Tag Archives: Cadfael

White Paper: Historical Context as Interpretive Framework in the Brother Cadfael Series: Understanding the Medieval Detective and His Ethical Posture

Posted on December 12, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Ellis Peters’s Brother Cadfael novels occupy a unique literary space: they are at once historical fiction, detective narrative, and moral meditation set against the backdrop of the English civil war known as The Anarchy (1135–1154). Their enduring appeal … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Brother Cadfael’s Penance

Posted on May 15, 2015 by nathanalbright

Brother Cadfael’s Penance, by Ellis Peters “It is enough,” said Abbot Radulfus. “Get up now, and come with your brothers into the choir.” So ends the last novel of the Brother Cadfael series [1], a novel written while its author … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Holy Thief

Posted on May 14, 2015 by nathanalbright

The Holy Thief, by Ellis Peters The penultimate novel in Ellis Peters’ Cadfael Chronicles [1] covers some familiar ground, and some new ground as well. What begins with the tying up of a plot line involving the renegade earl of … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Summer Of The Danes

Posted on May 12, 2015 by nathanalbright

Summer Of The Danes, by Ellis Peters The eighteenth volume of the Brother Cadfael series, this novel finds Cadfael in a new position, at least as far as the series is concerned, and that is a prisoner of some Danish … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden

Posted on May 2, 2015 by nathanalbright

Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden: An Illustrated Companion To Medieval Plants And Their Uses, by Rob Talbot & Robin Whiteman A book like this is pretty clear about who it appeals to. Are one of the following true about you: Do … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Potter’s Field

Posted on May 1, 2015 by nathanalbright

The Potter’s Field, by Ellis Peters This, the 18th novel in the Brother Cadfael series of mystery novels, has some intriguing and dark scriptural parallels. For one, there is the name of the novel itself, which harkens back to the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Heretic’s Apprentice

Posted on April 28, 2015 by nathanalbright

The Heretic’s Apprentice, by Ellis Peters Yet again, in distinct ways from previous novels, this novel manages to hit alarmingly close to me. The story of this novel revolves around a young man who loyally brings the coffin of his … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Confessions Of Brother Haluin

Posted on April 25, 2015 by nathanalbright

The Confessions Of Brother Haluin, by Ellis Peters This particular volumes gives a couple of twists to the usual formula of a Brother Cadfael mystery. For one, the mystery itself is a slow-developing one, rich in meaning and grace, but … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Rare Benedictine: The Advent Of Brother Cadfael

Posted on April 24, 2015 by nathanalbright

A Rare Benedictine: The Advent Of Brother Cadfael, by Ellis Peters This book is a prequel of sorts to the Brother Cadfael series of mysteries by Ellis Peters [1], and contains three short stories that occur before the first novel … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Cordially Yours, Brother Cadfael

Posted on April 8, 2015 by nathanalbright

Cordially Yours, Brother Cadfael, edited by Anne K. Kaler This book is an obscure one I picked up in my local library system, and it made pleasant reading for my plane trip to Salt Lake City this morning. As a … Continue reading →

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