“A MORBID TASTE FOR BONES”

By Ellis Peters.

1º INTRODUCTION.

This is a medieval mystery novel. It is the first story in the Brother Cadfael series which was very successful in UK in 70s. Cadfael is a monk who has knowledge of gardening and investigating police cases.

2º PLOT.

In the 12th century several monks live in an English monastery. The Prior is an ambitious person who dreams with finding some relics to venerate. The Prior discovers that there is a little Welsh village where people keep a Saint´s corpse buried and quickly organizes a journey to Wales to bring it to his abbey. But, when they arrive, the biggest land-owner offers resistance to carry his intentions on. This man is murdered the next day.

Although, everybody suspects a peasant, Cadfael finds out who is the true murderer : a monk with the intention of pleasing to the Prior. When he tries to escape, he died accidentally.

Finally, Cadfael thinks a plan: the Saint´s bones are left in the same place where they were and the monk´s body is locked in the Saint´s coffin to be buried in his abbey. A few people know the truth but everybody is happy, including the Prior.

3º MY OPINION.

This is a novel into detective genre but set in medieval times. It is developed with the typical structure of this kind of books: quick action with uncertainty which usually catches the reader´s attention. There are some strange facts in a supernatural atmosphere which is characteristic in stories which happen long time ago, in Middle Ages.

I recommend all sort of people to read this book because it´s written in a really entertaining way, so if you start reading it you will look forward to reach the end to discover who is the murderer and what is the reason of his behaviour.

Fernando Sanz Yagüe ( 1st I Intermediate).