Critical Praise

"Penman has done it again. . . . The medieval backdrop is fascinating, and lends itself perfectly to a novel of mystery and suspense. "

———suspensebooks.miningco.com

"Penman transports the reader into the sights, sounds, and smells of the 1100s. The queen's man is a perceptive young man who puts justice before all else. "

———The Glynco Observer

"Penman has a good feel for the period . . . [and] delivers atmosphere, plotting and nicely modulated characters. "

———Publishers Weekly

"Attractive to the ladies. Loyal to his queen. Brave in a fight. And committed to fighting injustice. He could be James Bond. Or he could be the very likable Justin de Quincy. . . . Penman's lively, articulate prose brings to life history as it could have happened--high praise for a historical mystery. "

———Houston Chronicle

"The historical detail is luscious. "

———Library Journal

"The second de Quincy Medieval mystery, Cruel as the Grave, is a fantastic historical who-done-it . . . only a skilled author could manage to take readers on an amazing trip back to the twelfth century as happens with this book. "

———Feminist Mystery Reviews

"A must-read, must-have mystery. "

———Booklist