Brother Cadfael had given up a life of adventure to now have a quiet
life of contemplation in his herb garden in the Benedictine abbey in
Shrewsbury. He requests to travel to Wales to be part of a delegation
that hopes to bring the bones of St. Winifred to the abbey. But, how
would the Welsh, where the saint is buried, take the idea of her being
taken away from them?
It doesn’t take long for the delegation to find out that the little
community where the saint is buried is not in favour of her being
moved. Rhisiart, leader of the local community, speaks strongly against
letting the saint’s bones go, and is angered when Prior Robert offers
him money for the bones. The following day the pair are to meet for
dinner for further negotiations, however Rhisiart doesn’t show up. A
search is mounted and he is later found dead with an arrow imbedded in
his chest.
Cadfael immediately began investigating the body and the area about.
Prior Robert accuses the boyfriend of the daughter of the victim, and
she stands up for him, in turn accusing the prior. Threatened, the
boyfriend runs. Cadfael is certain that the boyfriend is not the
killer.
The following day, the community decides that Prior Robert can take the
bones of St. Winifred. The prior declares three days of vigil and
prayer at the gravesite beforehand.
Having now had the opportunity to closer examine the body of the victim,
Cadfael determines that he had been stabbed from behind first and then
an arrow inserted from the front. Who would do such a vile thing?
Cadfael thinks he has the culprit at hand, and the suspect confesses to
other things, but not the murder. So, if they don’t have the killer,
what are they left with?
Author Ellis Peters has a few twists and surprises left in her first Cadfael chronicle. A good quick read.
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