BROTHER CADFAEL'S PENANCE

Stephen Thorne is on familiar ground here with this twelfth installment of the Brother Cadfael series. And no one brings the details of medieval life so luminously alive as Ellis Peters. Brother Cadfael, Benedictine monk and herbalist, has had another life. Before entering the monastery, it appears he fathered a son he knew nothing about. When he receives news that this son is being held in the civil war raging between King Stephen and Empress Maud, his vows to God are put to the test. Many wonderful things have been said in the pages of AUDIOFILE, and elsewhere, about Stephen Thorne's exceptional voice and marvelous performances. I can only add that he narrates this series with perfection; it's subtle, fluid, and flawless. D.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]