📖 About Brother Cadfael

Brother Cadfael is a series universe written by Ellis Peters. The complete collection runs to 23 books across 1 series, published between 1977 and 1994.

The main series is Publication Order of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Books with 23 books. It opens with A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977) and currently runs to Brother Cadfael's Penance (1994).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Brother Cadfael

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977), book 1 of Publication Order of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Brother Cadfael Books in Order

Publication Order of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Books
23 books
1
A Morbid Taste for Bones book cover1A Morbid Taste for Bones1977Buy on Amazon
One Corpse Too Many book cover2One Corpse Too Many1979Buy on Amazon
Monk's Hood book cover3Monk's Hood1980Buy on Amazon
Saint Peter's Fair book cover4Saint Peter's Fair1981Buy on Amazon
The Leper Of St. Giles book cover5The Leper Of St. Giles1981Buy on Amazon
The Virgin in the Ice book cover6The Virgin in the Ice1982Buy on Amazon
The Sanctuary Sparrow book cover7The Sanctuary Sparrow1983Buy on Amazon
The Devil's Novice book cover8The Devil's Novice1983Buy on Amazon
Dead Man's Ransom book cover9Dead Man's Ransom1984Buy on Amazon
The Pilgrim of Hate book cover10The Pilgrim of Hate1984Buy on Amazon
An Excellent Mystery book cover11An Excellent Mystery1985Buy on Amazon
The Raven in the Foregate book cover12The Raven in the Foregate1986Buy on Amazon
The Rose Rent book cover13The Rose Rent1986Buy on Amazon
The Hermit of Eyton Forest book cover14The Hermit of Eyton Forest1987Buy on Amazon
The Confession of Brother Haluin book cover15The Confession of Brother Haluin1988Buy on Amazon
A Rare Benedictine book cover16A Rare Benedictine1988Buy on Amazon
The Heretic's Apprentice book cover17The Heretic's Apprentice1989Buy on Amazon
The Potter's Field book cover18The Potter's Field1989Buy on Amazon
The Summer of the Danes book cover19The Summer of the Danes1991Buy on Amazon
The Holy Thief book cover20The Holy Thief1992Buy on Amazon
Eye Witness book cover21Eye Witness1993Buy on Amazon
The Price of Light book cover22The Price of Light1993Buy on Amazon
Brother Cadfael's Penance book cover23Brother Cadfael's Penance1994Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Brother Cadfael books are there?
There are 23 books in the Brother Cadfael collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1977 and 1994.
What is the first Brother Cadfael book?
The first book is A Morbid Taste for Bones, published in 1977.
What order should I read the Brother Cadfael books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Brother Cadfael books?
The Brother Cadfael books were written by Ellis Peters.
Is the Brother Cadfael series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Books, has 23 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Brother Cadfael series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1977, and the most recent in 1994.