Cruel As the Grave: A Medieval Mystery

This is the first novel I've read by Ms. Penman. I have to admit, I was intruiged by the cover, as well as the title. I do enjoy historical fiction, and this novel did not disappoint. Only after beginning to read this novel did I discover that it was second in a series, the first being The Queen's Man. The story is set in England of 1193, truly the 'Dark Ages'. Young Justin de Quincy, who happens to have Queen Eleanor's (the mother of the infamous John and the famous Richard the Lionhearted) ear is thrust into the center of courtly politics. Richard is missing, captured somewhere off in the Crusades, and Prince John is making dangerous a bid for power.

This is not the only trouble Quincy is involved in, however. A poor young woman was brutally murdered in a graveyard late at night. Two well-to-do brothers are suspected of the crime, one who was romantically linked to the girl, and the other who wished he could have her favors. Quincy is called upon to help solve the murder and bring the killer to justice. Quincy must be a resourceful man, they don't call him 'The Queen's Man' for nothing, but can he solve this complicated crime? One of the most intriguing parts of the novel is just how law enforcement solves a murder in 1193 without fingerprints or crime-scene forensics.

The first novel in this two novel series is The Queen's Man.