Henry VIII has ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and England is full of informers. At the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control with the murder of Commissioner Robin Singleton. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, and his assistant are sent to investigate.
Dissolution (Shardlake Series)
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"'Remarkable' P. D. James"
Book Description
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. Under the order of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent through the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: the monasteries are to be dissolved. But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell's Commissioner Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege – a black cockerel sacrificed on the alter, and the disappearance of Scarnsea's Great Relic. Dr Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell into this atmosphere of treachery and death. But Shardlake's investigation soon forces him to question everything he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1,143 of 1,151 people found the following review helpful
By Mr
Format:Paperback
I agree with previous reviewers that when you start out on this novel part of you is thinking "is this just a re-hash of The Name of the Rose" - no it isn't, it has many echoes, or should that be Eco's, of that great novel but is an of itself as absorbing, if not quite as high in writing style or rich in semiology.
As a frequent buyer from Amazon I always find it frustrating that coming to a series of novels it isn't always that clear in which order one should read them, yes you can sometimes tell by publication date - but these can often be just as confusing...so here for the new C J SANSOM fans is a list in order of their series to 2012, should you wish to rattle off the series before the next publication...
Dissolution (2003), ISBN 1-4050-0542-4
Dark Fire (2004), ISBN 1-4050-0544-0
Sovereign (2006), ISBN 1-4050-5048-9
Revelation (2008) ISBN 1-4050-9272-2
Heartstone (2010) ISBN 0307356183
Hope that helps some of you...and it maybe something Amazon could consider doing on the author page?
As a frequent buyer from Amazon I always find it frustrating that coming to a series of novels it isn't always that clear in which order one should read them, yes you can sometimes tell by publication date - but these can often be just as confusing...so here for the new C J SANSOM fans is a list in order of their series to 2012, should you wish to rattle off the series before the next publication...
Dissolution (2003), ISBN 1-4050-0542-4
Dark Fire (2004), ISBN 1-4050-0544-0
Sovereign (2006), ISBN 1-4050-5048-9
Revelation (2008) ISBN 1-4050-9272-2
Heartstone (2010) ISBN 0307356183
Hope that helps some of you...and it maybe something Amazon could consider doing on the author page?
221 of 226 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
To begin with i thought this was just a pastiche of Eco's Name of the Rose: Monastery in winter, dodgy monks, murders and a beautiful young girl with an unusual detective plus honourable apprentice (even Aristotle's lost work On Comedy makes an appearance). But this is set a few centuries later and is firmly rooted in the Tudor terrors at the time of Dissolution of the Monasteries. National politics and the reformation are the sword of Damocles that hang over the monastery throughout. What is so exciting and satisfying is the way (rather like Eco did) that national politics and scandals are interwoven naturally into the goings on in this remote monastery on the South Coast. Henry VIII exists as an invisible presence throughout; the nearest we get to him is his ruthless and foul henchman, Thomas Cromwell. But his lethal authority and whims are stamped on every page.
The hero of the piece is Matthew Shardlake who finds himself having to do Cromwell's bidding. He is a believable character, idealistic but flawed, given to blindspots and jealousies - but he acknowledges all these, especially as he recognises that to have remained neutral could have helped find the culprits sooner and thus prevented more deaths.
This is a great read - and brings a dark chapter of England's history to life. There are no easy answers - and the rights and wrongs of the period are not so categorically stated that the reader is drawn inevitably to either 'papists' or 'reformers'. A tour de force.
The hero of the piece is Matthew Shardlake who finds himself having to do Cromwell's bidding. He is a believable character, idealistic but flawed, given to blindspots and jealousies - but he acknowledges all these, especially as he recognises that to have remained neutral could have helped find the culprits sooner and thus prevented more deaths.
This is a great read - and brings a dark chapter of England's history to life. There are no easy answers - and the rights and wrongs of the period are not so categorically stated that the reader is drawn inevitably to either 'papists' or 'reformers'. A tour de force.
95 of 97 people found the following review helpful
By C. Winston
Format:Paperback
I also bought this book on a whim in an airport - and was delighted to find a new author I hope to read much more of. The book itself is a great murder mystery - plenty of twists, without losing its credibility, and simply a superb story.
On top of this though, it's a great picture of a time of enormous change in England - although I knew the basics of the dissolution of the monasteries, this really brings everything to life, and although there is plenty of detail for those who like their history, it never becomes dry or boring.
Quite simply, this is one of the most gripping and readable books I've picked up for quite a while, and I'll be recommending it far and wide.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
I don't normally enjoy detective fiction but was persuaded to read this and was glad I did. Good atmosphere and feels historically believable. Will read others of this writer.
Published 2 days ago by jane drew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Splendid
The first in the Shardlake series where the hero is sent to a remote monastery to investigate the death of the official whose duty it was to close it on the orders of the king.
Published 2 days ago by G. Owen
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some historical insight, but not a literary feast
I miss the old style of writing; you could lose yourself in a literary passage of sublime wonder. Today all seems to be airport reading, it's fast food, a page turner. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Mr. C. Morris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanted by Dissolution
I had the 2nd & 3rd books in Sansom's series about Henry's Tudor Britain and needed Dissolution the 1st one in the series. Read more
Published 7 days ago by alan hawes
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great read
I loved the richness of the history you learned throughout the novel. It makes you realise how lucky we were not to be in the 1500's.
Published 8 days ago by Wright Angle Marketing
5.0 out of 5 stars
book
brought for daughter,she has kindal but still likes to have books,she enjoyed reading it and has brought next books by c.j.sanson on her kindal
Published 10 days ago by jackie gilligan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating
A very interesting book with the background of the dissolution of the monasteries and the problems it caused. Read more
Published 11 days ago by dupressa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant period murder mystery
A completely engrossing book that presents the sight, sounds and smells of Tudor England and leads us on the trail of a murderer with the troubled and enigmatic Matthew Shardlake. Read more
Published 11 days ago by R. J. Cowley
4.0 out of 5 stars
A captivating read
A fascinating read, which brought the history of the reformation to life, whilst telling a gripping story that had twists throughout.
Published 15 days ago by Steve
5.0 out of 5 stars
Atmosphere and intrigue
The characters and the medieval period, come to life in this novel. The plot enhanced by the descriptions mud, old buildings, and the struggle for power.
Published 16 days ago by mark
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