A Morbid Taste for Bones
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 1 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Murder in the twelfth century is no different from murder today. There is still a dead body, though this time with an arrow through the heart instead of a bullet. There is still a need to bury the dead, to comfort the living - and to catch the murderer. When Brother Cadfael comes to a village in the Welsh hills, he finds himself doing all three of those things. And there is nothing simple about this death. The murdered man's daughter needs Cadfael's help in more ways than one. There are questions about the arrow. And the burial is the strangest thing of all.
One Corpse Too Many
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 2 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
When the castle of Shrewsbury is taken during the war between Empress Maud and King Stephen, 94 prisoners are taken, 94 are hanged. When Brother Cadfael arrives to perform the burial rites, he finds one corpse too many among the bodies stacked about the fortress.
Monk's Hood
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 3 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
When a fatal draught of Monk's Hood turns up in the dinner plate of a guest at the Shrewsbury abbey, fingers point at half a dozen likely suspects, including an abashed and bewildered Cadfael.
Monk's Hood
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 3 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
It's Christmas, and a local visiting dignitary suddenly takes ill immediately following his decision to bequeath his manorial estate to the abbey. Luckily, the abbey boasts the services of the herbalist Brother Cadfael, who hurries to the man's bedside, only to be confronted with two surprises: the man's wife is Richildis - whom Cadfael loved before he took his vows, and the poison is monk's-hood oil from Cadfael's stores. Using his knowledge of both herbs and the human heart, Cadfael deciphers a deadly recipe for murder.
St. Peter's Fair
by Ellis Peters
read by Johanna Ward
Part 4 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
St. Peter's Fair was a grand event, attracting merchants from across England and beyond. With the pause in the Civil War during the summer of 1139, the fair would bring some much-needed gaiety to Shrewsbury. But a wealthy merchant is found murdered in the river Severn. Brother Cadfael offers to help the merchant's niece, Emma; but while he searches for the killer, two more men are murdered-like her uncle, apparently for the valuables they possessed at their death. Cadfael races to save the young woman, knowing that during Civil War, betrayal can come from any direction, and even good intentions can kill.
St. Peter's Fair
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 4 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
In the summer of 1139, there is a pause in the civil war racking the country. St. Peter's Fair attracts merchants from across England and beyond, promising to bring some much-needed gaiety to Shrewsbury - that is, until the dead body of a wealthy merchant is found in the river Severn. Brother Cadfael offers to help the merchant's lovely niece uncover the murderer, but as he searches for the killer, the merchant's wares are ransacked, and two more men are murdered. Brother Cadfael suspects the girl almost certainly knows more than she is telling, and he desperately races to save her, knowing that betrayal can come from any direction - and even good intentions can kill.
Saint Peter's Fair
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 4 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
King Stephen's bloody siege against the town of Shrewsbury has reduced many of its stores and homes to rubble. The townspeople, busy preparing for the annual St. Peter's Fair, complain that the Shrewsbury monks have not shouldered their fair share of the burden. Cadfael, hoping to assuage flaring tempers, is drawn into a worse kind of violence on the eve of the festival.
The Leper of Saint Giles
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 5 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
The nearing December-May marriage between a wealthy merchant and a resigned bride has one of the lepers at Saint Giles nursing bitter plans for revenge.
The Leper of Saint Giles
The Fifth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
by Ellis Peters
read by Johanna Ward
Part 5 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Setting out for the Saint Giles leper colony outside Shrewsbury, Brother Cadfael has more pressing matters on his mind than the grand wedding coming to his abbey. Yet as fate would have it, Cadfael arrives at Saint Giles just as the nuptial party passes the colony's gates. He sees the fragile bride, looking like a prisoner between her two stern guardians, and the bridegroom-an arrogant, fleshy aristocrat old enough to be her grandfather-and he quickly discerns that this union may be more damned than blessed. Indeed, a savage murder will interrupt the May-December marriage and leave Brother Cadfael with a dark, terrible mystery to solve. The key to the killing-and a secret-is hidden among the lepers of Saint Giles. Now, Brother Cadfael's skills must ferret out a sickness not of the body, but of a twisted soul.
The Virgin in the Ice
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 6 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Civil war continues to blaze in the autumn of 1139. Amid the uncertainty and peril of the moment two noble children make their escape, headed for Shrewsbury. But for reasons no one knows, the young fugitives never reach their destination.
The Sanctuary Sparrow
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 7 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
In the middle of the abbey's evening services, an angry mob pursues a young boy into the sacred peace of the sanctuary. Terrified and in tatters, he clutches at the altar-cloth, grasping for mercy in the only sure place he might find it.
The Sanctuary Sparrow
The Seventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
by Ellis Peters
read by Vanessa Benjamin
Part 7 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
On a spring evening in 1140 Shrewsbury, the midnight matins at the Benedictine abbey suddenly reverberate with an unholy sound—a hunt in full cry. Pursued by a drunken mob, the quarry is running for its life. When the frantic creature bursts in to claim sanctuary, Brother Cadfael finds himself fighting off armed townsmen to save a terrified young man. Accused of robbery and murder is Liliwin, a wandering minstrel who performed at the wedding of a local goldsmith's son. The cold light of morning, however, will show his supposed victim still lives, although a strongbox lies empty. Brother Cadfael believes Liliwin is innocent, but finding the truth and the treasure before Liliwin's respite in sanctuary runs out may uncover a deadlier sin than thievery—a desperate love that not even the threat of hanging can stop.
The Devil's Novice
by Ellis Peters
read by Vanessa Benjamin
Part 8 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Outside the pale of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in September of the year of our Lord 1140, a priestly emissary for King Stephen has been reported missing. But inside the pale, what troubles Brother Cadfael is a proud, secretive nineteen-year-old novice. Brother Cadfael has never seen two men more estranged than the Lord of Aspley and Meriet, the son he coldly delivers to the abbey to begin a religious vocation. Meriet, meek by day, is so racked by dreams at night that his howls earn him the nickname the Devil's Novice. Shunned and feared, Meriet is soon linked to the missing priest's dreadful fate. Only Brother Cadfael believes in Meriet's innocence, and only the good sleuth can uncover the truth before the boy's pure passion leads him to the noose.
The Devil's Novice
by Ellis Peters
read by Vanessa Benjamin
Part 8 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Outside the pale of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in September of the year of our Lord 1140, a priestly emissary for King Stephen has been reported missing. But inside the pale, what troubles Brother Cadfael is a proud, secretive nineteen-year-old novice. Brother Cadfael has never seen two men more estranged than the Lord of Aspley and Meriet, the son he coldly delivers to the abbey to begin a religious vocation. Meriet, meek by day, is so racked by dreams at night that his howls earn him the nickname the Devil's Novice. Shunned and feared, Meriet is soon linked to the missing priest's dreadful fate. Only Brother Cadfael believes in Meriet's innocence, and only the good sleuth can uncover the truth before the boy's pure passion leads him to the noose.
Dead Man's Ransom
by Ellis Peters
read by Roe Kendall
Part 9 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
In the early twelfth century, civil war rages between the English and the Welsh. In the battle of Lincoln, the Welsh capture the sheriff of Shropshire and barter him for a young Welsh lord, who had been captured during a misguided assault on a convent. But before the exchange can be completed, one of the prisoners mysteriously dies. Brother Cadfael suspects foul play—his theory hinging on a single thread that binds together the destinies of an unusual trio of young lovers. The unraveling of their tale yields a powerful subtext that explores the nature of love, identity, and divided loyalty.
Dead Man's Ransom
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 9 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
When the village of Shrewsbury's own sheriff, Gilbert Prestcote, is taken prisoner by the Empress Maud's forces, its citizens are prepared to exchange him for a man of equal value they have within their possession. But soon after Prestcote arrives for the prisoner exchange, he dies. Was it death by natural causes or a most unnatural murder?
The Pilgrim of Hate
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 10 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
As England's civil war draws to a close, two travelers arrive at Cadfael's herbarium door: the dark-eyed Ciaran who has vowed to walk unshod as a kind of penance and, his companion, Matthew. When Cadfael's old friend arrives with a tale of murder, the youths' puzzling association becomes darker and more inscrutable.
An Excellent Mystery
by Ellis Peters
read by Roe Kendall
Part 11 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
In the year of our Lord 1141, two monks ride into the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul bringing with them disturbing new of war—and a mystery. The strangers tell how the strife between the Empress Maud and King Stephen has destroyed the town of Winchester and their priory. Now Brother Humilis, who is handsome, gaunt, and very ill, and Brother Fidelis, youthful, comely, and totally mute, must seek refuge at Shrewsury. And from the moment he meets them, Brother Cadfael senses something deeper than their common vows binds these two good brothers. What the link is he can only guess…what it will lead to is beyond his imagining. But as Brother Humilis's health fails, Brother Cadfael faces a poignant test of his discretion and his beliefs as he unravels a secret so great it can destroy a life, a future, and a holy order…
An Excellent Mystery
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 11 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
A mysterious pair of monks, whose abbey has burned down, have come to Shrewbury seeking refuge. Their story is tragic, and Cadfael quickly senses, riddled with half-truths. What dark secret are these strange monks hiding?
The Raven in the Foregate
by Ellis Peters
read by Vanessa Benjamin
Part 12 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Christmas, AD 1141 Abbot Radulfus returns from London, bringing with him a priest for the vacant living of Holy Cross (known as the Foregate), a man of presence, scholarship and discipline, but neither humility nor the common touch. When he is found drowned in the mill-pond, suspicion is cast in many directions, not least towards a young man who came in the priest's train, sent to work in Brother Cadfael's garden. For he has little obvious priestly calling. Indeed, he soon attracts the friendship of a girl both beautiful and formidable. To Brother Cadfael is left the familiar task of sorting the complicated strands that define guilt and innocence.
The Raven in the Foregate
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 12 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
After years of studying with the Bishop, young Father Ailnoth has come to take over the parish of Holy Cross. But soon Ailnoth's true nature surfaces-harsh, cold-hearted, and merciless-and someone lures him from his home and murders him. Who in Shrewsbury would kill a priest on Christmas Day?
The Rose Rent
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 13 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
A wealthy widow rents her house to the Shrewsbury Abbey for the price of a single rose cut from the bush near the house. Shortly before the rent is due, the rosebush is destroyed and the widow kidnapped. Brother Cadfael must discover who stands to gain from these peculiar crimes.
The Hermit of Eyton Forest
The Fourteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael: A Brother Cadfael Medieval Mystery
by Ellis Peters
read by Roe Kendall
Part 14 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
The year is 1142. England is in the iron grip of civil war. And within the sheltered cloisters of the Benedictine Abbey, there begins a chain of events no less momentous than the upheavals of the outside world. First, there is the sad demise of the Lord of Eaton, whose ten-year-old son and heir, the young Richard, is a pupil at the Abbey. The boy refuses to surrender his new powers to his formidable grandmother, Dionysia. Then there is the arrival of the hermit Cuthred, who enjoys the protection of Lady Dionysia, and whose young companion, Hyacinth, befriends Richard. Despite his reputation for holiness, Cuthred's arrival heralds a series of mishaps for the monks. When Richard disappears and a corpse is found in Eyton Forest, Brother Cadfael is once more forced to leave the tranquility of his herb garden and devote his knowledge of human nature to tracking down a ruthless murderer.
The Hermit of Eyton Forest
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 14 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Shortly after he inherits the powerful position of Lord of Eaton, 10-year-old Richard Ludel disappears from Shrewsbury Abbey, where he had been a student. Did he run away or was he kidnapped? Brother Cadfael suspects the hermit of Eyton Forest, a mysterious man rumored to have holy powers, knows the answer.
The Confession of Brother Haluin
by Ellis Peters
read by Patrick Tull
Part 15 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Brother Cadfael accompanies a crippled young monk on his journey of penance-a path that will lead them into a web of old jealousy and deceit.
The Heretic's Apprentice
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 16 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
Heresy, murder, and the contents of a mysterious treasure chest challenge Brother Cadfael - 12th-century herbalist, sleuth, and sometime cupid - in his 16th chronicle.
In the summer of 1143, William of Lythwood arrives at the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, but it is not a joyous occasion - he's come back from his pilgrimage in a coffin. William's body is accompanied by his young attendant Elave, whose mission is to secure a burial place for his master on the abbey grounds. An already difficult task is complicated when Elave drunkenly expresses his heretical opinions, and capital charges are filed. When a violent death follows, Sheriff Hugh Beringar taps his friend Brother Cadfael for help.
The Potter's Field
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 17 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
During the ploughing of the Potter's Field, the Brothers unearth the grisly remains of a woman's body. Rumors had it that the wild, beautiful Welsh woman had gone away with a lover, returning to her homeland, but now it seems as if she had been murdered. With the arrival of a young monk fleeing from the devastating civil war in East Anglia, the mysteries surrounding the corpse start to multiply. Uneasiness pushes Brother Cadfael to find the whole truth behind this unexpected discovery, piecing together cryptic clues to solve a baffling crime.
The Summer of the Danes
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 18 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
In summer of 1144, a strange calm has settled over England. The armies of King Stephen and Empress Maudhave temporarily exhausted each other. Brother Cadfael, herbalist-sleuth of Shrewsbury's Benedictine Abbey, agrees to accompany wise young Brother Mark on Church business in Wales. But the brothers soon find themselves caught up in yet another feud. A Welsh prince has banished his brother, accusing him of the treacherous murder of an ally, and the country teeters on the brink of civil war. Cadfael is captured by Dane mercenaries and becomes entangled in the affairs of a young woman desperate to escape an arranged marriage. Before he can untangle such domestic passions, Cadfael has to survive the royal brotherly quarrel that could plunge an entire kingdom into deadly chaos.
Brother Cadfael's Penance
by Ellis Peters
read by Sir Derek Jacobi
Part 20 of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series
While Brother Cadfael has bent Abbey rules, he has never broken his monastic vows-until now. Word has come to Shrewsbury of a treacherous act that has left 30 of Empress Maud's knights imprisoned during England's dynastic war between two grandchildren of William the Conqueror. All have been ransomed except Cadfael's secret son, Olivier. Conceived in Cadfael's soldiering youth and unaware of his father's identity, Olivier will die if he is not freed. Cadfael is determined to find him but must leave the monastery without his abbot's blessing.