A Morbid Taste For Bones (1977)

Lighting the Pipes

Published in 1977, "A Morbid Taste For Bones" introduced Brother Cadfael to the world, a Welsh Benedictine monk of the 12th Century with a penchant for solving crimes. Although Ellis Peters establishes a dynamic back-story for her protagonist, set amidst the turmoil of the First Crusade, the vibe of his first adventure is decidedly more "crofter intrigue" than "conflicts of war". Led by the suspect vision of an ambitious monk, the Brothers of Shrewsbury Abbey feel entitled to the nearby relics of Saint Winifred, Welsh virgin martyr, and travel to rural Gwytherin in hopes of exhuming and obtaining them. Things go from bad to worse when bribery and murder enter the plot and Cadfael is soon forced to intercede to arbitrate, explicate and ameliorate events. Complete with a mini-history on the First Crusade, in this episode we guide you through the bell-tolls of Cadfael's first monastic mystery.