Editing Sharon Kay Penman

{{Short description|American historical novelist (1945–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{good article}}
{{infobox writer
|name=Sharon Kay Penman
|image=Sharon Kay Penman.png
|caption=Sharon Kay Penman in 2005
|birth_date={{birth date|1945|8|13}}
|birth_place=[[New York City]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2021|1|22|1945|8|13}}
|occupation=Novelist
|nationality=American
|education=[[University of Texas at Austin]]<br>[[Rutgers Law School]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|website={{url|http://www.sharonkaypenman.com}}
}}
'''Sharon Kay Penman''' (August 13, 1945 – January 22, 2021) was an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She was best known for the Welsh Princes Trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she wrote four medieval mysteries, the first of which, ''The Queen's Man'', was a finalist in 1996 for the Best First Mystery [[Edgar Award]].<ref name="The Edgar Awards Database">{{cite web |title=The Edgar Awards Database |url=http://www.theedgars.com/edgarsDB/index.php |publisher=Mystery Writers of America |access-date=2010-02-14 |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927165310/http://www.theedgars.com/edgarsDB/index.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

Her novels and mysteries are set in England, France, and Wales, and are about English and Welsh royalty during the [[Middle Ages]]. ''The Sunne in Splendour'', her first book, is a stand-alone novel about King [[Richard III of England]] and the [[Wars of the Roses]]. When the manuscript was stolen she started again and rewrote the book.

Her work was generally well received, with the more recent novels reaching the ''New York Times Bestseller List''. Critics have praised her meticulous research of settings and events presented in her fiction, as well as the characterizations.<ref>{{cite news |first=George |last=Johnson |title=New and Noteworthy: The Sunne in Splendour |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/04/books/new-noteworthy.html|newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 2, 1990 |access-date=2009-07-18}}</ref>

Penman died from pneumonia on January 22, 2021, at the age of 75.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Risen|first=Clay|date=2021-01-29|title=Sharon Kay Penman, Whose Novels Plumbed Britain's Past, Dies at 75|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/books/sharon-kay-penman-dead.html|access-date=2021-01-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

== Career ==
Born in [[New York City]], Penman grew up in New Jersey. She received her bachelor's degree from the [[University of Texas at Austin]], where she majored in history. She also received a [[Juris Doctor]] (J.D.) degree from [[Rutgers University]] School of Law, and worked as a tax lawyer before becoming a writer.<ref name=Penguin>{{cite web|title=Sharon Kay Penman|url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000024746,00.html|publisher=2009 Penguin.com|access-date=2009-07-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225233215/http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000024746,00.html|archive-date=December 25, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> While a student, Penman researched and wrote ''[[The Sunne in Splendour]]'' that chronicled the life of [[Richard III of England|Richard III]]. When the 400-page manuscript was stolen from her car, Penman found herself unable to write for the next five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=What Authors do to Protect MSS |author=McDowell, Edwin |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 16, 1982 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/16/books/what-authors-do-to-protect-mss.html}}</ref> She eventually rewrote the book and by the time the 936-page book was published in 1982 she had spent 12 years writing it, while practicing law at the same time.<ref name=R3 /> Of practicing law, she admitted she "considered it penance."<ref name=zollo /> Penman lived in New Jersey,<ref name=prepub>{{cite journal|last=King|first=Ann|date=December 2004|title=Prepub Mystery|journal=Library Journal|url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA485975.htm|access-date=2009-06-06}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and in the early 1980s moved to Wales to research her second book, ''[[Here Be Dragons]]''. She had a second home in the Welsh mountains where, she said, the history inspired her and provided material for her novels.<ref name=Powell>{{cite news|title=Dragons Lurking in the Shadows |first=Powell |last=Dean |newspaper=Western Mail |location=at Findarticles.com |date=June 1, 2002 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/western-mail-cardiff-wales/mi_8001/is_2002_June_1/books-dragons-lurking-shadows-dean/ai_n36644186/?tag=content;col1 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Writing career ==
''[[The Sunne in Splendour]]'' is about the end of England's [[War of the Roses]]. In the book, Penman characterizes [[King Richard III of England|King Richard III]] as a healthy, if misunderstood, ruler.<ref>{{cite news |first=George |last=Johnson |title=New and Noteworthy: The Sunne in Splendour |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/04/books/new-noteworthy.html|newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 2, 1990 |access-date=2009-07-27}}</ref> She chose to write Richard's character in such a way after becoming fascinated with his story and researching his life, both in the United States and in the United Kingdom, which led her to believe that "his was a classic case of history being rewritten by the victor."<ref name=zollo />

Once finished with ''The Sunne in Splendour'' she claimed to have become "hopelessly hooked" on writing. She had plenty of material to be written about the "rebellious sons and disgruntled brothers and conniving kings and willful queens" of the [[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenets]] and hoped to write as many as a dozen books on the subject.<ref name=R3 /> After the publication of ''The Sunne in Splendour'', Penman began work on the Welsh Trilogy, set primarily in Wales.<ref name=R3>{{cite web |url=http://www.r3.org/fiction/roses/penman.html |title=On Reshaping History |work=Ricardian Fiction |publisher=Richard III Society, American Branch |access-date=2010-02-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211073431/http://www.r3.org/fiction/roses/penman.html |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The "Welsh Trilogy" was followed by the "Plantagenet series", which presents the events of the life of [[Henry II of England|King Henry II]] and [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]].<ref name=Baird1>{{cite journal |last=Baird |first=Jane Hendrikson |date=September 2008 |title=Devil's Brood |journal=Library Journal |volume=133 |issue=15 |pages=46–47 }}</ref>

Penman's settings are all in the [[Middle Ages]]; the Welsh Princes trilogy is set in the 13th century, two centuries earlier than ''The Sunne in Splendour''.<ref name=zollo /> During her research for ''[[Here Be Dragons]]'', the first book in the series, she became fascinated with the complexity of the role of women in medieval society; for example, Welsh women at the time had a great deal more independence than the English women. Whether in Wales or in England, a noble wife had responsibility for a household, complete with household knights, whom the wife relied upon to keep the household safe.<ref name = Moran>{{cite web |author=Moran, Michelle |title=Q&A With Historical Fiction Author Sharon Kay Penman |url=http://historicalfictionauthorinterviews.blogspot.com/2008/10/q-with-historical-fiction-author-sharon.html|date=October 13, 2008 |work= History Buff|publisher=sharonkaypenman.com|access-date=2010-02-16}}</ref>

In 1996, Penman published the first in the series of medieval [[Mystery fiction|mystery novels]]. Penman's first mystery, ''The Queen's Man'', was a finalist for an [[Edgar Award]] for Best First Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America.<ref name="The Edgar Awards Database"/> Penman explained her reasons for turning to the mystery genre after writing only historical novels: "By the time I'd finished researching and writing ''When Christ and His Saints Slept'', I was in danger of burning out. For the first time in nearly two decades, my boundless enthusiasm for the Middle Ages had begun to flag. So I decided I needed a change of pace, and since I am a long-time mystery fan, it occurred to me that a medieval mystery might be fun to write. Once that idea took root, it was probably inevitable that I'd choose to write about Eleanor of Aquitaine, surely one of history's most memorable women."<ref name=readinggroupguides>[http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/cruel_as_the_grave2.asp Author Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116002824/http://readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/cruel_as_the_grave2.asp |date=January 16, 2010 }} Reading Group Guides.2009. Retrieved 2009-15-06.</ref>

Set in the 12th century, Penman presents the young Justin de&nbsp;Quincy as a medieval [[Detective|sleuth]]. In the first book he is elevated to the status of "queen's man" by [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]].<ref>{{cite journal |author= Klett, Rex E. |year=1996 |title=The Queen's Man |journal= Library Journal|volume=121 |issue=16 |pages=130 }}</ref> ''The Queen's Man'' and ''Cruel as the Grave'' depict the period after [[Henry II of England|King Henry II]]'s death, as Eleanor, about age 70, rules the [[Angevin empire]] with one son [[Richard I of England|(Richard)]] in captivity, and another son ([[John of England|John]]) hovering at the edge of power.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Queen's Man: A Medieval Mystery |url=http://www.r3.org/penman/queensmn.html |year=1996 |publisher=Richard III Society, American Branch |access-date=2009-07-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413054702/http://www.r3.org/penman/queensmn.html |archive-date=April 13, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The third novel in the series, ''The Dragon's Lair'', is set during the same period, but Penman shifts the locale to northwest England and north Wales.<ref>{{cite journal |year=2003 |title=Dragon's Lair |journal= Kirkus Reviews|volume=71 |issue=16 |pages=1049}}</ref> And finally, in the most recent novel of the series, ''Prince of Darkness'', Penman continues to show the conflict between mother and sons, and weaves in de&nbsp;Quincy's conflicts as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prepub Mystery|access-date=2006-06-06|date=December 15, 2004|url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA485975.html|publisher=LibraryJournal.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607135602/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA485975.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In addition to the Edgar Award, Penman was the winner of the 2001 Career Achievement Award for Historical Mysteries from Romantic Times.<ref name=prepub /><ref>{{cite web|title=RT Book Reviews: 2001 Career Achievement Award Winners|access-date=2010-02-14|url=http://www.romantictimes.com/books_awards.php?year=2001&type=author&level=2|publisher=Romantic Times Book Reviews |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080213092316/http://www.romantictimes.com/books_awards.php?year=2001&type=author&level=2 |archive-date = February 13, 2008}}
</ref>

== Welsh Princes trilogy ==
''[[Here Be Dragons]]'' (1985) is the first of Penman's trilogy of novels about the medieval Welsh princes of [[History of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages|Gwynedd]]. Of the novel, Penman stated, “I think ''Dragons'' is so popular because it was virgin territory for most readers. The saga of the Plantagenets was much better known, but not many people were familiar with medieval Wales or its princes. And then, too, the story of [[Llywelyn the Great|Llewelyn the Great]] and [[Joan, Lady of Wales|Joanna]], [[John, King of England|King John]]'s illegitimate daughter, is a remarkable one, which struck an emotional chord with many readers.”<ref name=zollo />

In ''Falls the Shadow'' (1988) Penman chronicles the family relationships of [[Henry III of England|King Henry III]] and his brother-in-law [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]]. ''Falls the Shadow'' is a bridge novel as Penman uses the Simon de Montfort rebellion to lead her to the conclusion of the trilogy in ''[[The Reckoning (Penman novel)|The Reckoning]]''. As Penman explained: '“After I'd finished ''Here Be Dragon''s, I knew I wanted to continue the story… At first I'd planned to write one book in which Simon de Montfort would share top billing with Llewelyn Fawr's grandson, [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd|Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], who later wed Simon's daughter. I soon realized, though, that this was too much to tackle in one book, that Simon and Llewelyn each deserved his own novel. So I decided to devote ''Falls the Shadow'' to Simon and ''The Reckoning'' to Llewelyn".<ref name=shadow1>{{cite web|title=Falls the Shadow |url=http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/2008/11/24/books-falls-the-shadow-a-novel/ |date=November 23, 2008 |work=Hollywood Today |access-date=July 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220085514/http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/2008/11/24/books-falls-the-shadow-a-novel/ |archive-date=December 20, 2008 }}</ref>

Penman's characterization of [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]] is that of a man increasingly disillusioned by his sovereign, who rebels in 1263, becomes regent to Henry III, and attempts to re-establish rights granted under the [[Magna Carta]].<ref>[http://www.simondemontfort.org Simon de Montfort IV, Earl of Leicester] Simon de Montfort Society. 2008. retrieved 2009-06-08</ref> In addition to the story of Simon de Montfort and his wife, Eleanor the Countess of Pembroke and sister to King Henry III, the novel presents characters such as the Welsh ruler Llywelyn Fawr and London's FitzThomas.<ref name="shadow1" /><ref>{{cite journal |last=Stoppel |first=Ellen Kaye |title=Falls the Shadow: Book |journal=Library Journal |volume=113 |issue= 12|pages=96 }}
</ref>

Of her research for ''Falls the Shadow'', Penman explained: "I did a great deal of on-site research, visiting the castles and battlefields that figured in Falls the Shadow, visiting the Reading Room at the [[British Library]], the [[National Library of Wales]] in [[Aberystwyth]], and local reference libraries… Here at home, I made use of the [[University of Pennsylvania]] Library in Philadelphia, which has an excellent medieval selection. But it really helped to see the scenes for myself. At Lewes, we actually walked along the same path that Simon de Montfort and his men would have followed. It was breathtaking to stand on the Downs, gazing out upon the same view that he would have seen".<ref name="shadow1" />

''[[The Reckoning (Penman novel)|The Reckoning]]'' (1991) chronicles the reign of England's [[Henry III of England|King Henry III]] in Penman's final volume of the series that began with ''Here Be Dragons.''<ref>{{cite news |first=Donn |last=Fry |title=Publishers Gear up for Gift Season |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910901/1303123/publishers-gear-up-for-gift-season |newspaper= The Seattle Times|date=September 1, 1991 |access-date=July 27, 2009}}</ref> The conflict between the Welsh prince [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd|Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]] who is the grandson of [[Llywelyn the Great|Llewelyn the Great]] of ''Here Be Dragons'', and England's King Henry III is one subplot. Additionally, Penman chronicles the life and character of Ellen, daughter of Simon de Montfort and niece to Henry III; her betrothal to Llewelyn (negotiated prior to de Montfort's death); and the conflict between Ellen and her cousin Edward, soon to become [[Edward I of England|King Edward]], who opposes the betrothal.<ref name=stoppel>{{cite journal |last= Stoppel|first= Ellen Kaye|title= The Reckoning|journal=Library Journal |volume=116 |issue=14 |pages=231}}</ref>

== Plantagenet series ==
{{Moresources|section|date=February 2023}}
The Plantagenet series focuses on the [[House of Plantagenet|Angevin]] King Henry II and his wife [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], beginning with the sinking of the ''[[White Ship]]'', the marriage of the [[Empress Matilda|Empress Maude]] and [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffrey of Anjou]], and Henry's birth and childhood in ''When Christ and His Saints Slept.'' Of Henry and Eleanor, Penman explained:<blockquote>
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were larger than life, legends in their own lifetimes. He was one of the greatest of the medieval kings, and she was the only woman to wear the crowns of both England and France. They loved and fought and schemed on a stage that stretched from the Scots border to the Mediterranean Sea. Their children were branded by contemporaries as "The Devil’s Brood," but they founded a dynasty that was to rule England for three hundred years.

My first novel in their trilogy{{sic}}, ''When Christ and His Saints Slept'', traces the beginning of their tempestuous union. ''Time and Chance'' continues their story at high noon. From the greenwoods of Wales to a bloodied floor at Canterbury Cathedral, theirs was an amazing story, and I very much enjoyed being along for the ride!<ref name=penguinwords>{{cite web |title=In Her Own Words By Sharon Kay Penman |url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000024746,00.html?sym=MIS  |publisher= Penguin.com |access-date=July 28, 2009}}</ref></blockquote>

''[[When Christ and His Saints Slept]]'' introduces the genesis of the Plantagenet dynasty as Empress Maude fights to secure her claim to the English throne.<ref name=zollo /> In the 15 years she spent writing three novels and four mysteries set during the period of [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] and [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] Penman claimed she found no villains. Instead she focused on the human characteristics: she believed Henry II was a brilliant king but a bad father. Of Eleanor of Aquitaine, she claimed she was a "law unto herself", and Penman was intrigued by the role of a medieval queen.<ref name = Moran />

''[[Time and Chance (Penman novel)|Time and Chance]]'' (2002), a ''New York Times Bestseller'', continues the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her husband, and focuses on the rift between Henry II and [[Thomas Becket]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Sellers: March 31st, 2002|access-date=2009-06-06|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/books/best-sellers-march-31-2002.html | work=The New York Times | date=March 31, 2002}}</ref> 

''Time and Chance'' spans a 15-year period from 1156 to 1171 as Henry II became estranged from his wife (although Eleanor and Henry have eight children during thirteen years), and from his close friend and advisor Thomas Becket. King Henry's decision to elevate Becket to the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] becomes a fulcrum for discord between Henry and Eleanor.<ref name=ivor>{{cite web|last=Ivor|first=Jenny|title=Sharon Kay Penman: Time and Chance|access-date=2009-06-06|url=http://www.rambles.net/penman_time02.html|year=2002}}</ref>

''[[Devil's Brood]]'' (2008) opens with the conflict between Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their four sons, which escalates into a decade of warfare and rebellion pitting the sons against the father and the brothers against each other while Eleanor spends the period imprisoned by Henry. Penman places the characters against a tightly woven tapestry of medieval life, personal conflict, and dramatic characters.<ref name=Baird1 />

''The Devil's Brood'' was supposed to be the final volume in Penman's Plantagenet series, but the "Angevins were not ready to go quietly into that good night."<ref>{{cite web |title=Sharon Kay Penman Website|url=http://www.sharonkaypenman.com/book_page.asp?ISBN=0399157859}}</ref> ''Lionheart'' (2011) is about the children of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The book focuses on [[Richard the Lionheart]]'s Crusades in the Holy Land, and on what happened to Eleanor when she was finally released after spending sixteen years in a confinement that was ordered and enforced by her husband. ''A King's Ransom'' is about the second half of Richard's life, during and following his imprisonment, ransom, and life afterward.

== Writing characteristics ==

Penman's approach to her novels is to present meticulously researched<ref name=zollo /> medieval life and history as everyday life, and to present the nobility as fallible. Set against a backdrop of political tension, power struggles, war, and hardship, the main characters confront personal drama such as conflict in love, conflict between family members, conflict with God, and conflict in friendship, as well as conflicted loyalties between family, self, king and country.<ref name=Baird1 /><ref name=stoppel /><ref name=penguinwords/> A ''[[Library Journal]]'' review praises Penman's attention to detail in which she "combines an in-depth knowledge of medieval Europe with vivid storytelling, re-creating the complex events and emotional drama of the 12th – 15th centuries."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Altner, Patricia |year=2002 |title= Time and Chance |journal= Library Journal|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-86232876/penman-sharon-kay-time.html}}</ref>

{|class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 35%;" cellspacing="5"
|style="text-align: left;"|When I first visited [[Dolwyddelan]], I had to park my car off the road, ask at the farmhouse if I could see [[Dolwyddelan Castle|the castle]], and then trudge up the hill, dodging sheep. I am also very fond of Rhaeadr Ewynnol, today's [[Swallow Falls]], which looks much as it did in Llewelyn and Joanna's time…
|-
|style="text"-align: left;"|—Sharon Kay Penman<ref name=zollo>{{cite web |title=Author Interview: Sharon Kay Penman |url=http://www.triviumpublishing.com/articles/penman1.html |year=2002 |publisher=Trivium Publishing LLC. |access-date=2009-07-27}}</ref>
|}
Although set in the 12th and 13th centuries, Penman sets the characters and narrative in her novels in [[Middle Ages|medieval]] sites that still exist and can be visited, including [[castle]]s, [[church (building)|churches]] and archeological areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Princes of Gwynedd |url=http://www.princesofgwynedd.com |publisher=Princesofgwynedd.com |access-date=2009-07-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705075856/http://www.princesofgwynedd.com/ |archive-date=July 5, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Areas such as [[Aber Falls]] and [[Dolwyddelan Castle]] have important scenes in Penman's novels. In ''Devil's Brood'', Penman sets the characters in scenes in a variety of medieval royal residences, castles and [[abbey]]s, in England and present day France, many of which still exist such as the [[Château de Chinon]], [[Fontevraud Abbey|Fontevrault Abbey]], and [[Château de Loches]].
{{clear}}

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[The Sunne in Splendour]]''. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, c1982. {{ISBN|0-03-061368-X}}. London: Macmillan, 1983, c1982, {{ISBN|0-333-34463-4}}.
*''The Land Beyond the Sea'' (New York/London: Macmillan. January 20, 2020.  {{ISBN|9780399165283}}).

===Welsh Princes trilogy===
* ''[[Here Be Dragons]]'' New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, c1985 {{ISBN|0-03-062773-7}} London: Collins, 1986 {{ISBN|0-00-222960-9}}
* ''Falls the Shadow''. New York: H. Holt, c1988 {{ISBN|0-8050-0300-2}} London: Joseph, 1988 {{ISBN|0-7181-2923-7}}
* ''[[The Reckoning (Penman novel)|The Reckoning]]'' New York: H. Holt, 1991 {{ISBN|0-8050-1014-9}} London: Joseph, 1991 {{ISBN|0-7181-2948-2}}

===Plantagenet series===
* ''[[When Christ and His Saints Slept]]'' New York: H. Holt, 1995 {{ISBN|0-8050-1015-7}} London: Joseph, 1994 {{ISBN|0-7181-3585-7}}
* ''[[Time and Chance (Penman novel)|Time and Chance]]'' New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2002 {{ISBN|0-399-14785-3}} London: Joseph, 2002 {{ISBN|0-7181-4308-6}}
* ''[[Devil's Brood]]'' New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2008 {{ISBN|978-0-399-15526-0}} London: Joseph, 2009 {{ISBN|0-7181-5465-7}}
* ''Lionheart'' New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2011 {{ISBN|0-399-15785-9}} London: Marian Wood Books/Putnam, 2011 {{ISBN|978-0-399-15785-1}}
* ''A King's Ransom'' New York: Marian Wood Books/Putnam, c2014 {{ISBN|978-0-399-15922-0}} London: Macmillan 2014 {{ISBN|978-0-230-76805-5}}

===Justin de Quincy mysteries===
* ''The Queen's Man'' New York : H. Holt, 1996 {{ISBN|0-8050-1015-7}} London: Joseph, 1996 {{ISBN|0-7181-3981-X}}
* ''Cruel as the Grave'' New York : Henry Holt, 1998 {{ISBN|0-8050-5608-4}} London: Joseph, 1998 {{ISBN|0-7181-4307-8}}
* ''Dragon's Lair'' New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2003 {{ISBN|0-399-15077-3}} London: Penguin, 2005 {{ISBN|0-14-025098-0}} (pbk.)
* ''Prince of Darkness'' New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2005 {{ISBN|0-399-15256-3}}

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.sharonkaypenman.com/ Sharon Kay Penman webpage]
* Penman, Sharon Kay. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100211073431/http://www.r3.org/fiction/roses/penman.html "On Reshaping History"] Richard III Society. Winter 97–98
{{
Sharon Kay Penman}}

<!-- navboxes -->
{{Library resources box|by=yes|onlinebooks=yes|viaf=67354691}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penman, Sharon Kay}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]
[[Category:American historical novelists]]
[[Category:People from Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Rutgers University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni]]
[[Category:American women historical novelists]]
[[Category:Writers of historical mysteries]]
[[Category:Novelists from New York City]]
[[Category:Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Writers from Atlantic County, New Jersey]]