St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael [Mass Market Paperback]

Ellis Peters (Author)

Book Description

Series: Brother Cadfael Mysteries | Publication Date: November 1, 1992

When a merchant bound for St. Peter's Fair is found with a slender dagger piercing his heart, Brother Cadfael is on the case. Two murders later, he realizes that no one--least of all the merchant's lovely niece--is safe. "Colorful, convincing details on the workings of a medieval fair".--Kirkus Reviews.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A more attractive and prepossessing detective it would be hard to find. SUNDAY TIMES --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Ellis Peters is one of the pseudonyms of Edith Pargeter who wrote several books under her own name and also Peter Benedict, Jolyon Carr and John Redfern. She was the recipient of the Crime Writers Association and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award. She died in 1995. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (November 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446403016
• ISBN-13: 978-0446403016
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.7 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More mediaeval goings-on to puzzle over, August 15, 2001

By 

Steve Benner "Stonegnome" (Lancaster, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TOWN VERSUS ABBEY!, November 5, 1998

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brother Cadfael with a chase scene!, December 16, 2001

By 

NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael (Mass Market Paperback)

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.