Dissolution (The Shardlake series, 1)

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It is a time when people must deny their true nature whether they are homosexual, Anabaptist, or harboring affection for the Pope of Rome. Cromwell now sends one of his protégés, a lawyer named Matthew Shardlake to investigate the murder and to conclude the dissolution of the monastery. As I said above, I think the habit of organizing large bodies of complex material, always with presentation as a factor, which I had for years as a solicitor working in civil litigation, has influenced my way of working.

This was a time when every word had to be considered before spoken and informers abound, offering testimony of guilt in exchange for reward, regardless of any 'truth'. In summary, DISSOLUTION is a lightweight easy-reading mystery that achieves much greater heights on the strength of the historical background and compelling re-creation of a particularly frightening political agenda.

The US Library Journal review is more critical, commenting: "His novel is unrelentingly grim in tone, as the reader is forced to plod along with Shardlake and the other mostly unlikable characters.

Shardlake works on commission initially from Thomas Cromwell in Dissolution and Dark Fire and then Thomas Cranmer in Sovereign and Revelation. The series that is right for you may not be right for me; after all, if you're investing a lot of time - and money - in a dozen or so books, you need to get it right. Book Review: Dark Fire – Blogcritics Magazine book review of Dark Fire, but which refers to Dissolution. Shardlake is a commissioner sent, by Thomas Cromwell, to investigate his predecessor’s murder at a monastery.

Think of the lives that would have been saved if Henry the 8th in one of his many mishaps had crushed his balls or better yet sliced his dinger off. Overall, an engaging plot, interestingly written characters, and as I mentioned, an intriguing setting. On the whole the reader is presented with a satisfying detective story which would baffle Scotland Yard’s finest if it were set in a later period. This along with Shardlake’s unsuccessfulness with the ladies, results in a very damaged yet resolute commissioner. We are introduced to Matthew Shardlake, a hunchback lawyer, who is sent to a monastery that is being dissolved - Cromwell's commissioner has been murdered and Shardlake must discover the killer.

It is set in the time of Henry VIII, after the execution of his first wife, and Thomas Cromwell’s assault on the Catholic Church. A man of strong pro-reform views, he believes in the work Cromwell is doing, and is happy to be a part of it.Two quotes-- Catholic Church holy relics: "They say that there are two headed dragons in the Indies. He is the only character from Dissolution, apart from Shardlake and Cromwell, to appear in the sequel, Dark Fire. Set in 1537 during the dissolution of the monasteries, the book follows the lawyer Shardlake in his attempts to solve the murder of one of Thomas Cromwell's commissioners in the monastery at the fictional town of Scarnsea on the south coast of England. I admit that I struggled trying to read this book years ago, such a shock to many that ripples appeared across those who follow my reviews. or a convenient place to stage a revolt and send a message to Cromwell from one of his many and growing enemies.

if only Catherine of Aragon had say had an accident in the bath or had a bit of loose stone masonry fall on her head? Cromwell, with very thinly veiled threats has made it quite clear that Shardlake's failure to complete the mission will be seen as evidence of questionable loyalty to the Reformation program. The copy of Dissolution that I read was subtitled ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ and was published in 2008, so this author has been writing for some time and this book is the first in a series featuring the same protagonist, a lawyer by the name of Matthew Shardlake. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. This book brilliantly weaves the true account of events with fiction whilst introducing us to new characters, such as Matthew Shardlake.

The reason is because initially it reminded me (in terms of plot points) of “The Name of the Rose”, a novel I detest! Far from being in control of his immoral urges, Mortimus’ brutal punishments often land other brothers in the infirmary—or in a coffin. But there has been a murder and not just any murder, but the murder of a Cromwell representative while he was investigating the monastery for improprieties. Shardlake is a moderately successful lawyer under the patronage of Lord Thomas Cromwell, now vicar general and responsible for the new Church of England. The beheading is sending a personal message to Cromwell as he insists that Shardlake goes there and find out what is going on.