Brother Cadfael III: A Morbid Taste for Bones

Sherlock Holmes may be out of business. In A Morbid Taste for Bones, the latest in the Brother Cadfael series, English actor Sir Derek Jacobi (Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Henry V, Dead Again) continues his role as Brother Cadfael, a medieval monk who doubles as a detective. Acting on a monk's religious visions, the Prior of Shrewsbury Abbey sends a monastic party into Wales to excavate the bones of Saint Winifred. The religious retreat turns out to be less than peaceful, however, when the men in brown find themselves in the middle of a murder. Enter Cadfael, who uses his wit and intuition (no high-tech forensic labs) to uncover the culprit. Based on the novel by Ellis Peters, this latest edition from the Brother Cadfael series offers pure entertainment, with a dash of suspense and intrigue. Enthusiastically recommended. The other new titles in the series are A Raven in the Foregate and The Rose Rent, available individually or in a boxed set for $59.85. (M. K. Lau)