
The year is 1138. King Stephen and his cousin the Empress Maud are caught in a bitter struggle for the British crown. When Stephen finally captures the castle of Shrewsbury, one of Maud's few remaining hold-outs, his victory is a bloody one. Ninety-four prisoners, the surviving defenders of the Empress's castle, are taken. And ninety-four are hanged. Brother Cadfael of the nearby Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul is called upon to give a decent burial to the dead. But before they can reach their final resting place, Cadfael discovers an extra corpse. This is no soldier- the ninety-fifth body is that of a youth, killed by a knife to his pale young throat. An amateur detective with no small share of courage, Cadfael is determined to identify the young man- and his murderer. For help he has a lovely young fugitive with her won supply of bravery, and together they set out to solve this charming and suspenseful mystery. "You'll love Brother Cadfael, wily veteran of the Crusades....this was England before the age of tea and crumpets." *Los Angeles Times Book Review* --Taken directly off the back of the 1990 American version of the book

28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995
Edith Mary Pargeter OBE BEM (28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995), also known by her pen name Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics. She is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern, and especially for her medieval detective series The Cadfael Chronicles.
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