In Bk 6, Brother Cadfael in the midst of winter is called to tend a sick monk found nearby a monastery south of his own. Soon he discovers the sick monk is the key to unraveling the mysterious disappearance of 2 children & a missing nun. Bandits nearby adds to the tense situation but when the nun's body is found frozen in a creek, Cadfael suspects murder which means someone is hiding a heinous crime in the midst of chaos. ( )

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. ( )

This is the one where he meets Olivier. ( )

Not the best Brother Cadfael I’ve read, but Hugh was back and that was worth 1/2 a star. I might just even be in a grumpy reading mood, because, really, the mystery was crafted well enough, if the resolution was a tad weak. The murderer had very little in the way of evidence against him, and yet Brother Cadfael and Hugh were quick to be certain.

Mostly, I disliked the protracted capture and battle scenes, especially as the captured was a 12 year old boy. A different time and place, to be sure, but still not my cup of tea to read about the torture of children.

The ending was rather sweet though.

This was my third Christmas mystery in a row, and I’m beginning to feel like I should put a tree up. ( )

Character List

Characters

The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #6)
NOVEMBER of 1139

Josce de Dinan, in Ludlow, had indeed been contemplating defection,
Sub-Prior Herward of Worcester
Ermina Hugonin, care of our sister convent 18 sister Darker than brother, almost black of hair and eye, tall, vigorous
Yves Hugonin, who was in our charge, and is only thirteen. brother
Sister Hilaria with them 25
Sir Laurence d’Angers uncle, knight of Angevin blood—allegiance Maud,sister’s children
Prior Leonard of Bromfield Priory,
a wounded man Benedictine brother of Pershore name is Elyas
Reyner Dutton, a good husbandman.
Evrard Boterei manor of Callowleas Of suitable fortune, person, and age,



Characters

Brother Cadfael: Benedictine monk at Shrewsbury Abbey. In his youth, he has been on Crusade as a man at arms, has been a seaman and lived for some years in Syria near Antioch, but a monk since he was about 40; now nearing 60 years old. He is the herbalist in the monastery.
Hugh Beringar: Deputy Sheriff of Shropshire. He and his wife take a house in town so he can better cover the south of the shire in this time of unrest, and be nearer friends when their child is born. He thinks much like Cadfael despite his youth, about 24 years old. They are good friends. He is wiry, not tall, with dark hair and eyes, and an expressive eyebrow. Hugh was introduced in One Corpse Too Many.
Aline Beringar: Wife of Hugh. She is about 20 years old, and begins the story about to have her first child. The blonde haired boy Giles is born on 5 December, thus introduced in this book. She was introduced in One Corpse Too Many.
Gilbert Prestcote: Sheriff of Shropshire, King Stephen's man. He moves to the north of the shire for the month of the Christmas feast, requiring his deputy to come down to Shrewsbury.
Sub-Prior Herward: Brother from the Benedictine Abbey at Worcester. He rode to Shrewsbury in search of the Hugonin children, gaining the Sheriff's promise to look for them.
Prior Leonard: Benedictine monk in authority at the Priory at Bromfield. He was at Shrewsbury Abbey before his promotion, where he became friends with Cadfael and familiar with his skills in the healing arts.
Reyner Dutton: Tenant to the Bromfield Priory. He found Brother Elyas, near death. Later, he showed Cadfael the place, leading them to discover the hidden bundles of clothing in the hut.
Brother Elyas: Recently widowed monk in his 30s. He joined the Benedictine abbey at Perhsore in search of peace in his life. He is a tall, strong man.
Ermina Hugonin: She is a beautiful 17-year-old girl of the nobility. She is orphaned, living in the Benedictine convent at Worcester for her education. She is quick-witted and of strong will.
Yves Hugonin: Younger brother to Ermina, and son of the late Geoffrey Hugonin. He was living in the Benedictine abbey at Worcester for his education until the rout of Worcester. He is a 13-year-old boy of the nobility.
Sister Hilaria: She is a young, blond, beautiful woman who is a nun at the Benedictine Abbey in Worcester and tutor to Ermina Hugonin.
Josce de Dinan: A middle-aged lord in Ludlow whose allegiance King Stephen strives to maintain, by giving him the castle there, along with lands once belonging to Lacy. He is the overlord for Boterel's manor at Callowleas. He is a real historical person.
Evrard Boterel: Handsome young landowner in Sheriff Prestcote's writ. He is pursuing Ermina for marriage. He holds manors at Ledwyche and Callowleas.
Laurence d'Angers: Brother to the late mother of Ermina and Yves Hugonin, a baron of Anjou. He is guardian to both his niece and nephew. He returned from the Holy Land after the attack on Worcester. He is aligned with Empress Maud in the Anarchy.
Olivier de Bretagne: Squire in the service of Laurence d'Angers for six years. He is of mixed parentage, his late mother a Syrian woman, his father a man at arms in the First Crusade, unknown to him. He is a handsome young man, with black hair and golden eyes, clean shaven in the Norman style. He speaks French more comfortably than English. He is in England for the first time, in his mid twenties. He shows himself to be determined, patient, clear in his goals, and skilled in the arts of war, especially swordplay.
John Druel: Smallholder of land near Bromfield. He is known to Ermina and kind to the errant noble children before his holding falls victim to the renegades.
Alain le Gaucher: Illegitimate scion of landowning nobles (the Lacy family) in the Ludlow area. He fought in France before making his fortress in Shropshire. He is the leader of renegade men at arms. He is named thus simply because he is left-handed.


The Leper of Saint Giles (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #5)

Huon de Domville small, black, shrewd eyes, as poorly endowed with lashes as with sockets, but malevolently intelligent.
Simon Aguilon, the oldest of the three squires in Domville’s service
Joscelin Lucy squire
Guy FitzJohn youngest of the three
Roger de Clinton, bishop of Coventry
Lazarus - traveling leper
Godfrid Picard and his party,
Agnes Picard wife
Iveta Massard bride to be

Ellis Peters - Cadfael 04 - St Peter's Fair

Abbot Radulfus
Brother Cadfael
Brother Mark Cadfael's assistant
Prior Robert Pennant
Brother Jerome his assistant
Old Brother Heribert, recently abbot of this house
Brother Petrus Abbot's cook
Brother Edmund infirmarer
Brother Dennis hospitaler
Brother Paul - master of novices
Brother Benedict - sacristan
Brother Matthew - the cellarer
Brother Richard - subprior


Master Geoffrey Corviser Guild Merchant boot maker
provost’s own son, young Philip Corviser,
Edric Flesher, chief of the butchers of Shrewsbury wife Petronilla,
Martin Bellecote, master-carpenter
Bellecote’s boy Edwy
Reginald of Aston, the silversmith
Walter Renold’s inn lay at the far corner of the horse-fair

Aline Siward, now Aline Beringar, wife to the deputy sheriff of Shropshire,
Hugh Beringar
Aline’s maid Constance

Rhodri ap Huw, from Mold Wales. fine wool-clip, mainly. And also honey and mead.
Euan of Shotwick is one of the sharpest of all of Earl Ranulfs intelligencers, the glover
Thomas of Bristol, they call him, one of the biggest importers of wine
Emma, my sister’s daughter, Emma Vernold
Roger Dod burly, well-set-up young man of about thirty,
the porter Warin,a leathery, middle-aged man,

Ivo CorbiĂšre, of the manor of Stanton Cobbold
my falconer and archer, Turstan Fowler


Lord Gilbert Prestcote, who is the king’s sheriff,
Fitz Alan, who is fled to France now,

( )