Hugh Corbaille, a young man living in Norman England, discovers at the death of his adoptive father that he may be the son of a murdered nobleman, leading him into an investigation of his past and a quest for justice How much do you know about 12th-century Norman England? After reading Joan Wolf's perfectly balanced blend of research and imagination, you'll know a lot more. This historical mystery allows us to slip under the skin of a period and its people. Wolf, best known for her historical romance novels, chooses the setting of her first mystery with care. Norman England was one of those pivotal periods when the old world and the new both clashed and coexisted, when ancient tales of witchcraft could still freeze the blood of even the most modern-thinking men and women. When 20-year-old Hugh Corbaille loses his beloved adoptive father, the Sheriff of Lincoln, his world becomes dark and saddened. When he is told soon afterward that he may actually be Hugh de Leon, son and heir to the late earl of Wiltshire, his world explodes into a contradiction of doubt and danger--the earl had been murdered on the same day that his young son disappeared 14 years before. Hugh has no memories of his life before his adoption, but a sympathetic woman healer helps him recover pieces from his past--including his presence at Wiltshire's murder. --Dick Adler No Dark Place ($22.00; Jun. 3; 294 pp.; 0-06-019238-0): Most medieval mysteries dip into the past, but it's quite a fast-forward from Wolf's sojourn in prehistoric romance (The Reindeer Hunters, 1994, etc.) to the comparatively recent 12th century, when Hugh Corbaille learns that the father he just lost may not be his father after all; Hugh may be the kidnapped heir, and the only witness to the long-ago murder, of the Earl of Wiltshire. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. " Dive into this compelling medieval story -- you'll never want to come up." -- -- Catherine Coulter, author of The Edge "A very good read. Wolf is an author of great breadth." -- -- The Snooper "Joan Wolf never fails to deliver the best." -- -- Nora Roberts "NO DARK PLACE is guaranteed to enthrall readers in the new, red-hot-and-getting-hotter-by-the-minute historical mystery market. . . . well researched period detail, a wonderfully atmosphere, and an intriguing plot. But what truly sets NO DARK PLACE apart . . . is the exciting, complex hero and the cast of warm-blooded characters who will make readers care. . . . It's a great read.Fans will haunt the bookstores for the next volume in the series." -- Jayne Ann Krentz "This author knows how to tell a story." -- -- The Mystery Reader/ The Romance Reader "In No Dark Place, Joan Wolf opens a door to Medieval England and invites thereader to join an engaging and dauntless young knight as he embarks on his questfor justice." -- Kathy Lynn Emerson author of Face Down Among the Winchester Geese Joan Wolf lives in Milford, Connecticut with her husband and two children. Inher spare time she rides her horse, walks her dog, and roots fanatically for theNew York Yankees and UConn basketball.