Rating: 
Summary: Not sure at first, but it got better
Review: It took me a little while to get into this book. Penman's Welsh Trilogy along with her other books are really quite superior to her mysteries. With that said, the mysteries are a good read and written well, but if you are expecting it to grab you like her other books you will be disapointed. Perhaps it's because they are shorter in length and you don't get quite as attachted to Justin as you can Richard III or Simon de Montfort or either of the Llewelyns. Maybe because Justin isn't based on a real person from history. You will enjoy the book as long as you don't expect it to be like her other books.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful medieval mystery
Review: When Richard the Lionhearted goes missing, a merchant, carrying news about the King's whereabouts, is murdered on the road. Queen Eleanor hires your Justin de Quincey to solve the murder. Was the murderer a member of the merchant's family? Or did thugs, sent by the King of France, kill him? In this tale of historical intrigue, Sharon Kay Penman weaves a brilliant tapestry of deception, guilt and betrayal. While I don't enjoy her Murder Mysteries as much as I do her epic Trilogies, Penman puts a lot of work into the stories she tells, and carries them out beautifully, with much attention to detail. Her characters seem modern; though Penman's conversational tone makes those characters so very easy to understand. It is a scintillating, refreshing approach to the murder mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of a let down
Review: I'm not normally a mystery reader. Perhaps I was expecting too much. I liked this book for the author's wonderful depiction of medieval society and the main character Justin De Quincy is well written. However, the solution to the mystery was a bit of a let down. I guess I hoped for some twist and turn in the story that led to a dramatic ending that I least expected. That was sadly not the case. I nearly gave the book 4 stars because the writing was excellent. However, the plot was less than thrilling at times and the ending was blah. So, 3 stars it is - and I hope that I'm not being too harsh simply because of my lack of mystery reading experience. Maybe the obvious is the usual solution????
Rating: 
Summary: very enjoyable medieval mystery
Review: This is the first book I've read by Sharon Penman, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Told in the third-person, the narrative describes the actions and feelings of a queen, a criminal and a slew of London archetypal characters, but primarily our perspective is that of Justin de Quincy, the well-educated but illegitimate son of a cleric who is trying to find his place in the world. A dramatic chance encounter leaves him with an introduction to Eleanor of Aquitane, who subsequently engages De Quincy as her agent in solving a local mystery that may have international implications.The plot is interesting, the dialogue is authentic without being heavy-handed, and the characters are realistic in their histories and actions. Penman knows her period, which shines through many details. This is the first book I've read by Sharon Penman but it won't be the last.
Rating:
Summary: A Unique Historical Murder Mystery
Review: A unique creation by Sharon Penman, DeQuincy, is placed in a medieval secret agent role as Queen Eleanor's "man". Although I was skeptical at first, I found Penman's feel for the medieval England of Henry & Eleanor from her previous historical novels sets such a great stage for the storyline that I couldn't help but be drawn into her tale, which is set in England in 1192-1193. In fact, I also found the follow up "Cruel As The Grave" worthwhile. Penman emerged long ago as one of the best historical novelists and continues to solidify her reputation with each new release. The "Queen's
Man" novels are unique side trips where she plays with fictional characters based on her strong historical story lines. Penman's special genius
lies in the bright and shining historical detail that she can weave into both plot and dialog (she's a very good student of history and at
times is absolutely brilliant in conveying to us the workings of medieval minds). Penman's true genius is the broad historical scope that is painted on top of the shimmering details of brief moments. It truely does feel as if you
are living the story yourself, and it is this bringing us readers in as witnesses that stands as Penman's contribution to the art of the historical
novel. If you prefer to read in chronological order:
1101-1154 When Christ And His Saints Slept (Vol 1 of Trilogy)
1156-1171 Time And Space (Vol 2 of Trilogy)
12th Cent Devil's Brood (Vol 3 of Trilogy)- not yet released
1192-1193 The Queen's Man
1193 Cruel As The Grave
1183-1232 Here Be Dragons (Vol 1 of Welsh Trilogy)
1231-1267 Falls The Shadow (Vol 2 of Welsh Trilogy)
1271-1283 The Reckoning (Vol 3 of Welsh Trilogy)
1459-1492 The Sunne In Splendour
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