A Morbid Taste for Bones : The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

A Morbid Taste for Bones is a medieval mystery novel by Ellis Peters set in May 1137. It is the first novel in The Cadfael Chronicles, first published in 1977. It was adapted for television in 1996 by Central for ITV. The monks of Shrewsbury Abbey seek the relics of a saint for their chapel, in Wales. The locals object to this translation of the relics, and a local leader is found murdered. Brother Cadfael is challenged to bring right endings to all parties, in Wales and in the Abbey. This novel was listed on the 1990 list of The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time by the Crime Writers Association in the UK, and also on the top 100 list compiled in 1995 by the Mystery Writers of America. In 2010, The Wall Street Journal named it one of their "Five Best Historical Mystery Novels". These later honours indicate that the novel rose in the view of critics compared to one lukewarm review by Kirkus Reviews in the year of publication.