List $29.95

Written by Ellis Peters - Performed by Stephen Thorne - Unabridged Fiction - 6 CASSETTES - 8 hours, 46 minutes

Publisher, Audio Partners (November 2002)

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"Pure pleasure... Peters' stories can be said to have everything -- colorful monks, touching young love, marvelous atmosphere, a fascinating and complex detective, and, most importantly of all, ingenious puzzles." --The Armchair Detective

"As usual, Miss Peters creates her magic, resurrecting a long-gone age and its people for our delight." --Washington Times

Brother Cadfael searches for his own endangered son, and in so doing, forsakes his order and boldly defies his abbot. What he finds challenges his soul. It is autumn 1145, and the battle rages between Empress Maud and her cousin Stephen for the throne of England. One who previously had been among Empress Maud's greatest champions, Sir Philip FitzRobert, has turned coat and imprisoned thirty knights and squires who stayed loyal to the empress. One still held is Olivier de Bretagne, who is not aware that he is the son of Brother Cadfael. Word reaches Cadfael that Olivier's life is in peril. Brother Cadfael decides to leave the monastery without his abbot's permission - he must break his monastic vows in order to try to save his son's life. Cadfael must find his son before it is too late.

The Brother Cadfael stories are highly recognized among the mystery-loving public because of their long-running appearance on PBS's Mystery!

About the Author: Ellis Peters (1913 - 1995) is a pen name taken by Edith Pargeter, who also wrote many books under that name. Even as a high school student, she was known as the girl who never stopped writing. She is best known for her historical novels set in Shropshire, most particularly those with Brother Cadfael at their center. The books in the Cadfael series have become hugely successful international bestsellers and have been broadcast in many countries as a TV series starring Derek Jacobi. Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter received many prestigious writing awards and honors during her lifetime.

About the Performer: Stephen Thorne has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Old Vic Company. He participated in over 2,000 broadcasts for BBC including the portrayal of Uncle Mort in the Radio 4 comedy series. He has performed many audiobooks, among them three for The Audio Partners Publishing Corporation. Of his Audio Partners performances, the review publication Gramophone said: "A tour-de-force... I can hardly credit now that it was the work of a single reader, so varied and so excellent are his portrayals."