In the February of the year of our Lord 1141, men march home from war to Shrewsbury, but the captured Sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is not among them. Elis, a young Welsh prisoner, is, and he is delivered to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul to begin a tale that will test Brother Cadfael's sense of justice... and his heart. By good fortune, it seems, the prisoner can be exchanged as Sheriff Prestcote's ransom. What none expects is that good-natured Elis will be struck down by Cupid's arrow. The sherrif's own daughter holds him in thrall, and she too, is blind with passion. Now regaining her father means losing her lover. But then the sheriff ailing and frail, is brought to the abbey's infirmary and murdered there. Suspicion falls on the prisoner, who only has his Welsh honour to gain Brother Cadfael's help. And Cadfael gives it, not knowing the truth will be a trial for his own soul.
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'A more atttractive and prepossessing detective it would be hard to find.' SUNDAY TIMES
Book Description
In his ninth chronicle Brother Cadfael discovers that the death of a prisoner is far from natural, but he still faces an uphill struggle to prove how he really died.
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First Sentence
ON THAT DAY, WHICH WAS THE SEVENTH OF FEBruary of the year of Our Lord 1141, they had offered special prayers at every office, not for the victory of one party or the defeat of another in the battlefields of the north, but for better counsel, for reconciliation, for the sparing of blood-letting and the respect of life between men of the same country-all desirable consummations, as Brother Cadfael sighed to himself even as he prayed, but very unlikely to be answered in this torn and fragmented land with any but a very dusty answer. Read the first page
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ON THAT DAY, WHICH WAS THE SEVENTH OF FEBruary of the year of Our Lord 1141, they had offered special prayers at every office, not for the victory of one party or the defeat of another in the battlefields of the north, but for better counsel, for reconciliation, for the sparing of blood-letting and the respect of life between men of the same country-all desirable consummations, as Brother Cadfael sighed to himself even as he prayed, but very unlikely to be answered in this torn and fragmented land with any but a very dusty answer. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cadfael: Dead Man's Ransom, BBC full cast audio drama - Medieval mystery brought to life for radio
4 Aug 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Based on Ellis Peter's popular series of novels, this radio production tells the tale of Brother Cadfael, Soldier, sailor and sinner, now a Brother in Shrewsbury abbey at the height of the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud, in the mid 12th century. The location and time were well chosen by Peters, as the civil war and Shrewsbury's position close to the sensitive Welsh border provides rich territory for plotting and bloody murder. Bodies keep popping up all over the place, and it falls to the worldly Cadfael, with his knowledge of pathology gained from the battle field and his knowledge of men gained from many years in the world, to solve the crimes and see justice is served.
This tale hangs very much on the civil war and the proximity to Wales. It involves an exchange of high ranking prisoners between the Welsh and English, captured in two very different battles resulting from the politics of the day and a breakaway rebel Welsh faction. When one of the prisoners unexpectedly dies, Cadfael has to navigate his way through both wordly politics and the human heart to find the killer. It is a well told tale, quite complex in parts but so clearly laid out as to be easy to follow.
This two hour production stars Philip Madoc in a fine performance as Cadfael. With his mellifluous voice he strikes just the right note, evoking the basic humanity of the man, and the steely determination to see justice served. Also included in the cast are Michael Kitchen as the narrator, and Susannah York as Sister Magdalene. It is an excellent production. Having read the books many times, Madoc is almost exactly how I imagine Cadfael to sound. The story is clearly narrated and easy to follow, the actors all on good form and the production does what it needs to in terms of setting the scene. I shall definitely be acquiring more in this series.
This set contains two discs in a fold out jewel case. Liner notes are restricted to a brief bio of Ellis Peters. 4 stars.
This tale hangs very much on the civil war and the proximity to Wales. It involves an exchange of high ranking prisoners between the Welsh and English, captured in two very different battles resulting from the politics of the day and a breakaway rebel Welsh faction. When one of the prisoners unexpectedly dies, Cadfael has to navigate his way through both wordly politics and the human heart to find the killer. It is a well told tale, quite complex in parts but so clearly laid out as to be easy to follow.
This two hour production stars Philip Madoc in a fine performance as Cadfael. With his mellifluous voice he strikes just the right note, evoking the basic humanity of the man, and the steely determination to see justice served. Also included in the cast are Michael Kitchen as the narrator, and Susannah York as Sister Magdalene. It is an excellent production. Having read the books many times, Madoc is almost exactly how I imagine Cadfael to sound. The story is clearly narrated and easy to follow, the actors all on good form and the production does what it needs to in terms of setting the scene. I shall definitely be acquiring more in this series.
This set contains two discs in a fold out jewel case. Liner notes are restricted to a brief bio of Ellis Peters. 4 stars.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In the tenth installment of the ever-so-popular Brother Cadfael series, author Ellis Peters proves a winner once again with "Dead Man's Ransom."
Set in the year 1141, civil war runs amok in Britain between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, and it appears that the end of the twelve year old struggle is in sight. The war has taken its toll in many areas, as civil wars do, and the people are quite weary of it all. Maud's forces, however, now have captured the king himself.
The sheriff of Shropshire, too, has been taken captive. This means, in those days, that in all likelihood an exchange of prisoners will take place.
Alas, one of the captives is now dead and it is our Brother Cadfael who senses that, indeed, it is murder, and, just as naturally as Peters would have it, it is he who is given the responsibility to solve the case and to try to bring about the release of the king.
Brother Cadfael is the former crusader now a Benedictine monk, who specializes in herbal medicines, solving murders, and compassion. Peters (Edith Pargeter) has developed her Cadfael through this series of medieval whodunits into a man of the cloth easily admired and respected. He is a man of firm, and devout, principles; a man who seems to carry the weight of the shire on his own Welch-born shoulders!
Peters has made grand the area of Shropshire, and especially the town of Shrewsbury there on the Welch borders. She has also created an exciting family of literary characters to complement Cadfael: Hugh Beringar (deputy sheriff of the shire and Cadfael's closest friend) and his wife Aline, Abbot Radulfus (the venerable patriarch of the abbey, and other members of the abbey.
It is not essential that this series be read from the start (with "A Morbid Taste for Bones"), as this book could easily be read first and it would still hold up as a book on its own; however, readers generally will want to read them in order, as the presentation of character, of historical events, of character-interaction does show development in the series' genealogy. Peters died a few years ago and apparently there are no more Cadfael episodes aside from the twenty or so published, but each of the books extant bring the reader a treasure of reading adventures.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a review of the BBC dramatic recording of Dead Man's Ransom and NOT the book.
This is one of those gems of productions that the BBC does so well. It is a cracking story that the Drama department at the BBC radio 4 team have done a brilliant job of bringing alive to the listener.
Originally a five part series for radio 4 this recording is a satisfying 2hrs and 5mins where not a minute is wasted in `playing for time'. I for one could not `see the joins'.
The story cracks along at a good pace. Michael Kitchen narrates the story well but the star of the production for me is Philip Madoc who portrays Brother Cadfael really well as I imagined him in my mind when I read the books and as I believe Ellis Peters imagined him to be. Namely a Welshman with a slightly welsh accent living in England close to the border. Indeed Madoc does such a great job that I never for once thought of the TV series depiction of Cadfael by Derek Jacobi.
The cast really support Madoc and are very believable in their roles.
As I listened to the production in the car I was transported to Mediaeval Shrewsbury and Wales so credit should go to dramatisation by Bert Coules who has done an excellent job and also to the director Neil Cargill who has also done a terrific job. A really good cast which includes the sadly missed Susannah York as Magdalen and a good performance by the rest of the actors bring this excellent mystery to life.
I won't add spoilers to the plot and eventual solution and I will not give the story line as I am certain others will have done this in other reviews (largely from the blurb on the back of the CD I wonder??)
. But I will say that this is well up to Ellis Peters' standard which is praise indeed.
This is one of those gems of productions that the BBC does so well. It is a cracking story that the Drama department at the BBC radio 4 team have done a brilliant job of bringing alive to the listener.
Originally a five part series for radio 4 this recording is a satisfying 2hrs and 5mins where not a minute is wasted in `playing for time'. I for one could not `see the joins'.
The story cracks along at a good pace. Michael Kitchen narrates the story well but the star of the production for me is Philip Madoc who portrays Brother Cadfael really well as I imagined him in my mind when I read the books and as I believe Ellis Peters imagined him to be. Namely a Welshman with a slightly welsh accent living in England close to the border. Indeed Madoc does such a great job that I never for once thought of the TV series depiction of Cadfael by Derek Jacobi.
The cast really support Madoc and are very believable in their roles.
As I listened to the production in the car I was transported to Mediaeval Shrewsbury and Wales so credit should go to dramatisation by Bert Coules who has done an excellent job and also to the director Neil Cargill who has also done a terrific job. A really good cast which includes the sadly missed Susannah York as Magdalen and a good performance by the rest of the actors bring this excellent mystery to life.
I won't add spoilers to the plot and eventual solution and I will not give the story line as I am certain others will have done this in other reviews (largely from the blurb on the back of the CD I wonder??)
. But I will say that this is well up to Ellis Peters' standard which is praise indeed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cadfael Audio books
This version, although greatly abridged was very good and only contained the cast list once at the end. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lori Wilson-Blakely
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very enjoyable
Having visited Shrewsbury I was very much looking forward to this Cadfael mystery. It does not disappoint. Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars
Medieval Murder Mystery
As ever, brother Cadfael uses his forensic and compassionate skills to solve another medieval murder mystery. The plotline is good, with suitable twists and turns. Read more
Published 13 months ago by D. Clarke
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not another Michael Kitchen!
Overall a good plot and I really love the Cadfael mysteries in general. However I was most disappointed with Michael Kitchen. Read more
Published 18 months ago by A. Gothorp
4.0 out of 5 stars
Medieval Whodunnit!
I loved the books and re-read them from time to time; I enjoyed the TV series and I have even tried to follow the now-defunct Cadfael trail in Shrewsbury. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mrs. PJ Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
just like your at the theatre
The beeb have always done a radio a good turn, after all this is how they began. So it make sense that a radio play would meet the standards of this corporations legacy. Read more
Published 20 months ago by J. Egerton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Blood, guts and lots of thunder
This was my first excursion into the world of Cadfael - and a jolly trip it turned out to be as well. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Sam Holliday
5.0 out of 5 stars
BBC at their best
This is what the BBC do best in my opinion, good plays, well produced and great all-round entertainment. Read more
Published 21 months ago by A. Roberton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super drama.
A great BBC dramatisation of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, the medieval monk sleuth. Starring Philip Madoc, Susannah York and Michael Kitchen as the narrator, it is the perfect... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Lily
4.0 out of 5 stars
A rare treat
This is a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Ellis Peters' mystery featuring medieval monk Brother Cadfael. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. H
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