Prince of Darkness (42 page)
Read Prince of Darkness Online
Authors: Sharon Penman
Richard Lionheart’s wet nurse was Hodierna Neckham, and her son, Alexander, proudly boasted of being Richard’s milk-brother. I couldn’t resist using that royal connection for Justin’s daughter, Aline. Justin is, of course, a fictional character mingling with actual historical figures, as are Durand and Claudine. Emma is based upon a real woman, however, sister to one king, aunt to two others, wife to a Welsh prince—and a blessing to a novelist in need of a quickwitted sophisticate with very sharp claws. I suspect that we have not seen the last of Emma.
There was no forged letter implicating John in a plot to assassinate Richard. There was very bad blood, though, between Duchess Constance and the English Royal House, and John was later threatened by a similar ploy when the French king attempted to dupe Richard into believing that John had switched his loyalties again; fortunately for John, he won that particular credibility duel.
Henry and Eleanor and
Devil’s Brood
are next on my agenda. But if I may borrow a line from Bernard Cornwell and his marvelous Sharpe series: Justin will march again.
S.K.P.
September 2004
In my last mystery,
Dragon’s Lair,
I quoted my favorite line from
Casablanca:
“Round up the usual suspects.” Well, nothing has changed and the same cast gets top billing again. I have been blessed with the editor of every writer’s dreams—Marian Wood; may she never consider retirement. I’ve been blessed, as well, with two remarkable agents, Molly Friedrich and Mic Cheetham. They deserve my gratitude and appreciation, as do the friends who continue to support me in my times of doubt, even in my occasional “diva” moments: Earle Kotila, Jill Davies, Marilynn Summers, Peggy Barrett, and my computer guru, Lowell LaMont. I’d like to thank my brother Bill for proving to me that the camera does not really hate me, and my dad for passing on the Penman writing gene. And, of course, Valerie Ptak LaMont, who helped me navigate those lonely Breton roads; there is much to be said for a friend with excellent map-reading skills.
AD 1193. England lies uneasy, a land without a king. Richard the Lionheart has not returned from Crusade, his brother John conspires to usurp the crown. On the throne, in the Lionheart’s stead, sits Eleanor of Aquitaine. She is determined to prevent the outbreak of civil war, but there are few she can trust. Justin de Quincy – a man without title or land – is one of the few.
December: As the Queen’s man, de Quincy has already encountered Prince John’s murderous intrigues. But now the King’s brother has asked for his aid. John tells of a document implicating him in a plot to kill his brother. Despite his hunger for the crown, John swears he is innocent. He must find the forger and prove the document false before the Lionheart hears of it.
It takes more than John’s sly charms to persuade Justin, but the welfare of the Queen is also at stake. This concession will take him to a bloody chamber on Mont-Saint-Michel, a deadly encounter in a Paris cemetery, and, ultimately, to the unraveling of a conspiracy that might have changed the course of history.
The Queen’s Man
“Penman is a superb storyteller.”
—The Miami-Herald
“Once you enter Penman’s world, you’re hooked.” —
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Energetic and adroitly plotted... Justin is so beguiling, and the action so lively and unpredictable, that readers will cheer Justin’s return in further adventures.” —
Publisher’s Weekly
“Well researched, credibly plotted, realistically detailed, and undeniably entertaining.” —
Library Journal
“A glowing, living tapestry. This is storytelling at its finest” —
The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Full of swordplay, bawdy byplay, and derring-do,
The Queen’s Man
is a full-bodied historical romp, steeped in period detail.” —
The Houston Chronicle
Cruel as the Grave
“Masterfully told… Penman’s authentic period details, larger-than-life characters and fast-paced plot add up to great reading for both mystery fans and history buffs.” —
Booklist
“Penman writes about the medieval world and its people with vigor, compassion, and clarity.” —
San Francisco Chronicle
“Penman’s lively, articulate prose brings to life history as it could have happened–high praise for a historical mystery.” —
Houston Chronicle
“Sharon Kay Penman tells her stories with passion and a strong sense of time and place.” —Margaret Frazer, author of the
Sister Frevisse
novels
Dragon’s Lair
“A pleasure to read.” —
Publishers Weekly
“A polished and absorbing historical mystery.” —
Kirkus
Prince of Darkness
“Penman deftly weaves actual historical events into the narrative with nary a false note.” —
Publishers Weekly
“The historical detail is scrupulously accurate without being presented as a history lesson.” —
Library Journal
THE QUEEN’S MAN SERIES
AD 1193. England lies uneasy, a land without a king. Richard the Lionheart is feared drowned on his return from Crusade, his brother John conspires to usurp the crown.
On the throne, in the Lionheart’s stead, sits Eleanor of Aquitaine. At seventy, Eleanor is the most powerful woman in Christendom, mother of both Richard and John and no stranger to the vicissitudes of royal family politics. She is determined to prevent the outbreak of civil war, but at court treachery is endemic and there are few men she can trust.
Justin de Quincy is bastard-born son of the Aubrey de Quincy, Bishop of Chester. The Bishop never acknowledged Justin, bestowing on the boy – in lieu of name or fortune – only an education. As it happens, it is a gift that will make de Quincy a ‘Queen’s Man’ taking him to the very centre of power – and into the heart of danger.
Moving from the royal chambers in the Tower of London to the alehouses and stews of Southwark, from the horrors of Newgate Gaol to the bustling streets of Winchester, from to the mountains of Wales to the wild coasts of Brittany, de Quincy will prove his mettle – or find an early grave – as he uncovers the dark intrigues of Eleanor’s court.
January 1193
De Quincy is charged by a dying man to deliver a bloodstained letter to the Queen and finds himself caught between two hunts: one for a killer, the other for the throne.
The Queen’s Man
is available
here
.
April 1193
The murder of a young girl interferes with de Quincy’s mission to deliver a message to Count John, currently besieged in Windsor Castle.
Cruel as the Grave
is available
here
.