by Ellis Peters
Part of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, book 11
First published 1985
Brother Cadfael watches two monks arrive at Shrewsbury Abbey in the golden August of 1141. Brother Humilis appears gaunt and desperately ill, while his companion Brother Fidelis remains young, attractive, and completely mute. They carry news of destruction from Winchester, where civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen has razed their priory. The strangers seek sanctuary, but Cadfael immediately recognizes that something beyond monastic vows binds these two together. As Brother Humilis grows weaker, Cadfael finds himself drawn into their mystery. He must use his skills of observation and deduction to uncover a secret so dangerous it threatens to destroy not just individual lives, but the very foundations of their religious community. The investigation tests everything Cadfael believes about loyalty, discretion, and faith itself.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: Britain, England, Shrewsbury Abbey, Winchester
Period: 20th-Century, 1141
256 pages · Paperback · Warner