This is a much later book than A Morbid Taste for Bones
(see previous review) and it’s interesting to see how the character has
developed and changed in the meantime.

The most notable thing is the change in Brother Cadfael’s standing.
He begins as a minor, if important, member of the Abbey community; he has
to work the angles to make things come out the way he wants them to. By
the time of this book, though, he’s the acknowledged expert on certain
things, and well trusted.

Another notable thing is that the cast of continuing characters has
solidified; every successful amature sleuth needs a friend among the
constabulary, and Cadfael’s is Hugh Beringar, the local Sheriff. Hugh
didn’t appear in A Morbid Taste for Bones; here, his
friendship with Cadfael is a matter of long-standing. Ambitious Prior
Robert and his friend the obsequious Brother Jerome are still around, but
the dreamy, unworldly abbot of the first book has been replaced by the
no-nonsense Radagulf, and Prior Robert is clearly on Radagulf’s leash.

But the real question is whether the quality has slipped, and I can
fairly say that it hasn’t. I’ll be looking for the other books in the
series.