One Corpse Too Many (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael)

One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters, whose real name was Edith Mary Pargeter, is the second book in a series about the adventures of the monk detective Brother Cadfael. This book introduces the character of Hugh Beringar of Maesbury. Beringar pledged loyalty to King Stephen during the Anarchy, the civil war in England, and Normandy in the 12th Century (Gillingham & Griffiths 21). King Stephen unofficially assigned Beringer the task of finding Beringer’s betrothed, Fulke Adeney’s daughter. Adeney is the most important of the vessel lords of William FitzAlan, the local nobleman. FitzAlan has pledged loyalty to the enemy of King Stephen, Queen Maud. King Stephen feels betrayed by FitzAlan, who has switched sides in the civil war. King Stephen might want to use Adeney’s daughter as a hostage. Brother Cadfael is neutral in the civil war, but he knows where Adeney's daughter is, and he feels like he has to protect her and see her safety across the English-Welsh border. Brother Cadfael must match his wits with Beringar, who he finds to be a formidable opponent. The novel's title comes from the fact that King Stephen orders the death of 94 defenders. Brother Cadfael is assigned the task of burying the executed defenders. Brother Cadfael finds 95 bodies, meaning that someone uses the killing of defenders to commit murder. Brother Cadfael convinces King Stephen that as a godly king, King Stephen must bring the murderer to justice. I found One Corpse Too Many an entertaining introduction to an era of medieval British Isles and Normandy that I did not know much about. Works Cited: Gillingham, John & Griffiths, Ralph A. 2000. Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Kindle.