Customer Reviews

St. Peter's Fair (Medieval Murder Mystery)

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Ellis Peters' fourth Brother Cadfael mystery is set in the summer of 1139, in a Shrewsbury still recovering from the siege of town and castle by the army of King Stephen the previous summer. To speed the rebuilding of its defences, the townsfolk are eager for financial help from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which, being located just outside the town, came through the episode of the siege without harm. With the lucrative annual three-day St. Peter's fair fast approaching, the burghers of the town are anxious to secure a share of its profits - normally given over entirely to the abbey. The new abbot, however, is far from anxious to set a dangerous precedent by ceding away the abbey's dues.

Thus it is that merchants arriving from distant towns for the fair find themselves suddenly embroiled in a dispute between town and cloister - and embroiled rather too deeply for comfort as the town's youth escalate the situation out of hand. And so it is that Shrewsbury (and therefore Brother Cadfael, of course) suddenly finds itself with the mystery of another murder (and various other nefarious goings-on) to solve.

With her characteristic meticulous attention to period detail, Ellis Peters weaves an intricate web of deceit and intrigue into this far from obvious murder mystery. As usual, she balances the political manoeuvrings of the principal parties with the playing out of a separate romantic sub-plot. This serves to keep the reader (and, in this case, Cadfael too) guessing almost up to the very end as to the real drama running through the story and, of course, to the identity of the villain of the piece. Indeed, the reader is well into the nail-biting conclusion to the story before realising fully what has been going on.

Peters' writing style ensures that this book is as enjoyable as Brother Cadfael books ever are. Fans of the mediaeval sleuth may be somewhat disappointed to find that he actually has very little to do here beyond collating the pieces of others' findings but this does not really detract from the tale over all. If the Cadfael books are new to you, I would really recommend reading the first two volumes before any others to truly get the most from them. On the other hand, if you are not interested in reading the whole series but simply want an evocative tale of mediaeval England, then you need look no further than this.

I rarely dare to fault Peters, the master, but I found the pacing odd as we approached the climactic conflagration. Things slowed down to a few pages of detailed description, as the heroine studies her new surroundings--oblivious to the fact that she is now locked in.

But all Brother Cadfael mysteries are excellent: look for the Least-Likely Suspect to be your murderer. And as a layperson who likes her men of the cloth to be near saints, I am mollified to see that Cadfael is much less worldly than in the first 3 novels; he drinks and recalls past amours less, yet he still glories in an occasional ride on a fine horse, when a legitimate opportunity presents. And he savors the propspect of godparenthood, since at 59 he is the right age if he had a son. But beware whenever Cadfael or Hugh feels that Shakespearian pricking of the thumbs! Death is just as sudden and final in the 12th century, where murder must be solved without use of sophisticated technology and communication--just a bi-annual challenge for our supersleuth, who solves them all by using his wits, and his knowledge of herbs and human nature.

Of the chronicles of Brother Cadfael that I have thus far read, "St. Peter's Fair" is the most "mystery-like." No cut and dried solution springs to mind as the plot unfolds. This one had me guessing for some time.

All the regular ingredients of the previous stories are here: Political wrangling, personal intrigue, a love story, and of course--a murder.

Cadfael once more is a treasure trove of wisdom. Some of his lines here are classic. Cadfael is a very noble, very humane, world-weary protagonist. Ellis Peter has truly created a detective for the ages in him.

In "St. Peter's Fair" Cadfael is up against one heck of a baffling case. He and Hugh Berengar (my favorite secondary character) team up to try and solve the murder of a visiting merchant. I have no desire to give the ending away. I will only say that "St. Peter's Fair" has the added bonus of a chase scene.

"St. Peter's Fair" is a worthy entry in this series. The more I read of Ellis Peters, the greater my respect for her becomes. I recommend this book highly.

St.Peter's fair is held annually on the section of land outside the monastery walls in Shrewsbury, but involves the monastery itself, with its guesthouses filled with the gentry and travelling merchants. When the body of wealthy merchant, Thomas of Bristol is discovered, stabbed, stripped and robbed, his niece Emma who was accompanying him, is put into the care of Aline, the wife of the deputy sheriff, Hugh Berengar. Brother Cadfael becomes the girl's protector as she moves around the town, determined to carry on her uncle's business, as he would have wished. Another merchant is murdered and Emma's belongings are searched as if the killer is looking for something in particular. The townspeople of Shrewsbury become very alarmed as this part of the country is still very much divided in its loyalties, with factions supporting King Stephen and others favouring Empress Maud. Cadfael is convinced that Emma knows more than she's admitting, but it's only when she is openly courted by a young nobleman, who would normally be considered too far above her in station, that her life is endangered. It's another fascinating story of life and death in 12th century England, with the detective monk, Cadfaek working his way methodiaclly through clues to a satisfactory solution.

Of the chronicles of Brother Cadfael that I have thus far read, "St. Peter's Fair" is the most "mystery-like." No cut and dried solution springs to mind as the plot unfolds. This one had me guessing for some time.

All the regular ingredients of the previous stories are here: Political wrangling, personal intrigue, a love story, and of course--a murder.

Cadfael once more is a treasure trove of wisdom. Some of his lines here are classic. Cadfael is a very noble, very humane, world-weary protagonist. Ellis Peter has truly created a detective for the ages in him.

In "St. Peter's Fair" Cadfael is up against one heck of a baffling case. He and Hugh Berengar (my favorite secondary character) team up to try and solve the murder of a visiting merchant. I have no desire to give the ending away. I will only say that "St. Peter's Fair" has the added bonus of a chase scene.

"St. Peter's Fair" is a worthy entry in this series. The more I read of Ellis Peters, the greater my respect for her becomes. I recommend this book highly.

"St. Peter's Fair" seduces you into an exceptionally credible mileau and engages your empathy with many-faceted characters. Brother Cadfael, a not overly santimonious, 12th century hearbalist/healer, is as curious as the proverbial cat and as earthy as an old shoe. The injustice he takes on has you on his side from day 1. By the time the fair is over, you'll swear you were there yourself!

The great Saint Peter's Fair brings merchants from miles around to Shrewsbury. The fair of 1138 had been canceled by the siege of the city. This year's fair seems to go better than usual except for the murder of a participant. Brother Cadfael begins the fair interpreting for a Welsh merchant who speaks no English, and ends up in the middle of a very confusing and dangerous political plot. This book is interesting reading from start to finish.

St. Peters Fair. For those who like watching the Brother Cadfael series on PBS, St. Peters Fair is a must read. This book will fill in much of the missing character development of those we meet on the television screen. We also get a much fuller picture of the town and castle of Shrewsbury. The story is engaging and leaves one guessing as to the final outcome until the very end. As one who loves to watch the televised productions of Brother Cadfael, St Peters Fair will encourage you of the value of also reading the chronicles of Brother Cadfael. Also check out the Brother Cadfael web sites. You can find a list of the Ellis Peters books and maps and history about Shrewsbury.

St. Peter's Fair, Ellis Porter

Every year the feat day of Saint Peter begins a three-day fair that attracts traveling merchants to Shrewsbury. The shops in town are shut to benefit sales to these merchants. There are no tolls or charges either. The abbey alone collects tolls. The town needs more money for repair of the walls and roads which were damaged in the civil war. Abbot Radulfus refuses to help the town's merchants, he follows the contract. When the fair begins some young men from town show up to ask for support from the merchants. A fight breaks out. The Sheriff's men soon stop it. Thomas of Bristol, a visiting merchant, has gone missing. The next day his body was found in the river stripped of clothes and belongings, dead from a stab in the back. Who could have done it? Only one of those rioting townsmen had no alibi for the time of the murder. Philip is held as the prime suspect.

Someone had searched the boat cabin of the murdered man! Some of Emma's things are missing. The expensive woolen gown worn by Thomas was recovered from the river. The next morning they find Thomas' stall was burgled. What were they looking for? Would they search the coffin next? On the last day of the fair they find a merchant has been murdered, his goods scattered about his closed stall. The dead man had a knife with some blood on its edge. Cadfael talks to Rhodri ap Huw who suggests a connection between the two dead men. Philip talks to Cadfael and wonders about the two men who helped him after that fight. Cadfael asks him to look for a man with a cut on his left arm or a cut sleeve. Cadfael learns a man was treated for a long cut on his arm. This suspect makes a surprising escape, but is stopped. He won't talk now. [Did you get a clue to the mystery?]

Philip visits Wat's tavern to learn what happened the night he drank there. Wat tells him about the man who was with him. They both served the same master. On his way home Philip found an area with flattened grass. The conversation between Philip, Cadfael, and Hugh leads to a solution to the murders. They learn Emma has left on a t rip home with Ivo. Did Emma possess a secret that someone wanted? Ivo speaks frankly to Emma. Can Emma keep the secret and save countless lives? Can she be rescued? There will be a happy ending for the good people.

It would be useful to have a Glossary for the ancient words and the cast of characters. These novels are a combination of murder mystery, romance novels, and history lesson. I wonder is any of the expressions were anachronistic? How much do we know about speech from 800 years ago? The author's choice of Welsh nationality for Cadfael and others tell of her outlook.

Note how political privileges affect small businesses adversely. A corporation (the Benedictine Abbey) is given special taxing powers that harm the small businesses in town. It is like a city restricting hours of small businesses or a sales tax that does not affect big businesses at a mall on county land. The use of temporary stalls avoids any property taxes. Did merchants back then use a temporary stall in the town square or work from their homes? Working from home is often banned in order to give business to big landowners and commercial building owners.

I have read and own all the Cadfael books by Ellis Peters. I love them all. This story is about the yearly fair at the church or St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury. Because of the civil war between King Stephen and his cousin Maude, the country is in turmoil. There had been a battle at Shrewsbury and the rebuilding is expensive, most of the cost falling to local businessmen who think that it is only fair that the Church contribute to the rebuilding effort also. Of course, there is murder, of course there is a sprinkling of love, of course there is espionage all of which Cadfael is involved. A very good read by a very good author.