The book is divided into two separate and distinct stories. One describes the factors leading to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine's siege of her son John's forces at Windsor castle and the other involves the mystery surrounding a poor Welsh girl's murder. The only thing these two stories have in common is that they both involve Penman's protagonist/hero Justin de Quincy (elevated to the status of "Queen's Man" in Penman's first novel in the series by the same name. ) Though Penman repeatedly points out that Eleanor's John and one of the suspected murderers are both unloved second sons, the similarity was never enough of an excuse to integrate the two stories. Either plotline could have stood alone.

Though it is obvious Penman knows her history – there are some wonderful thumbnail sketches of war machines and her details of everyday life ring true – she offers no analysis of or rationale for her historical figures' actions, leaving this reader feeling shortchanged. What should have been a high moment of drama – John's withdrawal from Windsor as a result of a covert message sent by his mother via de Quincy – ends anti-climactically.

As for the "mystery." Nah-uh. The oh-so-obvious omission in one suspect's "confession" broadcast at high decibels that suspect's innocence. Couple this with the fact that de Quincy didn't immediately catch what any even partially interested reader couldn't miss, made de Quincy appear dull-witted – not a good thing in a detective hero.

Which leads to the final problem in this book; the hero. Justin de Quincy is simply too good, too decent, and too noble to be interesting. He performs more virtuous acts than a saint on his feast day. De Quincy rescues a drowning dog from thugs, nurses an ill horse back to health, guarantees the future of his treacherous girlfriend's unborn baby (which may or may not be his), risks life and limb to deliver a message to the evil John, succors his queen, agrees to clear a friend's nephews of murder, and finally buys a mule for one of the deserving poor. Granted a hero should be heroic, but he must never be bland.

Cruel as the Grave isn't cruel, it's simply callow – a little underdeveloped and a tad self-conscious. As a fan of Ms. Penman's historical novels, I'm hoping her adolescent hero, and mystery-writing, soon mature.

--Parker O'Connor