by Ellis Peters
Part of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, book 2
Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings)
First published 1979
Brother Cadfael tends his garden at Shrewsbury Abbey in the summer of 1138. War rages between King Stephen and Empress Maud across England. When Shrewsbury Castle falls to Stephen's forces, ninety-four defenders who remained loyal to Maud face execution as traitors. The king orders all ninety-four men hanged. Brother Cadfael receives the grim task of preparing the bodies for burial. As he examines the corpses, Cadfael makes a disturbing discovery. He counts ninety-five bodies, not ninety-four. The extra victim shows clear signs of strangulation rather than hanging. Someone used the chaos of war and mass execution to hide a murder. Cadfael must leave his peaceful monastery duties behind and investigate. He enters a dangerous world where political loyalties mask personal vendettas and deception runs deep.
Genres: historical, historical-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, political-thriller
Setting: Shrewsbury Abbey, Shrewsbury Castle
Period: 1138
214 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: violence