This is number 14 in the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. In this book, with the 12th century English civil war in the background, several unhappy events take place in and around Shrewsbury and beyond. Peters fits these seemingly unrelated events together for readers making for a good story.
As the book opens, the Lord of Eaton finally dies due to battle wounds; his son and heir named Richard is ten years old and in school at the abbey in Shrewsbury. The boy's grandmother is determined to take him home and marry him off right away to a neighbor who has only a daughter and very good lands. She is thwarted in her plans by the abbot, since the boy was put into his charge by the boy's father who wanted him educated.
At the Lord of Eaton's funeral, readers get the first glimpse of the hermit for whom the book is named. The grandmother installs this hermit in a small dwelling in a forest on Eaton land. Soon after, some disasters take place nearby on abbey land which are reported to the abbot. Not long after this, the hermit's servant appears at the abbey to announce that the hermit believes the disasters are God tying to tell the abbot to send Richard back to his grandmother. The abbot is not convinced.
Somewhere around this point in the book, news concerning some treasure of the Empress Maude's that has apparently been stolen comes to Shrewsbury. The messenger carrying this treasure is presumed dead given the condition of his horse when found. This turns out to be very important in the story.
A very unpleasant man named Bosiet shows up to lodge at the abbey. He is in search of a bondman of his who has run off - apparently for good reason. Bosiet shows up dead in the forest not long afterward. It looks like the hermit's servant is the missing bondsman.
The servant has made friends with the boy Richard. The boy finds out that Bosiet is heading off to find the servant, so he goes off to warn him, and does so, but disappears on the way back to the abbey. A massive search is started for the servant now suspected of the murder and for the boy.
As the story progresses, the boy is found, the hermit is killed and the mystery of the missing treasure is solved. The details are left out here so as not to spoil the plot.
I figured out what happened before it was actually revealed by the book, but only about a page or so beforehand. It is always exciting when that happens. I mean figuring it out ahead of time, but only at the last moment, so the book was indeed worth finishing.
Cadfael played a major part in this book, but he was not involved in several scenes. This may be why this book was not used for the TV series, which is a shame because it tells a very good story.
Anyway, if you like the Cadfael series, certainly give this one a try.
As the book opens, the Lord of Eaton finally dies due to battle wounds; his son and heir named Richard is ten years old and in school at the abbey in Shrewsbury. The boy's grandmother is determined to take him home and marry him off right away to a neighbor who has only a daughter and very good lands. She is thwarted in her plans by the abbot, since the boy was put into his charge by the boy's father who wanted him educated.
At the Lord of Eaton's funeral, readers get the first glimpse of the hermit for whom the book is named. The grandmother installs this hermit in a small dwelling in a forest on Eaton land. Soon after, some disasters take place nearby on abbey land which are reported to the abbot. Not long after this, the hermit's servant appears at the abbey to announce that the hermit believes the disasters are God tying to tell the abbot to send Richard back to his grandmother. The abbot is not convinced.
Somewhere around this point in the book, news concerning some treasure of the Empress Maude's that has apparently been stolen comes to Shrewsbury. The messenger carrying this treasure is presumed dead given the condition of his horse when found. This turns out to be very important in the story.
A very unpleasant man named Bosiet shows up to lodge at the abbey. He is in search of a bondman of his who has run off - apparently for good reason. Bosiet shows up dead in the forest not long afterward. It looks like the hermit's servant is the missing bondsman.
The servant has made friends with the boy Richard. The boy finds out that Bosiet is heading off to find the servant, so he goes off to warn him, and does so, but disappears on the way back to the abbey. A massive search is started for the servant now suspected of the murder and for the boy.
As the story progresses, the boy is found, the hermit is killed and the mystery of the missing treasure is solved. The details are left out here so as not to spoil the plot.
I figured out what happened before it was actually revealed by the book, but only about a page or so beforehand. It is always exciting when that happens. I mean figuring it out ahead of time, but only at the last moment, so the book was indeed worth finishing.
Cadfael played a major part in this book, but he was not involved in several scenes. This may be why this book was not used for the TV series, which is a shame because it tells a very good story.
Anyway, if you like the Cadfael series, certainly give this one a try.
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