An Excellent Mystery

Their own abbey in Winchester burned to the ground, Brothers Humilis and Fidelis come to Brother Cadfael's abbey seeking refuge. Before his tonsure, Humilis was a brave Crusader, and received a dreadful wound fighting to save Jerusalem. His long ride has caused the wound to open anew.

Meanwhile Nicholas Harnage, Humilis's former lieutenant, comes to beg Humilis's permission to marry Julian Cruce, the woman Humilis released from their betrothal when he returned, injured, from the Holy Land. Humilis has no objections, but all is not well: Julian, who left for a nunnery with valuable church plate and jewelry when Humilis released her, disappeared before she could ever take her vows, and no one now can say what happened to the beautiful girl....