Book Beginnings: A Morbid Taste for Bones

A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters (first published 1977). First book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series of mystery novels. This is the first sentence of Chapter 1:

On the fine, bright morning in early May when the whole sensational affair of the Gwytherin relics may properly be considered to have begun, Brother Cadfael had been up long before Prime, pricking out cabbage seedlings before the day was aired, and his thoughts were all on birth, growth and fertility, not at all on graves and reliquaries and violent deaths, whether of saints, sinners or ordinary decent, fallible men like himself.

About the Book:

In the 12th-century Benedictine monastery of Shrewsbury, Brother Cadfael has settled down to a quiet life in charge of the herbarium. It is fortunate his prowess as a herbalist is matched by his detective skills — when his Prior decides to acquire the bones of a Welsh saint, the obstacles include murder.

Initial Thoughts:

To be honest, my first thought was something about that being a really long opening sentence.

The Brother Cadfael mysteries have been on my must-read list for decades now. Oddly (for me), I'm starting with the first book in the series this time. I'm about 50 pages in, and really enjoying it so far. Hope that lasts.

Happy Friday, everyone! And have a lovely weekend.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.