A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #1) in Retro Chapter Chicks

Nov 20, 2017 Candi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime, historical-fiction, retro-autumn-book-challenge, kindle-book-i-own

"Justice can be arrived at by more routes than one."

I thought this book was a swell start to this series! Brother Cadfael, monk by vocation and detective by circumstance, is a really delightful character. A medieval-time, Welsh-born man, Cadfael now carries out his monastic duties at Shrewsbury Abbey in England. He has not been in the service of the church his entire life, however, and that is what makes him such an intriguing fellow. "For Brother Cadfael had come late to the monastic life, like "Justice can be arrived at by more routes than one."

I thought this book was a swell start to this series! Brother Cadfael, monk by vocation and detective by circumstance, is a really delightful character. A medieval-time, Welsh-born man, Cadfael now carries out his monastic duties at Shrewsbury Abbey in England. He has not been in the service of the church his entire life, however, and that is what makes him such an intriguing fellow. "For Brother Cadfael had come late to the monastic life, like a battered ship settling at last for a quiet harbour." A former soldier and captain of a ship, Cadfael has even experienced his fair share of sweethearts – "he remembered other ladies, in more lands than one, with whom he had enjoyed encounters pleasurable to both parties, and no harm to either." You can’t help but adore this guy!

While Brother Cadfael may be well-liked, author Ellis Peters also introduces us to some less agreeable characters as well. Prior Robert cuts a splendid and authoritative figure, and is well aware of this fact. "For whatever virtues might be found in Prior Robert, humility was not one, nor magnanimity. He was invariably sure of his own rightness, and where it was challenged he was not a forgiving man." The prior’s latest ambition is to acquire the relics of a saint in order to advance the prestige of the monastery. Thus begins an adventure to Wales in search of the resting place of Saint Winifred. Prior Robert bands together a small group of his monks to carry out his mission, Brother Cadfael among them due to his Welsh background. He will serve as translator between the Shrewsbury brothers and the people of Gwytherin. Upon their arrival at Gwytherin, the monks quickly realize that despite the fact the saint’s grave has been neglected, the villagers are not necessarily keen to give her up to a group of strangers. Here we meet another group of interesting men and women; Peters certainly delivers in her characterizations! I loved that she also included a strong female figure in a young woman named Sioned. Brother Cadfael is not without a great sense of respect and admiration for her as well. "There are women as strong as any of us, and as able."

When a leading citizen of this quaint Welsh village turns up dead, Cadfael will put to use his sleuthing skills to ensure that justice is served. But this unconventional monk will not necessarily do everything by the book, making for an intriguing, sometimes humorous, and very enjoyable read. I’ve had A Morbid Taste for Bones waiting for me on my kindle for quite some time now. I dillydallied about actually reading it, thinking that a book about an assortment of monks could be either a snooze fest or too heavy on the religion (I was wrong!) When a GR friend chose this book for me as part of a book swap, I finally jumped right in. I am so glad that I did, because I have now found a fabulous, new-to-me, historical mystery series to indulge in – thanks, Jen! Recommended to those that love historical mysteries with an appealing and bit out of the ordinary leading man. ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, cozy-mystery, concierge, library, wales

The head of the Benedictine Abbey in Shrewsbury, England, sends an expedition of monks to retrieve the remains of Saint Winifred from her resting place in Gwytherin, Wales. But the villagers of Gwytherin are not uniformly keen on the idea of losing their beloved saint. When the leading opponent to moving the saint’s bones is found dead, apparently shot with an arrow, some take it as a sign that the Saint approves the move. But Brother Cadfael recognizes that the murder was done by a human, and t ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Tasha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This seems a great start to a new series for me! I think it's more like a 3.5 to me but it was quite good! This has been in my radar for a while now and thanks to a 'push' from a friend, I finally got around to reading it. I'll be moving on to the next in the series. ...more

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