The Virgin in the Iceby Ellis Peters
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9780708825839
Series: Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #5
Publication Date: March 12, 1984
Pages: 220
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Futura Books
Not the best Brother Cadfael I’ve read, but Hugh was back and that was worth 1/2 a star. I might just even be in a grumpy reading mood, because, really, the mystery was crafted well enough, if the resolution was a tad weak. The murderer had very little in the way of evidence against him, and yet Brother Cadfael and Hugh were quick to be certain.
Mostly, I disliked the protracted capture and battle scenes, especially as the captured was a 12 year old boy. A different time and place, to be sure, but still not my cup of tea to read about the torture of children.
The ending was rather sweet though.
This was my third Christmas mystery in a row, and I’m beginning to feel like I should put a tree up.