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

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Henry also moves expeditiously to confiscate property in England that had belonged to the Catholic church. Most important, there were many Catholic monasteries in England that controlled vast amounts of valuable land. Henry began the process of dissolving the monasteries (the Dissolution) and appropriating their wealth. His principal ally in this effort was his vicar general, Thomas Cromwell, who was much feared by Henry's opponents. When Shardlake and his young assistant, Nicholas, arrive in Norfolk they discover that Boleyn may well have been framed, and the list of potential suspects contains some of the most influential men in Norwich. Sansom creates a vivid picture of life in Kett’s camp outside Norwich, as the rebels prepare to take the city As colonization and the slave trade dominate world affairs, a group of English merchants, desperate to find new trading opportunities, sets up a Company of Merchant Adventurers to seek a north-east passage to the Far East. The destination of the projected voyage is kept strictly secret lest Spanish spies should learn of it. After the secretary of the Company suddenly dies, Shardlake is recruited to the post as a competent man who can be trusted to keep matters secret. 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.”

Haughmond Abbey. The extensive remains of an Augustinian abbey, including its abbots' quarters, refectory and cloister.

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. Leading the cast we have Arthur Hughes ( The Innocents) playing Matthew Shardlake, who’s described as “a lawyer with an acute sense of justice and one of the few honest men in a world beset with scheming and plots.” About the mystery part… one of Cromwell’s Commissioners, that is, the person sent to negotiate the surrender of Scarnsea monastery is found brutally murdered on its premises and Mr. Shardlake is sent to investigate together with his young protégé. The lawyer arrives in a hostile environment where each monk seems to hold a secret and could be the potential murderer. Under overwhelming time and secrecy pressure imposed by Cromwell, Shardlake begins a long set of interviews and immerses himself in the life of the monastery. I learned interesting details about the monastic life, most of them not showing the Catholic Church in the best of lights.

Schoolboy rivalries in the Spanish civil war A review of Winter in Madrid, in Telegraph, 26 February 2006 Following these two chart toppers C.J Sansom came up with his successive stories in the Matthew Shardlake series namely Sovereign, Revelation, and Hearthstone etc. The latest release this year is Lamentation that has been released by Mantle publication house London. C.J Sansom who is a lawyer himself is able to put himself in the place of Shardlake and narrate the stories with the tone that makes even a non-reader get involved in his books. The simple language, the style and the ability to explain the historical details clearly as a picture in front of their eyes are the prominent features of the Shardlake series. Seeing the success of the Shardlake series, the author has promised his readers to take Shardlake to the reign of Elizabeth I.The Matthew Shardlake (Series by C.J. Sansom) have been adapted in both Radio and television. The BBC decided to adapt the Dissolution in 2007 with Kenneth Branagh set to star as Shardlake. But This did not materialize and in 2012 the loyalists of Shardlake got their share of joy with BBC Radio 4 adapted Dissolution into a 10 part radio serial adapted by renowned Colin MacDonald and his team. Brought up in the city of Edinburgh, Soctland, C.J. Sansom was born in 1952, an upbringing which helped inspire much his career that was to come. Gaining strong academic credentials over the years as well, he’s also managed to make a name for himself with his keen penchant for accuracy within his work. Not only that but he’s also benefited from a number of other previous positions in the past as well. Graduating from the University of Birmingham, he managed to gain both a B.A. and a P.H.D. in the subject of history. Over the years this has also helped to give his material a level of research unsurpassed by other writers throughout his career. After graduating though, he went on to do a number of other jobs before settling down as a full-time writer. The commissioner was gathering evidence to close the monastery and it is now imperative for Cromwell's own political survival that Shardlake both solves the murder and closes the monastery. This is a murder mystery set in the political upheaval of Tudor England. The churches are undergoing dissolution, hence the title of the book. This, to me, sounded utterly fantastic. I mean, at last, a crime book that I want to read. I have a real interest in the Tudor period of history. It was a reign that changed the face of England. I mean, imagine how different the country would be today if King Henry VIII never broke with Rome, and with the Pope. Arguments between branches of Christianity may never have become so heated. King Charles I may never have been executed for his Catholic sympathies, amongst other things. The Dissolution with the Catholic Church changed the face of England forever along with its sequential history.

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. Right off, I was impressed with the atmosphere that Sansom creates. Whether it was the dangerous and crowded streets of London, the dank and ominous bureaucracy of Cromwell or the infested monastery where the primary action takes place, there was a palpable grittiness to the descriptions. Dray, Kayleigh (30 March 2023). "A Tudor murder mystery drama starring Sean Bean? Shardlake sounds like perfect TV, honestly". Stylist . Retrieved 1 April 2023. Shardlake works on commission, initially from Thomas Cromwell in Dissolution [2] and Dark Fire, [3] then archbishop Thomas Cranmer in Sovereign and Revelation, [4] queen Catherine Parr in Heartstone and Lamentation, and lately princess Elizabeth in Tombland. The seventh book, Tombland, was published in October 2018. [5] [6]

The historical setting of the churches, the towns and the people are brought to life. The turmoil the age is captured along with the skulduggery of its inhabitants. Thomas Cromwell is portrayed as a mean old brute which is quite interesting after reading Hilary Mantel’s version of him in which he is sympathised with, greatly. The scenario in this book kept me questioning everything. At one point there were at least seven suspects. Each had a strong motive. As the focus of the suspicion changed, so did the plausibility of each motive. I am proud to say, that my initial guess was half right. I’ll say no more on that regard, other than this had a really intense ending. It's a great read. Quizá esté siendo demasiado crítico, porque espera más de esta novela. La verdad es que no me ha deslumbrado. En realidad, lo que intento decir es que El gallo negro tiene una calidad suficiente tanto en argumento, personajes, ambientación histórica y prosa para pasar un buen rato, pero no tiene la fuerza necesaria para sobresalir entre otras obras del género. Shardlake is based on thefirst novel in Sansom's series, "Dissolution", which is set during thedissolution of the monasteries. Teasing the plot, the makers say: "Shardlake's sheltered life as a lawyer is turned upside down when Cromwell instructs him to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea. The novel has been positively criticized for the plot, the characterization of Shardlake and the narration of C.J Sansom. This book has been nominated for the 2003 crime writer’s association John Creasey Memorial dagger and also for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger. Such a critical acclaim for a maiden writing gave C.J Sansom a lot of push and he continued bombarding his readers with a Shardlake adventure within short turnaround time.Henry VIII – King of England 1509–1547, later Defender of the Faith and Head of the Church of England. The historical nature and tone of the story are fabulously written and the attention to detail in dialogue and descriptions provides a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy this historical whodunit. Shardlake is a brilliant central character providing that astonishing logic that makes this novel intriguing and captivating as he delicately investigates the murder at the monastery. He knows only success will placate Cromwell and the dynamics of the political and religious tensions are palpable.

Sansom, C.J. (6 May 2018). "CJ Sansom: Ten years at George Watson's College nearly killed me. Half a century on, I fear it's still a bullies' playground". The Times. 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 author's depiction of Tudor times is second to none. Daily living and all its struggles are injected into this story without becoming info-dumps or narrations of boring detail. Cromwell makes a couple of brief appearances, and he is realistically written, if not as sympathetically as in Mantel's novels. Thomas Cromwell – principal counsellor to Henry VIII and holder of a number of high state offices 1533–1540. Ramachandran, Naman (31 March 2023). "Disney+ Sets Series Adaptation of C.J. Sansom's 'Shardlake' Murder Mystery Novels". Variety . Retrieved 24 May 2023.

A view eastwards along the chancel of the church at the Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx Abbey in the Yorkshire Wolds. The monastery was founded in the 12th century and abandoned during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Mechler, Anita (10 February 2022). "CJ Sansom Wins Diamond Dagger Award". Library Journal . Retrieved 19 January 2023. Body, Jamie (31 March 2023). "Game of Thrones star Sean Bean lands Disney+ murder mystery role". Digital Spy . Retrieved 31 March 2023.