The Virgin in the Ice

Written by Ellis Peters

Narrated by Vanessa Maroni

The winter of 1139 will disrupt Brother Cadfael’s tranquil life in Shrewsbury, as raging civil war has sent refugees fleeing north from Worcester. Among them are two young orphans from a noble family and their companion, a young Benedictine nun. The trio, never reaching Shrewsbury, have disappeared somewhere in the wild countryside.

Cadfael feels afraid for these three lost lambs, but another call for help sends him to the Church of Saint Mary. A wounded monk by the roadside will surely die without Cadfael’s healing arts. Why this holy man has been attacked and what his fevered ravings reveal soon give Brother Cadfael a clue to the fate of the missing travelers. Now Cadfael sets out on a dangerous quest to find them. The road will lead him to a terrible murder and a tale of passion gone awry, in Ellis Peters’s most stunning depiction yet of love and war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Jan 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781441724793

Ellis Peters

Ellis Peters (the pen name of Edith Pargeter, 1913–1995) is a writer beloved of millions of readers worldwide and has been widely adapted for radio and television, including her Brother Cadfael crime novels, which were made into a series starring Derek Jacobi. She has been the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger, Edgar Award for Best Novel, Agatha Award for Best Novel, and was awarded an OBE for her services to literature in 1994.

Reviews for The Virgin in the Ice

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another good comfy mystery with Brother Cadfael, taking place in the winter of 1139. I appreciate how the author weaves history and culture of the time into the story without being obvious. This particular entry into the series was a tad better than the last, with the murderer not being obvious until revealed, which I appreciated.

[kaulsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The three quarters of the Cadfael novels are so slow, and the last quarter moves so quickly! Ellis wraps up all the lingering questions the reader has and one shuts the book (or closes the Kindle app) happy to have reached the denouement, once again.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brother Cadfael finds himself immersed in another mystery; this time he is looking for 2 lost children, Ermina, 18 and Yves Hugonin. When summoned to a nearby monastery to help a fellow monk, he finds himself face to face with the unexpected - 2 missing children whose uncle, newly returned from the Crusades, is looking for but is unable to personally do so because he sides with Empress Maud over the rule of England and the area the kids are lost in is in King Stephen's domain. A wonderfully written, engaged novel written in such a way that you feel that you are in the Middle Ages. When Cadfael encounters Olivier de Bretagne, rescuer of Yves from the bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside, he realizes that Olivier is his son, yet chooses not to let him know this. Excellent.

[hopeevey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was another excellent Brother Caedfael mystery! I read a couple of the later stories out of order, so I had a couple hints about this story - but the spoiler didn't diminish my enjoyment of this one at all. As always, the plot is tight, the characters are delightful, and the writing is very, very engaging. I stayed up very late to finish reading it.

[marysgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this one more than the other two I've read, but I still guessed the murderer and surprise ending well in advance of the reveals. I've just read too much. What I did enjoy was the "voice" of the book, the dialog, and the beautiful descriptions of the countryside under snow. I find myself getting these books as a palette cleanser. They are fun, fast reads and this one does not disappoint.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Brother Cadfael book I ever read. Nowadays people have been exposed to the series through the PBS TV programs but when they first came out Ellis Peters was not well known. It is more common now to have mysteries set in long ago times but I suspect Ellis Peters was the first one to do it and she did it marvelously. A real gem.

[walterhistory · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In Bk 6, Brother Cadfael in the midst of winter is called to tend a sick monk found nearby a monastery south of his own. Soon he discovers the sick monk is the key to unraveling the mysterious disappearance of 2 children & a missing nun. Bandits nearby adds to the tense situation but when the nun's body is found frozen in a creek, Cadfael suspects murder which means someone is hiding a heinous crime in the midst of chaos.

[fdholt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wars still rage in King Stephen's England and the latest to suffer is Worchester. Two children accompanied by a nun are fleeing from the disaster and possible heading for Shrewsbury. Add a wounded monk and Brother Cadfael's 6th book is underway in The virgin in the ice. The red herrings are there but, in the end, it's all sorted out.There is no map in this volume - strangely it is in the 7th volume (and not relevant that volume which takes place in the Abbey and town of Shrewsbury). It is also helpful to use the maps in previous volumes.Recommended as a fine addition to the rest of the Cadfael chronicles.

[smik_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you've not yet embarked on these historical mysteries, take my advice and read them as far as possible in publication order. That way you will be aware of political developments on the larger canvas of the Maude/Stephen civil war, and also of character development within the novels themselves.A group of three has disappeared on the way from Worcester to Shrewsbury and there is an alert out for them. To make matters worse the weather is getting cold and the snows are coming. Bands of brigands are roaming the countryside, and travellers are not safe.

[devafagan-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

[re-read 2012]

Continuing my re-read of the series with one of my absolute favorites. I appreciate that this book provides not only another engaging mystery, endearing characters, and a fully realized, lovingly detailed setting, but also deeper revelations of Brother Cadfael's personal arc and his past as a crusader.

[chrissie3-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to be honest. Throughout most of the book I thought it was just OK, two stars, even though from the very beginning I did really like the atmosphere of the cold and snowy winter; it was perfectly depicted. It wasn't until the last chapter that I understood the importance of this book. It too is a must read! These books hold together; to get the most from them they must be read as a group. Each builds upon the other, and in a beautiful way! Ellis writes beautifully, with humor, descriptive ability and with plot content carefully planned. You effortlessly learn about a past era. I do not agree with those who say this series need not be read in order. Maybe you do not need to, but that is how you will get the most out of them. However start with book two and read the rest in order. Throw in book one when you want to fill in lost details. The more you read, the more you will fall in love with the different monks and other influential characters. They grow; you learn who they are. Each action builds upon another.This book, book 6, isn't wow until the end, and then you realize its importance. I am not saying it is bad, it is just not one of the best, but it must be read! Narration by Vanessa Benjamin was in my view not as good as narration by Johanna Ward (alias Kate Reading) or Stephen Thorne.*********************BEFORE READING:Previously, I have listened to the abridged version at BBC and disliked it, but since I know now I like the series, I will listen instead to the unabridged audiobook. It is not abridged and not destroyed by BBC dramatization!

[meredy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Six-word review: Comforting consistency characterizes Cadfael's culprit catching.Extended review:The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury, is a little more complex than its predecessors and hence more interesting.The spirited young woman, her bold, handsome champion, one or more menacing malefactors, and at least one duplicitous transgressor are becoming familiar staples of the plot. This particular entry also affords us a very young hero-in-the-making, a tormented soul who counts himself among the lost, and a battle scene with considerably more sword action than we usually find in stories of men of the cloister. The plot skillfully evades predictability while still remaining solidly anchored in the physical and sociopolitical landscape of twelfth-century England.Ample description also contributes to atmosphere and to a sense of vivid presence. The deep wintry setting of this episode raises gusts of frosty chill from the page.In the course of the unfolding of a plot from the point of view of a medieval monastic, the author creates opportunities for fitting interludes of reflection and contemplation. These add depth to the storytelling as well as to the character. For example, this rumination in the thoughts of Brother Cadfael (page 90): =====(Excerpt begins)Well, they happen, the lightning-strokes of God, the gifted or misfortunates who are born into a world where they nowhere belong, the saints and scholars who come to manhood unrecognized, guarding the swine in the forest pastures among the beechmast, the warrior princes villein-born and youngest in a starving clan, set to scare the crows away from the furrow. Just as hollow slave-rearlings are cradled in the palaces of kings, and come to rule, however ineptly, over men a thousand times their worth.=====(Excerpt ends)This novel was published only thirty-one years ago. To me its style gives it a timeless feel. I'm glad I still have another fourteen to look forward to in the series.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My pleasure was immense at finding this audiobook narrated by Brother Cadfael himself, Derek Jacobi. I grew up loving the show and have yet to read the books they are based off of. I was insanely happy to find that some of the audiobooks were narrated by the lead of the show because it takes me back, plus Jacobi is an excellent narrator. This is book six in the Brother Cadfael series but honestly you can read any of these books out of order. Brother Cadfael is a benedictine monk during the middle ages that helps solve murder mysteries. In The Virgin in the Ice two high ranking children are lost, a monk found beaten nearly to death, and a nun murdered. Cadfael and the local sheriff, Hugh Berringer work together to unravel what has happened. An excellent read and the TV shows follows the story-line to a T.

[amelish · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

swashbuckling, to the max!

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have vaguely bad mem,ories of this as being oo grim for my taste,. Cadfael finds a girl frozen in ice.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A re-read for the umpteenth time.Brother Cadfael is a Welsh man who, after a prolonged career as sailor and crusader has found his niche as herbalist in Shrewsbury Abbey. And he does a sideline in solving crimes. this is the 6th in the series and is, I think, one of the best. Set during the first English Civil war, Worcester has been sacked and the refugees arrive in Shrewsbury. Sought amongst them in a group of 3, a young lady and her younger brother, accompanied by a young nun who was her tutor. And so the book revolves around the search for these three and the scrapes they get into. the ending, as ever with Cadfael books, is satisfying. there's a touch of the underdog gets his way and there's a promise of future romance. This one, however really ends in the most uplifting way (which I won't spoil) and it makes my heart rise each time. A feel good book to escape the world just a bit.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favourite Cadfel, a nice mix of external catastrophe, revelation of human depravity, and a love story. What's not to like? Our detective brought face -to-face with his own past, and an interesting level of police procedure, circa 1139.

[d-fbuser-274968939 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series.

[pennsylady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 ★...Winter of 1139 will disrupt Brother Cadfael’s tranquil life in Shrewsbury ....historical mystery....a wounded Benedictine monk and three missing refuges....#6

[jen6e6moore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oooh, so *that's* who Oliver is. :D This edition had more typos than a self-published ebook, but the story is great (if a little reminiscent of some of the earlier Cadfaels).

[julesjones_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisation starring Philip Madoc as Brother Cadfael, in five episodes on two CDs. This is an excellent adaptation of the sixth novel in the Brother Cadfael series, and I think would work well even for those not already familiar with the novel.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When the city of Worcester is attacked, a teenage brother and sister manage to escape with a young nun as their escort. They are headed for the abbey at Shrewsbury, but they never arrive. When word of the missing refugees reaches the abbey, Brother Cadfael is sent on a mission to find the travelers. The weather has turned bitterly cold. Snow and ice make travel dangerous for the unprepared young people and add urgency to Cadfael's mission. Sadly, not all of the travelers will reach safety, but the weather isn't to blame. A murderer lurks somewhere in the winter storm.This installment in the Cadfael series is more an adventure novel than a murder mystery. Cadfael didn't have many chances to use his knowledge of healing and herbal remedies. Consequently, I didn't like this book as well as most of the others I've read in this series. Quite a bit of the action takes place outdoors as various characters battle the winter elements. It will probably appeal to readers who enjoy action and adventure stories.

[seoulful · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this sixth book in the Brother Cadfael medieval mystery series, we experience a moving juxtaposition of birth and death during a bitter cold Christmastime. Brother Cadfael, who took orders late in life and entered the Abbey at Shrewsbury, England, spent his early years in the world and most notably on Crusades in the service of Robert of Normandy. He now lives simply at the Abbey as herbalist, but brings from those years of violence an observant eye, a depth of knowledge and highly honed skills in criminology. All of these attributes are needed as he wades into a complex situation during the time of another disruptive battle between The Empress Maud and King Stephen. Two children of noble parentage are lost amongst the refugees fleeing from the sacking of Worcester. The young girl makes willful, unwise choices leading to dangerous circumstances for both her and her brother. Their guardian sends a trusted warrior to help find them, leading to an astounding revelation in the final pages. Hugh Beringar, able under-sheriff of the shire, also joins the hunt, immediately following the birth of his first child. He brings to Cadfael, who is in the midst of caring for a badly beaten Brother and pondering the mystery of a dead woman found encased in ice, this joyous news of his son's birth plus the birth of a son to a refugee couple from Worcester living with the Beringars. After the successful solving of the young woman's murder, there is a poignant exchange between Cadfael and Hugh as they make their way back to Shrewsbury, to Hugh's new son and to the imminent Christmas feast. Not only Hugh and the couple from Worcester have new sons, but to Cadfael, himself, has been revealed the existence of a son he never knew existed. He muses, "A time of births, of triumphant begettings, and this year how richly celebrated--the son of the young woman from Worcester, the son of Aline and Hugh, the son of Mariam {Cadfael's long ago mistress in Antioch}, the Son of Man..."

[joycepa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No. 6 in the Brother Caedfel series.In the late fall of 1139, the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maude for the throne of England flares up and engulfs the city of Worcester which lies close to the Welsh border and not far south of Shrewsbury. As a result, a tide of refugees washes over Shrewsbury Abbey and the town itself. To the abbey comes a messenger from a brother house in Worcester, seeking the whereabouts of two children of a noble family, Ermina and her younger brother Yves Hugonin. Part of the refugee crowd, they were making their way north to Shrewsbury accompanied by a Benedictine nun, Sister Hilaria. But they have disappeared, and their uncle, newly returned from Jerusalem, is frantically seeking them. Brother Caedfel becomes involved when he is summoned to the abbey at Bromfeld, where a monk, who has been beaten nearly to death by brigands, turns out to have a connection with the sought-for Hugonins. In one of the more complicated and excellent plots of the series, Peters, through the eyes of Brother Caedfel and his efforts to both heal the wounded and rescue the Hugonins, describes the human cost of the civil war: missing relatives, bandits who take advantage of the civil chaos, murder, rape—and the poignant human tragedy of families split asunder by differing allegiances.One of the best in the series. Highly recommended.

[commonreeda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One again the tranquility of the monastry at Shrewsbury is disturbed by the civil war between Queen Matilda and King Stephen and murder follows to be soved by Cadfael. This is one of my favourite ones, i like the atmospheric winter descriptions.

[armyangel1986 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young woman is found in a frozen stream, and Brother Cadfael works to discover her identity and who murdered her.

[angelab86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young woman is found in a frozen stream, and Brother Cadfael works to discover her identity and who murdered her.

[angelag86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young woman is found in a frozen stream, and Brother Cadfael works to discover her identity and who murdered her.