This is a pretty good introduction to the Cadfael stories, I think. You get the first two Cadfael mysteries (A Morbid Taste for Bones & One Corpse Too Many), as well as "Cadfael Country', a sort of photo-essay thing about Cadfael's Shrewsbury (and surrounding environs).

A Morbid Taste is a good set-up for the future novels, and touches nicely on the inner politics of Cadfael's monastery without getting too dragged down into things. The mystery is pretty uninteresting and relies on a trope I don't particularly care for in its resolution, but it's alright overall.

I liked One Corpse much more, as its setting amidst the Anarchy makes the proceedings much more interesting, and Cadfael's string-pulling is much more enjoyable to read. The conclusion is a little pat for my tastes, but it's definitely the stronger of the two.

Cadfael Country is comprised mostly of extensive passages from the two stories already included and kind of muddies the waters a bit as to which parts of the stories are true and which are fiction. I don't feel particularly enriched for having read it.

I think I'll continue on with the Cadfael stories if I can find more - their formula seems pretty simple and might get repetitive, but they have a nice, simple feel to them, and despite being a sort of 2-dimensional character, Brother Cadfael is fun to follow.
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Ik vind Cadfael-boeken van Ellis Peters erg goed. Ze geven een beeld van de tijd, en simpele detective die meer te vertellen heeft. VAn Ellis Peters is bekend dat zij nauwgezet onderzoek heeft gedaan naar de feiten. Ik ben zelf in Shrewsbery geweest om de straten te bekijken. En ook het huis van ElLis Peters te zien.