Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the last two, but still quite fun
Review: In this book, Justin must travel to Wales to recover a portion of King Richard's ransom. This means that neither Nell nor Luke, my favorite characters in the series, appear at all. Instead, we have an almost entirely new cast of characters, including Molly, Justin's childhood friend and longtime crush, who might be quite interesting in subsequent books, but only if she's fleshed out a bit more. We also get to see a bit more of Bishop de Quincy.I understood from reading The Queen's Man that this was going to be a trilogy, but there are enough loose ends at the end that it is apparent that Penman anticipates at least one more Justin novel. My only quarrel with that is that she seems to have made this into too much of a transition novel. Too many new elements and characters are thrown in for Penman to do them all justice, which leaves many of them shallow and two-dimensional. The actual mystery, as usual, is convoluted and unlikely enough to give Agatha Christie pause. Either you like that sort of mystery plot or you don't, but if you do, Penman created a nicely tangled knot with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the last two, but still quite fun
Review: In this book, Justin must travel to Wales to recover a portion of King Richard's ransom. This means that neither Nell nor Luke, my favorite characters in the series, appear at all. Instead, we have an almost entirely new cast of characters, including Molly, Justin's childhood friend and longtime crush, who might be quite interesting in subsequent books, but only if she's fleshed out a bit more. We also get to see a bit more of Bishop de Quincy. I understood from reading The Queen's Man that this was going to be a trilogy, but there are enough loose ends at the end that it is apparent that Penman anticipates at least one more Justin novel. My only quarrel with that is that she seems to have made this into too much of a transition novel. Too many new elements and characters are thrown in for Penman to do them all justice, which leaves many of them shallow and two-dimensional. The actual mystery, as usual, is convoluted and unlikely enough to give Agatha Christie pause. Either you like that sort of mystery plot or you don't, but if you do, Penman created a nicely tangled knot with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine and pleasant read
Review: It's possible that the hardest thing for an author of serial detective fiction to do is to introduce their sleuth to a new audience without boring the old, or worse, making the detective into a caricature with repetitive tics or habits. Everyone remembers Hercule Poirot's moustaches, Nero Wolfe's orchids and food, etc. This is a pitfall deftly avoided in Sharon Kay Penman's book Dragon's Lair, with her 12th century detective, Justin de Quincy. De Quincy has appeared in two other mysteries written by Penman, "The Queen's Man" and "Cruel as the Grave". After making his acquaintance in this book, I am looking forward to reading the previous ones as well. Penman succeeds here, as she does in her historical fiction, in creating believable people in other times, not just thinly disguised 20th century folk saying "Sire" and "prithee" and "yon varlet". De Quincy is the baseborn son of the (historically non-existent) Bishop of Chester, who has risen to serve the Dowager Queen of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine. The book begins in July, 1193, shortly after the capture of Richard Coeur-de-Leon by the Holy Roman Emperor whilst Richard was returning from the Crusades. Eleanor of Aquitaine is struggling to raise the ransom that will bring Richard home from Austria while trying to keep her younger son, Prince John, from stealing the throne for himself. Eleanor sends Justin de Quincy to Wales to find out what happened to a sizeable portion of the ransom, which was raised by Dafydd of Wales and allegedly stolen by his rival and nephew, Llewellyn ab Iowerth. Justin is assisted by old friends from the previous books, new friends and some childhood friends with whom he becomes re-acquainted (and in one case, quite well re-acquainted). He meets his father again and learns more about his mother. And in the end, he not only solves the mystery of the Welsh piece of the ransom, he races to save the main part of the ransom before a plot against it can be put into motion. Fans of Penman's Welsh trilogy (Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning) will meet some old friends in this book. In addition, the identity of the ultimate villain in the loss of the ransom will not be a total surprise to these readers. But this doesn't spoil the enjoyment of this book, which is well paced and plotted and more than worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: The best of her mysteries yet
Review: Ms Penman has really developed the character Justin de Quincy beautifully over the three books. This one, however, ranks as my favorite of the three. In this book, Justin visits Wales in an effort to find the stolen ransom that had been earmarked to aid in the release of King Richard. She kept me guessing till the end and she also introduced a couple of new characters, Molly and Bennet who I immediately responded to and hope to find again in the next book. The relationship between Justin and his father continues to develop very interesting new twists and Claudine makes another appearance which -though brief- has me eager for the next book as well. If you like mysteries or if you like history- this book is a fun adventure into both.
Rating:
Summary: The Characters in this book live and Breathe!
Review: Ms. Penman's charaterization is as wonderful as always in this third book of Justin deQuincy. Even though she writes of a long-dead era and of historical figures, her characters come to life in her books. Her historical research is impeccable, and she weaves real with imaginary into a glowing tapestry that leaves the reader breathless. This is the best in the "the Queen's Man" series, and my only regret is that she can't seem to write her books fast enough for my taste. I have read all of her historicals, and now three of her mysteries, and I can hardly wait for the next one (in either genre). This book takes place in the summer and fall of 1193, and Queen Eleanor is again trying to raise a "king's ransom" to free her favourite son, King Richard. She calls on all corners of the kingdom to supply ransom money and goods, and while one of the ransoms is making it's way to London it gets stolen. Eleanor sends her man Justin de Quincy to Wales to find the ransom. And of course wherever Justin goes, murder soon follows. But it's the wonderful characters that make the book so special. It's a humdinger!
Rating:
Summary: Great historical mystery
Review: 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
Rating: 
Summary: (3.5)Chivalrous knights and dastardly deeds
Review: Penman has few peers in this genre, given years of comprehensive research of the Medieval England. She infuses her characters with believable personalities, both noble and Draconian. It is not surprising, then, that the author returns this familiar territory for her recent series of mysteries. As Penman sets out to conquer the mystery/suspense genre, Dragon's Lair, set in 1193, proves her most accomplished to date. Justin de Quincy, formerly the Queen's Man, on retainer and responsible only to the Queen of England, returns in a tale set in England and Wales. Richard Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitane's oldest son, is captured and imprisoned in Austria by the Holy Roman Emperor, while Richard is traveling home from his last crusade in the Ottoman Empire. An enormous ransom is demanded for Richard's release and Eleanor is determined to meet the outrageous demand, no matter the cost to her kingdom or the burden it puts on her subjects. All of her attention is centered on the return of her most beloved son; Eleanor is virtually unable to attend any other business of the crown until Richard's dilemma is resolved. Richard is arguably one of the most important assets to the Throne at that time in history. Meanwhile, Richard's youngest brother, John, secretly plots to keep his older brother incarcerated, in collusion with King Philippe of France. John harbors no illusions about his older brother and his own position regarding succession. A valuable shipment of wool, meant for the ransom coffers, is hijacked en route from Wales. Eleanor appoints Justin de Quincy as her personal emissary, charged with retrieving the ransom. She is desperate to recover the stolen goods, which will serve to facilitate Richard's speedy return. Justin's first visits the scene of the crime, Wales, where he is offered the questionable hospitality of Rhuddlan Castle, the guest of Davydd ab Owain and his wife, Emma of Anjou. Davydd has gone to great lengths to direct the blame at his rival in the region, Llewelyn ob Iowerth, the charismatic Welsh prince who served as the protagonist in Penman's Here Be Dragons. It never occurs to Davydd that his machinations are too obvious to Justin, who affects ignorance of the Welsh language, the better to eavesdrop on his hosts. Given Davydd's suspect motives, Justin ignores his host, guided by his own intuition. As Justin travels between Wales and the English coast, he uncovers a much more sinister plot. Secretly, and with the aid of the infamous Llewelyn, Justin visits various locales in Northern Wales, where he stumbles across a plan that is truly Machiavellian. Justin is impressed by the Llewelyn's candor and obvious leadership and decides to trust the young prince, at least for now. In the port city of Chester, England, while visiting murky dockside alehouses, Justin stumbles across even more damning information. Penman's description of life in 1190's England and Wales is picturesque, her broad canvas filled with ribald characters, nefarious criminals and cynics who crave nothing but personal gain. The author draws on considerable expertise when crafting Dragon's Lair, having established herself as a master of Medieval English history in her previous novels. Penman has a loyal fan base that has enjoyed the wealth of historical fiction she has published over the years. The trustworthy young Justin de Quincy, a likeable and stalwart supporter of the throne, shows promise of more adventure, either as the Queen's man or a trusted friend of Llewelyn, the Welsh prince. Such chivalrous men stand tall in history, at a time when boys dream that they too may someday slay dragons. Luan Gaines/2003.
Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful de Quincy mystery
Review: Queen Eleanor (formerly of Aquitaine) is in a bit of a quandary. . . Her son, King Richard (of Lionheart fame) is being held for ransom in a German dungeon. She's trying desperately to raise the ransom money while her other son, Prince John (you know, the "phony king of England") is trying equally as hard to keep her from succeeding. He wants to be King, and is quite willing to pay the Germans more to keep good old Coeur d' Lion languishing. When the ransom from Wales gets highjacked, the Queen calls for her trusted man, and the hero of our story, Justin de Quincy. She knows, thanks to two other novels, that Justin will follow her desire to keep John's name out of any scandal while finding out just what IS going on. With Dragon's Lair, Sharon Kay Penman spins another great medieval tale full of the flavor and danger those times possessed. Justin de Quincy has become one of my favorite problem solvers and I'm looking forward to the next problem that comes his way--though there's no date set for it as yet--with hopes that more of his past will come to light (as much for his benefit as mine) and with great curiosity as to what will happen to the two women in his life, Claudine and Molly.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting medieval action
Review: Richard the Lion Hearted is being held by the Holy Roman Emperor and all England is straining to raise his ransom--except Prince John, of course, who fears for his life if his brother returns. When one caravan of ransom money is ambushed, Queen Eleanor sends her young agent Justin de Quincy to find the missing treasure. What de Quincy finds is plots within plots as Welsh prinices seek to take advantage of the situation. De Quincy travels between Wales and England looking for clues to the missing treasure. Aided by a friendly knight, a childhood friend, and several beautiful women, De Quincy picks up hints of a plot, but finding proof is more difficult. Discovering the treasure is most difficult of all--if it hasn't been destroyed in the first place. Author Sharon Kay Penman delivers a romp of a story. Queen Eleanor and Prince John are carefully rendered as the complex and tortured people they were. This isn't a classic mystery with subtle clues, cartloads of red herrings, and deep-thinking detectives. But if you're looking for a bit of action, some really nice historical detail, and a swashbuckling young hero, DRAGON'S LAIR is a definite winner.
Rating:
Summary: Penman scores another historical 'intrigue'
Review: Sharon Kay Penman has written some six historical novels and two medieval mysteries. Now comes "Dragon's Lair" and Penman is, once again, on top of her form. Once more, she delves
into the intricacies, the mysteries, the intrigues of 12th century England. Richard the Lionheart has
been captured and is held in prison awaiting the proper ransom. His brother John, meanwhile, is
comfortably at home in England, continuing to conspire to grab the throne. Naturally, it is in his
interest for Richard not to come home. But a major obstacle to him is their mother, the dowager Queen, the inestimable and
inimitable Eleanor of Aquataine, who begins proceedings to pay the ransom and get her favorite
back home. A ransom payment is made but, alas, the money gets highjacked; it disappears. Lucky
for Eleanor, her "agent," Justin de Quincy is called in to help. (We've met de Quincy in an earlier
Penman, "The Queen's Man.") Soon after, there is another complication: a murder. De Quincy
sets about, determined to aid his Queen and to solve the murder. Penman makes "Dragon's Lair"
one of her most suspenceful reads, complex, mesmerizing, well-researched. Her abilitiy to make
fictional characters from historical eras come alive, at once convincing and intriguing, is an aspect
that makes her one of the best around in this genre. The style of writing is solid and moves along at
a nice gait, galloping steadfastly toward the finish line--it's a race against time for the characters;
alas, the end comes much too quickly for the reader. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)
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