The Queen's Gift

"The Queen's Gift" is a historical mystery in which Dom Pedro, while still a very young man, sets out to solve a puzzle that has long troubled his grandmother, Queen Isabel. When she was a young woman, two young squires disappeared from her court without a word of warming or farewell. They were never heard from again. In this thrilling novel, Pedro offers to see if he can learn, even at this late date, what happened to them. He must travel, seek out and question many people. And the results of his search become a legend.

"The Queen's Gift" is a historical mystery in which Dom Pedro, while still a very young man, sets out to solve a puzzle that has long troubled his grandmother, Queen Isabel. When she was a young woman, two young squires disappeared from her court without a word of warming or farewell. They were never heard from again. In this thrilling novel, Pedro offers to see if he can learn, even at this late date, what happened to them. He must travel, seek out and question many people. And the results of his search become a legend. The backdrop for this unforgettable tale is fourteenth century Portugal. The central character is a man who existed: Pedro I, eighth king of Portugal, who ruled from 1357-1367. Known to some as Pedro the Cruel because of the harsh (even by medieval standards) sentences he imposed on criminals; others knew him as Pedro the Just for two reasons. First, as king he was the ultimate source of justice in the land and one of his favorite pastimes was presiding over the trials of criminals. Second, unlike many judges of his own time (and even modern times), he was not influenced by the social standing of the accused. Rich or poor, noble, or common, all – if found guilty – suffered the punishment prescribed by law, nothing less. This series of tales shows Pedro as a discoverer and punisher of crimes.

Toni Cor was born in California and grew up in the Rocky Mountain area. From childhood she has been fascinated by medieval legends and history. She later studied those subjects both as an undergraduate and graduate student. In addition she has always been an avid reader, devouring romance, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, in addition to works on history and science. In recent years she has become particularly interested in historical mysteries. Therefore, when she retired from teaching, she decided to start writing historical mysteries of her own. The result is a series of tales set in fourteenth century Portugal. The central character is a person who actually existed: Pedro I, eighth king of Portugal, who ruled from 1357-1367. Known to some as Pedro the Cruel because of the harsh (even by medieval standards) sentences he imposed on criminals, others knew him as Pedro the Just for two reasons. First, as king he was the ultimate source of justice in the land and one of his favorite pastimes was presiding over the trials of criminals. Second, unlike many judges of his own time (and even modern times), he was not influenced by the social standing of the accused. Rich or poor, noble or common, all--if found guilty--suffered the punishment prescribed by law, nothing less. This series of tales shows Pedro as discoverer and punisher of crimes.