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
In the sequel to “The King's Man” Justin de Quincy, bastard son of a highly placed clergyman, continues his job working as an agent for Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her favorite son, Richard the Lionheart, is still held captive by the Holy Roman Emperor as she struggles to keep her youngest son, John, from mounting a rebellion to take over the realm. In a second story line, Justin is asked by his landlady to investigate the murder of a Welsh peddler's daughter. The author does a great job of linking these two stories and I think that's one of the best parts of the series. Justin works for the queen but he also lives and works among the ordinary citizens of 12th century London which gives the reader a perspective of both the royal and commoner characters. The characters are filled with rich detail and Sharon Kay Penman uses her vast historical knowledge to detail the London time period. Justin is loyal and compassionate and many of the secondary characters are coming together as we move further into the series. While I still prefer the longer historical novels written by Penman this book delivers great plotting and atmosphere. I find the mystery elements compelling and plan to continue the four book series. In my opinion, “Cruel as the Grave” will be much more enjoyable for those who have already read “The Queen's Man” since book two starts immediately after book one.
What do You think about Cruel As The Grave (2001)?
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.
—Peggy Z
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.
—Tara
Justin de Quincy is back again in the 2nd book of this medieval series. Justin is called upon by a friend to solve the murder of a 15-year old Welsh girl Melangell who was killed in the church graveyard. The accused are two brothers who seem to be hiding something are not helpful in solving the mystery of this young girl. The father also seems to be hiding something. Again Justin has his work cut out for him to find a killer and the reason why.[return][return]It is April 1193 and Justin is summoned back to court by Eleanor of Aquitaine while Richard the Lionheart sets in a German prison his younger brother John seizes Windsor Castle and the Queen ask Justin to undertake a dangerous mission by asking him to mediate a truce with John. Also, Justin discovers that Claudine de Loudun is with child and she wants to abort the child with special herbs, not sure what to do Justin confides in the Queen, which upsets Claudine. The Queen arranges for Claudine to leave and have the child and home found for the child.[return][return]I do not read many mystery's, but the clues that Justin was able to discover and how he unraveled those clues were interesting. Although, not a terrible read was not as good as the first book and I was not impressed with the discovery of the killer. Many of the same characters return in this book, which I enjoyed.
—Melanie
