In the sunny month of August, A.D. 1141, Brother Cadfael is presented with a double mystery set against the larger drama enacted by King Stephen and his arch-enemy, cousin, and rival claimant to the throne, the Empress Maud. In the bloody struggle for the crown, Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and papal legate, is drawn into a contretemps that will result in a town laid waste, a nunnery burned to the ground, churches razed, and the priory of Hyde Mead engulfed in flames. Hence the arrival of Brothers Humilis and Fidelis to the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul at Shrewsbury. Humilis, the elder of the pair, has entered the cloister because of the profound injuries he suffered during the Crusades. His companion and friend is a retiring youth whose perfect devotion to Humilis is made all the more poignant by his muteness. Concerned with the fragile condition of Humilis's health, Cadfael comes to his assistance with his prodigious skills as an herbalist -- and as a friend. - Jacket flap.

In this “enchanting” historical mystery, “medieval England comes marvelously alive” as Brother Cadfael investigates a woman’s baffling disappearance (The Washington Post). In the year of our Lord 1141, August comes in golden as a lion, and two monks ride into the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul bringing with them disturbing news of war—and a mystery. The strangers tell how the strife between the Empress Maud and King Stephen has destroyed the town of Winchester and their priory. Now Brother Humilis, who is handsome, gaunt, and very ill, and Brother Fidelis, youthful, comely—and totally mute—must seek refuge at Shrewsbury. From the moment he meets them, Brother Cadfael senses something deeper than common vows binds these two good brothers. What the link is he can only guess. What it will lead to is beyond his imagining. As Brother Humilis’s health fails—and nothing can stop death’s lengthening shade—Brother Cadfael faces a poignant test of his discretion and his beliefs as he unravels a secret so great it can destroy a life, a future, and a holy order. “Unflagging tension which builds to a swift, satisfying climax. Peters never disappoints [with] her absorbing, superbly crafted stories.” —Kirkus Reviews

In 1141, two monks bearing news of war and destruction arrive in Shrewsbury, where Brother Cadfael discovers that the pair harbors secrets so great that they could destroy a life, a future, and a holy order.

A wealthy landowner is poisoned while staying at the abbey, and when Brother Cadfael is called upon to identify the poison, he is shocked to discover the victim's wife is his own childhood sweetheart.

From the gang-ravaged streets of inner-city Oakland to the rolling hills of Berkeley, California, attorney Joe Turner defends the most hardened criminals. Confronted with an unlikely murderer in a modern-day whodunnit, Turner's latest case seems impossible to unravel. At its heart is a decade-old murder and a tangled web of family, loyalty, and devotion that has the trial hanging in the balance. Viewed through the prism of the unique bond of twins, Good Lookin' asks how far each of us will go to protect the ones we love.

Lexie Starr Arrested For Murder in A Rip-Roaring Good Time, a Cozy Mystery, by Jeanne Glidewell Full-time RVers, Rip and Rapella Ripple, are headed to Rockdale, Missouri, in their old travel trailer (aka The Chartreuse Caboose) to attend a friend's surprise birthday party. But surprise quickly turns to shock when a party guest is found murdered and Lexie Starr, a friend of the Ripples, is hauled off to jail as suspect number one. Determined to exonerate Lexie, the Ripples put the Chartreuse Caboose in park and their investigating tactics in drive. But more than a simple frame-up is afoot when the victim's stepfather, who is also the local Police Chief, ignores the Ripple's findings. REVIEWS: 'The author [Jeanne Glidewell] keeps the story rolling along smoothly but with a humor that I really enjoy!" ~Amazon Verified Review "A delightfully good read! Well written with a ripping good story line and fully fleshed characters." ~Evonne Hutton, Amazon Reviewerbr> THE RIPPLE EFFECT MYSTERIES, in series order A Rip Roaring Good Time Rip Tide Ripped to Shreds Rip Your Heart Out Ripped Apart No Big Rip The Grim Ripper THE LEXIE STARR MYSTERIES, in series order Leave No Stone Unturned The Extinguished Guest Haunted With This Ring Just Ducky The Spirit of the Season (A Holiday Novella) Cozy Camping Marriage and Mayhem

A monk must find a killer among a flood of religious pilgrims in this medieval mystery by the Edgar Award–winning author: “A series like no other” (TheSan Diego Union-Tribune). In the year of our Lord 1141, civil war over England’s throne leaves a legacy of violence—and the murder of a knight dear to Brother Cadfael. And with gentle bud-strewn May, a flood of pilgrims comes to the celebration of Saint Winifred at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, carrying with it many strange souls—and perhaps the knight’s killer. Brother Cadfael’s shrewd eyes see all: the prosperous merchant who rings false, an angelic lame boy, his beautiful dowerless sister, and two wealthy penitents. In the name of justice Cadfael decides to uncover the strange and twisted tale that accompanies these travelers. Instead he unearths a quest for vengeance, witnesses a miracle, and finds himself on a razor’s edge between death and the absolution of love.