A late spring in 1142 brings dismay to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, for there may be no roses by June the twenty-second. On that day the young widow Perle must receive one white rose as rent for the house she has given to benefit the abbey or the contract is void. When nature finally complies, a pious monk is sent to pay the rent, but discovers that the rose bush has been destroyed and he is then found murdered inside it. The abbey's wise herbalist, Brother Cadfael, follows the trail of bloodied petals. He knows the lovely widow's dowry is far greater with her house included, and she will likely wed again. But before Cadfael can ponder if a greedy suitor has done this dreadful deed, another crime is committed. Now the good monk must thread his way through a tangle more torturous than the widow's thorns.

In his thirteenth chronicle Brother Cadfael believes the motive for a callous murder is all too obvious, but he soon learns that when love and money are involved, nothing is straightforward.

About the Author
Ellis Peters is one of the pseudonyms of Edith Pargeter who wrote several books under her own name and also Peter Benedict, Jolyon Carr and John Redfern. She was the recipient of the Crime Writers Association and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award. She died in 1995.

Reviews
Cosy as a teapot. THE TIMES



Book Information
ISBN 9780751517415
Author Ellis Peters
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Sphere
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 140g
Dimensions(mm) 177mm * 109mm * 17mm