on one of our trips to the UK.

These novels are a lovely reminder of a historical period which was a turbulent time at the end of the Middle Ages. Brother Cadfael lives in Shrewsbury, returned from the Crusades, and now a monk and a herbalist. In some senses his mysteries are very ordinary investigations, but they are imbued with a strong sense of history, and sometimes with a touch of romance.

In this story Brother Cadfael is part of an expedition to his native Wales to "liberate" St Winifred's bones which apparently have been neglected by the people who live in the village near where she is buried. The locals are understandably upset at the incoming Englishmen who have come to steal the bones and take them back to England.

The first in quite a long series of books, there is a lot of introductory material about Cadfael, his background, and those who live with him in the Shrewsbury monastery.

At just over 7 hours this is a good title to be listened to over a couple of travelling weeks. ( )

I have always loved the Cadfael mysteries. This is the first book in the series and finds brother Cadfael reluctantly serving as an interpreter on his abbey's expedition to recover the bones of a welsh saint. The locals aren't keen on the idea of handing their saint over and things soon take a turn for the worse.

Each novel in the series contains a mystery that stands by itself, and they are all good. The author brings the medieval world to life and creates a wonderful and very human cast of characters whose stories we can follow from book to book. It is hard not to fall in love with Cadfael. And it is hard not to admire the talented and prolific Ellis Peters. ( )

not as polished as later Brother Cadfael mysteries; some annoying anachronisms (especially minutes); very entertaining; liked the ending - was the supernatural at work or no?; definitely want to read more Brother Cadfael