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The Queen's Man - Box Set

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AD 1193. England lies uneasy, a land without a king. Richard the Lionheart is feared drowned on his return from Crusade, his brother John conspires to usurp the crown.

On the throne, in the Lionheart's stead, sits Eleanor of Aquitaine. At seventy, Eleanor is the most powerful woman in Christendom and as mother to both Richard and John she is determined to prevent the outbreak of civil war. But amid the royal court at the Tower of London, treachery is endemic and there are few men she can trust.

Justin de Quincy is one of the few. The bastard-born son of the Bishop of Chester, Justin has neither noble blood nor fortune - but he is blessed with a sharp mind and unshakeable loyalty. Gifts that will make him an agent of the Queen, taking him to the very centre of power - and into the heart of danger.

THE QUEEN'S MAN, CRUEL AS THE GRAVE and DRAGON'S LAIR see Justin moving from bustling streets of Winchester to the to the alehouses and stews of Southwark, from the horrors of Newgate Gaol to the mountains of Wales. He will prove his mettle - or find an early grave - as he uncovers the dark intrigues of Eleanor's court.

787 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

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About the author

Sharon Kay Penman

42 books4,061 followers
Penman received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, she majored in history, and also received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Rutgers University School of Law, and later worked as a tax lawyer.

The Sunne in Splendour, a novel about Richard III of England is one of the most popular books on the Historical Novel Society's list of best historical novels. In 1996, following the success of When Christ and His Saints Slept (which dealt with the Anarchy and the early career of King Henry II of England), Penman ventured into the historical whodunnit with four mysteries set in the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine during the reign of Richard I. The mysteries did not enjoy the same success as her "straight" historical novels, to which she returned in 2002, with Time and Chance, again covering the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. In 2008, she published Devil's Brood, which was to be the final book in her trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. She soon realized that there was still more of the Angevins' story to tell and the result was Lionheart , followed by The King's Ransom. Henry and Eleanor's celebrated and controversial son, Richard the Lionheart is the major character in both books, although Eleanor, John, and Richard's favorite sister, Joanna, also get to spend time on center stage. She has just finished The Land Beyond the Sea, set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. It will be published in the U.S. by G.P. Putnam's and in the U.K. and Down Under by Macmillan and co; the publication date is early March, 2020.

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
114 reviews
July 16, 2017
Wonderful !
Not usually attracted to Historical Fiction, we all know the stories of Richard Lionheart and the films made over time about the characters involved.
Laid up with the flu, I chose this book instead of "Lionheart" which I REALLY wanted to read, but it's thick, heavy, and print so small I'd need magnifiers, so I chose the shorter stories first of which being The queen's Man. Now into the 3rd book I will read the series.
Love the author's research, the setting and descriptions of daily life and times, places and language, intriguing characters, and the leading character is just terrific.
I recommend this series highly.
Thankyou for the entertainment, Sharon Penman.
(I hope to see a story about Robin Hood, from when he was a little kid, and how he became Robin of Locksley, then Robin Hood the hero of Sherwood, we've all seen the movies, love to read the book.
Isabel Allende wrote her version of Zorro, please write yours of Robin ???beg beg.)
Profile Image for Jo.
649 reviews
January 31, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed these books, I love the historical detail and Justin is a very interesting and sympathetic character. In fact Claudine is the only character I truly disliked, and she set my teeth on edge instantly! I absolutely adored Nell and also really liked Molly and Bennet. I liked Luke too and Jonas was excellent!
Am I the only one who wanted to deck the Bishop?
Plan to read the next one soon.
Profile Image for russell davies.
6 reviews
April 28, 2024
Un put downable!

The story is really gripping. I was a little disappointed to start with,it seemed a little slow, but then I could not put it down. A really good read from start to finish.
Profile Image for Angela Wilson.
223 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2024
So long since I read it. because my pc has been out of order but did enjoy.
Profile Image for Ian.
446 reviews3 followers
April 11, 2022
Enjoyable adventure stories/who-dunnits set in the time of Richard 1st and (bad-King) John.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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