by Ellis Peters
Part of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, book 14
First published 1987
Brother Cadfael expects a quiet life at his Benedictine monastery in 1142, but peace shatters when Lord Richard Ludel dies. His ten-year-old heir, also named Richard, studies at the abbey and refuses to hand over his inheritance to his grandmother Dionysia. The formidable woman arrives with a supposedly holy hermit named Cuthred and his young companion Hyacinth, who becomes Richard's friend. England bleeds from civil war, but the abbey faces its own crisis. Strange accidents plague the monks after Cuthred's arrival. When someone discovers a body in Eyton forest, Cadfael must abandon his herbs and medicines to hunt a killer. The boy Richard has vanished, Dionysia demands answers, and the hermit's true nature remains hidden. Cadfael draws on his understanding of people to uncover the truth behind the murder and find the missing child before more blood spills.
Genres: historical, historical-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Eyton Forest, Benedictine Monastery
Period: 1142
224 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Sphere