April 1193. England’s King Richard Lionheart languishes in a German prison, and treason scents the air. Richard’s younger brother, John...
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reviews
Jan 26, 2010
Sidhe1
rated it: 
Another fun medieval mystery from SKP. The only reason I don't give the mysteries 5 stars is because her "real" historical fictions are so incredible and detailed and amazing that I can't in good conscience rate these shorter, less complex books on par with those.
I liked this one better than the previous. I really liked that Justin tried to help solve Melangell's murder on his own time, without orders from Eleanor. Not that I think he would have hesitated--he's a good man. B More...
I liked this one better than the previous. I really liked that Justin tried to help solve Melangell's murder on his own time, without orders from Eleanor. Not that I think he would have hesitated--he's a good man. B More...
May 02, 2011
Catherine
rated it:
The second Justin de Quincy mediaeval mystery from renowned historical novelist Sharon Kay Penman focuses on the murder of a pedlar's daughter. Fifteen-year-old Melangell was found dead in a churchyard. The obvious culprit: Daniel Aston, black-sheep son of Humphrey, a well-to-do mercer. Agnes, one of the women who nursed Justin after his near-fatal encounter with Gilbert the Fleming (in *The Queen's Man*) and Daniel's aunt, begs Justin to investigate.
The mystery is played out against t More...
The mystery is played out against t More...
May 26, 2011
Mary
rated it:
I enjoyed this book a lot. It is the 2nd in the Justin De Quincy series, and it is very enjoyable to get to know the characters. I love the medieval setting - it seems like a feat for the author to have done enough research to create the scenery, the details of daily life, and the language of the period. She makes the reader aware of the practical concerns of getting around, communicating with people, making a living, and even methods of perpetrating violence in a world where there are no car
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Oct 04, 2009
Anna
rated it: 
In all the others work I have read by her, I have found Sharon Kay Penman to be a really engaging storytelling, weaving historical facts seamlessly in with human drama. But in this case I feel like the story was too disjointed. This book is ostensibly about Justin's attempts to figure out who murdered a 15 year old girl in the local cemetery. Justin and the his neighbors on Gracechurch street live an interesting life and are interesting characters in their own right, so I don't know why Penman f
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Jan 27, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
Second in the series, fictional detective a.k.a. "The Queen's Man" Justin de Quincy takes on another side case to his work for Queen Eleanore. The story is set in the historically accurate time period of the political scheming of John while his brother Richard Lionheart was held captive in Austria, and in London, England. Sharon Kay Penman masterfully weaves the fiction into the facts her historian background provides her with... and gives us a peek into the lives of ordinary people
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Sep 17, 2007
Simone
rated it: 
Much like the first book. I'm finding the mysteries a little obvious and the characterizations a little clunky, so this is probably the last of this series I'll read.
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Dec 10, 2009
Abby
rated it:
Book 2 in the Justin de Quincy series, Cruel as the Grave find de Quincy doing double duty as the Queen's Man, negotiating between would-be-King John and his mother Eleanor, as well as hunting down the killer of a local Welsh girl who was brutally murdered in a churchyard. The dual mysteries as well as the attention to historic detail kept me riveted. The cast of characters is brilliantly written, from the beautiful and wily Claudine, the tart-tongued Nell, tough-guy Luke, and my favorite, th
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Nov 17, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
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.
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 Historica More...
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 Historica More...
Nov 12, 2011
Melanie
rated it:
Justin de Quincy is back again in the 2nd book of this medieval series. Justin is called upon by a friend to solve the murder of a 15-year old Welsh girl Melangell who was killed in the church graveyard. The accused are two brothers who seem to be hiding something are not helpful in solving the mystery of this young girl. The father also seems to be hiding something. Again Justin has his work cut out for him to find a killer and the reason why.[return][return]It is April 1193 and Justin is summo
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Mar 03, 2011
Dolly
rated it:
It's been almost three years since I read the first book in this series. Our previous library system did not carry this next book, and I forgot about it. So I'm glad that I've picked up the Justin de Quincy series again. This book was not quite as thrilling as the first and I think the mystery was easy to solve. But overall, I found the tale to be quite interesting. I like the historical foundation of the story as well as the dialogue dripping with Olde English idioms. I have to give Sharon Kay Penman
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Aug 07, 2011
Kendra
rated it:
And the story continues…I had no idea that Cruel as the Grave continued the story of Justin de Quincy as the Queen’s Man. I was pleasantly surprised to find all of the familiar characters back in place as Justin continues to work for the Queen and solve another murder mystery, in his free time. This is a light and enjoyable mystery. The characters are colorful and lively and Penman does a fantastic job of porting the reader back through time to walk the streets of London, April 1193.
Dec 31, 2011
Becky
rated it:
The second in the Medieval mystery series featuring Justin now elevated as the Queen's man (Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine)was even more interesting to me than the first. The three story plots are nicely interwoven and the murder Justine must solve was better drawn. As with the other one, I especially like the detailed reflection of social conditions during this period. Again, well written.
Aug 07, 2010
Katie
rated it: 
I absolutely loved these books about Justin de Quincy with their mixture of historical fiction and mystery plot. They're a good mix of fictional and historical characters, and increased my understanding of English history. I just had one small disappointment -- that some of the (admittedly minor) characters that I really liked in the first book or two had a smaller role in the later books.
Dec 14, 2008
Jeanne
rated it:
Jerry and Marnie have told me for years to read Penman's books "Here be Dragons" and "Falls the Shadow". We have them on the bookshelves downstairs but I don't typically love the genre and the books are really long so I've never read them. Marnie lent me "Cruel as the Grave" when we were there for Thanksgiving. It's quite short so I read it as a trial run and liked it. It's a medieval, quasi-historial mystery. I'll put "Here be Dragons" in my queue no
Nov 12, 2009
Pat
rated it: 
I should have read a little more about this book. It's a teen book. Simplistic. A young woman is murdered, and the hero sets out to discover the murderer. The plot twist at the end was clever, so it kept my attention. But for me, the nod to the 11th century with a few "certes" mixed in with modern language just didn't work.
Feb 13, 2011
Abigail
rated it:
It's been a while since I read the first book in this series, but I think I liked this one better. The historical detail is great and I really like her protagonist. Penman also makes Eleanor of Aquitaine a great character. The mystery is good one as well and she keeps you guessing. Fun, quick read.
May 21, 2010
Lori
rated it:
I liked this second book in Sharon Kay Penman's Justin de Quincy series even better than The Queen's Man. I liked the interactions between Justin and Eleanor and other historical figures including Eleanor's youngest son, John, and the greatest knight of the age, William Marshal.
Jul 26, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
The fit between events of historical importance and common life was less comfortable this time around and the solution to the mystery telegraphed too early, but still a fun read.
Apr 02, 2009
Cynthiaj
rated it:
Second in the Justin deQuincy books, it is another fine mystery. It fed my appetite the first one (Queen's Man) generated and whetted it for the next one (Dragon's Lair).
Jul 20, 2010
Jenn
rated it:
Not nearly as beautifully written as Ellis Peters, but still a fun read for anyone interested in a medieval English historical setting, with some mystery/espionage to boot.
Feb 07, 2011
Chandra
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Yay for finding a new historical fiction author! Penman's Cruel as the Grave was quite good and I appreciated that she was very mindful of the historical record in her research for the book.
Aug 30, 2009
Nathalie
rated it:
I'm getting so I like these Justin de Quincy books. They are well written and keep me on edge as he manages to wend his way through all of the traps set for him.
Sep 08, 2010
Psirene
rated it:
Nice historical mystery that takes place during the later years of Elenore of Aquitaine. Not as well written as the Mistress of death series but enjoyable.
Dec 11, 2011
Chrissy
rated it:
Extremely enjoyable.
I raced right through it, eager to enjoy some time with Justin De Quincy, but even more to chance an encounter with the supporting cast who really bring the story to life.
The only complaints I can make are that the detours into royal intrigue overshadowed the investigation, and even that is half-hearted as the intrigue was good too.
I raced right through it, eager to enjoy some time with Justin De Quincy, but even more to chance an encounter with the supporting cast who really bring the story to life.
The only complaints I can make are that the detours into royal intrigue overshadowed the investigation, and even that is half-hearted as the intrigue was good too.
Nov 03, 2008
Laura
rated it:
This was a fun book, and appropriate reading for Halloween. I sadly don't know enough about Richard I's reign to comment on the historical accuracy of the setting - this is probably a relief to most of you, actually. The story was good, although slightly predictable, and I think it might have been better if I had read The Queen's Man first (this is the first book featuring Justin de Quincy, the detective). There are several allusions to the previous story, and although the author explains wha
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Sep 20, 2010
Charlene
rated it:
Sharon Kay Penman is one of my favorite authors. This series is not as exciting as Here be Dragons, but still a good read.
Feb 06, 2012
Samantha
rated it:
As usual, SKP is flawless in her creation of the late 12th century including Eleanor of Aquitaine and her treacherous son John. I found this 2nd of the De Quincy novels more entertaining than the first as there was two storylines carried out and the mystery had a more satisfying ending than the first novel (The Queen's Man). Though not completely unpredictable the murder of young Mellangel did keep me guessing, maybe it was him . . . no maybe him, until the very end. The drama between Eleanor a
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