Dragon's Lair

Sharon Penman's series about Justin de Quincy, the Queen's Man for Eleanor of Aquitaine, is both highly readable and historically accurate. The reader is treated to an interesting plot involving a king's ransom stolen in Wales, as well as the development of the de Quincy character. I enjoyed reading about Wales and the politics of the region at the time. I also thought the secondary characters were interesting and believable. I have enjoyed other books by this author and will continue to follow this series.

I am a longtime Penman fan, having devoured her two historical fiction trilogies. Her late foray into mystery fiction is wonderful! I insist that ALL the fiction I read be historically believable, and Ms. Penman fits the bill in every way. The history is accurate, and the fictional story is elegantly woven into the period setting. I await the next installment eagerly.

On his way home from the crusades, Richard the Lion-Hearted was kidnapped and held for ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich for one hundred thousand silver marks. While King Richard I is languishing in an Austrian prison, his mother Eleanor of Aquitane is bankrupting the country trying to gather up the ransom from every class and guild including the church. When word reaches her that the ransom collected by the Welsh Prince Davydd ab Owain was stolen, she dispatches her man Justin de Quincy to recover the ransom.When he arrives at Davydd's court, the prince tells him that the outlaw Llewelyn ab Iorwerth was responsible for the theft. He expects Justin to ask the Earl of Chester to bring troops into Wales to capture the outlaw and what is left of the ransom. It doesn't take Justin long to realize that Llewelyn, who is battling Davydd for crown, is a pawn in Davydd's quest to stay in power. He discovers Flemish sailors who were supposedly hired by an English lord stole the ransom. Justin has to find the English Lord if he intends to gain control of the stolen ransom though betrayal and murder follow in his footsteps.Nobody writes a better medieval historical then Sharon Kay Penman and her latest historical mystery shows that meticulous research. Medieval England and Wales come alive as historical trivia is generously sprinkled throughout the story line. The protagonist is truly THE QUEEN'S MAN as he diligently works for the crown while facing down ghosts from his own past. DRAGON'S LAIR opens up new worlds to its audience one that they will want to revisit when Ms. Penman produces the next book in this addicting series.Harriet Klausner

Sharon Kaye Penman has written her best of the mystery series with Dragon's Lair. The ransom for King Richard I has disappeared in Wales and Queen Eleanor sends her man, Justin de Quincy, to investigate and find the ransom, if possible. And, thus, the story is off to a riproaring start. Along the way, we meet Prince David and his young nephew Llywelyn (later The Great). Ms. Penman's detail and research are to be commended for her excellence. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to many more in this series of mysteries starring Justin de Quincy.

I am a huge fan of Sharon Penman and she has once again given us a finely crafted story of life in the time of Eleanor and Aquitaine, Richard the Lion Heart, and of course, our ficticious hero Justin de Quincy. This story revolves around a true incident - Eleanor's frantic quest to raise an enormous ranson to secure the freedom of her favoured son Richard, but of course there are the little side stories that allow for the most fun, and this is where Justin comes in. He is asked to travel to the border of Wales, and so solve the whereabouts of a portion of the ranson payment. Along the way he encounters many characters who aren't what they seem, for good or bad, and of course solves the mystery. Don't be fooled - this is an elegant and complex mystery, and one not easily figured out.Along the way we encounter other characters that Penman fans will be familiar with from her other fantastic Welsh tales, butof course in a different time, and somewhat different place, and this makes the story all the more detailed.If I have one very small criticism, it is that the book assumes that you have been with Justin since he first appeared in the equally fine "The Queen's Man", and that you are familiar with his life and loves, paternity and other lifetime issues. I am, as would all devoted Sharon Penman fans, but for others who are new to her work through this book, it may be a little distracting. Similarly however, as a fan I would probably find all the re-intoductions somewhat tedious, so I appreciate that this is a fine line when writing a story in a series. But it is a very small criticism, and in no way detracts from the mastery of her writing, her meticulous attention to historical research and retelling, and the ability to spin a mighty good mystery.