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

by Ellis Peters (Author) "It began at the normal daily chapter in the Benedictine monastery of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, of Shrewsbury, on the thirtieth day of July,..." (more)
Key Phrases: abbey stewards, grange court, great court, Brother Cadfael, Master Thomas, Brother Mark (more...)

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.

Product Description
A pause in the civil war offers Shrewsbury's townsfolk hope that the upcoming fair will be successful, but the discovery of the body of a wealthy merchant could destroy that hope. Reprint. K.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (November 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446403016
• ISBN-13: 978-0446403016
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #429,473 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Brother Cadfael Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 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 (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not long at the Fayre, January 5, 2006

By	Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 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

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.