The Holy Thief

Name: The Holy Thief
Rating: 4.6 (1467 reviews)

by Ellis Peters Book 19 in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series.

First published 1992

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Early 1145. Flooding around Shrewsbury Abbey forces the monks to move precious objects to safety, and when the waters subside they discover that a valuable relic has disappeared. The theft becomes more serious when competing religious houses assert claims over sacred property and the dispute attracts people willing to manipulate devotion for prestige and advantage.

A murder soon gives Brother Cadfael reason to believe that the missing relic and the death are connected. His investigation must work through rivalry between communities, conflicting testimony and the powerful emotions attached to saintly remains. The case asks Cadfael to separate genuine faith from possession and ambition while restoring both justice and peace to an abbey already strained by disaster.

Historical Periods

Medieval England after the Norman Conquest1071–1300 CE Geoffrey de Mandeville’s Rebellion1143–1144 CE

Historical people

Robert Pennantdied 1168 Saint Winifred635–680 Stephen, King of England1095–1154 Empress Matilda1102–1167 Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex1092–1144 Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester1104–1168