The Pilgrim Of Hate, by Ellis Peters

The tenth book [1] in the Brother Cadfael series, this book offers a murder mystery with a few twists. For one, this is a murder mystery without any forensics, as the body of the murder victim never comes within a hundred miles or so of the detective that solves the crime. For another, this is a novel that blends the familiar elements of a Cadfael story together in intriguing ways: there is history, in this case, the repercussions of the internal history of the series, including Cadfael’s son making a supporting role as well as the importance of St. Winifred in the Shrewsbury Abbey to the course of the novel, as well as the history of England at the time, including the eventual retreat of the Queen’s army from London after a surprise assault from the cityfolk themselves with the support of the queen of imprisoned King Stephen of Bois. There is mystery, including secret identities and a secret mission, and a group of murderous thieves who set upon two people involved in a complicated vendetta situation, one of whom is being sought by Cadfael’s illegitimate son, on his own complicated mission for the Empress, and falls in love with a beautiful and sweet but dowryless orphan girl whose younger brother is an innocent, observant, and honest cripple.

Part of the advantage in writing a lengthy and internally consistent saga is the ability to have a rich collection of supporting characters. Here, Cadfael isn’t the only person seeking to solve mysteries. His son is working as a detective of sorts on behalf of his liege lord, as is the recently promoted Sheriff of Shropshire, who manages to discover that Cadfael is a father, which explains his previous actions. Likewise, the romance here is complicated by the fact that it puts the partners in considerable risk, not least because one of them is hiding his identity and falls in love with someone whose tender heart is opened by a few days of friendly conversation. Most of the time that is not a recipe for success, but in a novel like this, much can be forgiven.

Of particular interest in this novel is the way in which it demonstrates principles of loyalty in complicated ways. There is the loyalty of a man to an unwitting friend despite the vengeful vendetta they are involved in, and the extreme peril faced along the way. There is the grim loyalty of people to their liege lords, despite the complications this brings. There is the loyal love of monastic brothers, the dubious loyalty of brothers, the devotion of people to saints, the corruption of penance and misguided attempts at proving loyalty by violence. All in all, this book explores its themes in a way that is thorough, and full of complications, leading to a rich and nuanced perspective on life, and on our own tangled relationships.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/book-review-dead-mans-ransom/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/26/book-review-the-devils-novice/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/book-review-the-sanctuary-sparrow/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/book-review-the-virgin-in-the-ice/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/book-review-the-leper-of-st-giles/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/book-review-st-peters-fair/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/book-review-monks-hood/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/book-review-one-corpse-too-many/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/book-review-a-morbid-taste-for-bones/