TWO DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MATTHEW SHARDLAKE SERIES:Description the First:Take Sherlock Holmes and...1. Crook his back "Quasimodo" style (oh how I wanted to say “bend it like Beckham” instead, but I figure it's time we all move on from that one)...and make sure you include a nice hump;2. Surgically remove 92.7% of the arrogant, ego-maniacal self love;3. Replace Watson with a street-wise, well connected tough guy while deleting all hints of “bromantic tension” between the two;4. Change the setting from Victorian England to the time of Henry VIII and the English Reformation where “Reformers” are engaged in a protracted struggle against the “Papist” supporters of the Roman Catholic Church; 5. Switch localized and small time crimes and mysteries to vast political conspiracies with subtle, nuanced clues and a host of “grey” characters struggling against the wider canvas of the Reformation;6. Takeaway dumb, dorky stumbling blocks like Inspector “Idiot savant minus the savant” Lestrade and replace with rich, smart, capable, politically connected MEGAbastards with almost unlimited resources to cause mischief;7. Add (and my apologies for Sir Arthur for this) superbly crafted plots, rich, nuanced characterizations and deeply immersive historical settings; and... ....YOU HAVE THE BRILLIANT MATTHEW SHARDLAKE SERIES BY C.J. SANSOM WITH OODLES AND OODLES OF WIN!!Description the Second:Take Sherlock Holmes and...First... beat him about the neck and chest with a burlap sack containing the full weight of his enormous ego until hot tears flow and he screams for Watson to bring him some cocaine and apologizes for being such arrogasshat pricktardo (it’s foreign but I think you can translate). Second... tell Watson to grow a pair, send Sir Author to a writer’s workshop and finish Lestrade’s lobotomy Ninja style. Then......READ THE MATTHEW SHARDLAKE SERIES BY THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE BURNING AWAY THE EVIDENCE OF SHERLOCK'S MORE DREADFUL WARDROBE CHOICES...I MEAN, THE HAT HAS TO GO. 4.0 to 4.5 stars. Okay, okay, that was a bit much and the Holmes stories are actually quite good. However, I find the Matthew Shardlake series and the writing of C.J. Sansom to be substantially better. These are true blue historical mysteries that pull you completely into the time of the story (in this case 1541). Sovereign is the 3rd book in the series (there are currently five) and follows after Dissolution and Dark Fire. In this one, King Henry VIII is traveling to York on the famous “Progress to the North” to accept the submission of “papist” rebels and grant pardons for those involved. Master Shardlake, an attorney, is sent ahead to York to assist with processing petitions to the King. At least that is his public reason for being there. Privately, he has been requested by Archbishop Cranmer to ensure the welfare of a dangerous conspirator and bring him safely from York to London...so he can be properly tortured in the Tower of London. Well, a murder occurring shortly after Matthew’s arrival points to a vast conspiracy that could lead to disaster for the King and his family. I will leave it there and just say that the intertwining plots and subplots are very well done and engrossing. This is easily my favorite historical mystery series and among my favorite mystery series period.So why not 5 stars? Okay, here is my only gripe. The first book in the series was Dissolution and it was 320 pages long....AND NON STOP AWESOME FROM BEGINNING TO END!! Now, the last two books, Dark Fire and this have been almost TWICE as long. Now, the mysteries and conspiracies have gotten bigger and so some additional length is certainly welcomed. However, I still think that each of the last two stories are about 100 pages too long and so there are few parts that drag. Thus, I can’t quite give it 5 stars. However, that is really a fairly minor quibble and some may even appreciate the stretching out of the narrative. Regardless, this is a superior series and the writing and plotting are top drawer and will make you see 16th century England when you close your eyes. Finally, Matthew Shardlake is an amazing character and acts as the perfect guide through these stories. Honorable, brilliant, determined, practical and very efficient. A GOOD MAN!! 4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
This is the third Matthew Shardlake novel, following on from Dissolution and Dark Fire. Shardlake is now a much more established character, with Jack Barak as his foil and sidekick, and this is a much more assured novel (which, considering how excellent the first two books are is very impressive). It is 1541 and, after the fall of Cromwell, Shardlake has gone back to his law practice and has taken Barak on to work with him. They are not the only ones to remember Thomas Cromwell though – it is rumoured that the King himself regrets losing such a loyal and competent servant. Shardlake had hoped his days of being involved in the Court are behind him, but he is asked by no less than Archbishop Cranmer, who had been told by Cromwell himself of his discretion, to escort a prisoner from York to London.Henry is making a Progress in the North. A conspirator, Sir Edward Broderick, is being sent from York to the Tower of London and Shardlake is told to ensure he arrives safely within the Tower walls. However, shortly after arriving in York, Shardlake hears a scream and finds a glazier has been killed. Before he dies, he tells Shardlake, “no child of Henry and Catherine Howard can ever be true heir.” Unwillingly, Shardlake is told to investigate by Maleverer; a crony of his old enemy Richard Rich. Soon, Shardlake is trapped in an unenviable situation – forced to deal with a conspiracy which strikes at the very heart of the succession to the throne, embroiled in treason and with his life in increasing danger, whilst also having to try to keep Broderick alive and well in order to face torture in London. The characters in this novel are a mix of real and fictional, but they are all so well cast, that it is impossible to say which is which. There is the sadistic jailer, Radwinter, Jennet Marlin, a member of the Queen’s servants, young Tamasin Reedbourne, who catches Barak’s eye, Lady Rochester – former wife of George Boleyn – the new young Queen Catherine, who is way out of her depth, the arrogant young men who surround her, including Culpepper and Dereham, and the elderly lawyer, Giles Wrenne, who befriends Shardlake. Indeed, Shardlake needs a friend in this book. With Barak busy being in love, under pressure from Maleverer and Rich, with several attempts on his life and humiliated by King Henry himself, this really makes you face the reality of the Tudor world. We are taken behind the pomp to the backstage of Court life, from the grandeur of the King to the vicious reality of power; even to the real fear and horror of torture in the dungeons beneath the Tower itself. A wonderful read in a brilliant series.
Do You like book Sovereign (2007)?
Sovereign is as good a read as the previous books, entwining its mysteries with the history of the period. Some of it is obviously invented, but still, it invokes the Tudor period and the Reformation pretty strongly and with attention to detail. It's slow to unfold -- and this one definitely suckers you in with a slow build of emotion, i.e. the bond between Shardlake and Wrenne.You've got your standard collection of corrupt and incompetent officials, with a bit of torture to spice the dish. A new female character enters the picture, with a bit of romance (not for Shardlake, but for Barak, which is a little sad in one sense).In a way, it's of a piece with the first two books: the style and format haven't changed. If you enjoyed the previous two books, then you'd probably enjoy this; if you found them too slow, too unbelievable in the way Barak and Shardlake mix with high society, in the way that a lawyer like Shardlake can become so entangled in politics and scheming... well, then you'd be best advised to cut your losses, because it doesn't change in that sense.
—Nikki
Action packed and dramaticThis is the third in the series of Matthew Shardlake adventures and, in my opinion, the best so far. As usual, the lawyer embarks on a dual, dangerous mission, and can trust nobody save, perhaps, his faithful assistant, Barak. At every turn there is murder, mystery and suspense. Shardlake appears to have many more lives that the nine that are generally accredited to a cat. It is amazing that he survives each day.Most of this story is set in York, and revolves around the disputed right, at least in the north of England, of Henry VIII to occupy the throne. Who are the conspirators and who are the loyalists? Tension is high, and personal safety is fragile. In those times, upsetting the wrong person, even if one were allied to that person, could lead to torture and loss of life.You can read the background to the story on the cover or in other reviews, so I won’t bother to go into that. What I want to get across is, that although this book is long, it is action packed, and full of twists and turns, right up to the final page. There are some passages which will turn the strongest of stomachs. All in all, it is a great read.
—Lance Greenfield
I absolutely devoured this book, as I have done with the previous C J Sansom books involving the great Matthew Shardlake.I literally read every single word and digested the information before me and, along the way, doing a lot of research into the dreadful King Henry VIII and his family tree.I love history, especially Kings and Queens, and had never realised what a terrible man Henry actually was. However given the fact that he took great delight in having two of his wives beheaded and gave the orders for many more beheadings and brutal acts etc, this should really have given me a clue! Matthew Shardlake and his brilliant assistant, Jack Barak, are a great pairing. Poor Matthew with his dreadful deformity gets ridiculed by just about everyone he meets and I do feel terribly sorry for him. However with his trusty assistant, Barak, by his side, I know he has a protector. This is a stunning, painstakingly researched book, as the other books have been, and I lost myself in it. The conditions our ancestors lived in were just abominable to say the least and life was taken without hesitation. A particularly brutal period of English history and mans inhumanity to man. It is, of course, based on a lot of facts with a little fiction thrown in for good measure. Thoroughly enjoyable and great historical journey. Highly recommended,
—Gail
