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    Dissolution: A Novel of Tudor England
    Dissolution: A Novel of Tudor England
    Dissolution: A Novel of Tudor England
    Audiobook14 hours

    Dissolution: A Novel of Tudor England

    Written by C. J. Sansom

    Narrated by Steven Crossley

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The brilliant first novel in the bestselling historical series starring Matthew Shardlake, “the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England.”

    Exciting and elegantly written, Dissolution is an utterly compelling first novel and a riveting portrayal of Tudor England. The year is 1537, and the country is divided between those faithful to the Catholic Church and those loyal to the king and the newly established Church of England. When a royal commissioner is brutally murdered in a monastery on the south coast of England, Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s feared vicar general, summons fellow reformer Matthew Shardlake to lead the inquiry. Shardlake and his young protégé uncover evidence of sexual misconduct, embezzlement, and treason, and when two other murders are revealed, they must move quickly to prevent the killer from striking again.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 7, 2011
    ISBN9781501993008
    Dissolution: A Novel of Tudor England
    Author

    C. J. Sansom

    C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. in 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Sussex.

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    Reviews for Dissolution

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    • 4/5
      A wonderful historical mystery set in 1537 England, just as King Henry VIII and his enthusiastic minister Thomas Cromwell are beginning the work of dissolving the country's monasteries. Matthew Shardlake, the story's protagonist, begins the story as a stalwart supporter of religious reform, but by the end of the story he is beginning to question, if not the ends of the reform movement (to dispose of "papist fripperies and fraud"), then certainly the lengths to which his mentor, Cromwell, will go to force religious reform upon the country.And that's what places this novel a step above most other historical novels I've read. The novel doesn't just present history as a colorful backdrop, as so many others are content to do, but challenges readers to interact with history, encouraging them to question, think, and react. Sure, I enjoyed the plot of the tale, revolving around a serious of mysterious deaths at a desolate monastery targeted for closure. And I appreciated the narrative skills of the author, Sansom, who possesses the gift of creating authentically complex characters, and who knows how to manufacture atmosphere without regurgitating the thesaurus. But what I'll remember most about this tale, years from now, is how the book challenged me to address my own preconcieved notions about religious belief, monks, Henry VIII, and the politics of religious reformation.

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    • 4/5
      Dissolution is a true amalgamation of two genres; the crime/mystery novel with the historical novel. Certainly not a new idea; crime/mystery novels have long been searching for a setting that will liven up or add interest to plot driven novels that are running out of new plots. Ellis Peters Cadfael novels set in a 12th century monastery and Lindsey Davis's Falco novels set in the Roman Empire of Vespasian are two series that immediately spring to mind. A format seems to have developed where a character uses deduction methods of one kind or another to solve the crime/mystery in the chosen historical setting. C J Sansom has Master Shardlake a crook backed commissioner in the service of the Tudor court, but Sansom equipped with his Phd in history is as much interested in the historical events as he is in the murder mystery and therefore creates a milieu that is both realistic and fascinating by turns.The year is 1537 in the reign of King Henry VIII and it is the year following the execution of Anne Boleyn. Thomas Cromwell is at the height of his power and is intent on carrying out a programme for the dissolution of the monasteries. One of his commissioners has been murdered at the Scarnsea monastery on the Sussex-Kent borders and he employs the lawyer Shardlake to get himself down to Scarnsea with full powers to arrest the guilty parties. Shardlake is ordered to take with him a young assistant Mark Poer to act as his strong arm and with letters from Cromwell he has full authority within the town and the monastery. As the mystery element unravels, Shardlake discovers that events at the monastery are linked with the fall of Anne Boleyn in which his boss Thomas Cromwell played a crucial role. The stakes could not be higher and Shardlake feels the pressure.Sanson immediately places the reader in the 16th century with a graphic portrait of London Street life which leads to Shardlake's interview with Thomas Cromwell himself. The story is told in the first person by Shardlake and a vivid picture of Cromwell emerges. Shardlake is a reformist and a Cromwell supporter, but a ruthless, intelligent power player leaves a lasting impression on Shardlake, Cromwell while appearing wise and supportive knows how to frighten people. In many ways the portrait is not too dissimilar to the one presented by Hilary Mantel in [Bring up the Bodies], but Samson leaves the reader in no doubt that Cromwell engineered the fall of Ann Boleyn and the subsequent executions. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies, paints a realist picture of life in the Tudor Court; C J Sansom takes that picture out into the world of the English towns, countryside and religious houses. Cromwell's policies have produced an England that is divided in it's beliefs; factions that existed in the Tudor Court have now transferred themselves out into the countryside as reformists battle with papists for their very existence. The reformists are in the ascendency and Shardlake uses his authority to ensure that Catholics bend their knee to the king. Shardlake takes up residence in the monastery while he carries out his investigation acting like a representative of a new order or even a conquering power. His human side is put to the test and Sanson does an excellent job in presenting us with a well rounded character sorely tried by his duties and his master and his physical infirmity.C J Sanson works hard at presenting a realistic picture of monastic life, which gives some succour to the monks in a cruelly cold winter and while he largely succeeds, his writing does not have that immediacy or spark that would take it to another level; he is not Hilary Mantel. His mystery story works well enough to make the reader turn the pages and in the end is well worked through. It was the historical aspect that I found most impressive and the linking of historical facts to his own murder mystery is both ingenious and well handled. In many respects he gives as convincing a portrait as Hilary Mantel of the world of Thomas Cromwell, albeit from a different vantage point. I would not hesitate to recommend [Dissolution] especially if you wanted to read more after Bring up the Bodies and so a four star read.
    • 4/5
      A hunchback lawyer is sent to a small monastery in rural England at the behest of the infamous Thomas Cromwell. A man sent earlier to try to get the monastery to agree to disband has been murdered. Shardlake is sent to find the murderer and find a way to force the dissolution of the monastery, as part of the ‘reforms’ during Henry VIII’s reign.Shardlake arrives as a believing reformer, never questioning the methods or people Cromwell has doing his bidding. By the time he leaves, his eyes have been opened, the mystery has been solved and Shardlake is unsure of his future, as well of that of England.Sansom paints the world of Tudor England with a winter colored brush. The misery is apparent as is the fear and confusion amongst the people of the time. Highly recommended. First of a series.
    • 5/5
      Matthew Shardlake is sent by Thomas Cromwell to a monastery in Sussex to investigate the brutal murder of one of Cromwell's commissioners, as well as the theft of a holy relic and the desecration of the church.All the characters are convincing and complex, the community of monks in Scarnsea like a society under the microscope, displaying all too human vanities, compulsions and deceits. One especially warms to Matthew Shardlake, a hunchbacked lawyer and reformer fighting double prejudice as Thomas Cromwell's commissioner and not immune himself from feelings of jealousy and forming inappropriate emotional attachments, even doubting his own faith, but also slightly too trusting and somewhat naive for a man in his position. The dialogue, especially at the beginning of the book, feels a little forced at times, as the author is trying to impart historical details to set the scene or flesh out the individual backgrounds to establish the characters for the reader. The pace almost slows to a stop in a few places and could have been tauter, and the solution to Singleton's murder was stretching credibility just that little bit too far for my comfort zone. That said, it's still the best (historical) murder mystery novel I've read in ages, one where the plotting wasn't so blindingly obvious that one could spot the murderer after about five chapters into the book, but it's about more than the violent taking of a life: as Matthew Shardlake says at the end of the book, the perpetrator would not have committed a murder "but for the times we live in, and" ... "would never have got away with fraud had things been more stable. You might as well ask what country England has become." The most memorable thing about this novel are the vivid and evocative descriptions of mid-Tudor England, and the way C J Sansom manages to convey to the reader the turmoil and upheaval of those years of the English Reformation. He provides plenty of opportunity for philosophical and theological thought and discussion by presenting a variety of different view points, without forcing us to make a decision one way or another, but rather letting us make up our own minds. Even if your knowledge of that part of history is a bit sketchy (as is mine), when reading this book you realize that this was a momentous turning point in history and we are still able to see its remnants nearly five centuries later. I've already got the next book in the sequence (Dark Fire) lined up.
    • 4/5
      An interesting historical detective novel set during the dissolution of the monasteries in the tudor era. Interesting and well done. I liked the characters and can't wait to continue reading the series.
    • 5/5
      Just finished this second in C. J. Sansom's Shardlake mysteries. This is even better than his first in this series, "Dark Fire." Sansom weaves historical fact into his stories beautifully, and you are drawn into Tudor England with great finesse. I'm starting "Sovereign" immediately - that's the third of the four Shardlake mysteries.
    • 5/5
      This is the first in the series featuring Matthew Shardlake, a hunchback attorney. The setting is during the short period of time in which the monateries of England were dissolved in the mid-16th century. Cromwell had sent a man to the Benedictine monastery at Scarsea, but the man was murdered. He now sends Shardlake to find the killer. It's a well-written and well-plotted mystery with plenty of atmosphere, well-constructed characters, and action to keep the attention of most mystery readers. One can't help but empathized at least somewhat with the monks because of the drastic measures being taken against them, but at the same time, one cannot help but be appalled by some of their behaviors. I will definitely be reading others in this series. This one had been sitting in my to-be-read pile for awhile, and I regret having put it off for so long.
    • 5/5
      I listened to the audible version of this one, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well-drawn, complex characters, put-you-in-the-time historical detail (seamlessly delivered with no info-dumping), all packaged in a tight thriller. I'm on to the next book in the series now.
    • 4/5
      This was a pretty good book. I think it gave an excellent feel for the time period it took place in. There is quite a bit of information about the times without being overbearing. I have to say that reading this book constantly gave me the feeling that I was reading a simpler version of the Name of the Rose. I think the first reason why I didn't rate it higher is because Shardlake seemed to be spending a lot of time complaining about his back or worrying about what people thought of his appearance. It was needed but seemed to be a little to much 'in your face'. The second was one of the main characters reactions and development seemed to be entirely geared toward the ending of the book instead of building to it which seemed to flatten the story out a little for me. After all that I think it's a good book worth the read.This book is the first in the series staring Matthew Shardlake. Shardlake is a hunchback lawyer practicing in Tudor England around the time Henry VIII broke away from Rome and started the Church of England. This book is takes place at one of the monastery's where one of the King's men has been murdered while trying to bully the Abbott into surrendering to the King. Shardlake is sent in as Cromwell's man to try to find the murderer and get the Abbott to capitulate. A somewhat difficult assignment gets more and more complex as he works his way through the dark. It's a political thriller where the potential losers are willing to kill to get revenge or greed or maybe even salvation.
    • 5/5
      Just when I thought there was nothing fresh to say about Tudor England along came C.J.Sansom. His hunchbacked lawyer, Matthew Shardlake juggles personal challenges and high-level intrigue. Sent to investigate a murder at a Benedictine monastary slated for closure under Henry VIII’s break with Rome, Shardlake and his sidekick/alter ego Mark Poer find themselves wading into a cesspool of corruption. The plot moves apace, the resolution is satisfying, and Shardlake emerges as a sympathetic, compassionate man caught between his own ideals and the world around him. After reading this first in the series, I became an auto-buy for Sansom. He and Shardlake both deserve it.
    • 5/5
      Oh yes! An author new to me with an historical mystery/thriller set in an England of Henry VIII following his dissolution of the monasteries. Matthew Shardlake the lawyer is the main character, who acting under the orders of Thomas Cromwell is sent to investigate an horrific murder at one of the monasteries.The novel richly evokes the England of 1537 and will likely send you to read more about this period of English history and more to the point, to rush to the follow-up books, Dark Fire ans Sovereign.An author to savour.
    • 4/5
      Surprises at every turn. Just when you think you have the killer figure out, you find out you are wrong...or are you? Set in Tudor England, this historical fiction allows the reader a glimpse of the English Reformation. True character is in the eye of the beholder, and these characters afford a darker vision of Thomas Cromwell in his efforts to retain power and dissolve the power of the church.
    • 4/5
      C.J. Sansom’s Dissolution is the first of a series of novels featuring Dr. Matthew Shardlake, who, in this episode is a lawyer whose boss is no one less than Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister. The action of Dissolution takes place just after The Pilgrimage of Grace rebellions have been put down and the main rebel leaders have been put to death. Part of the reason for this particular rebellion was the dissolution of several monasteries, a plan hit upon by Cromwell who supposedly saw this as a way to enrich not only the king's pockets, but his own and his relatives as well while he also happens to be reforming the church in England. Cromwell had earlier sent a Commissioner to the Benedictine monastery at Scarnsea, but somehow he ends up dead and beheaded. Now Shardlake, along with his young assistant Mark Poer, is called upon to deal with the matter. After his arrival, things begin to heat up and more deaths occur. With a monastery full of suspects, Shardlake has his work cut out for him. While it's not an absolute necessity, knowing some basic Tudor history would be quite helpful, especially where it concerns the reformation of the Church in England. While this book made for a good series opener, and a fine look at a very small slice of Tudor history, I figured out the main whodunnit early on. Normally, this is when I bug out of a series -- I liked to be challenged. However, the Tudor period makes for interesting reading, and Sansom's writing is quite good, so I went ahead and bought the 2nd book. I'd recommend it to people who like historical fiction, and to people looking for something lighter to read about the Tudor period that rises above say, The Other Boleyn Girl.
    • 4/5
      Very good mystery with a great historical background search on Tudor England and, in particular, Thomas Cromwell's Church of England. Sometimes the development seemed to move a bit slow, but the plot is interesting and the characters are quite well built.I read the Portuguese version by Edições ASA. ISBN: 9724144283. (Good translation.)
    • 4/5
      I liked this book, even though I wasn't as swept away by it as I was with Sovereign. The atmosphere in the monastary is so oppressive and that feeling kind of oozes of of the book and grabs you. Perhaps that is why I didn't like it as much. Some parts of the book were very exciting and unexpected, but some were a bit predictable for me.
    • 1/5
      Awful narration filled with gross wet mouth sounds at every pause and the end of every sentence. It was completely unlistenable for me. I’ll give the print book a try.
    • 3/5
      A good book but not really my kind of thing. Well written but occasionally it felt a bit clumsy and I had to reread bits.Never really warmed to the main character, Matthew Shardlake, probably why I struggled to enjoy it.Liked the names of some of the characters (Fear-God and Orphan especially).More or less guessed who killed Singleton and had suspicions about Edwig.Might read the others in the series, but don't feel compelled to.
    • 4/5
      This is a good page-turner - set around the time of the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, although the title also refers to the dissolute living which was going on at some of them. An up-and-coming lawyer is sent down from London to a monastery on Romney Marsh, with two tasks - to persuade the abbot to surrender the monastery to the Crown, and to find out who murdered the last man who tried to do the same. He carries these out dutifully - but at the same time, he begins to question the value of the reforms which he has always supported. That storyline, and the historical detail, add extra levels of interest to what is already a good mystery story.
    • 4/5
      This is not just a murder mystery set among the terrrible Tudors but also deals with the theological issues of the times. Sanson gives his detective a reforming zeal and allows him to vigorously confront what he sees as Catholic superstition. The monks represent some of the worst of the previous system's abuses with brainless intoning of masses, sexual depravity and soft living. But the theology gets discussed and argued over quite satisfactorily with the Spanish attempt at reformation without Luther being quoted as an opportunity missed in England. Shardlake has a fairly convincing late-mediaeval cast of mind as he thinks about judgement quite a lot and is thoroughly class conscious, although probably rather squeamish by Tudor standards. I detect teh first signs of doubts in his mind by the end of the book and one reason I shall read the other books is to see whether Shardlake will end up as an atheist or a crypto-catholic by the final book in the series.
    • 4/5
      The dissolution of Roman Catholic monasteries was an integral part of reformation in 16th century England. One of the commissioners under Thomas Cromwell is murdered while carrying out the investigation of a remote monastery in southern England. Matthew Shardlake, put on the case by Cromwell, has to overcome the discomfort and superstition he encounters due to his misshapen body. He and his handsome young assistant, Mark Poer, discover the victim has been beheaded, which brings back Shardlake's gruesome memories of the demise of Anne Boleyn.Sansom uses his doctorate in history to give his readers some entertaining history lessons along with an intriguing story. Count me as one of his newest fans. In addition to the dark atmosphere under the corrupt reign of Henry VIII, there is plenty of suspense and enough suspicious characters in the abbey to satisfy the most avid mystery lover.
    • 5/5
      In that the Tudors and the Stuarts comprise one of my favorite periods in history, I don’t know why it has taken me so long to find C. J. Sansom.DISSOLUTION is the first in the series featuring Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer and member of Thomas Cromwell’s inner circle. The term dissolution refers to the closing of the monasteries in Henry VIII’s increasingly Protestant England.It is 1537. Henry VIII had declared himself head of the church in England when the pope had refused to grant an annulment of Henry’s first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, allowing him to marry Anne Boleyn. The pope refused to rule the marriage as invalid, a reasonable decision in that Henry had petitioned the pope successfully to have the betrothal of Catherine and his older brother, Arthur, declared invalid when he wanted to marry Catherine. Henry’s eye began to wander when, after many miscarriages and stillbirths, Catherine had given him only one heir and that was a daughter. Henry wanted sons and he wanted a younger wife. Henry wanted the pope to rule that he had made a mistake when he granted Catherine and Henry permission to marry in the church. When Henry broke away from the authority of the pope, he declared himself head of the “in” England; Henry believed in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church. Henry had been awarded the title Defender of the Faith in 1521 by the pope for writing In Defense of the Seven Sacraments, an argument against Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. He didn’t have a problem with the Catholic Church. He had a problem with the pope. Anne and Henry married in 1533 and Elizabeth was born three months later. A series of miscarriages followed and Henry wanted to marry Jane Seymour. A series of tainted witnesses proved proof that Anne had committed adultery and that she was a witch. Anne was beheaded in 1536. In the story, Matthew Shardlake is one of the formal witnesses of the execution, an experience that haunts him.In 1537, Henry’s third wife, Jane of Seymour, has recently died after giving birth to a son. Jane and her supporters have been moving Henry away from the church of Rome and one of the very large carrots that have been dangled in front of Henry is the wealth and the lands of the various monasteries scattered throughout England. Thomas Cromwell promises the king that dissolving the monasteries and selling off the land to loyalists will give him the money he can’t get from Parliament. Commissioners are sent by Cromwell to discover reasons for closing monasteries based on anything that can be considered treasonous, anything that can be stretched to prove that the monasteries are not upholding their oath that Henry is leader of the church “of ” England.Getting rid of the monks and nuns in England will increase Cromwell’s influence over the king. To that end, Cromwell sends commissioner Robin Singleton to a monastery in Scarnsea on the south coast of England. Before Singleton has time to report on any bad behavior among the monks, he is beheaded, a frightening reminder of the Boleyn execution. When Cromwell learns of the murder, he sends Matthew Shardlake to investigate. Shardlake is a hunchback, a man who had wanted to enter the church after being educated at a monastery school, but whose physical limitations had prevented it. Shardlake arrives at the monastery to investigate the murder of the king’s commissioner, assisted by Mark Poer, a young man who was looking to improve his fortunes by working for Cromwell.Shardlake discovers quickly that murder isn’t the only sin at the monastery. There is sexual misconduct, thievery, smuggling, and embezzlement. Shortly after their arrival, a novice is poisoned and they learn of the disappearance a year earlier of a young woman from the town who had worked in the monastery infirmary. The death of Robin Singleton is only part of the Shardlake’s problem.DISSOLUTION is the best kind of historical mystery. The author puts the reader into the middle of the sixteeth century by making the doubts and hopes of the characters real and timely in any century. Matthew is a committed reformer forced to confront the less than noble motivations of those involved in the new religion. The atmosphere is compelling; the reader feels the cold and the damp of the monastery, the bleakness of a port town in winter. Shardlake is a man who has suffered the taunts and the superstitious cruelty of the people of his time. He and his assistant, Mark, are beacons of rectitude among the monks who are motivated by their dark angels. Shardlake shouldn’t be likable but he is.This is a series that will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction. As a mystery, it should appeal to everyone. I came to the series late and I am happy that late is better than never. I look forward to the next Shardlake book.
    • 4/5
      issolution plunges us into the turmoil of a sixteenth-century England whose citizens fear for their lives unless they adhere to the country’s newly proscribed form of faith. Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell is hell bent on ensuring Catholicism is eradicated; dissolving the monasteries, evicting its cloistered inhabitants and selling the land and assets to loyal supporters of his master King Henry VIII. Those who resist and speak out against the new order find themselves imprisoned in the Tower of London and tortured or executed.The murder of a Royal Commissioner while on a mission to root out corruption at a monastery in Kent , threatens to disrupt all of Cromwell’s plans. He needs the perpetrator found quickly and secretly — and he knows just the man to do the job. His choice — Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of the Reformation. Shardlake and his young relative Mark Poer are despatched to the south coast to investigate the murder.As in all good murder mystery stories, the investigators quickly learn almost everyone has a secret and a motive. Hidden passages; false trails; multiple corpses; near death experiences; fights and escapes: all the standard components of the genre are in this book. What lifts Dissolution well above the usual fare is the quality of Sansom’s writing with its strong sense of place and atmosphere and an intriguing, multi-dimensional protagonist.Sansom perfectly evokes the desolation and isolation of the monastery’s setting on the edge of the Weald with its treacherous currents that only smugglers and a few inhabitants dare cross. The heavy snow which falls as Shardlake arrives at the monastery acts as a metaphoric cloak through which he must penetrate to find the killer.But Shardlake uncovers more than the answer to the crime. What he discovers creates deep unease within himself about Cromwell’s motives and challenges his beliefs about the new future for his country once Reform is fully enacted. By the time the book ends, his faith in humanity is damaged and his idealism has given way to an acute awareness of the corruption all around him.'…. there is nowhere safe in the world now, nothing certain. …. The Bible says God made man in his image but I think we make and remake him in whatever happens to suit our shifting needs. I wonder if he knows or cares. All is dissolving.'Dissolution is the first in a series of books featuring Shardlake. I will definitely return for more of this intriguing character.
    • 3/5
      It's 1537; England is divided between those loyal to the king and the reformers of the Church of England and those in the Catholic Church. A royal commissioner is murdered in a monastery and Cromwell calls in commissioner and hunchback Matthew Shardlake to investigate. Whilst there, two other murders are uncovered. Amongst a brotherhood of monks aware that their way of life is about to be shattered, Shardlake must solve the murders before he is the next victim. An interesting look at this era in history.
    • 4/5
      I didn’t really want to get involved in another series. I’ve already got the Penny series going, and the Julia Spencer-Fleming series going and I’ve already got a couple of other first books in other series but there was so much talk going on in the 75er group about this Matthew Shardlake who was an investigator for Thomas Cromwell and, well, there might as well have been a huge neon sign blinking TUDOR! TUDOR! leaving me feeling as if I had no real choice in the matter. I’m feeling pretty good about that decision at this point.It’s 1537 and Cromwell assigns Matthew the task of investigating the murder of another commissioner at one of the monasteries slated for dissolution. Who among these monks is capable of murder? Then things get even more complicated when not one but three more murders take place to throw things into a real turmoil. And Matthew’s assistant seems to be falling for one of the servant girls and that just will not serve him well as he strides to move up in the world of the courts. Sansom does something that I haven’t encountered in other recent mysteries I’ve read. He lets Matthew make a mistake or two in identifying the killer, a virtual stab in the dark. Interesting. Left me kind of feeling like I wasn’t sure who was going to be the real killer. But have no fear, Matthew comes through in the end f this very well researched Tudor mystery. I can’t wit to get to Book 2. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I'd not read any C J Sansom before, and really enjoyed Dissolution. Sansom has created a believable if unusual hero in Matthew Shardlake, it has good pace and plot, with some suprises along the way. I am eager to read the next in the series dark Fire.
    • 5/5
      Most excellent book - I worked out whodunit about half way through but I still really enjoyed it. It was so well written I was so wrapped up in the world of the monastery it was just wonderful. I am desperate to read the rest of the books now.
    • 5/5
      So excited to have stumbled upon this series. Truly well-written and visuals of the life and times are so clear.
    • 4/5
      In the intricate historical mystery, Dissolution by C.J. Sansom, it is 1537, shortly after the death of Jane Seymour. Henry VIII had declared himself the supreme head of the church in England in 1534 and the wealthy Catholic monasteries were now in the process of being dissolved under the auspice of the Vicar General, Thomas Cromwell. After a rebellion in the north of England, Henry’s men have to proceed with the dissolutions much more carefully. Kyoptic lawyer Matthew Shardlake has been appointed one of Cromwell’s commissioners and, along with his assistant Mark Poer, has been sent to the Benedictine order at Scarnsea to investigate the murder of Cromwell’s previous commissioner, and, he is also charged with finding justification for the dissolution of this monastery. The first commissioner was found beheaded on the kitchen floor at the same time a desecration of the church occurred and a valuable religious relic was stolen. After arriving at the isolated community another murder takes place and a third body is discovered.This author certainly knows his history and of what he writes, making the time come alive and seem current. He also doesn’t sacrifice plot, this is a well developed mystery that keeps the reader engaged and interested. Superior writing, intelligent plot, along with detailed historical facts combine to make Dissolution a great read. This is the first in a most promising series.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful: history and a mystery together. Liked also how the story is told by Shardlake, who is a good man but more naive than his assistant
    • 3/5
      16th century, crime fiction, Thomas Cromwell, detective, England, fiction, Henry VIII, historical fiction, historical mystery, Matthew Shardlake, series, monasteries, monastery, monks, murder, mystery, fiction, Reformation, Tudor,