One Corpse to Many

by Ellis Peters

This is the second book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. You may have watched the PBS series starring Derek Jacobi. The series is delightful and very well produced.

I loved this book because of the amazing writing, and the time period is well researched. Brother Cadfael is a Welsh Benedictine Monk who lives in the Monastery of St. Peter and Paul. He came to the monastery late in life after thirty years as a soldier of fortune. He is worldly and intellegent. He has a sense of humor. His role at the monastery is as an herbalist and gardener. However, whenever a crime has been comitted in the town of Shrewsbury in the county of Shropshire, it’s up to Brother Cadfael to solve it.

The first book takes place in 1137. The town of Shrewsbury during the period of Anarchy when Empress Maud and King Stephen fought for the crown of England, is the scene of a recent battle where Stephen’s forces were the victors. After the fighting King Stephen had Maud’s captive soldiers hanged. There were one hundred bodies laid out for their families to collect. However, Cadfael finds and extra body. In this book, Cadfael must not only find out who is the extra body, but who was the murderer.

The characters are interesting and many are kind. The interactions between the other characters and Cadfael are entertaining. The mystery is intelligent and gives the reader a glimpe of a very important time period in the history of England. Above all the story and the characters are wonderful and entertaining. I highly recomment this book as well as the series.