The Pilgrim of Hate: A Mediaeval Whodunnit

by Ellis Peters

Book Overview

The fourth anniversary of the transfer of Saint Winifred's bones to the Abbey at Shrewsbury is a time of celebration for the 12th-century pilgrims gathering from far and wide. In distant Winchester,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0708827373
• ISBN13: 9780708827376
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Time Warner
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Title is a Clue

This is the tenth book in the Cadfael series. It differs quite a bit from the PBS TV version. There is a lot going on in this book. The (actual) Stephen-Maude struggle for the throne of England is in the background, but plays quite a role in the plot of the story. There is a murder, but it happens far from Shrewsbury Abbey where most of the story takes place. The story is set during the St. Winifred festival. The festival attracts a number of pilgrims, as well as some shady characters. There is one group, an aunt and her niece and crippled nephew, who owe a lot to good old St. Winifred by the end it seems. I enjoyed the character of the aunt, although she is not a major one. In addition to these, there are two men traveling together on a bizarre pilgrimage who stop for the festival. In a surprise turn, Cadfael's son, Olivier, makes an appearance. It is hard to see how all will turn out which makes for a good read waiting for the truth to be revealed. The title is a clue, but not a very big one. I highly recommend this book!

A great story, even without the mystery

If you're interested in an audio edition, check that you're getting the unabridged recording narrated by Stephen Thorne.Ideally, read all the preceding books in the series, in order, before reading this one. At a minimum, first read #1 (A Morbid Taste for Bones, the story of how the monastery came to have St. Winifred as its patroness) and The Virgin in the Ice, to avoid the biggest spoilers.This June of 1141, the feast of the translation of St. Winifred dawns upon a time when the civil war between the Empress Maud and King Stephen for the throne of England may finally draw to a close: Stephen was captured at the battle of Lincoln, and even now Maud is negotiating with the city of London for her entry into Westminster for her coronation. The papal legate, Bishop Henry of Blois, brother to Stephen, has called a legatine council (including Abbot Radulfus from Shrewsbury) and is working on turning his allegiance to the empress, for the sake of peace. Hugh, sheriff of Shropshire for Stephen, broods on ways and means of getting a man into Bristol to free Stephen, and prays for a miracle, while using his friend Brother Cadfael as a sounding board.Cadfael, too, is praying for a miracle - any miracle - at this feast of St. Winifred. Not from a desire for the abbey's glory, or from any faltering of his own faith, but as a sign that the saint took no offense from the events of _A Morbid Taste for Bones_, when he accompanied a delegation from the abbey to the saint's grave in Wales to bring back her mortal remains as holy relics. (Since that was before Hugh's arrival in Shrewsbury, Cadfael summarizes the story for him, so it's possible to follow the plot of _Pilgrim_ without reading _Bones_. But be warned that Cadfael reveals the ending of _Bones_ to Hugh.)Abbot Radulfus returns in time for the festival, bearing word of a cowardly murder at the legatine council. The attempted murder of the envoy of Stephen's queen failed, but Ranulf Bossard, the brave man of the empress' party who foiled the attempt, was himself cut down in the street.All the brothers are busily preparing for the huge influx of pilgrims at this time of year, many of whom are ill and seeking miraculous healing. Brother Cadfael, as herbalist, sees some of the more noteworthy cases: Rhun, a devout half-Welsh boy with a twisted leg that might respond to treatment; his sister, Melangell; a young Welsh clark, Ciaran, traveling barefoot and wearing a large iron cross, on his way to Wales to die; Matthew, Ciaran's faithful shadow. There are less savory characters, as well, petty (and not so petty) career criminals who prey on the credulous and the frail. (Credulous, as in, people who trust a stranger's dice.) Some may even have fled from a city too hot to hold them.Into this festival atmosphere rides a young envoy of the empress' party, on a twofold mission: to sound out Hugh on the question of his fealty, and to seek Bossard's young heir, who disappeared in this direction after his lord's death. B

Complex story of time and people

It is A.D. 1141. A year that brings a tide of pilgrims to the Abbey. This is the tenth mystery in the series. You may want to start from the first to let the interacting mysteries reveal themselves in chronological order. This is the second one for me after "The Morbid Taste for Bones." I do have to warn you that the synopsis to "A Morbid Taste for Bones" and "Virgin in the Ice" is played out again somewhat in the first two chapters of this book. What can not be portrayed in the short Cadfael movies and would make marvelous reading on its own is the inter action between the forces and reasons behind the vacillating positions of Empress Maud and King Stephen. This is also a crucial part of the story; as the loyalties and logistics play a major part in the mystery and people's lives. I will not compare and contrast the people in the story or the differences in the film adaptation as the fun is finding out for your self, all the actions and interaction of people. I will say that none of this would have been possible with out the grace of St. Winifred.

A flawlessly produced, superbly narrated audiobook edition.

The Pilgrim Of Hate is another Brother Cadfael mystery that takes place amid the intrigue and pageantry of medieval England. It's 1141 A.D. and the celebration of Saint Winifred has brought a flood of pilgrims to Shrewsbury. Cadfael carefully and cleverly unwinds a twisted tale of retribution, murder, and medieval evil. Stephen Thorne's superb narrative talents do full justice to Ellis Peters' celebrated Brother Cadfael that has become one of the most popular mystery series in the annals of the genre. This Audio Partners complete and unabridged, six cassette audiobook edition is flawlessly produced and will send the listener avidly seeking Peters' earlier Brother Cadfael tales.

An exceptional journey

This is an exceptional book. Peters weaves several mysterious plot threads together in a dazzling climax.