DEAD MAN'S RANSOM

A proposed exchange of prisoners between the English and the Welsh turns out badly for the English--and worse for the Welsh--in this tale of justice and retribution. In his ninth outing with the Brother Cadfael series, Patrick Tull has hit his stride, deftly handling emotions ranging from tragic to ecstatic, grim to ironic. With the subtlest vocal twists he captures the delicate humor that perversely arises out of a moment of evil. This is his best effort to date. S.F. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 94]