Customer Reviews

Monk's Hood: The Third Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

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"Monk's-Hood" is Ellis Peters' third Brother Cadfael mystery, following nicely on from "One Corpse Too Many". It is set at the close of the year 1138. Almost six months have elapsed since King Stephen's army laid siege to and finally took the English town of Shrewsbury. But, whilst the King may have withdrawn his forces, and departed the town to impress his claim to the English throne on other areas of the Kingdom, murderous deeds are still afoot on the Welsh Marches. And, once again, Brother Cadfael finds himself firmly in the midst of it all.

The tale this time involves the mysterious poisoning of a guest of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, by means, what's more, of one of Brother Cadfael's own healing concoctions. With his own - as well as the Abbey's - honour at stake, Cadfael refuses to let matters lie, especially when the sheriff's somewhat over-zealous sergeant appears to be rather hastily leaping to the wrong conclusion as to who is responsible for the dire deed. To add further complications to the task before our mediaeval sleuth, Cadfael suddenly finds himself confined to the Abbey precincts by a more than usually overweening Prior Robert. As always, though, Cadfael's greater humility and wit (aided somewhat by divine providence) win out in the end, with our hero triumphing over arrogant authority of both secular and cloistered varieties.

Ellis Peters uses her own flawless wit and easy flowing prose to spin an enchanting and compulsive story around the central mystery, although the book is not really of the classic whodunnit mould. Her ingenious tale of family intrigue unfolds at a wonderfully leisurely pace, with the reader following a tantalising breadcrumb trail of snippets of information, released at just the right rate to ensure that the reader does not solve the mystery before Cadfael himself. Along the way, we learn something of the complex political and social webs common to Mediaeval life on the English/Welsh borders, as well as much more about the past life of the book's central character. As ever, attention to historical detail is meticulous.

Whether you read this book in sequence or not depends on how much of a purist you are. Reading later volumes before this one will give away something of the book's very ending, though not so much that it will in any way be spoiled. Reading this (or any later ones) before the first two would be a mistake, though, as that undermines some aspects of the first volumes' mysteries. There is no need to have read any earlier volumes, though, if you just want to pick this one up and enjoy it!

Brother Cadfael is called upon to help a poisoned guest at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. Upon reaching the dying man's side, Cadfael discovers two very disturbing things: the poison was taken from Cadfael's own workshop, and the dead man's widow is Cadfael's former fiance. Cadfael feels that it is his responsibility to find the guilty man and to prove the widow's son innocent of the murder of his stepfather. I found it especially interesting as it gave a rare glimpse into the past of our Crusader-turned-monk.

Ellis Peters has done it again in this, her third Brother Cadfael novel. She provides us with a delectable murder mystery, served up on a platter of Cadfael's private memories, garnished with monastic disorder. Abbot Heribert suddenly relinquishes the reins of abbatial power to the serenely capable hands of Prior Robert, acting Abbot. You can be sure that the Rule will be strictly enforced at last!

The first novel, A MORBID TASTE FOR BONES, presents Cadfael's devotion to his beloved Saint Winifrid (also of Wales). The second novel, ONE CORPSE TOO MANY, chronicles his friendship with the new deputy, Hugh Beringar, a King's man. Here in #3 we enjoy a private glimpse into his amorous (pre- Benedictine) past, as he encounters his secret fiance, Richildis Vaughn--two husbands later. Still slightly susceptible to feminine charm despite long years waring the cowl, Cadfael debates visitng her one last time before she moves to a distant manor. Will our favorite Brother of the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul have something to Confess--to her or in the cloister?

An aging man with a feisty nature is viciously poisoned after eating a partridge sent as a gift, prepared by the Abbot's cook. Cadfael discovers that the murder weapon was none other than oil of monk's hood, disguised in the sauce; this oil was prepared by his own hand, to relieve the aches of old bones and sore muscles. Shocked that a soothing salve to reduce stress has actually caused death, Cadfael undertakes the investigation personally--as far as his snooty superiors permit. He is aided by his young, loyal assistant in the herb garden, Brother Mark--an eager sidekick to search for clues. Eventually Hugh returns to take up the case, but can they all prove that Richildis' young son is innocent?

I personally prefer the Peters' mysteries which provide insight into the personality, past and motivation of her protagonist--novels which offer more than admittendly excellent plot delineation. I can't get enough of Cadfael, an aging ex-Crusader turned monk/sleuth in 12th century Shrewsbury. Here he emerges as brave, compassionate, and slightly worldly, but above all a shrewd observer of human nature--both clerical as well as secular. There are always hidden literary and historical treasures to be found in Peter's Cadfael novels, just waiting to be unearthed and savored by observant readers. Amatuer sleuths and gardeners--Beware! Know thy herbs (appearance, scent and uses) but drink no sauces flavored with oil of MONK'S HOOD!

The third book in the Brother Cadfael series, "Monk's Hood," is a powerful parable of forgiveness.

The more I read of this series, the better it gets. I recommend it to anyone.

Historically, I have not been much of a reader of mystery writers. The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael have made me a fan of Ellis Peters's writing. She does not write the one-sided characters that too often fill such books. She consistently surprises me with the depth and realistic humanity of her characters. This is seen most clearly in the "villain" of "Monk's Hood."

Peters's vision of medieval Shrewsbury becomes, like Cadfael and fellow monks, more interesting with each book. It is a perfectly conceived (or reconstructed) world in which to act out her tales.

I am pleased to see Brother Robert's return to a place of prominence within the storyline. He is the perfect personification of pomposity-a delightful foil for the straightforward Cadfael.

I give a heartfelt recommendation to "Monk's Hood" and the whole Cadfael series. Check it out.

Now that I've finished Monk's Hood, I have found a new appreciation for Ellis Peters' work. After one death too many, I was expecting a rather static setting that would seem to change, but in truth, it would really change from book to book. I am definitely the product of watching too many American sitcoms and am glad my expectation was not met.

The story begins with Father Abbot Heribert leaving Shrewsbury to a council being held to reassess the leadership of the Church in England. He believes is going to be replaced so he leaves any legal matters unsigned so the new Abbot could determine the course of things once appointed. In the meantime, the Bonel household was going to cede its holdings to the abbey in exchange for a quiet retirement. The contract was left unsigned by the Abbot and shortly after Gervase Bonel, the head of the household, was murdered by way of poison, a medicine called Monk's Hook made by Cadfael himself.

The book is filled with a wonderful assortment of characters. None of which are good or bad. They have their own strengths, aspirations and failings. Once of things I enjoy about the Cadfael stories is he passes very little judgment against others (Brother Jerome and Prior Robert being exceptions). We have a new assistant - Brother Mark, his former fiancé - Richaldis, the return of Hugh Beringer, not to mention a number others. Even the murderer in the end is a many Cadfael felt sympathy for and helps. Yes, there is a sense of right and wrong in these books, but the means to right are often rather unorthodox and thus enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to anyone continuing to read the stories of Cadfael. They would appeal to a mystery reader and perhaps a fantasy reader as well. Definitely someone who likes historical fiction. I know I am well hooked into the series now.

I have always believed that the BBC made the finest adaptations for radio and television, and indeed the BROTHER CADFAEL series is no exception; Bert Coules (who most recently adapted Sherlock Holmes for BBC radio) and the fine actor Philip Madoc brought Cadfael to life in three adaptations which are well worth listening to if you can: MONKS HOOD, THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE and DEAD MAN'S RANSOM. However, Sir Derek Jacobi was an excellent Cadfael for television ... even if some of the teleplays didn't quite follow the plot of the original novels. Acorn Audio did something quite extraordinary when they turned the audio tracks of the four teleplays of the first Cadfael TV series into an audio series, adding a narrator to fill in the gaps and adding some slight commentary on the action which could not be seen on an audiotape; in doing so, they tightened up the narrative to keep the stories moving at a good clip so that the listener would not lose interest, and Stephen Flynn's narration is well-read and well-written. This story brings Brother Cadfael's pre-cloistered past back to haunt him while he struggles to both solve a murder and protect the son of his former love and has enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the viewer (or listener in this case!) rivetted, and I have to say in this recording's favor that the telepay follows the book very closely, more so than many of those in the TV series. I am sorry that Acorn Audio hasn't adapted the rest of the televised Cadfael stories into this format, and the only grievance I have is that the cast of characters is not read out at the end of each story (all we get to know is that Sir Derek Jacobi plays Brother Cadfael, when there are some fine actors in each of the stories). This is something entirely new, coming somewhere in between actual radio drama and books-on-tape, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Brother Cadfael series. The listener will not lose anything by not seeing the action on a TV screen, and the acting you will HEAR combined with the narration will definitely provide an ejoyable listening experience.

Brother Cadfael is both pleased and displeased when his old love, Richildis, arrives at the Abbey with her husband, to take up residence as a permanent lodger. In return for permanent food, shelter and all things comfortable, Richildis's husband, Gervase Bonel, proposes to deed the ownership of his manor to the Abbey, a fact which does not sit well with his stepson, Edwin, to whom was promised ownership of the manor. In old age, Gervase had grown cantankerous and had taken a spiteful pleasure in goading Edwin into a rage about reneging on his promise of passing on the ownership of the manor to him. After eating a highly spiced and sauced dish of partridge, Gervase dies, and suspicion immediately falls on Edwin. The dish was poisoned with monkshood, an oil made of which, was brewed by Cadfael to use as a liniment for the old and arthritic monks. As usual in a Cadfael story, there are several characters who have equal reason and opportunity to have committed the murder, so it's up to Cadfael to sort out the mystery. It's another fascinating story, set in the 12th century, with a wealth of detail about mediaeval life and with Brother Cadfael sorting out the clues.

One nice thing about historical mysteries is that they withstand the test of time so well. The Brother Cadefel series is now well into its third decade but the writing (and the reading) remains fresh and entertaining. This book won the British Silver Dagger (top runner up for best novel) in 1980 and it could still be a contender.

This episode has Cadefel defending the child of his childhood sweetheart after the poisoning of her new husband. We learn a bit more about Cadefel's background - both in Wales and as a Crusader. Hugh Beringer returns as the honest and smart deputy. I also rather liked Cadefel's new assistant, Mark - a monk with spunk. The action takes Cadefel to the Welsh borderlands and it's fun to see him in a new context.

Bottom-line: Not exactly a page-turner but a wonderful read to savor and enjoy over a couple of days.

Delightful series. The mysteries are fun - perhaps not the greatest but good enough - but the settings and the characterization are terrific. Like Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Materin series (started with Master and Commander), Peters takes you into another time and place, the world when movement was at the speed of the winds (if asea) or a horse (on land) and things just didn't happen nearly as quickly as they do today. Watching Brother Cadfael balance his inner life with his life in the world about him, seeking the answers to riddles of the world of men while pursuing inner peace and perfection through a monastic life, provides the true delights of this series.

Peters may not be Louise Penny, but he's awfully good and great fun to read

Ellis Peters reveals a bit more about Brother Cadfael's life before he entered the abbey. Of course there is a murder which Brother Cadfael solves. A particularly distressing aspect is that the murder takes place in the abbey's guest house and the poison is from Cadfael's own laboratory. Another good mystery in the series.