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Brother Cadfael Mysteries: Dead Man's Ransom (BBC Radio Crimes)
- Narrated by: Philip Madoc, Michael KItchen, Susannah York
- Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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A Morbid Taste For Bones
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- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
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In 1137 the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey has decided to acquire the remains of Saint Winifred for his Benedictine order. Brother Cadfael is part of the expedition sent to her final resting place in Wales, where they find the villagers passionately divided by the Benedictines' offer for the saint's relics. Canny, wise and all too worldly, Cadfael isn't surprised when this taste for bones leads to bloody murder. The leading opponent to moving the grave has been shot dead with a mysterious arrow, and some say Winifred herself dealt the blow.
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A Morbid Taste For Bones
- By Dee on 14-04-13
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Brother Cadfael's Penance
- The Twentieth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Abridged
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It is nearing the end of the Year of Our Lord 1145. A monk vows to abandon all earthly ties, but how can Brother Cadfael obey when his son is captured in battle? Olivier de Bretagne is one of many young knights taken prisoner in the current power dispute in Britain, but he is also Cadfael's son, and the monk cannot be objective. A council is planned at Coventry to try to appease the warring factions, and Brother Cadfael asks leave to attend, knowing he must do all in his power to find and deliver his son. This most thrilling and humane of Ellis Peters's novels is filled with excitement, intrigue, and a meticulously depicted medieval background.
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Not good
- By S. Coakley-Evans on 05-06-11
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The Heretic's Apprentice
- The Sixteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
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Performance
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It is June in the Year of Our Lord 1143 when Elave, young clerk to William of Lythwood, returns from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his elderly master's body. His mission is twofold, to bury William in his home abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, and to deliver a dowry to William's adopted daughter Fortunata. But Elave, suspected of harboring views inimical to church doctrine, is held for ecclesiastical trial. And when Aldwin, the Lythwood family clerk hired in Elave's absence, is stabbed to death, Elave is incarcerated not only for heresy, but for murder. Fortunata's dowry, an intricately carved box with mysterious contents, holds the key to the mysteries that spring up around Elave and the Lythwood family. Shrewd and patient, Brother Cadfael is at his best here. Performed by Tony Award-winning actor Derek Jacobi, this sixteenth chronicle of Brother Cadfael is sure to delight old friends and new fans.
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Value
- By David on 07-01-16
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The Potter's Field
- The Seventeenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It is the Summer and Autumn of the Year of Our Lord 1143 in which the gentle monk, Brother Cadfael, is forced to leave the tranquility of his herb garden to find the whole truth behind the murder of a young women whose body was unexpectedly discovered in a newly tilled field recently acquired by the Shrewsbury Abbey in a land exchange.
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good listen but not the best oration or plot.
- By N. Dyne on 20-05-18
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St. Peter's Fair
- The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- By: Ellis Peters
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- Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It is Summer in the Year of Our Lord 1139 when the grand festive event, St. Peter's Fair, is held in the town of Shrewsbury. The event brings pause to the ongoing civil war, as tradesman from across England and beyond arrive in the town for some much needed gaiety. That is, until the body of a wealthy trader is found in the River Severn. Was Thomas of Bristol the victim of murderous thieves? And if so, why were his valuables abandoned nearby? Brother Cadfael offers to help the merchant's lovely niece Emma. But while he is searching for the killer, the man's wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered. Emma almost certainly knows more that she is telling, as others will soon realise. Cadfael desperately races to save the young girl, knowing that in a country at war with itself, betrayal can come from any direction, an even good intentions can kill. Performed by Tony Award-winning actor Derek Jacobi, this fourth chronicle of Brother Cadfael weaves history and intrigue into an intricate web of adventure.
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ok
- By Jennifer Chennell on 02-02-18
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Brother Cadfael
- A BBC Radio Collection of Three Full-Cast Dramatisations
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Douglas Hodge, full cast, Michael Hordern, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
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Story
A onetime Crusader turned Benedictine monk, Brother Cadfael is a most unusual detective. Living a quiet life as a monastery herbalist, he spends his days ministering to his brothers using the medical skills he acquired in the Holy Lands - but his worldly knowledge and wide experience of human nature are frequently called upon when there is a murder to solve....
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An Old Friend
- By Claire on 17-01-21
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A Morbid Taste For Bones
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1137 the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey has decided to acquire the remains of Saint Winifred for his Benedictine order. Brother Cadfael is part of the expedition sent to her final resting place in Wales, where they find the villagers passionately divided by the Benedictines' offer for the saint's relics. Canny, wise and all too worldly, Cadfael isn't surprised when this taste for bones leads to bloody murder. The leading opponent to moving the grave has been shot dead with a mysterious arrow, and some say Winifred herself dealt the blow.
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A Morbid Taste For Bones
- By Dee on 14-04-13
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Brother Cadfael's Penance
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- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is nearing the end of the Year of Our Lord 1145. A monk vows to abandon all earthly ties, but how can Brother Cadfael obey when his son is captured in battle? Olivier de Bretagne is one of many young knights taken prisoner in the current power dispute in Britain, but he is also Cadfael's son, and the monk cannot be objective. A council is planned at Coventry to try to appease the warring factions, and Brother Cadfael asks leave to attend, knowing he must do all in his power to find and deliver his son. This most thrilling and humane of Ellis Peters's novels is filled with excitement, intrigue, and a meticulously depicted medieval background.
-
-
Not good
- By S. Coakley-Evans on 05-06-11
-
The Heretic's Apprentice
- The Sixteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is June in the Year of Our Lord 1143 when Elave, young clerk to William of Lythwood, returns from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his elderly master's body. His mission is twofold, to bury William in his home abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, and to deliver a dowry to William's adopted daughter Fortunata. But Elave, suspected of harboring views inimical to church doctrine, is held for ecclesiastical trial. And when Aldwin, the Lythwood family clerk hired in Elave's absence, is stabbed to death, Elave is incarcerated not only for heresy, but for murder. Fortunata's dowry, an intricately carved box with mysterious contents, holds the key to the mysteries that spring up around Elave and the Lythwood family. Shrewd and patient, Brother Cadfael is at his best here. Performed by Tony Award-winning actor Derek Jacobi, this sixteenth chronicle of Brother Cadfael is sure to delight old friends and new fans.
-
-
Value
- By David on 07-01-16
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The Potter's Field
- The Seventeenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
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- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the Summer and Autumn of the Year of Our Lord 1143 in which the gentle monk, Brother Cadfael, is forced to leave the tranquility of his herb garden to find the whole truth behind the murder of a young women whose body was unexpectedly discovered in a newly tilled field recently acquired by the Shrewsbury Abbey in a land exchange.
-
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good listen but not the best oration or plot.
- By N. Dyne on 20-05-18
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is Summer in the Year of Our Lord 1139 when the grand festive event, St. Peter's Fair, is held in the town of Shrewsbury. The event brings pause to the ongoing civil war, as tradesman from across England and beyond arrive in the town for some much needed gaiety. That is, until the body of a wealthy trader is found in the River Severn. Was Thomas of Bristol the victim of murderous thieves? And if so, why were his valuables abandoned nearby? Brother Cadfael offers to help the merchant's lovely niece Emma. But while he is searching for the killer, the man's wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered. Emma almost certainly knows more that she is telling, as others will soon realise. Cadfael desperately races to save the young girl, knowing that in a country at war with itself, betrayal can come from any direction, an even good intentions can kill. Performed by Tony Award-winning actor Derek Jacobi, this fourth chronicle of Brother Cadfael weaves history and intrigue into an intricate web of adventure.
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-
ok
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Overall
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A onetime Crusader turned Benedictine monk, Brother Cadfael is a most unusual detective. Living a quiet life as a monastery herbalist, he spends his days ministering to his brothers using the medical skills he acquired in the Holy Lands - but his worldly knowledge and wide experience of human nature are frequently called upon when there is a murder to solve....
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Music
- By DigiBlue Photography on 04-03-18
Summary
A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Ellis Peters' thrilling mystery, featuring medieval monk Brother Cadfael.
It is 1141. In Shrewsbury, civil war is tearing the country apart as the bitter feud between King Stephen and Maud shows no sign of abating. Cadfael, safe within the peaceful walls of the Abbey, does not expect to be drawn on to the battlefield - but when a Welsh prisoner of war is brought to him for treatment of a sword-wound, he finds himself embroiled in the conflict. The young soldier is the foster son of the Prince of North Wales, and a prized possession. In fact, he is so valuable that he can be offered in exchange for Gilbert Prescott, the Sheriff of Shrewsbury, who has been captured by the Welsh.
A swap is duly arranged, but when one of the prisoners is found dead before the transaction takes place, the community learns the horrifying truth: there is a murderer in the monastery. Can Cadfael find out who it is?
Starring Philip Madoc, Michael Kitchen and Susannah York, and dramatized by Bert Coules. This recording was previously released on cassette in 1995 and 2000.
More from the same
What listeners say about Brother Cadfael Mysteries: Dead Man's Ransom (BBC Radio Crimes)
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sybil
- 28-07-15
Ruined by editing
This is a fair story ruined by the lack of editing out the radio trailers at the beginning and end of what was obviously a radio serialisation. I didn't need the flow of the story to be interrupted with these over and over again nor to hear the last scene repeated a few minutes after hearing it. It may well be a contractual problem but it should have been sorted as it really impacted on the enjoyment of the story. In defence of the actors they were good, especially Philip Madoc who was excellent as Cadfael
7 people found this helpful
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- Guy Ransom
- 20-02-15
Classic whodunit Well Portrayed
This is another great Cadfail story of death and honour in medieval times. the cast carry the story fluently and convincingly. A thoroughly enjoyable story.
2 people found this helpful
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- Mikeymc
- 05-01-21
Why did the BBC only commit to three?
Simply a great one. A classic dramatisation of a great book. Shame only 3 were done by the BBC.
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- ADScott
- 17-12-19
Badly edited from radio broadcast.
I personally found this very difficult to listen to.
Primarily because I often tend to listen for more than 20/30 mins at a time.
And with this production they stop every broadcast episode, which does not feel long at all, to firstly play (very loud and grating) medieval sounding music, and to then list the entire cast of the production. They then at the beginning of the new episode go through an update of events of the last episode, which you literally just listened to. All this really killed my immersion in the story. I felt like I was listening more to cast names, title music, and updates than actual story.
I found this all so grating that I literally couldn't finish what is a very short audiobook.
The story underneath all this seemed good though.
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- Meefam
- 06-11-19
Mega Full Cast
Great special effects, and actors, this is a good story, but for me not the best Cadfael story.
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- Amazon Customer
- 20-01-16
Voice over
loved Cadfaels voice.......just perfect...and whole recording great.its story kept me riveted.and music was inkeeping with the period .
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- Mr. E. A. Shanks
- 28-09-15
A wonderful medieval mystery
These actors really bring to life these medieval mysteries. These are well worth a listen.