Cruel as the Grave

Justin de Quincy #2

by Sharon Kay Penman

April 1193. England's King Richard Lionheart languishes in a German prison, and treason scents the air. Richard's younger brother, John, seizes Windsor Castle, and Dowager Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine summons her trusted personal "queen's man," Justin de Quincy, to do the impossible--mediate a truce with her rebel son.

Amid such fateful events, the murder of a Welsh peddler's daughter seems small. But the cruel demise of the beautiful Melangell so troubles Justin that not even a threatened French invasion can keep him from investigating her death. Yet can he bring Melangell's craven killer to justice?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Medieval, Historical Mystery, British Literature

261 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those "I have no idea what compelled me to buy this book" discoveries on my bookshelves. It very clearly states on the front "A Medieval Mystery." Now, the only thing I hate more than a mystery is the Medieval time period. The wimples, the tonsures, the Lord this, Lady that, the tunics, the mutton, the mead, dear God, the drinking of the mead--it's too much bad fashion, bad food, and bad social hierarchies. And heaven forbid there be a sex scene because I assume everyone in the Medieval period had a hygiene level basically on par with that of Courtney Love. So why did I buy this book?

After discovering the novel while "weeding out" the old bookshelves to make room for some new goodies, I thought I would at least read the first 5 to 10 pages. You know, just enough to ease my conscience that I had at least given it a shot before putting it in the donation pile. So imagine my surprise when I look up nearly an hour later and I'm already 40 pages in. Cruel as the Grave is a serviceable mystery that doesn't browbeat you with historic detail and is a surprisingly accessible, swift read.

Set in--shall I say it again?--Medieval England during the imprisonment of Richard the Lionheart, the novel focuses on Justin de Quincy, the bastard child of a bishop, who has surprisingly risen through society's ranks to become the "Queen's man." As Eleanor of Aquitaine's trusted servant, Justin becomes embroiled in palace intrigue and the bitter rivalry between King Richard and Eleanor's youngest son, John, who has put his own machinations into motion as he tries to take the crown for himself in Richard's absence. In the meantime, Justin also investigates the murder of Melangell, a young Welsh girl used by (and most likely killed by) two privileged brothers whose status within their own family (the handsome and chosen firstborn versus the "black sheep") mirrors that of the royal brothers. Feeling an outsider's kinship with the dead Melangell, Justin becomes determined to bring her murderer to justice instead of allowing her life and death to be simply swallowed up by a London that is indifferent to its poor and foreign inhabitants.

While I found the overall mystery surrounding Melangell's murder rather pat with no surprises, it was an enjoyable read. Penman isn't a slave to historical detail; where many historical writers would find an excuse to weave in every bit of meaningless trivia gleaned from their research, Penman uses it judiciously to provide authenticity to the setting without overwhelming the reader. My understanding is that these are meant to be her "fun and fast" takes on history, so her more serious works may include much more historical detail if you're a fanatic for that type of read. For me, this was a fairly painless excursion into Medieval times.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the first in this series, but I found this one was not as good.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Justin de Quincy series and it's a sequel of "The Queen's Man."

Plot:
The dowager queen is attempting to hold the throne for her beloved son, Richard the Lionheart, held captive by the Holy Roman Emperor, against the machinations of her youngest son, John. A neighbor asks Justin to investigate the death of a young Welsh girl named Melangell. Two brothers from a wealthy mercantile family, nephews of Justin's neighbor, are the chief suspects in the murder. Justin balances snooping into the murder with his duties as the queen's agent, at one point risking his life to carry a message to John, besieged in Windsor Castle in his bid for the throne.

Justin de Quincy series:
3* The Queen's Man (Justin de Quincy, #1)
4* Cruel as the Grave (Justin de Quincy, #2)
TR Dragon's Lair (Justin de Quincy, #3)
4* Prince of Darkness (Justin de Quincy, #4)

Welsh Princes series
5* Here be Dragons (Welsh Princes, #1)
5* Falls the Shadow (Welsh Princes, #2)
4* The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, #3)

Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine series
5* When Christ and His Saints Slept (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)
4* Time and Chance (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #2)
5* Devil's Brood (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3)

Richard the Lionheart series
4* Lionheart (Plantagenets #4)
TR A King's Ransom (Plantagenets #5)

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don't tend to agree with many reviewers on Goodreads (maybe I'm just a hater), but this time they were spot on. Sadly, this was a very mixed and disappointing read. What's worse is that the book isn't bad. The characters and writing are still great. But this was a very unfocused book. It struggles from one of the classic problems, which is too many things going on, with none of them done particularly well. The plot couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a mystery or historical fiction.

There are times where we take complete side stops for a plotline with John that's completely unrelated to the mystery (with the mystery gaining no progress during the time away). This worked in the first book, because the storylines were intertwined. In this book, there's no crossover. I was interested in both plots, and I would have been fine if either the mystery or the John story was the main plot, but I needed one or the other. It was too hard to get any depth in either thread. Because of this, the mystery fell very short as it was too obvious who the culprit was and not enough time developing suspects and clues.

For my last negative, which is a subjective feeling, and a mini rant: I hate Claudine. I find her to be such a shallow and spiteful person, and I really don't like her as a love interest. I love me a good romance, but please give me Nell. She's such a better character, and has far better chemistry with Justin in my opinion. I have a feeling this will have to be something I swallow in the series, but everything must have a criticism.

So, with the negativity out of the way, let's talk about the good. Penman does an incredible job weaving historical detail into her stories, and her characters feel like they really could've existed during the time. One of Penman's strengths is her character interactions. The way she writes interactions between Justin and the side characters like Jonas, Luke, John, Eleanor, Nell, and Durand always grip you to the page. Her writing is digestible, but filled with language from the time that never feels archaic. And the books always fly. You can read 40 pages so quickly without realizing it. This is even better when you're engaged fully in the plot!

I like the characters and world enough to continue, and I'll definitely be checking out Penman's other historical novels, she has me hooked! A disappointed 3/5 stars.

Quick hits:
+ Justin and the crew bounce well off each other, and are a joy to read.
+ Historical detail is so well drawn.
+ Justin's role in the overall plots fit so well, and feel so natural.
+/ Claudine stinks, I hate her honestly.
- Plot is all over the place, and lacks direction.
- Neither plot is truly fulfilled or fully fleshed out.

On to the next!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun medieval mystery from SKP. The only reason I don't give the mysteries 5 stars is because her "real" historical fictions are so incredible and detailed and amazing that I can't in good conscience rate these shorter, less complex books on par with those.

I liked this one better than the previous. I really liked that Justin tried to help solve Melangell's murder on his own time, without orders from Eleanor. Not that I think he would have hesitated--he's a good man. But I liked that he spent so much time and energy on it when he really didn't have to, and when his legitimate duties for the queen kept him plenty busy.

I also really liked to see how lower classes might have lived, and how they might have reacted to having one of their own murdered, and another one investigated. SKP makes you care about the characters. For example, I felt so bad for Melangell's father, not just because his daughter was murdered but because his mule died and he had to pull his peddler's cart himself. I really loved how Justin gave him a new mule.

I do not like Claudine. I don't see much purpose for her except to cause discomfort to Justin, and the occasional tumble. I really hope they don't break social rules in later books and end up married or something. I really think Nell is a much better match for Justin. She is brave, smart and able to take care of herself. Claudine wouldn't stand a chance against Nell.

Overall, another fun read and I am eagerly looking forward to the third in the series.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it better than the first one, although the character of Claudine is the biggest detraction from a group of otherwise interesting characters. It's all too easy to get disgusted with Justin for his inexplicable interest in a character that seems to have nothing in her corner but looks and an over-eagerness to hop in the sack with Justin, so the book works better for me in scenes where Justin is interacting with others -- from dangerous John and clever Eleanor to Justin's colleagues and neighbors.

Being the sort to like anti-heroes more than anything, I find myself almost more interested in the semi-antagonist character of Durand, who basically plays the Snape to Justin's goody-goody Harry Potter. Hopefully we'll get the reward of seeing more of those two being forced to endure each other's presence in future.

I thought the mystery was fairly simple, but I suspect the murder is secondary for the author to the interplay between characters and their connections to the larger "political" maneuverings of the time period.

In any event, it made for a fun, quick read, and undoubtedly I'll try to track down the next in the series.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novel in the Justin de Quincy mystery series, Penman’s Cruel as the Grave is a terrific follow-up. In addition to his work as the Queen’s man, de Quincy helps solve the mystery of a murdered girl. What makes this work so well is Penman’s ability to weave two plots – the fabricated murder with the very real games of political intrigue played out in Queen Eleanor’s household.

With the backdrop of Queen Eleanor trying to keep her son John from usurping the throne away from his captive brother, Richard Lionheart, this book rises above the ordinary mystery and becomes a wonderful work of historical fiction, with a the bonus of a captivating mystery.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Penman wrote these medieval mysteries to take a break from her more flowery medieval prose. Unlike the latter, she didn't necessarily know what the outcome would be to various mysteries so it gave her a new stretch in her writing career.

The dialogue and descriptions are sparse compared to her more Historical works. If anything, this series focuses on movement
and pacing. I would say this is more of a fun and quick read than the usual elegant, flowery and heart breaking Historical pieces Penman is usually known for in her works.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the series. Similar review to book 1; Justin is getting into his stride as an agent for the Queen, John makes a few mwahaha! appearances (poor John, so typecast) and the Queen's Tame Wolf gives our hero a few heart-stopping moments. Well crafted, good characterisation - but oh, so short!

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Cruel as the Grave' is book two in the four-book Justin de Quincy mysteries by Sharon Kay Penman. I liked The Queen's Man (book one) better, but this is still an entertaining novel of murder and medieval London. It continues several threads begun in the first book - King Richard having been kidnapped by the 12th century's Roman Emperor (which because of the vagaries of history is always the German King during the Middle Ages); Justin's outrage over his father, Aubrey de Quincy, the Bishop of Chester, having failed to acknowledge Justin as his bastard son; Justin's distress at being in love with Claudine, high-born kin to Queen Eleanor and thus beyond Justin's class; and his new position as the Queen's man (a bit like a real life James Bond, only realistic, and you know, medieval).


Unusually, the cover description is accurate on its description of the plot of 'Cruel as the Grave.'

"April 1193. England’s King Richard Lionheart languishes in a German prison, and treason scents the air. Richard’s younger brother, John, seizes Windsor Castle, and Dowager Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine summons her trusted personal “queen’s man,” Justin de Quincy, to do the impossible– mediate a truce with her rebel son. Amid such fateful events, the murder of a Welsh peddler’s daughter seems small. But the cruel demise of the beautiful Melangell so troubles Justin that not even a threatened French invasion can keep him from investigating her death. Yet can he bring Melangell’s craven killer to justice?"

Justin is kept very busy investigating the peddler's daughter's murder while at the same time periodically being dispatched by Queen Eleanor on secret missions trying to diffuse growing treasonous disturbances caused by Prince John, brother of the imprisoned King Richard. John wants to be King. Adding to Justin's stress, Justin believes Claudine is secretly working as a spy for John, too, as she helpfully performs duties in the Queen's court. Justin loves Claudine. He had believed the worst thing between them was her class status, but when he learned she might be working for John's accession to the throne of England, his heart broke. He can't stop thinking about her even though he stopped seeing her. Claudine ignores him since he cut her out of his life whenever he comes to court - but suddenly she is on his doorstep in the middle of the night during a storm. She has something important to reveal to him that is equally his problem now, too......

These are not infodump historical mysteries, but they are interesting and move along at a good pace.

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not won over by this book either as a murder mystery or a historical novel. Justin de Quincy is a nice enough character if a little lacking in obsessive zeal when it comes to bringing criminals to justice. However, he is overworked in his day job as a special agent to Queen Eleanor. I found the main problem with the murder of pretty Melangell as a mystery was the lack of suspects. There are only four of them, if one rules out a random killer: the victim's lover, the lover's brother, their father, and the victim's father Godwin, the Welsh tinker. There is not much for Justin to choose from and even without fingerprinting, blood testing or DNA analysis it doesn't take him long to arrive at the answer. Something the author seemed aware of, as she sends Justin off to join in the siege of Windsor Castle to fill in the 243 pages. Justin is there to pass a secret message to the overambitious Prince John.

Historically the novel only works occasionally. There are mentions of people dropping dead from any one of a number of plagues, medieval foods - mutton stew and cabbage and onion soup come to mind, green fields and market gardens were there are now inner London suburbs, the nobility speaking French among themselves - it is only 127 years after the Norman conquest. While these are nice little touches the overall atmosphere refuses to be anything more than a mock medieval stage scene. The imperious Eleanor of Aquitaine comes across as some superannuated former soap star giving it her best to sound regal, Prince John is not unlike Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham, while I almost expected Justin to sit down at a desk and pull out a half empty bottle of bourbon while the sultry Claudine tempted him with, "You know how to whistle, don't you. Just put your lips together and blow," from the doorway of the tavern.

I hope the author steers clear of battle scenes in the future. The siege of Windsor Castle was about as exciting as a cricket match. The defenders had a ballista, a giant crossbow, and managed to kill one of the besiegers cooks. "Huzzah!" That was as exciting as it got. Meanwhile Justin craftily scales the ramparts when no one is looking to deliver his message. At a time when knights made riotous charges while mounted on their destriers, hurling French curses at the Saxon peasants, and evil Prince John plotted against the return of his Anglophobe brother King Richard, it all came across as a little pedestrian. No wonder Godwin packed his cart and went back to Wales at the end.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruel as the Grave – Justin de Quincy #2
By Sharon Kay Penman
Reviewed July 31, 2022


Book 2 in Sharon Kay Penman’s Justin de Quincy medieval mystery series picks up shortly after the end of book 1. It is April of 1193, and word has reached Queen Eleanor that her son, King Richard I, the one most of us know as Lionheart, is not dead but is being held for ransom in a German prison.

Trying to take advantage of the turmoil surrounding this is Prince John. Remember him of Robin Hood fame? Or maybe you remember Runnymede and Magna Carta? Well, whether you do or not really doesn’t matter, as neither has anything to do with this story. What does matter is that John wants to declare Richard dead and with the help of the French king, usurp the English throne.

That’s where Justin de Quincy, the queen’s man, comes in. First, he is tasked with putting a stop to one of Prince John’s messengers from making it to France where treason is being plotted.

His plans thwarted, Prince John has holed himself up in Windsor Castle where he is under siege by the queen’s forces that include Will Longsword (John’s bastard half-brother who is torn between his affection for his half-brother and his loyalty to the queen) and William Marshal (who many of us have as an ancestor in our family trees).

John is woefully outnumbered, and the French invasion has been squelched before it ever got off the ground. That means it is only a matter of time before he is forced to capitulate, but Eleanor, who is not happy (to say the least) with her youngest son’s actions, doesn’t want anything to happen to him, either. So she sends Justin to infiltrate Windsor Castle and deliver a verbal message to both John, and Eleanor’s spy within John’s camp, a knight named Durand. And to say that Justin and Durand don't care much for each other is putting it mildly.

On top of all this, Justin has been asked by a friend to clear a couple brothers of murder. Daniel and Geoffrey, sons of Humphrey Aston of the Mercer’s Guild, are suspected in the death of Melangell, the daughter of a Welsh peddler, who was found in the churchyard with her head bashed in.

In addition to all this, Justin finds himself having woman trouble. He’s been having a relationship with the beautiful Claudine, one of Queen Eleanor’s ladies, only to have learned that she is in fact one of Prince John’s spies; besides, they could never marry as Justin is the unacknowledged bastard of a bishop, while she is a lady, so he tries to call off their affair. (Claudine isn't happy with this.) Also, Justin is developing tender feelings towards Nell, who runs the alehouse he frequents.

But things never run smoothly for Justin, whether it comes to solving crimes and figuring out what he should do about Nell and Claudine.

Cruel as the Grave is not only a good mystery with interesting characters, it is also a story about second sons and jealousy, whether commoners or noble born.

[Caleb Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Characters - Justin, Luke

Favorite Moments - Justin meeting his dad, Justin putting together the rock, Justin and Luke's banter

This was just the book I needed! I have been reading a lot of fantasy and sci-fi books. Though I love this genre, I fear I may have been burning myself out. I could feel the tendrils of the ever-annoying slump monster coming to prevent me from opening a book. Luckily, I found Cruel as the Grave to be the perfect book to get me turning the page! Penman's character work is so detailed. In the mystery genre, many of the side characters can start to blend together. They are all not as smart as the main character and are all extremely one-note. Ms. Penman avoids this common problem in mystery novels by making sure every character has a different voice, leading to a very realistic read. Justin and Luke are some of my favorite duos in fiction. Their friendship has only grown since the first book, and I'm interested to see what it looks like at the end of the series. I also feel like this growth can be seen in both of the characters individually. Luke, feeling a little bit more mature, and Justin, a bit more realistic about life.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 3 out of 5]

I jämförelse med den förra Penman, var denna tam. Beviset på det är att jag faktiskt läste den i två tre-timmarssvep, snarare än under en lång kväll.

Boken beskriver en mordgåta, med två sidointriger - ett diplomatiskt rävspel, och en sidoeffekt av en kärlekshistoria. Detta är för lite parallell-intriger i jämförelse med vad det bör vara. Det är mer, märk väl, än vad en Ambler-bok ger, och mer än dussin-fantasyn, men mindre än vad det bör vara lika fullt.

Boken skriver insiktsfullt om diplomati - lustigt nog sysselsätter jag mig just nu med en bok i diplomatisk analys, när jag har huvud och tid för det samtidigt, och kan därför tvärsäkert säga att dess beskrivna (avtvättade och askbleka) praxis är i linje med bästa brittiska teori på ämnet.

I termer av genrelitteratur är den utmärkt, men till skillnad från den förra boken är den inte en upplevelse i sig själv. Jag rekommenderar den dock för alla som gillar genren.

Nu till nästa volym.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hopped into this series in the middle, at this time I'm backtracking and starting from the beginning to understand the story line. Things get complicated when a murder involves an innocent man who takes the blame unbeknownst to himself. You have to get to the end to see who was the real murderer and why they let someone else take the blame.

The main character's life takes a troublesome turn when the parent that wouldn't recognize them is asking questions about their adult child. And then they find themselves becoming a parent to a future child they can't openly claim.

The big surprise was opening the first few pages and seeing a handwritten note from the author to the library that I got this from. Today book signings are common, back in 1998 you had to get your book signed by the author by appearing in person. In all the time I've been getting books from the library this was a first.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in this compelling medieval mystery series sees Justin de Quincy try his best to juggle two very different tasks: One the one hand, negotiating on Eleanor of Aquitaine's behalf with the King's brother Prince John who is attempting to seize the throne, and on the other trying to solve the murder of a Welsh girl bludgeoned to death in the cemetery. Just as good as the first one - on the the next part!

[Jim Perillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable entry in the series. The overall development of the protagonist was somewhat limited in this engaging story, but my main gripe would be that the secondary characters, such as Nell, Jonas and Hugh, don't get much to do. Even so, we see meaningful developments with Justin and Claudine's relationship, and an over-arching story of interest as Justin doggedly investigates the death of a young Welsh girl. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Catnap · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Ctgt · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Jane Gibbens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good page turning mystery with good descriptions of life in the times and believable characters, and nice to see the real life characters that Penman has written about in her other books (eg Eleanor of Aquitaine) appearing here behaving just as you would expect. It is probably 4.5 stars as not quite as good as Shardlake, mainly due to a less complex story rather than anything else

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justin de Quincy has a problem. Several problems, actually. Chiefly, there’s the fact that his king is presumed captured overseas, and possibly dead, while the king’s malicious brother John is actively trying to seize the throne against the wishes of Justin’s master, Richard’s mom — Eleanor of Aquitaine. Justin’s lover was recently exposed as a concubine and spy for John, so he’s a bit moody about that, and now some friends are asking him to look into the sudden death of their daughter, who appears to have been raped and murdered in a church cemetery. The Queen wants Justin to sneak into one of John’s castles, presently under siege, to convey a message, so juggling that, the case, and the lover, will take some doing. The result is a diverting medieval mystery/spy thriller, though not one long enough to develop serious interest. The book read rather differently than Penman’s Here be Dragons, which combined historical narrative with nonfiction, though it does work in a few choice bits of historical detail — the Hue and Cry being raised, for instance. I would have been more attached to the characters had I read the first volume in this trilogy (where Justin’s lover is exposed), but I didn’t realize at the time that this wasn’t a standalone. As it was, I enjoyed it quite well enough. Historical mysteries are a rare find; I don’t know of many others besides Cornwell’s Gallows Thief — and of course,Steven Saylor’s Gordianus series.

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It truly is unfair that an author of Sharon K. Penman’s extraordinary ability to write such wonderful historical fiction can also craft a rousing and fun mysteries as well. Justin de Quincy is back and the Queen’s Man is off once more on another secret errand for Eleanor. But has the Queen set too difficult a mission on young Justin’s shoulders this time? After all, Prince John is not one to deal fairly or truthfully with a negotiator or his mother—or anyone else. And if that task is not difficult enough, let’s throw in the murder of a young woman that Justin is determined to solve—with or without help. I know Queen Eleanor is desperate, but I sometimes wonder if Ms. Penman truly doesn’t like her young protagonist.

Murder and mayhem in 12th century England... Hooray!!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the series, fictional detective a.k.a. "The Queen's Man" Justin de Quincy takes on another side case to his work for Queen Eleanore. The story is set in the historically accurate time period of the political scheming of John while his brother Richard Lionheart was held captive in Austria, and in London, England. Sharon Kay Penman masterfully weaves the fiction into the facts her historian background provides her with... and gives us a peek into the lives of ordinary people of the time. At the same time, the story itself highlights the use of human intelligence to solve a crime in an era when fingerprinting and DNA were not yet dreamed of.

On to the next!

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with Penman's other books, I enjoyed the historical detail and the characters in this one more than I enjoyed the plot. I found the solution to the mystery unsatisfying; the right people weren't punished in the right ways. But Justin de Quincey is an appealing character. He's brave and clever, and, as an unacknowledged bastard, has to live by his wits. So you're always rooting for him. This time, still in the service of the queen, he finds himself in grave peril trying to get a message to her son, and at the same time trying to save a friend's nephew from the gallows.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/

[Peggyzbooksnmusic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very interesting episode in the historical mystery series by Sharon Kay Penman. The series takes place in late 12th century England. Justin de Quincy is The Queen's (Eleanor) Man. Her son, Richard the Lionhearted, is missing in Europe and his brother, Prince John, is plotting to take over the throne. Justin is also pulled into helping a friend's family solve the mysterious death of a 15 year old girl. Penman writes wonderful characters and includes so many details of every day life in Medieval England. I would recommend reading the series in order.

[Piyali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penman, for me, is such a find!! Her narrative almost had a cinematic quality to it. She did paint pictures with words and made the court of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and the character of Justin De Quincy very real. The story was gripping and the setting was spectacular. This book not only made me want to read all the historical mysteries featuring De Quincey but also made me curious to read more about the fascinating queen and her dysfunctional family. Sharon Kay Penman is a wonderful find for this historical fiction lover.

[Betty Strohecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning with a violent murder, this book continues to engage the reader throughout. Descriptive details make you feel like you were there. Justin de Quincy is a superb hero, and Sharon Kay Penman is an author who brings things alive.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above average historical mystery. A little trashy, but quite a neat plot and some interesting historical details which were integrated smoothly. Some of the characters were a bit implausible, particularly Queen Eleanor.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this series. The main character just isn’t as interesting as his supporting cast...most of his supporting cast...and there’s something about the treatment of the female characters that I don’t care for. It dips too much into stereotypes, I think.

[Lorena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like the first book. I'm finding the mysteries a little obvious and the characterizations a little clunky, so this is probably the last of this series I'll read.