Dead Man's Ransom (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 9)

In February 1141, men return from war to Shrewsbury, but the captured sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is not among them. A young Welsh prisoner named Elis is brought to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, where he is to be exchanged as ransom for the sheriff's release. Brother Cadfael becomes involved when unexpected complications arise. Elis falls in love with the sheriff's daughter, and she returns his feelings with equal intensity. Her father's return means the loss of her lover. When the ailing sheriff is brought to the abbey's infirmary, he is murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on the prisoner. Elis appeals to Brother Cadfael for help, relying on his Welsh honor. Cadfael intervenes to uncover the truth, though doing so will challenge his own sense of justice and conscience. This is the ninth book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series, which has won the Silver Dagger Award.