Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1) in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Apr 02, 2019 Pamela rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

Dissolution takes place at the start of Henry VIII's planned destruction of the monasteries of England and Matthew Shardlake, one of Cromwell's lawyers has been sent to Scarnsea to investigate the murder of the previous commissioner. He takes along his young protege, Mark Poer. Once there, they find a house in seeming obedience to the rules and practices of the "new religion", determined to give Lord Cromwell no reason to shut them down and positive the murder was done by some stranger from the ...more

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Jan 19, 2016 Olivermagnus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, 2024, favorites, zaug-24

In April I was devastated to hear that C. J. Sansom had passed away. His Shardlake series contained some of my favorite books and it's hard to reconcile that there will be no additional novels in the future. I have decided to go back and start the series again in my own tribute of Sansom.

For those who haven't read any of the Shardlake books, Dissolution begins a great historical mystery set in England in the year 1537. Having divorced his first wife and marrying his second, Henry VIII wants to c In April I was devastated to hear that C. J. Sansom had passed away. His Shardlake series contained some of my favorite books and it's hard to reconcile that there will be no additional novels in the future. I have decided to go back and start the series again in my own tribute of Sansom.

For those who haven't read any of the Shardlake books, Dissolution begins a great historical mystery set in England in the year 1537. Having divorced his first wife and marrying his second, Henry VIII wants to close down the monasteries, which were a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church and grant the land to his favorites or the highest bidders. Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's vicar general, has dispatched Matthew Shardlake, the hunchbacked lawyer, to investigate the very recent murder of another commissioner at the monastery of Scarnsea. Shardlake's young assistant, Mark Poer, accompanies him in this endeavor. The two of them uncover evidence of additional crimes and eventually two more murders are committed. During his investigation he also makes discoveries about other crimes related to his case. Matthew follows the clues and eventually uncovers the truth.

Shardlake begins the tale as an idealistic reformer and we experience his disillusionment as he continues his work for Cromwell. The character of Matthew Shardlake is an inspired creation; a hunchback solicitor at the service of his Majesty King Henry VIII and Vicar General, Thomas Cromwell. Sansom paints a very accurate picture of life and religious politics, all of which were pretty grim.

This is excellent storytelling, with historical figures and facts and fictional characters and settings, expertly mixed, creating a wholly believable premise. Sansom brings the novel to a wonderful conclusion, never rushing to unmask the culprit but rather allowing the story to slowly unfold. My only complaint would be that it could have been done with about 100 less pages.

I didn't realize that Disney++ released a TV series, "Shardlake," in May 2024, just four days after Samson's death. I would be interested in seeing how the character was portrayed.

If you love historical fiction/mysteries in general , or Tudor England in particular, you will find much to enjoy in this wonderful debut novel. ...more

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May 23, 2015 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A detective novel set in Tudor times during the reign and reform of Henry VIII. Thomas Cromwell has ordered the dissolution of all of the English monasteries to bulk up the royal coffers and to cement the changeover from the Catholic church to the Church of England. Cromwell has ordered one of his lawyers, Matthew Shardlake and Shardlake's assistant, Mark Poer to a smaller country monastery at Scarnsea to investigate the brutal murder of a lawyer previously sent to force the voluntary surrender ...more

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