Today’s Kindle Daily Deal features the first ten books in the bestselling Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series of historical mystery novels. These stories take place in the most unlikely setting, and star a most unlikely protagonist: the monk, Brother Cadfael.
A Morbid Taste for Bones – The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 1 (4.5/5 stars, priced at $1.99 TODAY ONLY)
On an expedition to acquire a saint’s remains, Brother Cadfael instead finds intrigue and murder
It is 1137, and the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey wishes to acquire the remains of Saint Winifred for the glory of his Benedictine order. Brother Cadfael is part of the expedition sent to the saint’s final resting place in Wales, where he finds the villagers divided over the Benedictines’ quest.
When the leading opponent to moving the grave is shot dead with a mysterious arrow, some believe Winifred herself delivered the blow. Brother Cadfael knows that an earthly hand did the killing. But he doesn’t know that his plan to root out a murderer may dig up a case of love and justice, where the waves of sin may be scandal—or his own ruin.
One Corpse Too Many – The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 2 (4.5/5 stars, priced at $1.99 TODAY ONLY)
When Shrewsbury Castle falls, Brother Cadfael discovers a murder mystery amid the wreckage
In the summer of 1138, war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud takes Brother Cadfael from the quiet world of his garden into a battlefield of passions, deceptions, and death. Not far from the safety of the abbey walls, Shrewsbury Castle falls, leaving its ninety-four defenders loyal to the empress to hang as traitors. With a heavy heart, Brother Cadfael agrees to bury the dead, only to make a grisly discovery: one extra victim that has been strangled, not hanged.
This ingenious way to dispose of a corpse tells Brother Cadfael that the killer is both clever and ruthless. But one death among so many seems unimportant to all but the good Benedictine. He vows to find the truth behind disparate clues: a girl in boy’s clothing, a missing treasure, and a single broken flower . . . the tiny bit of evidence that Cadfael believes can expose a murderer’s black heart.
Monk’s Hood – The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 3 (4.5/5 stars, priced at $1.99 TODAY ONLY)
Brother Cadfael is confounded when his own potion is used to kill his former love’s new husband
Gervase Bonel is a guest of Shrewsbury Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul when he suddenly takes ill. Luckily, the abbey boasts the services of the clever and kindly Brother Cadfael, a skilled herbalist. Cadfael hurries to the man’s bedside, only to be confronted with two surprises: In Master Bonel’s wife, the good monk recognizes Richildis, whom he loved before he took his vows—and Master Bonel has been fatally poisoned by monk’s-hood oil from Cadfael’s stores.
The sheriff is convinced that the murderer is Richildis’s son, Edwin, who hated his stepfather. But Cadfael, guided in part by his concern for a woman to whom he was once betrothed, is certain of her son’s innocence. Using his knowledge of both herbs and the human heart, Cadfael deciphers a deadly recipe for murder.
Saint Peter’s Fair – The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 4 (4.5/5 stars, priced at $1.99 TODAY ONLY)
An opportunity to put aside the horrors of war is dashed when bodies begin to pile up at St. Peter’s Fair
St. Peter’s Fair is a grand, festive event, attracting merchants from across England and beyond. There is a pause in the civil war racking the country in the summer of 1139, and the fair promises to bring some much-needed gaiety to the town of Shrewsbury—until the body of a wealthy merchant is found murdered in the river Severn. Was Thomas of Bristol the victim of murderous thieves? And, if so, why were his valuables abandoned nearby?
Brother Cadfael, that shrewd but kindly monk, offers to help the merchant’s lovely niece Emma. But while he is searching for the killer, Thomas of Bristol’s wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered. Emma almost certainly knows more than she is telling—as others will soon realize. Cadfael desperately races to save the young girl, knowing that in a country at war with itself, betrayal can come from any direction, and even good intentions can kill.
For those who’d like to jump right into the series, Cadfael star Derek Jacobi also narrates the 4.7/5 star -rated (rating as shown on the Audible site) The Adventures of Brother Cadfael: A Collection of Chronicles Audible audiobook collection, which includes abridged readings of 6 Cadfael mysteries (The Summer of the Danes, Brother Cadfael’s Penance, The Heretic’s Apprentice, Monk’s Hood, The Potter’s Field, Saint Peter’s Fair) and is currently priced at 1 Audible credit or $29.38 for Audible members, and $41.97 for non-members. If you’re not already a member, this would be a great pick to start a free Audible trial: try Audible and get two free audiobooks
Click here to browse the full Brother Cadfael series in Kindle format.
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