An Excellent Mystery

By: Ellis Peters

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A mysterious pair of monks, whose abbey has burned down, have come to Shrewbury seeking refuge. Their story is tragic, and Cadfael quickly senses, riddled with half-truths. What dark secret are these strange monks hiding?

©1985 Ellis Peters (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

Fun, Fun

How can a lover of cozy mysteries not love Brother Cadfael? In this installment of his life in Shrewsbury, he has been 'favored' with the relocation of a famous, although aged and ill, crusader to his abbey. Of course not all is as it appears and Cadfael is soon deep into the mysteries of the Brother's past. So much fun!

You will NEVER see it coming.

Ellis and Tull are masters of their craft. Wonderful book, wonderfully narrated. I promise you!

Stained glass illustrations belong on Tull’s readings

Patrick Tull renders the Best most accurate narration of all versions of the Cadfael series.

Yes, A Very Excellent Mystery Indeed!

Would you listen to An Excellent Mystery again? Why?

I really liked this story and performance. I probably will listen again at a later date.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I Knew early on who Brother Fidelis really was, and one faithful to their master. The silence was another clue.However, clever writing had me hooked and somewhat concerned that I might have been mistaken. Truly loved the ending and the quote from the Book of Common Prayer.

What does Patrick Tull bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His booming but pleasant Welsh tongue.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I almost did. Three sittings was a record for me.

Any additional comments?

Ellis Peters does not get stale in this series, as some often do. While the events are closely linked in time and history she always has uniquely different plots. Incredible!

My Favorite Brother Cadfael book

All the Brother Cadfael books are marvelously written and This one is as well. Most of these books have love stories woven into history and Abby life but this one has the most beautiful and chaste rendering of sacrificial love I have ever read/ listened to. Patrick Tulls rich reading voice increases the experience.

Problem with linking of Audible and Kindle

The reason for my giving a low rating to this book is because this is the 5th Audible book in this wonderful series where the Audible doesn't match with the Kindle written version. I couldn't read along as I like on my Kindle Fire. The recording would stop everytime I attempted to read.. So now I will check my library or do without the Audible. The reader was excellent; I just couldn't follow along.

An incredible tale- My favorite Cadfael mystery so far!

The lyricism of Ellis’ prose is absolutely delightful, and used to describe such a wonderful story it’s pure pleasure start to incredible finish. I’m pretty good at picking up a plot twist but this one stopped me in my tracks
If I were to recommend one Cadfael novel to use to entice a reticent reader it would be this one. And nobody tells it better than Patrick Tull

Excellent Indeed

Once again the saga of Cadfael never disappoints! I enjoyed the intrigue to the last word. On to the next.

Don't let the name put you off, it's a great read.

This is one of the shorter books of the Cadfael series, and it has what looks like a goofy, self-serving title. It is still an engaging story with many twists. It is also unusual because the omniscient narrator strays from the main character for many pages. The title is explained in the last chapter, I won't give any away. worth the read. I took off a star because I felt they left one point unresolved. Narration from Patrick Tull is in fine form.

Fantastically Immersive

These are wonderfully written stories, I have read a number and listened to others. I was wary of purchasing this audiobook because I have come to love the narration by another artist reading the Cadfael stories featured here on Audible. Patrick Tull quickly quelled that concern, I think I now prefer his narration to the others. The way he reads really transports you back to the time period, it really makes the story feel immersive, listening to his inflection, pacing, and accents. Thoroughly enjoyed. IN honestly, I had the solution to this mystery pretty much figured out early on in the story but I had to keep listening, the narration style just keeps you engrossed in the story. Also, please do not be put off by the comment that I had figured out the mystery early, there are plenty of subtleties that occur throughout to the end that are wonderfully penned, and narrated. I highly recommend this audiobook.