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
Rating:
Summary: Superior Historical Mystery
Review: From the opening lines: "Do you think the king is dead?" we are immersed in the tumultous medieval society of Plantagenet England. Justin de Quincy, the series' hero, is an engaging and earnest young man, who, during a ride to London, comes across a robbery and attempts to stop it. The victim dies, leaving Justin with a letter intended for England's regent, the redoubtable Eleanor of Aquitaine -- and so begins a compelling and exciting journey into a world of terrible secrets, mysteries, and courage.
I have become a great fan of historical novels since I read C.W. Gortner's THE SECRET LION. Penman's book, while quite different in time period and in presentation, echoes that book with its intelligent and spirited hero, whose past is a dark cloud over his future; and in his quest to assist a royal person in need. Likewise, the characters shine through, depicted with great authority by a writer who has obviously done the research. The smells and sensations of medieval London are brought vividly to life, and some of the actual ways in which medieval detectives investigated a crime are fascinating.
This is a thrilling read, for historical fiction and mystery fans alike. I heartily recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Work by Penman
Review: I am an avid fan of Penman's work. I decided to try these mystery books, because I wanted a shorter read than the 700+ page books she writes. I was very pleased with my decision! While it lacked the romance of "Here Be Dragons", which is why it didn't get a five star rating, the characters were still engaging and entertaining. Trying to figure out the mystery was also a different twist from her other novels and I found it to be very enjoyable. Penman's strengths lie with the fact she can intertwine historical fact so well with fiction. You never know where the truth ends and the fiction begins and in the end you are always in love with the characters. I admired the strength of Eleanor and the courage of Justin and as with "Here Be Dragons", I felt that these characters stuck with me long after closing the cover to the book. I recommend to anyone, but if you want the best of the best from Penman, read "Here Be Dragons"...
Rating:
Summary: A fun read!
Review: I love all of Sharon Penman's books, including this one (though admittedly it is neither as "deep" nor as detailed as her major works). Still, if you're a medieval fan, you're going to enjoy this work. On the other hand, if you're really looking more for a detective story, you may be a bit disappointed--the "mystery" is at the periphery, not at the heart of the book: that is reserved for Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Queen's Man and Medieval England! Penman brings to this book what she brings to all of her books: her love of the Middle Ages, her vast knowledge of the period, and her extraordinary writing ability.
Rating:
Summary: Combining mystery, medieval England, and excellent writing
Review: I was about 100 pages into this book 24 hours ago. However, since I'd checked it out from the local library, I had to return it today. So, yeah. 200 pages in about 20 hours. And I really didn't mind. The Queen's Man follows Justin de Quincy, an illegitimate child of a bishop, as he investigates the murder of a goldsmith that he just happened to witness. Very soon, the Queen of England, her son, most of the court, the King of France, sheriffs of two English towns, and an entire London street find themselves wrapped up in Justin's work. Sharon Kay Penman managed to combine three things I love: mystery, medieval England, and an awesome writing style. It's a fascinating book, and she's excellent at weaving a plot in such a way that you're kept guessing right up until the end--things never end up where you expect them to be.
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: 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: 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: MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SLEUTHING . .. SOMETIMES GOOD
Review: Penman wrote these medieval mysteries to take a break from her more flowery medieval prose. Unlike the latter, she didn't necessarily know what the outcome would be to various mysteries so it gave her a new stretch in her writing career.
QUEEN'S MAN follows the ... son of a Bishop who, by chance, is charged by Queen Eleanor to solve the mystery of a murdered goldsmith in connection with Richard the Lion Hearted. During this investigation, our hero meets a number of suspisciou people in the town, as well as makes a few friends here and there.
The dialogue and descriptions are sparse compared to her more Historical works. If anything, this series focuses on movement
and pacing. I would say this is more of a fun and quick read than the usual elegant, flowery and heart breaking Historical pieces Penman is usually know for in her works.
Rating:
Summary: A Lark of a Historical Murder Mystery
Review: Sharon Kay Penman has made her mark writing "traditional" historical fiction about medieval England ("The Sunne in Splendour," "Here Be Dragons," etc.). These books are magnificent, titanic books that throw the reader headlong into the power struggles among the "movers and shakers" of the British Isles and across the Channel in France. Similar to Colleen McCullough's "The Masters of Rome" series, these novels are replete with vivid battles and court dramas.
With "The Queen's Man," Penman takes on a slightly different genre -- the murder mystery. Fans of her other works will be pleased to note that Penman has not lost her talent for transporting the reader back to the England of Queen Eleanor (the novel takes place in the winter of 1192-93, after Eleanor's husband Henry II has shuffled off the mortal coil). But while novels such as "While Christ and His Saints Slept" had a certain amount of melancholy that results from a civil war, "The Queen's Man" is a much more humorous, light-hearted affair, as if Penman knows she's taking on lighter fare.
Well, lighter to an extent -- this *is* a murder mystery, after all. King Richard is missing, lost somewhere after departing for the Crusades from Venice. Justin de Quincy, the educated bastard of a respected bishop, nearly thwarts a murder, and the dying victim entrusts a mysterious letter to Justin, a letter that concerns Richard that must be brought to the Queen . . . a blood-soaked letter, to be sure.
A worthy diamond-in-the-rough, Justin soon finds himself "the Queen's Man," charged by Eleanor with tracking down who murdered the letter carrier. Penman may be writing her first mystery, but she is a natural, peppering the tale with red herrings, bloody fights, rampant duplicity, and a bevy of motives. Chock full of vivid characters and cliff-hangers, "The Queen's Man" is a thrill for both fans of murder mysteries and historical fiction.
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