A Morbid Taste for Bones, the first Brother Cadfael book, by Ellis Peters is a mystery. This is my second time reading it. Since I have the time now (COVID-19 quarantine) I thought I would finally read it. It didn't take me long to remember that I had already read it. The problem is, I didn't remember where the plot led, until after reading it. So I continued reading.
The first time I probably enjoyed the mystery. Who killed Rhisiart? Will the abbey get the relics?
However, this second reading I could see another layer of mystery. There is a battle between heaven and earth. The bones of St. Winifred are physical for sure, but they represent divinity. The people on earth are in conflict over these bones. Isn't there always a conflict between the spiritual and the physical? Thus Brother Columbanus spiritual ecstasies will bring him to rank high in the Benedictine order.
Peters' characters are very human. I enjoyed the monks' shenanigans. The villagers are more religious than the monks in that they accept religious mystery yet are also practical in their daily obligations.
The quarantine isn't over. On to Cadfael # 2.
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