Monk's Hood (1980)

I finished this two days ago, which means the details are fuzzy at this point. It's excellently written, of course, and the plotting equally well done. Peters was clever; obfuscating the murderer with ease and subtlety.

I resisted this series for a long time; I like historical mysteries, but tend to prefer Victorian time periods. The middle ages don't interest me in general, but Ellis Peters' storytelling transcends the time frame its written in. I'm reading it wondering what happens next, not cringing over the living conditions.

I like Brother Cadfael quite a bit; he's not pious with all its negative connotations; there's no preaching or evangelising. He's devoted to his faith and his calling to monastic life (a devotion that is tested in this book) but he's not trying to be a martyr to either. I was a little disappointed that Hugh didn't have more page time, as he brings a spark to the pace, but overall, this was an excellent mystery. ( )

This tale is another entanglement with Wales and Welsh law. Happily, Cadfael is there to sort it out, even if he is restricted in his movements and missing his favorite helper, Hugh Beringar. ( )

This is one of the better Cadfael books, I like the details that you learn about medieval everyday life. ( )

I wanted to finish off my winter reading list with something simpler, so I picked up Peters's third Cadfael mystery. Previously, I had said that I had mixed feelings about the first two -- I think Monk's Hood shows Peters getting much stronger as a writer. The mystery is very fairly played, and her writing seems to have improved quite a bit from the first two - Cadfael's final confrontation with the murderer is particularly well-wrought. I'll definitely be continuing on with the fourth one. ( )

Angry at his stepfather, Cadfael's former girlfriend's son flees his home. The stepfather falls dead from poisoning a few minutes later. A sheriff's office sergeant pursues the boy. Because the poison likely came from the monastery, Cadfael investigates. He calls on his friend deputy sheriff Hugh Beringar to hear the evidence he's gathered. When confined to the monastery to minimize contact with the woman he once loved, Cadfael must rely on others to gather evidence. This enjoyable medieval mystery still appeals. ( )