Dragon's Lair (Justin de Quincy Series #3)

Enjoyed this historical mystery!

Sharon Kay Penman revisits two of her favorite subjects, King John and Llewelyn ab Iorwerth (later Llewlyn the Great) of Wales. Justin de Quincy, Queen Eleanor's man and protagonist of her earlier mysteries, sets out to discover the mystery of a missing ransom intended to liberate Richard the Lionheart. Murder, mayhem, and romance ensue. Lively, likeable characters help make this an enjoyable book.

More novel than mystery

As expected this is a very well written book. However, It took too long to get to the mystery. I almost lost interest after the first three chapters. Only my love for the history of this time and Ms. Penmans way with words kept me going.

The middle ages come to life...

The intrigues of the royal court and Crusades intermingle with daily life when one of the ransom payments Queen Eleanor sends to try and rescue Richard the Lionheart disappears in Wales. To find out how and why, Justin De Quincy (from the Queen's Man) is sent, but finds himself in the midst of a greater mystery, murder. ............... *** In this highly detailed story, Ms. Penman brings the middle ages to life. The lyrical Welsh speech has a beauty that almost makes one forget the graver matters. Historical notes weave easily into the plotline, educating the reader unobtrusively. Justin reveals keen insight into the world around him, and minor subplots create a greater depth to the master story. ***

Intrigue, Treachery and Murder in Medieval Britain

At a very young age I started reading adventure stories of heroes from far away lands who performed extraordinary feats. As I grew up, history became my obsession; history in general, the middle ages in particular. I fell in love with new heroes whose exploits were as amazing as those of fiction. Then I discovered mysteries and again I couldn¿t have enough. So how can one author unite so brilliantly my three favorite subjects? Only when this author is Sharon Kay Penman! I entered Ms. Penman¿s world several years ago with one of her historical novels, and I was hooked for life. So it was only natural that when her first medieval mystery was published it would make its way into my hands. Medieval mysteries have become a popular genre, but no author masters the accuracy of the time as Ms. Penman does. I just finished reading the third installment in her series of medieval mysteries, ¿Dragon¿s Liar¿, and found myself pleasantly surprised that she could have improved on her two previous ones. ¿Dragon¿s Liar¿ takes our hero Justin de Quincy into Wales, where he must unravel the mysterious disappearance of a large portion of the ransom the Holy Roman Emperor has claimed to release King Richard from an Austrian dungeon, where he is being held captive. His younger brother John lusts after the crown and will stop at nothing to prevent his royal brother from buying his freedom and return to England. But Queen Eleanor, mother of both, will do anything in her power to free Richard, her favorite son, and return the rightful heir to the throne. David ab Owain, reigning Prince of Wales, conveniently accuses his nephew, Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, central character of Ms. Penman¿s second historical novel, ¿Here Be Dragons¿ of stealing the ransom. Taking a gamble, Justin joins forces with the rebel Welshman in an attempt to locate the stolen ransom and uncover the conspiracy. Treachery abounds in thirteenth century Wales and England. Corruption, murder, betrayal! Nothing new, but Ms. Penman makes it so fascinating to the reader that the book is impossible to put down. Masterfully handling both the historical facts and her imagination, again, Sharon Kay Penman has succeeded in giving us a gem!

The best medieval storyteller

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

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