Play Audiobook Sample
The Virgin in the Ice: The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.00) - 5,308 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
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, has disappeared somewhere in the wild countryside.
Cadfael fears 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—and the road will lead him to a terrible murder and a tale of passion gone awry. This is Ellis Peters' most stunning depiction yet of love and war.
Download and start listening now!
"Perhaps one of Ellis Peters' best works. Peters' descriptions of the 12th century are thorough. This novel has been adapted to the TV series starring Derek Jacobi as well as an audioplay by the BBC. For people in the UK, this series is available on BBC iPlayer."
— Bill (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Some of the most elegant, unstilted prose being written in mystery.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“The Ellis Peters books set in 12th-century Britain have the freshness of a new world at dawn…Peters weaves a complex, colorful, and at times quite beautiful tapestry.”
— Houston Post -
“Peters weaves a complex, colorful, and at times quite beautiful tapestry.”
— Houston Post -
“This chronicle ranks as a favorite in the series…[Vanessa] Benjamin relies strictly on the drama inherent in the text, subtly underscoring it with pacing and emphasis.”
— AudioFile
The Virgin in the Ice Listener Reviews
-
" The second best of the series.. excellent "
— Eeg, 2/9/2014 -
" I like this book very much but I like a mystery to move faster. This book was a little slow for me. "
— Sharon, 2/6/2014 -
" I like this book very much but I like a mystery to move faster. This book was a little slow for me. "
— Sharon, 2/2/2014 -
" A very difficult to figure out story beautifully handled by Cadfael. "
— Beka, 1/26/2014 -
" This is another great read by Patrick Tull, but honestly I want to shake the boy Yves and particularly his sister until their brains kick in, and they sit down and stay in one place. So I guess it amounts to deducting a star (from 4) for the tedious part of the plot. "
— CatBookMom, 1/25/2014 -
" Definitley a good Cadfael mystery with a bit of happiness for our monk thrown in. Nice read. "
— Ruth, 1/3/2014 -
" An excellent read, with plenty of plot twists, adventure, and a wonderful revelation for Brother Cadfael. "
— Catherine, 12/30/2013 -
" Brother Cadfael is a very real and very practical sleuth with a great knowledge of people, and this is what makes this book special. It captures ones imagination to be in the year 1142 or there about! "
— Annette, 12/24/2013 -
" An excellent read, with plenty of plot twists, adventure, and a wonderful revelation for Brother Cadfael. "
— Catherine, 12/14/2013 -
" An entertaining series about a 12th century monk who turns detective. These books were also turned into a PBS series. I enjoyed the historical perspective also, but the characters are well-developed and the last book is particularly good. "
— Jennifer, 12/8/2013 -
" This is another great read by Patrick Tull, but honestly I want to shake the boy Yves and particularly his sister until their brains kick in, and they sit down and stay in one place. So I guess it amounts to deducting a star (from 4) for the tedious part of the plot. "
— CatBookMom, 11/30/2013 -
" This story is exciting and satisfying, though the heroine is a bit weak. "
— Lemongrass, 11/18/2013 -
" There was more action in this volume than in some of the other Cadfael mysteries; it was handled well. I particularly liked the end of the book. "
— Miriam, 11/2/2013 -
" This is my favorite of the Brother Cadfael stories so far, and I've loved all of them. "
— Heidi, 10/4/2013 -
" Was okay. Not much mystery. Lots of fighting. "
— Patty, 9/28/2013 -
" "A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end." - Alice "
— Westerville, 9/27/2013 -
" I liked this one a lot, but I don't know if these are too formulaic or if I'm just getting in sync with the author, but I felt it was too easy to figure this one out. I still love brother Cadfael!! "
— Scott, 7/28/2013 -
" This is a good mystery set in England during the time of Queen Maude and the Crusaders. A good tie-in to Pillars of the Earth if one is interested in that era. "
— Mosunflower, 7/5/2013 -
" I little slow in places, between it and my cold medicine I kept nodding off. But a wonderful portrayal of all the characters, at least the male ones, more like a study of people and reactions than a mystery. "
— Kris, 5/4/2013 -
" This series gets better and better--so well-plotted and I love the insights into medieval life and history. This is one of my favorites because of the complex but excellent plot and the personal insights into Brother Caedfel's life. "
— Lisa, 3/11/2013 -
" There was more action in this volume than in some of the other Cadfael mysteries; it was handled well. I particularly liked the end of the book. "
— Miriam, 10/21/2012 -
" It was well written and exciting enough that I didn't get distracted by the BBC version I had seen a million times. But then again, is being distracted by visions of Derek Jacobi a bad thing? "
— Amberle, 9/12/2012 -
" I liked how the characters were developed in this book. I also liked how the book ended with a little surprise. "
— Marlene, 6/25/2012 -
" The second best of the series.. excellent "
— Eeg, 5/24/2012 -
" Probably the best Brother Cadfael book I've read yet. "
— Eric, 4/18/2012 -
" I liked how the characters were developed in this book. I also liked how the book ended with a little surprise. "
— Marlene, 12/5/2011 -
" I little slow in places, between it and my cold medicine I kept nodding off. But a wonderful portrayal of all the characters, at least the male ones, more like a study of people and reactions than a mystery. "
— Kris, 11/26/2011 -
" Another good book about Cadfael in which a loose end is tied up from his past. Enjoyable and interesting. The murder is solved nicely at the end after a red herring was drawn across the path about midway through the story. Nice ending! "
— Frode, 10/25/2011 -
" First appearance of Brother Cadfael? "
— Lorraine, 9/27/2011 -
" "A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end." - Alice "
— Westerville, 9/23/2011 -
" An excellent read, with plenty of plot twists, adventure, and a wonderful revelation for Brother Cadfael. "
— Catherine, 5/19/2011 -
" An excellent read, with plenty of plot twists, adventure, and a wonderful revelation for Brother Cadfael. "
— Catherine, 5/19/2011 -
" There was more action in this volume than in some of the other Cadfael mysteries; it was handled well. I particularly liked the end of the book. "
— Miriam, 2/23/2011 -
" There was more action in this volume than in some of the other Cadfael mysteries; it was handled well. I particularly liked the end of the book. "
— Miriam, 2/23/2011 -
" A bit darker in subject matter than some of the other books in the Brother Cadfael series, but all the more realistic for that. [spoilers removed] "
— Katie, 2/5/2011 -
" A bit darker in subject matter than some of the other books in the Brother Cadfael series, but all the more realistic for that. [spoilers removed] "
— Katie, 2/5/2011 -
" This is a good mystery set in England during the time of Queen Maude and the Crusaders. A good tie-in to Pillars of the Earth if one is interested in that era. "
— Mosunflower, 8/20/2010 -
" This is a good mystery set in England during the time of Queen Maude and the Crusaders. A good tie-in to Pillars of the Earth if one is interested in that era. "
— Mosunflower, 8/20/2010 -
" "A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end." - Alice "
— Westerville, 7/29/2010 -
" "A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end." - Alice "
— Westerville, 7/29/2010 -
" Can we fit another star into this lineup? This Brother Cadfael book was perfect. A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end. "
— Alice, 7/28/2010 -
" Can we fit another star into this lineup? This Brother Cadfael book was perfect. A tight plot, well paced: from the chilling discovery of the frozen maiden, to the swashbuckling sword fight at the outlaw fortress, to the surprising revelation at the end. "
— Alice, 7/28/2010 -
" A very difficult to figure out story beautifully handled by Cadfael. "
— Beka, 9/1/2009 -
" A very difficult to figure out story beautifully handled by Cadfael. "
— Beka, 9/1/2009
About Ellis Peters
Ellis Peters (1913–1995) was the pen name of English novelist Edith Pargeter, author of scores of books under her own name. She was a recipient of the Silver Dagger Award and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award, conferred by the Crime Writers’ Association of Great Britain, as well as the coveted Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America.
About Vanessa Benjamin
Vanessa Benjamin (a.k.a. Roe Kendall) is a native of the British Isles. Some twenty-five years ago she moved to the United States with her family and set down roots in Maryland. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, receiving their silver medal as well as the Sir Emile Littler and Caryl Brahms awards. Benjamin has performed on stage in the Washington, DC, area for several years and at many venues and has performed at the Kennedy Center as Mrs. Schubert in the long-running show Shear Madness. An accomplished actress and narrator, she has recorded over two hundred books. Her work as a freelance voice-over artist and narrator has led her in many interesting directions, from technical government materials to eighteenth-century romance novels to hotel advertising, but narrating books is what she really enjoys. “I really love playing all the parts when I narrate a book. It’s an adventure, a challenge, and above all I feel that I learn something new with each book I read. I do a lot of reading for the Library of Congress’ Blind and Physically Handicapped program, and it is so rewarding for me especially when I get a letter from a patron; it’s a great service for the listener.”