The shardlake series collection C. J. Sansom 6 books set ( Dissolution , Dark Fire , Sovereign , Revelation , Heartstone , Lamentation)

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Love, Catherine (20 July 2023). "Sovereign review – CJ Sansom's historical doorstopper comes home to York". The Guardian . Retrieved 21 September 2023. Dissolution is the first book from CJ Sansom in the Matthew Shardlake series, set during the reign of King Henry VIII and his Chief Minister, Thomas Cromwell. The Catholic Church in 1536 is being eradicated in Britain and the Dissolution of the monasteries has begun – by 1540 no monasteries would be left. The tensions in the country are high between those loyal to King Henry and those to the Catholic Church. Cromwell, himself is under scrutiny since his alliance with the now beheaded Ann Boleyn. I very rarely bother with crime novels. The genre feels overdone and, well, a little bit boring. To me it all looks like the same regurgitated story. I blame the terrible police dramas on television; they make me yawn when I see how stupid they are. I did a two year course in forensic science, and it never ceases to amaze me how the writers of these television shows think that wearing gloves will therefore mean that the crime scene is not contaminated by the otherwise exposed investigators. Never mind the fact that they are trampling over evidence, leaving their own hairs and jumping to ridiculous conclusions based upon preliminary testing. These things are horribly inaccurate to the professional field; they are always forensically inaccurate. So, regardless of how this is handled in modern crime books, I always avoid them to avoid similar annoyance. This, however, isn’t a modern crime book. He [Thomas Cromwell] was holding up a casket [small box] and studying the contents with a contemptuous frown, his wide, narrow-lipped mouth down-turned above his lantern chin. His jaw held thus made me think of a great trap that at any moment might open and swallow one whole with a casual gulp.”

In 2007, the BBC commissioned an adaptation of Dissolution, with Kenneth Branagh set to star as Shardlake. [17] Branagh chose instead to star as the eponymous protagonist in the BBC series Wallander. [18]The monasteries were infamous for hoarding wealth, and Cromwell was determined to collect it to augment the royal coffers via the Court of Augmentations. There, they assess and divvy up the proceeds to buy up more land for the Crown (and cronies, no pun intended, and no - it’s from the Greek). So nobody is looking after the poor. And in my wilful blindness I had refused to see what was before my eyes. How men fear the chaos of the world, I thought, and the yawning eternity hereafter. So we build patterns to explain its terrible mysteries and reassure ourselves we are safe in this world and beyond.” Lee Mason, director, scripted content, Disney+, said: “C.J. Sansom’s novels have captivated millions of readers across the globe, and we’re thrilled to be joining forces with The Forge and Runaway Fridge, introducing the exceptional Arthur Hughes as Matthew Shardlake to fans and new audiences alike. Stephen and Justin’s vision for this chilling tale of murder, mystery and politics promises to thrill and delight, and joins a growing catalogue of unmissable original drama for adults on the service.” Shortlisted at The British Book Awards 2019 for Fiction Book of the Year and Marketing Strategy of the Year [12]

Briefly, the Pope wasn’t happy about Henry VIII’s annul/remarry plans, so Henry started his own church, the Church of England with himself as the head. Today’s C of E is also known as the Anglican Church, and Queen Elizabeth II is the Supreme Governor. The BBC explored adapting the Shardlake novels for television in 2007 and even cast Sir Kenneth Branagh to play the detective. The project never made it to air, however, and Branagh eventually signed up to star in Wallander for the BBC. Having had my Tudor education expanded by Hilary Mantel’s books, I thought it might be an interesting diversion to read a mystery set in the same period of Henry VIII’s reign. Stephen Bealknap – Shardlake's nemesis in the law courts of London; also a barrister of Lincoln's Inn. It seems a universal rule in this world that people will always look for victims and scapegoats, does it not? Especially at times of difficulty and tension.”

Publication Order of Matthew Shardlake Books

I did question the phrase “runcible peas”, (as in Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat poem which mentioned a “runcible spoon” many years later. (I also discovered that a runcible spoon sounds similar to my favourite piece of multi-purpose cutlery, the splade or spork, depending on your preference. But I digress.) Two quotes-- Catholic Church holy relics: "They say that there are two headed dragons in the Indies. Well here we have two headed saints" {Cromwell showing Shardlake two different skulls of the same saint} Sansom explained his reasons for making his protagonist a barrister, in an interview with The Guardian. Disney+ UK scripted originals include Wedding Season, a wedding murder drama, and the upcoming Extraordinary, about a woman who lives in a world where everyone has a superpower except her. Kanter, Jake (4 January 2023). "Disney+ Lines Up Series Adaptation Of CJ Sansom's Shardlake Tudor Detective Novels". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 31 March 2023.

Kudos, Mr. Sansom, for a wonderful beginning to a series set during one of my favourite times in history. Let’s see what other mysteries await and how Tudor life will shape it. He has also written Winter in Madrid, a thriller set in Spain in 1940 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and Dominion, an alternate history novel set in a Britain following a fictional Axis victory in World War II. About the latter novel, a Guardian review called the premise "an invented mid-20th century Britain that has the intricate detail and delineation of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth, though thankfully described in better prose". [5] Awards [ edit ] Ramachandran, Naman (31 March 2023). "Disney+ Sets Series Adaptation of C.J. Sansom's 'Shardlake' Murder Mystery Novels". Variety . Retrieved 24 May 2023. Sansom also said that he plans to write further Shardlake novels taking the lawyer into the reign of Elizabeth I. [2]I enjoyed reading this historical fiction book, recommended by GR friend Ingrid. The book is set in 1537 England. Henry VIII has left the Catholic church and the country is divided between those faithful to the new Church of England, with Henry VIII as its head, and the Catholic church. A royal commissioner is murdered in the monastery of Scarnsea on the southeast coast of England. I confess I saw the details of the murder investigation and the ultimate solution to the murder as entertaining but relatively pedestrian as mysteries go. Like so many authors, Sansom relies heavily on the age old literary device of the bad boys of the piece never knowing when to shut up. Left to his own devices as a sleuth, I suspect that Shardlake might have found one "nave", but not the "knave" that Cromwell was insisting upon. That's the bad news! Dissolution is a book that perfectly captures the atmosphere and instability of England during the time Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, creating not just religious uncertainty but also Political instability, but at the centre of this book is a murder mystery with all the intrigue and thrill from a great crime/ thriller. Cromwell sends a commissioner to begin the process of dissolving the monastery of Scarnsea on the southern coast of England, but shortly after arriving at Scarnsea the commissioner is murdered. Cromwell now sends one of his protégés, a lawyer named Matthew Shardlake to investigate the murder and to conclude the dissolution of the monastery. Haughmond Abbey. The extensive remains of an Augustinian abbey, including its abbots' quarters, refectory and cloister.