Dragon's Lair

Justin de Quincy #3

by Sharon Kay Penman

The third novel in Sharon Kay Penman's much-loved medieval mystery series featuring Justin de Quincy. July 1193: Richard Lionheart, eldest and most favored son of Dowager Queen Eleanor of Aquitane, languishes in an Austrian dungeon, held for ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor. Lusting after the crown in England, his brother John plots with his country's bitterest foe, King Philippe of France, to see to it Richard never leaves Austria alive. But the Queen has already begun to meet the ransom demands, and it is only a matter of time before the Austrians turn over their royal prisoner. And then one of the ransom payments vanishes in the fastnesses of Wales, itself wracked by rebellion and intrigue. Into this maelstrom, Eleanor sends her trusted man, Justin de Quincy—and murder soon follows...

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

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

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

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon Kay Penman is my favorite author when it comes to historical fiction, and she wrote a four book mystery series that combines an exciting fictional mystery with her expertise on English history. Dragon’s Lair is the third book in the Justin de Quincy mystery series. The year is 1193, and as the Queen’s man (the Queen being Eleanor of Aquitaine), de Quincy is on a mission to Wales to find the missing ransom meant to free King Richard from his captors.

Those familiar with Penman’s Here be Dragons will be pleased to reacquaint themselves with Llywelyn the Great as he plays a key role in this mystery. The story is exciting, and Penman creates characters that are memorable.

While I have enjoyed the first three mysteries, Dragon’s Lair is my favorite. I can’t wait to find out what new adventure Justin de Quincy will embark upon in the next book, Prince of Darkness!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this one the best so far of Penman's medieval mysteries. I think it's because it's set in Wales and has Llywelyn ab Iorwerth as a character. I am especially fond of her Welsh trilogy, so I was happy to see Llywelyn, Rhys and Ednyved in this book, even if they weren't in it a lot.

I also thought this plot was a bit more complex than the previous 2 books, so that was fun. I really liked how Angharad was the one who killed Thomas, even though it was a total accident and she didn't even realize she'd killed her lover.

I kind of missed Luke de Marston in this one. His is a fun character and I think he and Justin play well off each other. But it was good to see Bennett and Molly introduced. I liked them immensely and hope they make future appearances. I still don't like Claudine at all. I hope that she gets married off to some nobleman and leaves Justin alone. Either Nell or Molly are so much better suited to him than Claudine. I was just glad she wasn't in this book much.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of "medieval mysteries", with the character Justin de Quincy (The Queen's Man) as our hero. With each book, we learn a little more of his background, fill in a little more of his character. Penman's adeptness as a historical writer, filling in the "gaps" in history with a rich imagination moves well into the realm of fiction as she adds some of the same to her invented characters.

I have to say I enjoy the author's notes as much as I do the stories themselves, as she explains the blend of known history and pure fiction that make up this world.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Falls the Shadow years ago and hoped this would be as engaging. Didn't make it. It's hard to say what makes this weak. Some ideas:

It's a mystery, so it has to be carefully plotted. But there are too many conversations in which we readers are too carefully informed of the logic of the sleuth, how all the holes are being filled in; it's like a documentary on carpentry that spends too long on spackle.

We are told too self-consciously about twelfth-century things. The research should not be so close to the surface.

The language is 21st century with some 12th century words inserted for effect. It doesn't work. Just writing for certes doesn't make it authentic if the speaker is thinking like V. I. Warshawski. I think it's syntax, too; recall how reading Martin Cruz Smith makes you believe that they're really speaking Russian.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third in Penman’s series of medieval mysteries. I like Justin de Quincy as a character and I care about what’s going to happen to him next. Each book in the series includes its own mystery that Justin must solve and also further advances the overall plot arc of the series: Justin’s attempts to assist his Lady, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to free her son King Richard, who was taken hostage, on his way home from the Crusades, by the Holy Roman Emperor (that part’s a true story; you can’t make this stuff up).
As with the previous books in this series, I’m not crazy about Penman’s plotting. It tends to be flabby & confusing. But I keep reading because I love her historic setting and characters so much. This book offered the bonus of some delightful new characters, too. So, if there is a fourth book in this series, I’ll probably keep reading.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read out of sequence due to the library seemingly on a go-slow the last couple of weeks - tsk! The usual excellent Justin mystery with all the usual suspects and John at his baddest. I really wish SKP had written more of these!

[Thomas Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, set in Wales this time round. Easily the best De Quincy novel so far.

[Jule · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has everything I want in a book and I'm very glad that there are more of them!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all of Sharon Kay Penman’s historical novels, and have loved them. She tells a good story, and her characters are interesting and winsome — I want to hear more. This is the first of her mysteries that I picked up, and it didn’t disappoint. The mystery was intriguing — more than just a murder (or two). The lead character Justin de Quincy was pleasant company, and he serves Eleanor of Aquitaine — the badass of the 12th century IMO. Ps. Im not evaluating for historical accuracy. I don’t know enough. And it’s fiction. It was a good summer read.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dragon's Lair" is a mystery set in 1193 in England and Wales. This novel was the third book in the series, but you don't need to have read the first two in order to understand this one. I haven't read the first two (yet), and it didn't appear that reading the books out of order spoiled the previous mysteries.

The historical detail was woven into the story and was accurate was far as I know, though the author occasionally had the characters use a modern turn of phrase. The political situation was described in a somewhat more obvious manner since it was the underlying motivating force behind the mystery and the author probably realized that most people know more legend than real history from that time period.

The characters were engaging and interesting. I liked how Justin had his sense of honor and stuck to it, but not in a snobbish way. The pacing was very good, and the mystery was a true "try to guess who did it." The author played the clues out very cleverly so that the reader could guess some parts before Justin but other parts were a mystery until the very end.

The novel was a bit crude at times and sex was implied or referred to, but there was no explicit sex. There was a minor amount of "he swore" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written and fairly clean reading.

[Christi Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and have read one other of her mysteries in this series. I really appreciate her attention to detail as it pulls you in to the tale. I recommend this book and will read all I can lay my hand to as well.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon’s Lair
Book 3 in the Justin de Quincy series
By Sharon Kay Penman
Reviewed September 25, 2023


Dragon’s Lair is the third and, in my opinion, the best in the series so far. Not that the other books weren’t good. They were. But this one? It was so good that once I got my teeth sunk into it, I didn’t want to stop reading. And a book that elicits that kind of a response from me deserves all five of the stars I give it.

The general plot goes like this. It is the year 1193. Justin de Quincy, bastard son of the Bishop of Chester and now serving the Dowager Queen Eleanor, is sent by the queen into northern Wales to investigate the theft of ransom that is being collected to free King Richard (who, if you remember your history, was taken prisoner and held for ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor). This is a time when relations between the English and the Welsh were iffy at best. Then again, especially during the Middle Ages, when wasn’t it?

But nothing is easy for Justin, especially when you’re got royal skulduggery and machinations taking place on both sides of the border between England and Wales. At the castle of Dafydd ab Owain, Prince of Gwynedd and supposed ally of the English Crown, Justin finds himself coming face-to-face with the leading suspect in the theft, Dafydd’s nephew Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, known to history as Llywelyn the Great. But there are other suspects as well, including Dafydd’s English wife, Lady Emma (Henry II’s half-sister), and an overly friendly knight.

Meanwhile, other players lurk in the shadows, particularly Eleanor’s youngest son, John, who would like nothing better than for his brother Richard to rot in some prison so he can claim the throne for himself.

With all these (and other) shady characters, we have a story filled with skulduggery, plots, false smiles, and deadly conspiracies. We also get to learn more about Justin’s past and meet two old friends of his – Molly and Ben. It is Molly who helps Justin begin to have a better appreciation for the father who has never openly acknowledged him, and that is one of the things I liked so much about this installment in the series, the character development.

Another interesting relationship is the one that develops between Justin and Llywelyn. At first wary adversaries, the two eventually come to admire and respect each other, and the episode where Llywelyn and his men literally come to the rescue and save Justin from Prince John was an absolute delight to read.

This is an excellent book, filled with mystery and adventure, and a big dose of history that never gets in the way of a good story. Although there is one book more in the series, I’m afraid that some issues in Justin’s life will never be resolved as the author passed away in 2021. At least we still have her books, and what a wonderful way for her memory to live on.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Emer Tannam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This was the third book of the series that I’ve read and it was the best so far, not least of all because it featured one of my favourite characters from the writer’s historical novels. The mystery at the heart of the book was also more intriguing than in the previous two installments.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always intrigued by history and when you mix in a mystery, whether real or not, I'm totally hooked!

So it's not surprising that I really enjoyed this book by Sharon Kay Penman. Penman's research into the medieval period of Richard the Lionheart is rock solid — not only because it reads well and realistically, but because I caught myself checking up on her characters: Richard, his brother John, their mother the Dowager Queen Eleanor and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd.

In this book, Richard the Lionheart is being held for ransom in a German prison and his mother is madly gathering the funds to get him released, while younger brother John is doing his best to thwart his mother's efforts.

Enter the Queen's man, Justin de Quincy, who is sent to Wales when a ransom payment disappears, apparently the result of a robbery by Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. De Quincy, though, has his doubts when he enters the Rhuddlan Castle and meets the Welsh prince Davydd ab Owain. Ab Owain is behaving deviously or incredibly stupid in his handling of the funds. De Quincy may not know at first how and why, but he makes himself unpopular by refusing the just accept what Ab Owain says.

And that's when I was really hooked. I loved the writing, the dialogue, the background and the descriptions of place and individuals, but its the mystery that really brings the history alive even though it isn't real. And trust me, everyone is suspicious in the era of medieval politics and nothing more suspicious is royalty and their actions. And in the thick of it is de Quincy, a man with his own conflicted history.

It's very good storytelling and oh so satisfying. I really wish I had begun at the beginning of de Quincy's stories — heck I can't wait to read anything Penman has written.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoy this author's writing. Somehow she makes a story flow so easily that I can't help but move on to the next paragraph, the next page and the next chapter. All too soon it seems I've reached the end of the book.

The hero is the queen's man which means he does her work discreetly and completely. In this novel Richard is imprisoned in Germany and his brother, John, is scheming to steal his throne. Eleanor, mother of both, is trying to free Richard but part of the ransom, that raised in Wales, goes missing presumably stolen by an outlaw band.

It is the task of Justin de Quincy to find the ransom. The queen doesn't really care what happened only that the ransom is recovered so she can free her son. However, what he discovers is much more then a simple robbery and murder. The Welsh prince who collected the ransom blames a relative who is campaigning to win the throne for himself. Complicating the situation is that de Quency's lack of complete fluency of the Welsh language. There is another death when a knight is found with a knife in him but the cause of his death is not the knife but poison. Who, then, is behind the theft of the ransom? To say more would divulge too much of the story and the plot. My advice is if you like historical fiction discover this novel for your self. May you enjoy it as much as I did. I certainly liked this read.

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous mystery from the pen of Sharon K. Penman! Unfortunately, we have less of Queen Eleanor and Claudine in this volume, which is a shame because both are wonderful female characters, but then, we also have more adventure than usual as Justin de Quincy must solve the mystery of a stolen ransom in Wales meant to help secure King Richard’s release from prison. Justin comes into his own as he has little help from his usual faithful allies, and must rely in his own deductive skills in ferreting out the guilty culprits. But has the Queen once more expected too much from her young agent of the crown? By now, we should not be surprised to learn that Justin is up to the challenge and may just garner a few praises—and curses—for his unexpected abilities. Old friends are rediscovered and new ones made as Justin de Quincy, the queen’s man, sinks deeper into the continually unraveling intrigues of the English court. Of course, there is always wily Prince John and the deadly Durand de Curzon to contend with as Justin tries to stay one step of the conspiracies that threaten to take his own life if he isn’t careful.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this insightful book about Eleanor and also the Welsh King Davyyd and Prince Llewelyn.
I enjoy reading Historical Novels for it propels me to learn more of the truth of the matter.

[Betty Strohecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin de Quincy races to find a stolen ransom meant to save King Richard. Treachery abounds in the next installment of this very satisfactory medieval mystery series.

[ErinAlise · Rating 5 out of 5]

As King Richard suffers in a German dungeon, his mother the Dowager Queen of England must bleed the country dry in an effort to raise the ransom money. The large sum of $150,000 gold marks must be paid to the Holy Roman Emperor or King Richard would never see the light of day, which is exactly what his brother Lord John desires.
When one of the ransom payments turn up missing, Eleanor has her suspicions and sends the ever loyal Justin de Quincy to solve the mystery. This time he will journey far to Wales, reconnect with his absent father, meet the unloved Prince of Wales, and find an ally in the most unlikeliest of characters. Though this puzzle appears to never be solved, Eleanor has placed her faith in Justin and with a little help, he just may be able to save the day.

All the characters that I’ve grown to love and admire have returned in this 3rd book of the Queen’s Man series but this one in particular turned out to be my favorite. As always the author has brought the story alive and I found myself immersed in the forests of Wales with none other than the man who history would call Llewelyn the Great. I first fell for him in my favorite book Here be Dragons by the same author and it was wonderful to be reacquainted, to in a sense meet him when he was young, before his many adventures and see him through the eyes of another. Excellent read, with an interesting plot to a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. Highly recommended!

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

In 1806 Hertfordshire, a woman, Mary, is found under suspicious circumstances and the main suspect is her friend Poppy, who had a public fight the night before. Poppy’s unrequited love, Tom, had proposed to Mary and Poppy’s jealousy caused a scene. When it turns out there’s more to this suspicious death than initially thought, Poppy and Constable Henry Dyngley try to work out what really happened.

I enjoy historical mysteries and I thought this book sounded interesting but unfortunately it missed the mark completely for me. Poppy was not a dynamic lead character and she really didn’t show any growth as the story progressed, Poppy’s actions, the actions of others in town, and the budding romance all felt immature. There was no solid plot, the characters never became well developed and there really weren’t any likable characters, perhaps because they were underdeveloped. I genuinely struggled to understand how Poppy considered Tom and Mary her friends and even after she overheard Tom say terrible things, she still tries to think the best of him. The mystery had a few red herrings but it was fairly obvious from the first chapter who the whodunit was going to be. I really hate giving negative reviews and I don’t post negative reviews on my blog, but this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det är svårt att säga så mycket om denna bok, eftersom dess struktur är sådan att varje förkunskap om dess intrig kommer minska nöjet av att läsa den. Det som kan sägas, är att det är en elegant och högkvalitativ engelsk pusseldeckare, låt vara av en amerikansk författarinna. Bokens "valuta", det som söks efter, är också så underbart medeltida att varje historienörd kommer le när hen inser vad den är.

I termer av rekvisita, innehåller den allt vad en historisk politisk thriller bör - konkurrerande skuggmakter, äregiriga och riskbenägna uppkomlingar, drogat vin, hemliga meddelanden och agenter vars identiteter aldrig avslöjas, medan andra sidokaraktärer visar sig vara inflytelseagenter. Därtill natur som aldrig riktigt beskrivs, utan som istället blir hänförande genom att den får de karaktärer som har berättarperspektiven att tappa fokus, igen och igen.

Tyvärr har jag läst den fjärde boken i serien, och det verkar som om Penman övergav den efter bok fyra, så jag får helt enkelt se om någon av hennes andra böcker håller samma höga svansföring.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books from this author and have several more on Mt Git'r'Read and I admire and enjoy her writing. Her research is superb which makes the story she is writing feel so real. Along with an intriguing mystery, I am learning history as I read.
Justin de Quincy has his work cut out for him and could be a man who would let his past and present rule how he deals with life. He works for Queen Eleanor but can tell very few. He has to hunt down the stolen ransom that was to come from Wales and that is to help her son King Richard from his imprisonment. This in turn causes his life, and those he cares for, to be endangered.
The story is told in such a way that it feels like SKP has an insider's knowledge of someone's historical diary. It feels real.
I can highly recommend this book, series and author.

[Darcysmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon's Lair was an engaging story with a compelling set of characters (both historical and fictional). Justin de Quincy is an excellent main character/sleuth/Queen's Man. He navigates the world of the nobility and commoner equally well and is able to take us with him in a believable way. I particularly enjoyed that much of Dragon's Lair was set in Wales. Llewellyn ab Iorwerth is a favorite historical figure of mine and I love Sharon Kay Penman's interpretation of him.
My familiarity with the major historical players likely added to my love of the book - it was like visiting with old friends. However, no prior knowledge of medieval Wales or England is necessary to enjoy this well-told story.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A portion of the ransom being collected for Richard’s release has gone missing. Queen Eleanor wants Justin deQuincy to track it down and recover it. He is told that it was stolen by a Welsh rebel. So Justin travels to Wales to learn what he can. He visits the site of the attack and has a sense that the location doesn’t make sense. Who can he trust as he seeks answers and can the money and bolts of wool be recovered?
There is a fair amount of historic information presented at the beginning which I didn't really follow. As I was writing up this review I was refreshing my memory on things in the beginning and saw some details that became important later. Other than that, it's an interesting story. I'll go on and read the final one of the series.

[Cheryl Mallon Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! If you would like to try a Medieval murder mystery then Sharon Kay Penman's series of four books beginning with The Qeen's Man, are a great place to start.
Dragon's Lair is the third book in the series and is quite exciting. I recommend reading the four books in order as the story does progress from the first book on.
I completely enjoyed Dragon's Lair and feel utter confidence in recommending it. It has a smart plot and is full of action. I was sorry to see it end, which may be why I have read the series and of course, this particular book, so mmany times.
Give it a read!!!!!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, even as an avid reader of medieval period stories, this was one of the most enjoyable I can remember! Based loosely on historical events, the plot centers on a man in the queen's employ trying to find a stolen hoard in the wilderness of Wales. The descriptions were hauntingly vivid and the story line was brilliant, making for a huge page-turner. The main character, a bastard fathered by a bishop that refuses to recognize him, is a very sympathetic character, and his powers of deduction and skill in observation were like a medieval Sherlock Holmes. Truly wonderful story, can't recommend it highly enough!

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sharon Penman writes the Justin de Quincy novels which there are only four. This is due to her passing in January of 2021. Even though I was bummed that I wouldn’t get to know the main character due to her death, I wanted to finish the four-book series just to see how it left Justin.

Unfortunately, I only got a few chapters into book 3 “Dragon’s Lair” and decided that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the series. Not that the story line isn’t engaging. It wasn’t engaging me. So “Dragon’s Lair” and book 4 “Prince of Darkness” are going to be shelfed as Did Not Finish. I may go back to them at some point, or maybe not.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd heard a lot of praise for Sharon Penman, so I picked this up from the library. Usually a book this size takes me a day or maybe two to read, but I was pecking away at this one for a week. I just couldn't get excited about it. I didn't realize until I went to review it that it's the third in a series, so maybe I was missing some backstory, but I don't feel compelled to search out the others and I'm normally pretty fanatical about that. So, meh. Not horrible, not amazing. The historical details were well done, but the story just didn't grab me and the characters seemed flat.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the ransom collected to free King Richard has gone missing in Wales. Justin is sent to investigate, reconnecting with childhood friends at the same time.

Great read as always. I liked delving a little deeper into Justin's background, and clearly I now need to read Here Be Dragons, which apparently features one of the most compelling characters from this installment as protagonist.