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    Sovereign
    Sovereign
    Sovereign
    Audiobook21 hours

    Sovereign

    Written by C. J. Sansom

    Narrated by Steven Crossley

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    C. J. Sansom is an international bestselling author known for riveting suspense and intricately constructed mysteries. His atmospheric prose has earned him an Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award, among other accolades.

    In the third novel in this riveting series, barrister Matthew Shardlake is faced with the most terrifying threat in the age of Tudor England: his own imprisonment in the Tower of London. Harsh autumn winds stir the English countryside as King Henry VIII, along with a thousand soldiers and his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, make their way from London to York after a violent uprising. Shardlake and his loyal assistant, John Barack, have a secret mission—they must transport a dangerous conspirator back to London for interrogation. After a local glazier is murdered, Shardlake finds that this death seems not only connected to the prisoner, but to the royal family itself. Shardlake grows more determined when he realizes that a greater threat looms over the crown.

    “Sansom seems to have been born with, or instinctively acquired, that precious balance of creativity and research that lets mystery set in another time walk a delicate line between history and humanity.”—Chicago Tribune
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 9, 2008
    ISBN9781436116558
    Sovereign
    Author

    C. J. Sansom

    C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. in 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Sussex.

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    Reviews for Sovereign

    4/5

    742 ratings62 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is the 3rd book of the Shardlake series and my favorite so far. King Henry VIII and his 5th wife, Catherine Howard progress from London to York. Shardlake and Barak are transporting a conspirator from York to London and come across a secret concerning the monarchy. Someone is attempting to kill Shardlake to protect the secret. This was a very hard to put down book with excellent plot, characters and intrigue. I would highly recommend this series to those who love to read about 16th century Tudor England.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      C. J . Sansom has garnered a wider audience and increased critical praise with each new novel published. His first book in the Matthew Shardlake series, Dissolution, was selected by P. D. James in The Wall Street Journal as one of her top-five all-time favorite books. Now in Sovereign, Shardlake and his loyal assistant, Jack Barak, find themselves embroiled in royal intrigue when a plot against King Henry VIII is uncovered in York and a dangerous conspirator they've been charged with transporting to London is connected to the death of a local glazer.
    • 4/5
      This book has become a part of my psyche. Space opera you might say, but it's also true.
    • 4/5
      I love CJ Sansom's character Matthew Shardlake. So far have read all his books in this series.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Love the series. Great story with interesting, actual history in it. Paints a vivid picture of life in Tudor England.
    • 4/5
      The continuing exploration of the Tudor Reformation and its effect on the common people is fascinating. Shardlake's continuing disillusionment is well done, if sometimes a bit hard to watch. In the first quarter of the book, his complete failure to butt out when powerful people tell him to butt out, while apparently not quite realizing that he's failing to butt out, is kind of pathetic. I was also bugged by how often Barak persuaded him to tell something to someone (now Barak is the voice of reason!?) and how often he didn't really think through whether it was a good idea or not. On the other hand, Sansom did a great job on the surprise ending.
    • 4/5
      Since this one was set mostly in York, Matthew was more vulnerable and more of an outsider than usual.I thought the history about the Royal Progress was fascinating, but am deducting a star for the very distressing section towards the end, which I had to skim over. I have appreciated the fact that these novels cover the horrors of life in Tudor England without giving me nightmares, but this instalment was a little graphic for me.
    • 2/5
      obvious plot devices
    • 4/5
      This is the third Shardlake book, the lawyer with a hunchback who has a knack for solving the most difficult of crimes and puzzles.

      Archbishop Cranmer asks Shardlake to be responsible for the welfare of a conspirator called Broderick and to escort him from York to London. also approaching York at the time is Henry VIII on his progress, a tour of the rebellious North to seek new oaths from the people there and to show force to limit any armed uprisings too.

      Shortly after he arrives a glazier dies after falling from a ladder. It is suspected murder, but nothing is proven, suspicious though it is. He is asked to report to Sir William Maleverer whilst in York, and the suspicions increase with every event. On investigation they discover a box of documents that imply that Henry does not have a valid claim on the throne, but these are stolen before them can be passed to the privy council.

      Shardlake is asked to petition the king, the ritual of handing over requests for judgement by the king, and is humiliated by him.

      Shardlake's life is threatened several times, by persons unknown, and the prisoner in his care has attempts made on his life too. The northern people do not trust Henry VIII, and as Shardlake uncovers a plot to dispose the king, he is subject to lots of scrutiny by the privy council, via Maleverer. He is threatened by his old adversary Sir Richard Rich, with whom he he has an outstanding case to resolve when he returns to London.

      All of this builds to a thrilling ending, with twists and turns right to the last few pages.

      This is a classic Shardlake mystery. There are layers of suspicion and intrigue with several sub plots taking place. There are puzzles, and ongoing conflict that you know are going to be carried over to the next book. Sansom has ramped up the danger that Shardlake is in too, and the suspense in the book is palpable at times.

      Great historical fiction, tied in with a likeable main character makes for a great read.
    • 4/5
      Third in the series, so start with Dissolution to maximise your enjoyment, but this is another excellent and enjoyable historical mystery story of Matthew Shardlake a lawyer in Henry VIII’s Tudor England. Well worth reading.This story might be called Shardlake and Jack Barak go to York, as it takes our heroes (complicated and reluctant, but heroes nonetheless) to the city in the autumn of 1541, to assist in presenting legal petitions to Henry VIII, but also to carry out supervision of a Catholic traitor to the king at the request of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. Of course, the plot is more complicated as religious differences and royal indiscretions give rise to murder and the attempted murder of Shardlake.The historical and geographical detail is lightly and necessarily woven into the mystery story, such as ‘By the way, you will hear many strange words here. Perhaps the most important thing you should know is that a street is called a gate, while a gate is called a bar’. I really like the way that reflective passages arise, echoing contemporary religious or political questions or the balmy or stormy autumn weather, only for us to be pulled back to the plot driven narrative. I will be reading the next.
    • 4/5
      Historical fiction is my guilty pleasure - this one does not disappoint.
    • 4/5
      Another Shardlake mystery, this time set in York during the time of Henry VIII's great progress there. Once again the plot strands straggle a bit: and the character of Broderick, initially apparently so important, fades out disconcertingly at the end. But Sansom is always an engaging and enjoyable writer. His books are hard to put down and full of historical detail.
    • 5/5
      I've never been to York but thanks to the maps at the front of the book and Nu-Knees' apropos postcard of the streets of York I could really visualize the streets (gates as they are called in York) as I read this book. I really like books that have maps and family trees and this book has both. The family tree forms an integral part of the mystery so that is even more interesting. It was also interesting to see Jack Barak smitten with a woman because in Dark Fire he was such a rogue and womanizer. Tamasin Reedbourne is a good match for Jack in that it was she who set the trap to catch Jack's attention while making it seem like he was rescuing her. I was suspicious of her motives throughout the book as a result. Tamasin probably picked up a few tricks as a member of the Queen's household. It seemed like everyone was using intrigue and deceit at every turn. One of the ways Sansom makes the Shardlake books real is his description of the weather. In Dissolution it was the harsh winter weather, in Dark Fire the heat and stink of a London summer permeated the story and in this latest installment the cold rains and strong winds of fall dominate. Since that is precisely what the weather is like as I read this book I almost felt like I was inhabiting a spot in the book. I am even more thankful for central heating after reading this book. I'm delighted to know there is another book in this series. At the end of the book when Shardlake tells Archbishop Cranmer that he doesn't want to have any more involvement with politics I was afraid that maybe Sansom was leaving the series as a trilogy. I'm glad to know that isn't so. I think Brother Shardlake has a lot more Tudor history to explore.
    • 5/5
      It's taken me years to get around to reading this, and having finished, I'm left with one inescapable thought: Why did it take me so long?

      Matthew Shardlake and his trusty sidekick Jack Barak are off to York with the Royal Progress. King Henry is intending to to prod some serious Yorkshire buttock, and Shardlake is along to help with the legal petitions. He has also been given the task of ensuring the health and welfare of an accused traitor, who is being brought back to London for "questioning".

      Pretty soon, it's clear that something is rotten in the county of Yorkshire (other than the King's ulcerated leg, and the bits of traitor still nailed up over the gates), and before the tale is done, there are murders, attempted murders, lies, betrayals, seductions, narrow escapes, and celebrity gossip.

      Shardlake and Barak make a good team, even though they don't always see eye to eye, and Sansom is obviously moving their story on: this is a good thing, as it's always vaguely unsatisfactory when the main characters' lives never change, despite what's happening around them.

      Sansom also manages to get the paranoid atmosphere of Tudor England under the latter part of Henry VIII's reign: an increasingly tyrannical and unstable king with nearly absolute power. Religion and politics inextricably linked. The danger that a wrong word or look to the wrong person in the wrong place, and someone might end up in the Tower of London however innocent they might be.

      This series is going from strength to strength, and I will definitely be reading the rest of it.
    • 4/5
      C. J. Sansom writes long historical thrillers. His Shardlake Mysteries feature a 16th century lawyer, Matthew Shardlake, who is constantly, albeit reluctantly, drawn into affairs of State and forced to solve some murder or other to redeem himself and deliver to his masters.In ‘Sovereign’, Shardlake joins King Henry VIII’s Progress to York to reassert his power over northern England. Shardlake is charged with providing some legal assistance to the Progress, but his real purpose is to escort a valuable prisoner back to London for interrogation under torture. Murder, attempts on his own life and a conspiracy to prove Henry is not the rightful King complicate matters.Sansom has a good grasp of history and the political, social and geographical context where he places his story. Shardlake tells his tale in the first person and this helps to keep the narrative drive going and to give the reader the same facts and perspective as Shardlake himself.This is a fine example of historical thriller writing that draws the reader in and keeps those pages turning.
    • 4/5
      [Dark Fire] by C J Sansom[Sovereign] by C J SansomBeach reading - well from the balcony overlooking the beach which was far more comfortable. Two books in the Mathew Shardlake crime series and both of them kept me up reading well into the night. Shardlake is a lawyer in 16th century England whose services are used by the power makers in the Tudor Court. In Dark Fire he is Thomas Cromwell’s man who is tasked with solving the mystery of the re-discovery of Greek Fire: a combustable material that could burn on water and which had been lost for centuries. Shardlake is soon the target for assassination attempts and with his assistant the streetwise Barak he must solve the mystery to save Cromwell’s skin. Sovereign finds Shardlake after the fall of Cromwell when he is tasked by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to ensure the safe passage of the man Broderick, who has important information as one of the leaders of the Revolt of the North - the so called Pilgrimage of Grace. Shardlake must meet King Henry VIII progress at York and escort the prisoner back to London. Shardlake and Barak again find themselves in far deeper waters that they anticipate as this time the fate of Catherine Howard: Henry’s Queen, is also involved.The world building, scene setting, historical reconstruction or whatever you like to call it is the main reason I have got hooked on this series. Sansom is careful not to stray too far from the known facts of the period and his murder mysteries enable him to bring his own interpretations to the characters that were the power brokers in Henry VIII court. The struggle between the catholic traditionalist and the protestant reformers who made up the factions containing the great families of the realm provide a stunning background to the stories. Shardlake was seen to be a reformer when working for Cromwell but with the rise of the Howard family at court following the execution of Ann Boleyn he must tread a more wary path when the traditionalists were gaining the upper hand. Sansom superbly captures the deadly intrigue surrounding the King and his coutiers in a world that was all too easily, likely to spill over into violence. Shardlake the crookbacked lawyer spends most of the books in fear of his life. Dark Fire is set in London and there are thrilling descriptions of Shardlake riding on horseback through the streets of Cheapside, Fleet street, Ludgate, St Pauls, and Newgate. There are horrific descriptions of Newgate goal and the poorer areas around Thames Street, but it is the bustle, the crowds, the sense of a city bursting at the seams that fires the imagination. Shardlake seems to be constantly battling through the hubbub, pursuing or being pursued by mysterious forces intent on stopping his investigations. Sovereign is set largely in York, perhaps the second city of Tudor England, but a much poorer place compared to London. The city seems to be going backwards despite its collection of marvellous buildings. Both London and York are suffering the effects of the dissolution of the monasteries and while London seems to be embracing the change York as a city is suffering. What is clear however in both cities is that there is money to be made from the sale of land belonging to the church and those is favour with the King will benefit. A feature of Sovereign is the descriptions of the Kings Progress. In Tudor times it was still customary for the government led by the king to tour the kingdom usually during the summer months. In the great progress to York in 1541 Henry was intent on displaying his power, his government and all its followers was literally on the road cutting a huge swathe across the country and the purpose of the York progress was for Henry to receive oaths of allegiance from the great Northern families. The stately progress hampered by an appalling English summer and fraught with tension is brilliantly conveyed as is Shardlake’s return to London where he is arrested thrown in the Tower and suffers at the hands of the torturers.Mathew Shardlake’s character has been set from the first novel in the series. His crookbacked deformity is mocked by many of the people with whom he has to deal, leading him to hide behind a gruff exterior. He is hard working and as honest as his predicaments allow him to be. He is trustworthy and together with his attention to detail and painstaking following through in his investigations makes him a useful tool to his paymasters, however it is these very characteristics that constantly get him into trouble. I was reading these two novels in conjunction with a history of the battle of Flodden 1513 and I had difficulty in telling apart the history from the historical novel. Looking over the balcony at the people on the Mediterranean beach, relaxing, perhaps escaping from the drama and intrigues of their daily lives, there could hardly have been a greater contrast than with Mathew Shardlake’s desperate attempts to save himself and his friends from death or worse in Tudor England - 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      This one felt gossipy...an outpouring of tittle tattle rather than a crime or mystery to be solved. This is presumably what the atmosphere was like when Catherine Howard was accused and executed, it just didn't sit well with me, with all the machinations being done at 3rd or 4th hand. Entertaining and atmospheric, but leaves you feeling slightly dirty.
    • 4/5
      The mystery in this Matthew Shardlake episode wasn't as exciting as the others in the series I have read, but it was still pretty good. What made this such an excellent read was the historical descriptions. Sansom did an excellent job describing the political turbulations of the time period. He captured the political intrigue of Tudor England and described the reformation period under King Henry VIII. This book isn't for the squeamish though, because Sansom also described the torture used in the Tower fairly vividly as well.
    • 5/5
      Sovereign is the third book in the very compelling series about Matthew Shardlake, a hunchbacked lawyer working in London during the reign of Henry VIII. Formerly working under Cromwell, he now works for Archbishop Cranmer.

      It's 1541 and Cranmer has ordered Shardlake, and his assistant Jack Barak, to accompany the King's Great Progress north. The king wishes to bring his discontented northern subjects under control and has assembled his latest wife, Catherine Howard, along with soldiers and other members of nobility to ride north and let the people “see their King”. Shardlake has been tasked by the Archbishop to accompany the King to process petitions as well as a second, secret mission.

      While setting up their camp in York a stained glass glazier falls to his death and Matthew soon discovers he's been murdered. Matthew and Barak uncover a locked box containing a genealogical chart and other papers. Before he can review them all, he's attacked by an unknown assailant and the box is stolen. He's attacked again and realizes he must discover who is threateningly not only his life, but who has possession of a secret that can destroy the King. Using his brilliant deductive powers, Matthew continues his investigation even though he's been warned away and soon becomes embroiled in political intrigue.

      Tudor England is brought to life here. I love the mix of real historical characters with fictional ones that give this book a real sense of authenticity. If you are a fan of historical fiction or historical mystery you may enjoy this. It can easily be read as a stand-alone novel, especially if you already have a knowledge of Tudor England. I thought it was a great book and look forward to continuing the series.
    • 5/5
      Another compelling tale in the Shardlake series. I did notice a rare anachronism: he used the word "graffiti", which did not enter Italian vocabulary until the early 1850's, so its use by an Englishman in the 1540's would not have occurred.
    • 5/5
      It's becoming quite a treat to read a Shardlake mystery! I'm deliberately spacing them out to enjoy them over a long period. Book 3 takes us to York and the Progress of the King to the north after the rebellion and during his marriage to Catherine Howard. Compulsive reading without too much of a sense of "whodunnit". I love the character of Matthew and how he reflects on the society around him.
    • 4/5
      Once again, at the beginning of the novel we find Matthew Shardlake contentedly living a quieter life, away from the dangerous court machinations. The year is now 1541, and once again, he is pulled into a case which will turn out to have huge political implications. Following an uprising in the North which was put down, and now hearing of another plot in the works, King Henry VIII and his courtiers have set out on a grand Progress to the North, which is to end with a spectacular pageant in the city of York, where the political leaders are to make a formal apology to the King by abasing themselves and giving him a huge sum of reparation money while pledging their everlasting loyalty and devotion to him. An important prisoner who refuses to divulge precious information about the plot is held in in the local prison and is to be brought back to the London Tower for questioning under the attentions of the skilled torturers there. Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury calls in Matthew Shardlake and asks him to make his way to York and ensure the prisoner survives the journey and is healthy enough to withstand torture once in the tower, a favour which Matthew is not in a position to refuse. Much against his will, he makes his way North ahead of the King's progress with his new sidekick, Barak, one of Cromwell's former men whom he worked with on the Greek Fire case and has since hire on as his assistant. Most of the action takes place in York, where documents putting in question Henry VIII's legitimacy to the throne are found. As the carpenters and workmen are in a frenzy to finish preparations for the King's arrival, one man dies in suspicious circumstances, while it seems someone is trying very hard to use any occasion to cause Matthew to have an accidental death. We get to meet the King through Matthew's eyes and as can be expected, he proves to be cruel and despicable. Meanwhile, Barak has gotten involved with Tamasin, a beautiful young wench in the Queen's employ and may have truly fallen in love for the first time in his life, but one night as they are having an illicit encounter, they witness the young Queen, Catherine Howard taking her departure from a young courtier who is just leaving her building. Is this why Matthew ends up being tortured in the Tower for information once he arrives in London, or is his enemy after him because of something else?I just had to continue after this thrilling entry in the series, and immediately moved on to book #4.
    • 4/5
      Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Barak are sent by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to see to it that a prisoner in York who is destined for the Tower in London and eventually will face hanging will be treated well. It is at a time when King Henry VIII's Progress is visiting the area with the anticipation of a visit by the Scottish king. A man is killed who is in possession of a box of important papers needed by those who wish to dethrone Henry VIII. It is stolen from Shardlake's hands. Soon attempts are made on his life. There are plenty of officials. Which ones are corrupt and which are not? How do certain events fit together? Which are important in the puzzle and which are not? These are all questions the reader ponders. With that said, I had figured out the solutions to both the murderer and thief aspects of the novel fairly early on. I still enjoyed the historical context and Sansom's writing tremendously. I suspect about 50 pages could have been trimmed in all from this novel (which would have still made it long in comparison to many) by tightening the action and getting rid of some of the slow action that had little bearing on the outcome. It's still an excellent read in a great series.
    • 4/5
      Another fantastic Matthew Shardlake mystery. Set in Tudor England toward the end of Henry VIII's reign, lawyer Matthew Shardlake travels to York to meet the king's Progress - a huge event where the entire court travels to another part of the country to hold court. Shardlake's main job is to prepare petitions for the king, but he becomes involved in a mystery when a glazier is murdered. Although the mystery for this story was not that difficult to solve, the book is outstanding for its descriptions of the characters and setting. I loved getting a glimpse of life during that time. There was the complex political climate - Reformers vs. closet Papists vs. loyal followers of the king, the elaborate pomp and ceremony that surrounded the royal court, and the all important dilemma of who would be the rightful successor to the throne. And is there anyone who portrays Henry VIII as anything but despicable? I absolutely loved listening to this book - it felt like I was being transported to a different time and place.
    • 3/5
      Sovereign is book number 3 in CJ Sansom's series about his Tudor detective Shardlake. This time he's part of the entourage accompanying the increasingly paranoid Henry VIII on a royal progress to the north of England; sent on the trip as an agent of Archbishop Cranmer, ostensibly to ensure the safe return to London of a top security prisoner. Needless to say, this is a far from straight forward assignment, with Shardlake and Barak getting caught up in a number of sub-plots.

      It's a big book - nearly 700 pages - and I have to admit that after 500 or so, I was starting to flag a bit. In the past I have admired the leisurely pace of these novels, but this one did start to feel like a bit of a chore; on the whole, the story wasn't robust enough to support this monumental word count. The author has created a great series character, but I wondered whether he had started to tire of his lawyer Shardlake. Added to this, some of the dialogue was a bit too contemporary for my liking, and which I found quite jarring on occasions - eg: they stop for 'lunch' regularly. But I did enjoy learning about how Henry had started to become a bit of despot, and how the people in the north of England were increasingly resentful of him and his reign; so much so that they were at best sullen and resentful of his presence in York, and at worst, downright disobedient.

      Having said that, I'll stick with the series for a while longer yet, but simply felt that this one lacked the energy and pace of the first two books.

      © Koplowitz 2012
    • 5/5
      With the death of Cromwell, London lawyer Matthew Shardlake has fallen out of favour. Many of his clients have taken their business elsewhere. So it's a bit of a surprise when he's offered a job by none other than Archbishop Cranmer. He's to go to York and meet the Royal Progress and help prepare the petitions that will be handed to the King. Needing the money to pay off his late father's debts, Shardlake has no option but to accept and is far from delighted when Cranmer adds another task to his duties, the welfare of a prisoner that will need to be returned to the Tower of London for questioning. So it's off to York for Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. The death of a glazier and the attempted poisoning of the prisoner set off a chain of events that may lead to another rebellion that threatens to overthrow the Tudor reign. As well as being caught up in the middle of these events, Shardlake also has to deal with Sir Richard Rich who wants to get Shardlake to drop a case that they are on opposing ends of. How far is he willing to go to get Shardlake out of his hair?This mystery is woven into a well researched historical account and the author spills the beans at the close of the book as to what he's embellished or where he's taken certain things from. It's a fairly thick book but as it reads very well you don't really notice the size. The series is improving with each book and as it started out good then this third instalment is very good indeed. Looking forward to continuing with the next at some point.
    • 4/5
      Matthew Shardlake is a brilliant lawyer but doesn't get the respect he deserves due to his hunchback, an affliction that cannot be disguised and makes him a target for derision. He is given the task to pick up a prisoner accused of treason in the city of York and transport him back to London where the masters of torture can work their magic to extract information. He is also charged with assisting with wading through the piles of petitions, settling what he can and leaving the larger issues to the Office of the Great Chamberlain who is arriving with Henry VIII and his Progression. Taking thousands of family, friends, and support personnel, Henry traveled to the city of York to meet with the king of Scotland.Shortly after Shardlake arrives in York, a glazier, who was removing stained glass windows from the cathedral, falls from his ladder and is impaled on the glass he had removed. Was this an accident? This event takes Shardlake on an adventure that could reveal the king is not actually of Tudor blood.While this series continues to give the readers a historical account of 16th century England, it does little to brighten the somber and depressing life of the protagonist. He suffers physically from his deformity and even though he ignores the derogatory jabs from others, he is always aware of how he looks to others and how they judge him by his looks rather than his intellect. His only friend, Barak, is in his employ, and is worried that a beautiful young woman might strip him of this only companion. Sansom researches his books well and makes them excellent historical fiction. Readers of murder mysteries might miss the support group many detectives have, of friends and family to whom our hero can retreat to for comfort, discussion, and encouragement. Our Shardlake is very much on his own.
    • 5/5
      Matthew Shardlake has been asked to join the king's Progress to the North in his professional capacity as a lawyer, but feels obliged to do Archbishop Cranmer a favour: to ensure an important prisoner and conspirator reaches London in a fit state to be tortured for information. Whilst in York, he hears the last words of a glazier who has fallen off his ladder (or has he?) and stumbles head first into a conspiracy involving a jewelbox containing secret papers with the aim to discredit Henry VIII's claim to the throne of England.The Shardlake series appears to be getting better and better, I absolutely loved this and could barely put it down, racing through the 650+ pages in a matter of days. The novel is mainly set in York, preparing for the arrival of the King's Progress, and conjures up quite a different atmosphere again compared to the two earlier novels (Dissolution, Dark Fire). It's the beginning of autumn and the weather is turning gloomy and cold, Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak as southrons are facing hostility from the Yorkers, and all around preparations are in full swing to have everything ready for the king. Again Sansom manages to convey a whole world to the reader, creating a marvellous sense of place and atmosphere including various unpleasant smells; I could feel the excitement, the hustle and bustle prior to the progress entering the city, the anxiety of the officials, but also the barely concealed hostility of the Yorkers towards this great venture and their king. When Henry finally arrives it is rather an anticlimax, especially for Shardlake, who has to suffer a very public humiliation. There are several threads woven into the narrative, all coming to a satisfactory conclusion, with Shardlake having to endure a short, but nevertheless painful stay at the Tower of London. The descriptions of the Tower dungeons and the torture chamber are claustrophobic and terrifying, with a real sense of despair pervading everything. We also discover more facets to Shardlake's character, with Sansom taking the brave step to not always make him likeable, and yet we're with him every step of the way when he is publicly humiliated and faces torture, and so we forgive him that because of a recent family bereavement he may be unwilling or unable to admit to himself the true identity of the traitor until he's found concrete proof. I've already got the next volume lined up (Revelation), and with no advance first chapter at the end of the book it'll be a real surprise as to what comes next. I can't wait.
    • 4/5
      I loved C.J. Sanson's first novel 'Dissolution'. The second one, 'Dark Fire' was also very good although not as good as first. It's getting weaker though. I would probably like 'Sovereign' much more if it was the first book by this author I read - I guess I had my expectations set too high by his previous work. Interestingly, each of his first three books is larger than previous. And this is my main complaint about this novel- it's bloated. The subject is again fascinating, the characters are interesting, the historical environment, background and atmosphere are authentically reproduced, the plot is good. If only it wasn't so unnecessarily large and repetitive.