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The Pilgrim of Hate: The Tenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

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If you're interested in an audio edition, check that you're getting the unabridged recording narrated by Stephen Thorne.
Ideally, read all the preceding books in the series, in order, before reading this one. At a minimum, first read #1 (A Morbid Taste for Bones, the story of how the monastery came to have St. Winifred as its patroness) and The Virgin in the Ice, to avoid the biggest spoilers.

This June of 1141, the feast of the translation of St. Winifred dawns upon a time when the civil war between the Empress Maud and King Stephen for the throne of England may finally draw to a close: Stephen was captured at the battle of Lincoln, and even now Maud is negotiating with the city of London for her entry into Westminster for her coronation. The papal legate, Bishop Henry of Blois, brother to Stephen, has called a legatine council (including Abbot Radulfus from Shrewsbury) and is working on turning his allegiance to the empress, for the sake of peace. Hugh, sheriff of Shropshire for Stephen, broods on ways and means of getting a man into Bristol to free Stephen, and prays for a miracle, while using his friend Brother Cadfael as a sounding board.

Cadfael, too, is praying for a miracle - any miracle - at this feast of St. Winifred. Not from a desire for the abbey's glory, or from any faltering of his own faith, but as a sign that the saint took no offense from the events of _A Morbid Taste for Bones_, when he accompanied a delegation from the abbey to the saint's grave in Wales to bring back her mortal remains as holy relics. (Since that was before Hugh's arrival in Shrewsbury, Cadfael summarizes the story for him, so it's possible to follow the plot of _Pilgrim_ without reading _Bones_. But be warned that Cadfael reveals the ending of _Bones_ to Hugh.)

Abbot Radulfus returns in time for the festival, bearing word of a cowardly murder at the legatine council. The attempted murder of the envoy of Stephen's queen failed, but Ranulf Bossard, the brave man of the empress' party who foiled the attempt, was himself cut down in the street.

All the brothers are busily preparing for the huge influx of pilgrims at this time of year, many of whom are ill and seeking miraculous healing. Brother Cadfael, as herbalist, sees some of the more noteworthy cases: Rhun, a devout half-Welsh boy with a twisted leg that might respond to treatment; his sister, Melangell; a young Welsh clark, Ciaran, traveling barefoot and wearing a large iron cross, on his way to Wales to die; Matthew, Ciaran's faithful shadow. There are less savory characters, as well, petty (and not so petty) career criminals who prey on the credulous and the frail. (Credulous, as in, people who trust a stranger's dice.) Some may even have fled from a city too hot to hold them.

Into this festival atmosphere rides a young envoy of the empress' party, on a twofold mission: to sound out Hugh on the question of his fealty, and to seek Bossard's young heir, who disappeared in this direction after his lord's death. But even if he is among the pilgrims, how can he be identified by those who have never seen him? And was he involved in Bossard's death?

In this, the tenth of the Brother Cadfael series, the year is 1141, and with King Stephen of England a prisoner in Bristol, the Empress Maud is negotiating with the people of London to be crowned at Westminster. Stephen's queen has sent an envoy to the bishop to plead her husband's cause when he is attacked in the street. One of Maud's own men, Rainald Brossard, is appalled at this unfair attack and goes to his rescue. In the ensueing melee, Rainald is himself stabbed amd killed. In the Abbey of St.Peter and St.Paul in Shrewsbury, the monks are preparing for the annual pilgrimage which is held to celebrate the anniversary of the day when the bones of St.Winifred, a Welsh, virgin saint, were brought to the Abbey. Cadfael is especially praying for a miracle to occur, as he has a slightly uneasy conscience about the actual retrieving of the bones which is explained in the first book of the series, A Morbid Taste for Bones.A strange pair of young men arrive at the Abbey guest house, one of whom is walking with bare, bloodied feet and bearing a very heavy iron cross around his neck on a thin cord. The other man never leaves his side for a minute, even during sleep. The mystery of the story is easy to work out but the whys and wherefores are more complex. It's another wonderful slice of mediaeval history brought to vivid life by Ellis Peters.

The Pilgrim Of Hate is another Brother Cadfael mystery that takes place amid the intrigue and pageantry of medieval England. It's 1141 A.D. and the celebration of Saint Winifred has brought a flood of pilgrims to Shrewsbury. Cadfael carefully and cleverly unwinds a twisted tale of retribution, murder, and medieval evil. Stephen Thorne's superb narrative talents do full justice to Ellis Peters' celebrated Brother Cadfael that has become one of the most popular mystery series in the annals of the genre. This Audio Partners complete and unabridged, six cassette audiobook edition is flawlessly produced and will send the listener avidly seeking Peters' earlier Brother Cadfael tales.

This is the tenth book in the Cadfael series. It differs quite a bit from the PBS TV version.

There is a lot going on in this book. The (actual) Stephen-Maude struggle for the throne of England is in the background, but plays quite a role in the plot of the story. There is a murder, but it happens far from Shrewsbury Abbey where most of the story takes place. The story is set during the St. Winifred festival.

The festival attracts a number of pilgrims, as well as some shady characters. There is one group, an aunt and her niece and crippled nephew, who owe a lot to good old St. Winifred by the end it seems. I enjoyed the character of the aunt, although she is not a major one. In addition to these, there are two men traveling together on a bizarre pilgrimage who stop for the festival. In a surprise turn, Cadfael's son, Olivier, makes an appearance.

It is hard to see how all will turn out which makes for a good read waiting for the truth to be revealed. The title is a clue, but not a very big one. I highly recommend this book!

Ellis Peters's THE PILGRIM OF HATE continues the series with a second appearance of Oliver, Cadfael's son and expands their relationship leaving the reader with the question, "Does Oliver know his father?"
The mystery of who murdered the knight Rainald Bossard is a background plot the an excellent story of pilgrims in search of miracles and those who prey upon the believers.
This is a series that should be read in the order of their appearance to understand all the small references and relationships among the main characters.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

This installment of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael-the tenth of twenty-- should bear a Spoiler Alert. The first chapter summarizes the plot of A Morbid Taste for Bones (the second in the series) and a later chapter discusses a secret revealed in The Virgin in the Ice (sixth in the series). While each of the Brother Cadfael mysteries can stand alone, it is a good idea to read them in order. The reader who does so will welcome the reappearance here of some of the characters met in earlier volumes, including the elusive Olivier de Bretagne, and will appreciate this volume's variations on earlier themes. The murder that drives the plot takes place not at Shrewsbury Abbey, but many miles away, at the king's court, and of course is ultimately intertwined with the varied destinies of a group of pilgrims who come to the abbey to celebrate a saint's day and pursue their own demons.

There's a saying among statisticians (a group I identify with from time to time): "You can always draw a straight line with two points." Loosely translated, this means that you should avoid drawing conclusions based on fewer than 3 observations. This being my third Brother Cadfael mystery (I obtained a random selection from a neighbor's giveaway bin), I feel I can now opine more confidently, knowing that my recommendations are probably not based on a coincidental selection of the best the author has to offer.

As always, the author provides us with a fascinating and unparalleled look into life in medieval England, with particular focus on monastery life. This installment, however, is less of a whodunit than the others. The principal crime was committed hundreds of miles away from Cadfael's home in Shrewsbury and all he has to go on are some second or third-hand accounts and some unusual visitors at the annual pilgrimage in honor of St. Winifred. In some ways, the mystery solves itself, with Cadfael simply providing a nudge here and there to bring the matter to conclusion.

For those interested in 12th century English history, there is an especially potent dose of it here, as the brewing civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen comes to a head. Wading through these details makes this a bit more difficult of a read than usual. One interesting upshot of this part of the story is the implication that it is possible for political (if not military) enemies to be civil and gentlemanly with each other. What a novel concept!

The book also explores the nature of revenge, and the ultimate lack of fulfillment in it. This, too, is a concept that is mostly foreign in today's world.

Romance is again a significant feature, always a pleasant surprise given that the setting is a monastery. In this case, however, the romance is relatively conventional and only peripherally related to the crime. It does however, provide useful clues for resolving the mystery.

Another subplot relates to a mysterious visitor whose past is connected with Cadfael's, resulting in a surprise revelation at the end of the book. Cadfael also engages in a good deal of introspection regarding miraculous divine intervention, as befitting the occasion of the pilgrimage.

In summary, this book continues the tradition of solid storytelling and fascinating reading established by the author in the Brother Cadfael series. Both novitiates and long-time fans of the series will enjoy this book.

I thought I had tired of Cadfael, but the book suddenly sat there on a shelf - the only new book that seemed to call my name, so I tried, and she did it again. The storyline is close to the rest of the books in the series, a combination of a mystey and a lovestorey. This time with a surprising conclusion. Resume: there is (as usual) a fair near the convent, pilgrims come to the fair because the saint (from Morbid taste for bones)is beeing moved to her permanet resting place. Among the pilgrims a pair of men travelling together, one a pilgrim the other his companion and a small family consisting of brother, sister and aunt. These five plus Cadfael are the main charecters. We get a miracle, some political intrigue, a small love story and a murder all in a readable prose. It is well worth the time and money.

This is an exceptional book. Peters weaves several mysterious plot threads together in a dazzling climax.

I have read the entire Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series, and I can say that this is definately one of the best in it. If you are interested in this series, the ones that tie into Cadfael's past, such as this one, are by far the most fascinating. (Others include The Virgin in the Ice, and Brother Cadfael's Penance.) Peters does a highly skilled job of writing this mystery, which is fairly short and sweet. The book is brimming with intrigue, romance, and secrets, and is a very entertaining read. For those who like midieval culture or just mysteries, you've got to love this book.