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The Sanctuary Sparrow (Brother Cadfael, Bk 7)
The Sanctuary Sparrow - Brother Cadfael, Bk 7 Author:Ellis Peters When Liliwin, a poor birdlike young minstrel, reaches the monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul only a few steps ahead of a wildly angry mob, the brothers offer him forty days' sanctuary. Then Brother Cadfael, herbalist and amateur detective, learns that Liliwin's accusers want to hang him for a crime he swears he never committed...and Cadfael beg... more »ins to investigate. First on his list are the Aurifabers, who had hired Liliwin to perform at young Daniel Aurifaber's wedding. A family of goldsmiths, they are firmly united in accusing Liliwin of robbing their strongbox. But Cadfael digs deeper and discovers that what divides the family--greed, betrayal, revenge, and murder--is stronger still.... With little proof but much faith on his side, the kindly Cadfael is determined to solve this delightfully twisted mystery.« less
Alas, about one-third of the way through this book I remembered watching the video years ago. Unlike other Cadfael videos I saw, I remembered who the killer was in this novel.
Still, that didn't stop me from enjoying how Ellis Peters sets things up. This is a good one in that you are startled when the killer is revealed (unless you also saw the video).
Not all the Cadfael videos (not all the books were made into TV movies) follow all the plot themes, but it is pretty hard to change who the killer was.
Another great period mystery/detective story by Ellis Peters. This one was adapted for TV early in the Cadfael series and required that Abbot Radolphus be replaced by Abbot Hereford. Derek Jacoby as Brother Cadfael got to deliver most of the abbot's good lines. Other than that it was more faithful to the book than many of the TV episodes.
Both the book and the TV episode are eminantly entertaining and I can recommend both. Peters does a great job of evoking life in England at that time. ANd the book is as much an excuse to spend time in that period as to present and solve a mystery.
As always there are character details and subplots that had to be simplified for TV viewing so the book is a worthwhile read even if you are already familiar with the TV episode and vice versa.
This is the first book in which Brother Jerome appears that he's as hateful as he appears in the TV series.
