Review of DRAGON'S LAIR by Sharon Kay Penman

A MEDIEVAL MYSTERY

Marion Wood/G. P. Putnam's Sons, October 2003

Richard the Lion Hearted is being held by the Holy Roman Emperor and all England is straining to raise his ransom--except Prince John, of course, who fears for his life if his brother returns. When one caravan of ransom money is ambushed, Queen Eleanor sends her young agent Justin de Quincy to find the missing treasure. What de Quincy finds is plots within plots as Welsh prinices seek to take advantage of the situation.

De Quincy travels between Wales and England looking for clues to the missing treasure. Aided by a friendly knight, a childhood friend, and several beautiful women, De Quincy picks up hints of a plot, but finding proof is more difficult. Discovering the treasure is most difficult of all--if it hasn't been destroyed in the first place.

Author Sharon Kay Penman delivers a romp of a story. Queen Eleanor and Prince John are carefully rendered as the complex and tortured people they were. This isn't a classic mystery with subtle clues, cartloads of red herrings, and deep-thinking detectives. But if you're looking for a bit of action, some really nice historical detail, and a swashbuckling young hero, DRAGON'S LAIR is a definite winner.

Four Stars

Reviewed 12/23/03

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