Time to test another top author against those ingredients. 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. Sansom has said that he plans to write further shardlake novels taking the lawyer into the reign of elizabeth i. Come in, pull a chair up to the hearth and indulge in. Wordies will have more than enough to feed that passion. This tremendous book is the 7th volume of the amazing matthew shardlake series from the author c. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers it has ever seen. It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest. Print hardcover and paperback, audiobook, e book the shardlake series is a series of historical mystery novels by c.
C j sansom christopher john sansom 1952 had traditional presbyterian parents and was born and grew up in edinburgh, scotland. C j sansom s matthew shardlake novels in chronological order. J sansom releases a new shardlake book in october and i cant wait to read all of the 592 pages. Sansom creates both a stunning portrait of tudor england, and an unforgettable character in matthew shardlake. Sansom was educated at birmingham university, where he took a ba and then a phd in history. King henry viii has proclaimed himself as the supreme head of the church.
Dissolution is the first in the phenomenal shardlake series by bestselling author, c. The seventh book, tombland, was published in october 2018. Sansom is one of the best writers i have read and i read several books a week. Sansom is a real historian and depicts such a fascinating world for shardlake to inhabit. C j sansom, perhaps best known for his shardlake series, now enters the pantheon of alternative history authors with this postww ii novel. The 1st instalment in the wildly popular matthew shardlake mystery series, now available from vintage canada.
Sansom, set in the reign of henry viii in the 16th century. Two years after the death of henry viii, england is slidi. He was born in 1952 in edinburgh, scotland, and was educated at the university of birmingham, where he took a ba and then a phd in history. Although the shardlake novels read well as standalone books it is best to read them in chronolgical order. Centered on frank muncaster, a damaged lowlevel scientist whose brother in america is working on the atom bomb. Happy book birthday tombland by c j sansom is out in paperback today. Sansom for anyone who loves a great novel and especially those who love historical fiction and havent yet read a c. In this book matthew shardlake is assigned a mission by the first earl of essex thomas cromwell. His following two certainly shouldnt disappoint dame james nor any other reader. And this praise was for sansom was for the first book.
Two years after the death of henry viii, england is sliding into chaos the nominal king, edward vi, is eleven years old. Book one, dissolution, is the shortest at 456 pages. Sansom has 25 books on goodreads with 270196 ratings. If youre a fan of historical crime fiction, this series is for you. J sansom, who used to practice as a lawyer for his living came to prominence with the shardlake series. Six historical fiction series that should be adapted as. Sansoms number one bestselling shardlake series, tombland takes his lawyerdetective deep into the heart of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of the tudor dynasty. Sansom too, so you might enjoy pillars of the earth by ken folletstory set around the building of a cathedral. Sep 04, 2008 dissolution is the first in the phenomenal shardlake series by bestselling author, c.
My favourite genre is historical fiction and sansom definitely is an expert at writing a fictional book but making it follow actual historical events and times. 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. Jamess favorite mystery authors comes the third shardlake novel autumn 1541. Exciting and elegantly written, dissolution is an utterly compelling first novel and a riveting portrayal of tudor england. Perfect for fans of hilary mantels the mirror and the light, matthew shardlake is back in the sixth book in the shardlake series, from number one bestselling author c. It is sansoms first published novel, and the first in the matthew shardlake series. He was educated at ludgrove school 19791984, eton college 19851989 and the university of edinburgh 19901994, where he graduated with 1st class honours in english. Sansom shardlake book, stop what youre doing now and grab a copy of the first, dissolution. Christopher john sansom is a british writer of historical crime novels. He was born in 1952 in edinburgh and was educated at the university of birmingham, where he took a ba and then a phd in history. Book in lovely condition for age and appears unread.
Apr 28, 2003 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. Atmospheric, suspenseful, evocative and excitingthese novels are wonderful. Dissolution is the first book in the series, where we meet matthew shardlake, a lawyer and occasional fixer for thomas cromwell. It is 1952 and britain is indirectly controlled by nazi germany.
The authors who encompass the medieval murderers are michael jecks founder, c. Sansom has revealed that he has cancer and that tombland could be his last book. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. One of britains bestselling historical novelists, c.
Shardlake works on commission initially from thomas cromwell in dissolution and dark fire, archbishop thomas cranmer in sovereign and revelation, and queen catherine parr in heartstone and lamentation. Good first us edition, first printing, hardcover with dust jacket in archival cover. Mar 20, 2020 today, im kicking things off with the matthew shardlake series by c. As henry viii falls gravely ill, a bitter political power struggle unfolds published. Jun 26, 2012 first time i have read a c j sansom novel, so was not sure if i would get into a book based on fictional story in factual historical times, but even though the story was fictional, and so was the main characters, combined with the real history of the dissolution, and some of the real people such as thomas cromwell, who made an occasional. Bernard cornwell the times the 25 books you must read. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in sussex, until becoming a fulltime writer. C j sansoms matthew shardlake novels in chronological. Sansom s shardlake series are as follows dissolution 2003.
Sansom author of dominion, winter in madrid and the. Henry viii has proclaimed himself supreme head of the church and the country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers ever seen. C j sansom appreciation society public group facebook. Follow shardlake into the dark heart of tudor england with the bestselling dark fire, sovereign, revelation, heartstone, lamentation and tombland. First time i have read a c j sansom novel, so was not sure if i would get into a book based on fictional story in factual historical times, but even though the story was fictional, and so was the main characters, combined with the real history of the dissolution, and some of the real people such as thomas cromwell, who made an occasional. Henry viii has proclaimed himself supreme head of the church. It was a case of doing bits and bobs, going to writers groups. When it comes to intriguing tudorbased narratives, hilary mantel has a serious rival sunday times sansom has the trick of writing an enthralling narrative.
In particular, it examines the question of whether the sixteenthcentury fictional lawyer shardlake can serve as a role model for twenty first century lawyers, both in terms of his ethics and his professionalism. There are no spoilers as such but knowledge, say, that a character is a friend in later books does mean that you dismiss them as. The novels are linked to the various authors characters, who appear in the stories authored by the respective authors ie. I have written before in this newsletter about his superb mystery novels set in london in the time of king henry viii, though in this latest one it is henrys young son edward who is on the throne. First edition first impression and signed by c j sansom to a limitation page without inscription confirming book no 616 of a limited edition of 1500. After reading sovereign recently, i was desperate to continue with the next of cj sansom s shardlake mysteries and luckily for me, i managed to find a copy of revelation in the library the next day. Sansom came to prominence with the shardlake series, his historical mystery series set in the reign of henry viii in the 16th century. Sansom rewrites history in a thrilling novel that dares to imagine britain under the thumb of nazi germany. Sansom, bernard knight, susanna gregory, philip gooden, ian morson and karen maitland. He was born in 1952 and was educated at the university of birmingham, where he took a ba and then a phd in history. In 1549, the nominal king, edward vi, is eleven years old. Sansom, the internationally bestselling author of the matthew shardlake series and the novels winter in madrid and dominion, earned a ph. It is strange to read a book by cj sansom and not to find his traditional character matthew shardlake featuring. An examination of the shardlake series as a whole yields some uncertain answers, both as to shardlake.
Sansoms number one bestselling shardlake series, for fans of hilary mantel and philippa gregory. A few months ago, i developed a concept of ten essential ingredients for favourite historical fiction. It is sansom s first published novel, and the first in the matthew shardlake series. The novel is set in 1537, a year where england saw many changes. The fifth book in the shardlake series a novel by c j sansom part one london chapter one the churchyard was peaceful in the summer afternoon. Creasey memorial dagger, for first books by previously unpublished writers. Come in, pull a chair up to the hearth and indulge in some tudor intrigue. Tombland the shardlake series english edition ebook. Twigs and branches lay strewn across the gravel path, torn from the trees by the gales which had swept the country in that stormy june of 1545.
Sarah crown talks to cj sansom, the creator of matthew shardlake. The shardlake series is a series of historical mystery novels by c. Dark fire won the 2005 cwa ellis peters historical dagger and sansom was very highly commended in the 2007 cwa dagger in the library award, for the shardlake series. Twelve years have passed since churchill lost to the appeasers and britain surrendered to nazi germany. I had said that sovereign was my favourite in the series so far, so i was curious to see whether revelation could possibly be as good. After working in a variety of jobs, he decided to retrain as a solicitor. Media type, print hardcover and paperback, audiobook, ebook. Dissolution is the first book in this bestselling phenomenon, where c. The medieval murderers are a group of authors who write a series of historical mystery collections. An examination of the shardlake series as a whole yields some uncertain answers, both as to shardlake and. James in the wall street journal as one of her top five alltime favorite books. Here you will find exclusive insights and behindthescenes.
Matthew shardlake works in the service of henrys younger daughter, the lady elizabeth. Sansom s matthew shardlake series, given the fact that book 6 in the series, lamentation, has just been published after a wait of 4 years. Winner of the cwa ellis peters historical dagger, dark fire is the second thrilling book in c. The first ever writing to get published was dissolution in the year 2003 published by the famous macmillan house in london. Sansom has garnered a wider audience and increased critical praise with each new novel published. Id always thought the dissolution of the monasteries would make a great setting for a murder mystery. His first book in the matthew shardlake series, dissolution, was selected by p. That, combined with new laws, rigged trials and general distrust is tearing the nation apart.
The novel sparked the bestselling shardlake series, following the sixteenthcentury lawyerdetective. He practised in sussex as a lawyer for the disadvantaged, before leaving the legal profession to become a fulltime writer. Sansom can lay claim to a place among the most distinguised of modern historical novelists. Dominion is a huge tome, its 700 pages long, and my first thought was that it probably needed some more editing.
Dissolution is the first in the shardlake historical mysteries by sansom. The series main character is the hunchbacked lawyer matthew shardlake, who is assisted in his adventures by mark poer, then jack barak and also nicholas overton. When it comes to intriguing tudorbased narratives, hilary mantel has a serious rival sunday times sansom has the trick of writing an. It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in england since 1066. Sansom s number one bestselling shardlake series, perfect for fans of hilary mantel and philippa gregory. He went to birmingham university where he was awarded a ba and then a phd in history. Dissolution sansom novel wikipedia republished wiki 2. Discover book depositorys huge selection of c j sansom books online.
Tudor england is brought vividly to life in tombland, the seventh novel in c. Sansom, including dissolution, and dark fire, and more on. Dissolution 2003 is a historical mystery novel by british author c. Sansom, the first in his series about matthew shardlake when a royal commissioner is murdered in the monastery of scarsea, thomas cromwell, henry viiis feared vicar general. Sansom is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed shardlake series, as well as winter in madrid and dominion. Let me first tell you that the historical details concerning this story are superbly implemented by the author, and explained in a very wonderful fashion. A plot against the throne has been uncovered, and henry viii has set off on a spectacular progress from london to york, along with a thousand soldiers, the cream of the nobility, and his fifth wife, catherine howard, to quell his. Sansom, the internationally bestselling author of the novels winter in madrid and dominion and the matthew shardlake tudor mystery series, earned a ph.
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