Rose Rent [Mass Market Paperback]

Ellis Peters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 1988

A crime mystery by the author of "The Holy Thief" and "The Potter's Field".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this 13th mystery in the Brother Cadfel series, a beautiful widow rents part of her estate to the brothers of Shrewsbury Abbey for the modest sum of one rose from a certain bush, per year, and all are happy with this arrangement for three years. But then Brother Eluric,the young monk whose job it is to deliver the rose on the day of St. Winifred's translation (the pre-arranged rent-paying day) asks to be excused from the task (he finds he's starting to fall in love with the widow); he is later found murdered near the recently ruined rose rent bush. The abbey is thrown into a panic; not only has an innocent young monk been killed, but with no rose to pay the rent, the contract is canceled and the widow's wealth multiplies remarkably. Soon, the widow herself disappears, and Brother Cadfel begins his search for her and for Eluric's murderer, casting his eye over a large collection of suitors, all of whom would gain greatly from a match with the widow. Peters (The Raven in the Foregate is in fine form in this 13th book, with a leisurely mystery that once again creates a 12th century world that is both comfortable and strange, and a series of delightful, interesting characters.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

''Brother Cadfael, in this thirteenth adventure, is as keen and human as ever. The Rose Rent is one of his most satisfactory chronicles.'' --Financial Times (London)

''The joys in the Peters mysteries lie in the telling--the historical detail, the view of medieval life in town and monastery, the lively characterization, and the author's graceful, literate prose.'' --Washington Post

''Cosy as a teapot.'' --The Times (London)

''Peters is in fine form in this thirteenth book, with a leisurely mystery that once again creates a twelfth-century world that is both comfortable and strange and a series of delightful, interesting characters.'' --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Fawcett (June 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449214958
• ISBN-13: 978-0449214954
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #657,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A peppercorn rent paid in roses, January 28, 2003

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rose Rent: A Brother Cadfael Mystery (Audio Cassette)

If you're interested in an audio edition, check that you're getting the unabridged recording narrated by Stephen Thorne. If you're interested in the Derek Jacobi video, I warn you that the BBC rewrote the backstory of both Judith and Niall to make them more melodramatic; as compensation, they came up with one additional clever ploy on the part of the murderer that's worth seeing.

This May of 1142, spring has begun late; winter's prolonged grip has been reflected in human affairs. King Stephen, freed by a prisoner exchange after _The Pilgrim of Hate_, raised the Empress' hopes by falling ill, but her move to Oxford was premature; he's now in fine fettle, picking off the empress' outposts. While these events, and the war at large, have little effect on this story, they'll be relevant in the next book, _The Hermit of Eyton Forest_. Cadfael's worries are more immediate, but easing now that the crops have finally been sown and it looks as though the roses will be out by the 22nd of June, the feast of St. Winifred's translation.

The Widow Perle - 25-year-old Judith Vestier that was - lost her husband to a terrible fever four years ago, despite everything Cadfael could do, then lost her only child in miscarriage shortly thereafter. In the depths of her grief, she couldn't bear to stay in the house where they'd been happy, so she deeded the place to the abbey in exchange for an annual rent of one white rose from her favorite rosebush, to be paid into her hand each June 22nd. (As heiress to the Vestier clothier business, Judith has ample property even without the house; she moved in 'over her shop', as it were, with her widowed aunt and her cousin Miles.)

Since it pays for the lighting of Mary's altar all year around, brother Eluric - the altar's custodian - has always delivered the rent, but this year brings a small crisis. Eluric, given as an oblate to the abbey as a young child, grew up in the cloister; his annual meetings with Judith have been his first prolonged exposure to any woman. Despite his overly sensitive conscience, the inevitable happened, and he's asked Radulfus to relieve him of the duty since he can't help worshipping Judith from afar. Radulfus, not wanting to embarrass the boy publicly or to have a repetition in a few years' time, consults Cadfael and Anselm; Cadfael suggests that the abbey's tenant, Niall Bronzesmith, deliver the rent directly. After all, he's a widower and a decent man...

Unfortunately, other men of Shrewsbury aren't as innocent as Eluric or as decent as Niall, and seek Judith's hand in marriage for mercenary purposes. Godfrey Fuller, whose business complements Judith's very well, proposes marriage as a business proposition. Her chief weaver, Bertred, has an eye out for advancement. Even ne'er-do-well Vivian Hynde is trying to turn his charm into a soft spot for life. Small wonder that Judith has thoughts of the cloister - or that her aunt is gently nudging her in that direction. Both Cadfael and Sister Magdalen advise Judith against it, although from rather different points of view. :)

Then Brother Eluric is found dead in Niall's garden - not a suicide, as the brothers at first fear, but murdered, stabbed by someone who tried and failed to cut the rosebush down with a hatchet. Judith, calling on Niall to pick up a belt buckle he'd repaired for her, stumbles upon the scene - and when Cadfael tells her why Eluric crept out to see the rosebush one last time, she feels guilty that he suffered so much and she never noticed. Turning it over in her mind, she resolves to go to the abbey in the morning and make the house an outright gift - but the word gets out from her servants' gossip, and the next morning she's kidnapped, by someone who'd rather take a chance on forcing her into a marriage and getting *all* her property instead of only half. (Her cousin Miles is beside himself - getting a new boss like *that* isn't something anyone would want, even without a cousin's safety to worry about.)

My compliments to any reader who deduces what happened to Judith before Peters reveals the solution. Eluric's murder - and another later on - are fair puzzles. (Ever the forensics expert, Cadfael takes a wax impression of a distinctive footprint from the damp earth beside the rosebush, to give the town cobblers a chance of catching Eluric's murderer by the heel, for instance.) Niall Bronzesmith, quiet as he is, has problems of his own; after his wife's death in childbirth, he fostered their daughter with his sister Cecily's cheerful family outside town, since he couldn't take care of a small baby alone, although he loves her very much. She's too little to understand why he only comes for frequent visits, and he needs to arrange to bring her back to live with him before she starts thinking he doesn't want her.

Lovely story.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Nifty Cadfael Tale, August 21, 2003

By 

AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Rose Rent (Brother Cadfael Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

THE ROSE RENT is the thirteenth book in the Brother Cadfael series. As such, it is much like the others in a general way. That is, the mystery isn't difficult to see through, so you'll probably have figured out "whodunit" before the solution is entirely revealed, and twelfth century living conditions are probably a bit idealized. On the other hand, the historical events are "right on", the prose is elegant, and the characterization is outstanding. Indeed, for those who have read most, or all, of the preceeding books in the series, Brother Cadfael and the other Shrewsbury regulars are like old friends.

The Brother Cadfael mysteries aren't (in my opinion, at least) the most intricate or baffling of mysteries, but they work so well on other levels that they're a pleasure to read just the same. An editorial quote on the back cover of THE ROSE RENT mentions the "lively characterization" and "graceful, literate prose". I think that sums these books up pretty well. I have read them all up through this one and I plan on reading the rest, so it's safe to conclude I'm enjoying them. I recommend this one along with all the others. I also recommend reading them more or less in order from the beginning, as later books sometimes refer to earlier ones and personal histories build from book to book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries, February 5, 2002

By 

Tiger Buchman - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rose Rent (Brother Cadfael Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

You know how when you read a series of books the plots begin to run together ... not with Ellis Peters. Although I recommend reading each of the books in the Brother Cadfael series in order, this is my favorite.

In many ways the plot is actually quite trite, female widow needs husband who's not interested in her money. But the way Peters puts her elements together is unique to her and our hero. Her stories are just a way to convey her love of history, not only the factual information but also the mood and atmosphere. It is the latter part that she does so well.