Kirkus Review
More puzzles to be solved and innocents to be saved--as wise Brother Cadfael again works herbal wonders in his 12th-century Benedictine monastery. Cadfael's primary concern this time: Liliwin, a young, half-starved, itinerant juggler who is accused of murdering and robbing goldsmith Walter Aurifaber. Convinced of the lad's innocence, Cadfael helps him to take church-sanctuary from a vengeful mob. And the monk then turns sleuth, of course, looking into both the attack on Aurifaber and the subsequent drowning of Aurifaber's tenant, locksmith Baldwin Peche. Some of the suspects within the miserly Aurifaber household: newly married son Daniel; his bride Margery, jealous of sister-in-law Susanna (a competent, 30-ish spinster who runs the household); maid-of-all-work Rannilt, who has fallen in love with Liliwin; and even Waiter's sick, ill-tempered, still-powerful mother, who eventually backs Margery in the feud with Susanna--a dramatic turn of events that leads to the exposure of the killer and the transformation of Liliwin into a hero. Much the same mixture as before, with a little more sentiment and a little less action--but a welcome treat for Brother Cadfael fans. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
This is another charming installment in the Brother Cadfael series, chronicling the intellectual heroics of Ellis Peters's eponymous monk (see A Morbid Taste for Bones, Video Reviews, LJ 4/15/01). Sir Derek Jacobi is excellent in the title role and is supported by a wonderful cast in this fine 12th-century murder mystery. The series has something of a small-screen look about it, but this certainly does not detract from the visual pleasure. It is easy to become enthralled by the look and feel of the era and by the almost implausible ways in which Cadfael solves the mystery with such aplomb. The DVD bonuses include filmographies of several of the actors, a biography of Peters, comments from Jacobi, and other tidbits. These features are hardly rife with special effects but, along with improved replay quality, certainly justify DVD purchase over videotape. This is recommended for high school and older audiences and for all library collections.-Daniel B. Schuetz, Franklin Coll., IN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
