Cadfael II: St. Peter?s Fair

Americans have never seen a TV sleuth like Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk indelibly portrayed by Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) in the wildly popular series of British films based on the books by Ellis Peters. This self-contained Cadfael mystery may be a bit of a muddle to novices not familiar with 12th-century English history, but mystery buffs will enjoy watching Cadfael in action. The former Crusader is, as one character describes, "an odd kind of monk." St. Peter's Fair promises a respite from the ongoing civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. But the festivities are quickly marred by the murder of a visiting merchant. When it is suggested the victim "must" have been murdered by a common thief, Cadfael replies, "We must always be wary of 'must.' Nothing is certain." Indeed, why would a common thief ransack the victim's cart and wares and leave all valuables behind? With one hot-headed villager falsely arrested, the answer may lie with the merchant's beautiful and feisty niece Emma, whom Cadfael takes under his wing. For Cadfael watchers, a highlight of this episode is a tense climactic standoff between the monk and his friend, undersheriff Hugh Beringar (Eoin McCarthy, replacing Sean Pertwee), who fleetingly lets greed get the better of him. --Donald Liebenson Product Description Sir Derek Jacobi stars as Brother Cadfael, the intuitive crime-solving monk of medieval Shrewsbury, in this murderous tale from the popular PBS Mystery! series.

Cadfael II: St. Peter?s Fair