Customer Reviews
C.J. Sansom - Matthew Shardlake series - By: Ian Leslie Mactavish, 25 Aug 2008 
Have read all four of the Shardlake series, all brilliant. I am now having withdrawal. Sansom has you totally engrossed, you can picture the scene, a detailed version of the violent times of Henry V111. I cannot find a single fault. Will there be anymore, please.
If you like historical whodunnits, these are for you, difficult to put down, extremely well written, who needs television.
Marriage and murder in Tudor England - By: L. J. Roberts, 08 Aug 2008 First Sentence: The high chandeliersin the Great Hall of Lincoln's Inn were ablaze with candles, for it was late afternoon when the play began.
Henry VIII has asked to marry Catherine Parr & England isin a time of religious turmoil.
The Dissolution of the monasteries is done but now Henry, & the reformists, are moving back toward Catholic ways, under the King rather than the Pope, at the same time as the risein Protestantism. An English version of the Bible has been published, but only Churches & the upper class are allowed to read it.
One of lawyer Matthew Shardlake's closest friends has been murdered & his body publicly displayed. Brought before Archbishop Cramer, Matthew learns this is not the first such killing. A serial killer is using versusin the Book of Revelations to carry out his killings.
Sansom brings Tutor England to life & makes us see what a difficult time it wasin which to live. He doesn't present the romanticized image, but gives us a look at the dangers of the time from social & religious reforms to poverty to mental illness being labeled possession, without ever slowing down the story or being preachy.
The dialogue is, naturally enough, not of the time, but flavored with a sense of the time. I always learn a lot reading Sansom.
Shardlake is a wonderful character who has grown & improved as a character through the series. He is supported by Barak, for whom Matthew tries to do a bit of marriage counseling, & Guy, a Moor, once a monk, now a doctor.
Sansom is an evocative writer & masterful at combining historical detail with a multilayered story, & suspenseful mystery. I am continually impressed by the quality of Sansom's writing.
Excellent Tudor Era Murder Mystery! - By: J.Flood, 08 Aug 2008 Revelation is setin 1543. A serial killer is on the loose in
London using quotes from the Book of Revelations, as the
inspiration for his murder spree. The books main protagonist,
Matthew Shardlake, & his assistant Jack Barak, are called in
to hunt the killer down, by Archbishop Cranmer, when it becomes
apparent that the murders are religiously motivated.
I found this book a fascinating read, the latestin a very
enjoyable series. At first, I was worried the story could turn
out to be similar to the earlier novel 'Darkfire', as they are
both set mainlyin the same area of London, but this story is
quite different.
The interaction between the factual, & fictional characters is
very well done, & the attention to detail is second to none.
You almost feel as if you are a bystander, watching the action
unfoldin front of you. An excellent read, & I hope there is
more to comein this series.
The Standard Maintained - By: Eugene Onegin, 20 Jul 2008 If you are a fan of the Shardlake series & are wondering if C.J Sansom has been able to maintain the standard of the previous volumes, fear not. If anything the plot is even more gripping than some of the earlier ones & after a slow start, a cracking pace is maintained each page full of incident. Rest assured you arein for a treat & a few late nights.
If you are new to this series then do not hesitate to give this book a try. Sansom has no equalin evoking the sights, sounds, & smells of the period. One of the author's greatest strengths is to marry a fictional plot to real historical characters & political issues so that the story seems to follow historical imperatives & the credibility of events is greatly enhanced as a consequence.
On this occasion the story opensin 1543 where Henry VIII's courtship of his sixth wife is played out against a backdrop of religious rivalry between Catholic & Protestant elements. Into this already explosive atmosphere a serial killer begins a killing spree apparently taking The Book of Revelation as his inspiration. To read Sansom is to learn a lot of historyin a uniquely entertaining way, but if you enjoy a thrilling story, cunningly plotted full of twists & turns expertly written you will be well satisfied. I know no other modern writer who gives you that delicious sense of anticipation when you return to his books after a spell away.
I'm fairly addicted to Shardlake. CJ Sansom is on a real winner. - By: Robbie Swale, 19 Jun 2008 This, the fourth novel concerning Matthew Shardlake, is superb. The characters are more developed (and the longer the series go on, the bigger & more developed the supporting cast becomes). The plot is cleverer & different - here we see Shardlake dealing with a serial killer, & although the politicians are involved this is a different kettle of fish to the rebellions & political plots that our favourite hunch-backed Tudor lawyer has found himself involvedin before.
Andin my opinion it's for the better - C J Sansom's writing has always been addictive (but notin an obtrusive way) & has always had totally convincing historical contexts (at least to a moderately informed one such as I). Butin the past the plots have been slightly predictable - more so the classic whodunit, with a list of suspects & a ticking-clock before some disaster happens or the heroes are knocked off. In a way, that is all still true of this book (in fact, maybe it's impossible to write a whodunit without that!) but its better concealed amidst an excellent premise.
The pages & chapters fly by, & this opens an exciting future for Shardlake. I hope it won't be too long till we hear from him again!
