Reading order · 20 books · 1977 to 1994 · Set in Shrewsbury
Brother Cadfael Books in Order
Brother Cadfael is a Welsh monk at the Benedictine abbey of Shrewsbury in the 1130s and 1140s, during the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud. A former crusader and sailor who came late to the religious life, he tends the herb garden, heals the sick and solves murders with his friend Hugh Beringar.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Series facts
- Books
- 20
- Published
- 1977 to 1994
- First book
- A Morbid Taste for Bones
- Latest
- Brother Cadfael’s Penance (1994)
- Setting
- Set in Shrewsbury
The reading order
Every Brother Cadfael book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
20 books · Set in Shrewsbury
- 1A Morbid Taste for Bones1977With Brother CadfaelIn 1137, Prior Robert leads a party of monks from Shrewsbury to a Welsh village to bring back the bones of Saint Winifred for the abbey.Buy on Amazon
- 2One Corpse Too Many1979With Brother CadfaelIn 1138, King Stephen takes Shrewsbury and hangs ninety-four of its defenders.Buy on Amazon
- 3Monk’s Hood1980With Brother CadfaelGervase Bonel, who has given his estate to the abbey in return for a home, dies after eating a dish poisoned with a medicine from Cadfael’s own workshop.Buy on Amazon
- 4Saint Peter’s Fair1981With Brother CadfaelAt the abbey’s annual fair, a merchant from Bristol is found murdered, and Cadfael is drawn into the mystery, which reaches into the politics of the war.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Leper of Saint Giles1981With Brother CadfaelA wealthy, ageing baron is to marry a young heiress at the abbey, and when he is found dead, suspicion falls on a young man who loves her, while a leper at the hospital of Saint Giles watches.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Virgin in the Ice1982With Brother CadfaelIn the bitter winter of 1139, two noble children and a young nun disappear on their way to Shrewsbury after a raid on Worcester.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Sanctuary Sparrow1983With Brother CadfaelA young travelling entertainer runs into the abbey church pursued by a mob, accused of robbery and murder, and claims sanctuary.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Devil’s Novice1983With Brother CadfaelMeriet Aspley, a young novice at the abbey, screams in his sleep and is called the devil’s novice, and Cadfael suspects his nightmares are linked to the disappearance of a royal messenger.Buy on Amazon
- 9Dead Man’s Ransom1984With Brother CadfaelThe sheriff of Shropshire is captured in battle, and a Welsh prisoner is to be exchanged for him.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Pilgrim of Hate1984With Brother CadfaelPilgrims gather at the abbey for the feast of Saint Winifred, and among them are two young men who may be linked to a murder in Winchester.Buy on Amazon
- 11An Excellent Mystery1985With Brother CadfaelTwo monks arrive at Shrewsbury from Hyde Abbey in Winchester, which has burned down: an older brother who was once a crusader, and a young, silent companion, and Cadfael senses a secret between them.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Raven in the Foregate1986With Brother CadfaelThe new parish priest of the abbey’s Foregate is a harsh, unbending man who makes enemies quickly, and when he is found drowned, Cadfael investigates.Buy on Amazon
- 13The Rose Rent1986With Brother CadfaelA young widow has given her house to the abbey for a rent of one white rose a year.Buy on Amazon
- 14The Hermit of Eyton Forest1987With Brother CadfaelA young boy, heir to a manor, is a pupil at the abbey school, and his grandmother wants to marry him off for land, while a mysterious hermit has appeared in the nearby forest.Buy on Amazon
- 15The Confession of Brother Haluin1988With Brother CadfaelBrother Haluin, believing himself dying after a fall, confesses a sin from his youth.Buy on Amazon
- 16The Heretic’s Apprentice1989With Brother CadfaelA young man returns to Shrewsbury from the Holy Land with his master’s body for burial, and is accused of heresy for his beliefs.Buy on Amazon
- 17The Potter’s Field1989With Brother CadfaelWhen a field given to the abbey is ploughed, the body of a woman is found buried in it, and Cadfael investigates who she was.Buy on Amazon
- 18The Summer of the Danes1991With Brother CadfaelCadfael travels into Wales as a translator on a church mission and is caught up in a war between Welsh princes and the Danish mercenaries hired by one of them.Buy on Amazon
- 19The Holy Thief1992With Brother CadfaelThe relics of Saint Winifred are stolen, and Cadfael follows the trail through a land at war.Buy on Amazon
- 20Brother Cadfael’s Penance1994With Brother CadfaelCadfael learns that his son Olivier has been taken prisoner, and he leaves the abbey without permission to find him, knowing it may cost him his place among the brothers.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Each mystery can be read alone, but the books follow the war year by year, and Cadfael’s friendships develop, so publication order is best.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Brother Cadfael | Prior Robert | Brother Jerome | Hugh Beringar | Abbot Radulfus | Aline Siward | Brother Mark | Olivier de Bretagne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 A Morbid Taste for Bones | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||||
| 2 One Corpse Too Many | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 3 Monk’s Hood | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 4 Saint Peter’s Fair | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 5 The Leper of Saint Giles | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 6 The Virgin in the Ice | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 7 The Sanctuary Sparrow | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 8 The Devil’s Novice | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 9 Dead Man’s Ransom | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 10 The Pilgrim of Hate | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 11 An Excellent Mystery | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 12 The Raven in the Foregate | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 13 The Rose Rent | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 14 The Hermit of Eyton Forest | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 15 The Confession of Brother Haluin | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 16 The Heretic’s Apprentice | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 17 The Potter’s Field | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 18 The Summer of the Danes | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 19 The Holy Thief | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 20 Brother Cadfael’s Penance | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the Brother Cadfael books
9 characters from Ellis Peters’s chart, with the number of Brother Cadfael books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Brother CadfaelBenedictine monk and herbalist, a former crusader | 20 | A Morbid Taste for Bones 1977 |
| Prior RobertAmbitious prior of the abbey | 20 | A Morbid Taste for Bones 1977 |
| Brother JeromePrior Robert’s sanctimonious clerk | 20 | A Morbid Taste for Bones 1977 |
| Hugh BeringarDeputy sheriff, later sheriff of Shropshire | 19 | One Corpse Too Many 1979 |
| Abbot RadulfusAbbot of Shrewsbury | 18 | Monk’s Hood 1980 |
| Aline SiwardYoung noblewoman who marries Hugh | 16 | One Corpse Too Many 1979 |
| Brother MarkCadfael’s young assistant | 4 | Monk’s Hood 1980 |
| Olivier de BretagneCadfael’s son | 2 | The Virgin in the Ice 1982 |
| RichildisCadfael’s former sweetheart | 1 | Monk’s Hood 1980 |