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Bezig met laden... The Queen's Man (1996)door Sharon Kay Penman
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. This was an enjoyable light read, took a little while to get into it but once it got going I read it quite quickly. ( ) En 1193, el joven Justin de Quincy descubre casualmente una pista que puede desvelar el paradero de Ricardo Corazón de León, a quien se da por muerto. Leonor de Aquitania, la reina que escandalizó al mundo al divorciarse del que sería rey de Francia, Luis VII, para casarse con Enrique II, le encomienda una investigación que le obligará a adentrarse en el complejo y peligroso mundo de las intrigas que rodean la corte de Leonor. This is one of the best of the few Mysteries I've read, entertaining and plausible without ever being tedious. The plot itself isn't historically accurate, but the setting, characters, and action feel period-appropriate and the important details of the time period are solid. Words I learned from this book: Alaunt - An extinct breed of dog, generally resembling a mastiff Certes - Certainly, assuredly Compline - Evening prayers Cresset lamp - A lamp where the wick is contained in a cup or basket. Lazar - A poor and diseased person, especially one afflicted by a feared, contagious disease such as leprosy. Leman - A lover or sweetheart, most often a mistress. Malmsey - A sweet fortified wine. Rouncey - An ordinary, all-purpose horse. Settle - (noun) A wooden bench with a high back and arms, typically incorporating a box under the seat. Vituperative - Bitter and abusive. Competent and entertaining historical mystery set at the time of Eleanor of Acquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Penman is a good story teller and knows the details of daily life very well. But as I often find with this genre mix, the interests of historical fiction clash with the contrived requirements of the mystery story. In this case, the early promise of court intrigue involving the kidnapped King Richard and his dastardly brother Prince John never come to anything. Instead we are served up a conventional murder mystery with some characters who would seem more at home in a 1940s B-movie mystery. Also, while the main characters are engaging and sympathetic, too often they do not seem to act or speak like people of their time. What promises to be a new series of medieval murder mysteries gets off to a flying start with a likable hero in Justin de Quincy, the bastard son of a bishop. Justin stumbles across a botched ambush and discovers that the victim is carrying a letter for Queen Eleanor. The letter contains information regarding the whereabouts of her missing son, King Richard the Lionheart. Justin is commissioned by the Queen to investigate the circumstances regarding the ambush. Could Richard's enemies be aware of the letter's contents or did the letter-bearer's family have a more pressing motive for his death ? Is John, Richard's ambitious, wily brother behind the plot ? Justin must use all his wits to search for the truth. In addition, Justin must decide who he can trust. A beautiful lady in waiting who is not all what she seems, an arrogant under sheriff, and a vicious double spy serve to complicate matters. The search takes Justin to the seedy backstreets of London to track down a ruthless assassin. Justin is a likable hero and there are enough twists and turns in the plot to make this an enjoyable read.
"The accomplished author of historical novels employs some stereotypical characters (if he sneers, he's a villain) and much cliched prose (""...her mouth as soft and ripe as Summer strawberries""), yet Justin is so beguiling and, the action so lively and unpredictable, that readers will cheer Justin's return in further adventures." "A graceful style, plus a plot rich in local color, puts this among the most attractive by far of the recent spate of mysteries set in medieval times." Onderdeel van de reeks(en)Is opgenomen inPrijzenErelijsten
The 12th Century sleuth, Justin de Quincy, investigates a murder which could shed light on a plot to usurp the crown of England. Prince John is scheming to unseat his brother, King Richard the Lionheart, who went missing as he was returning from a crusade. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
Auteur ChatSharon Kay Penman heeft van Aug 10, 2009 tot Aug 21, 2009 gechat met LibraryThing leden. Lees de chat. Actuele discussiesGeenPopulaire omslagen
Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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