Dissolution

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating historical mystery debut
Review: In the winter of 1537, lawyer Matthew Shardlake is asked to look into the brutal murder of a commissioner of Thomas Cromwell, the vicar general of King Henry VIII at a monastery on the south coast of Britain. The much feared Cromwell demands that Shardlake get results immediately so Cromwell will have everything wrapped up when he tells the king about the incident. He sends Shardlake as his representative to solve the crime. This is in the midst of the dissolutions of the Catholic monasteries throughout the realm as presided over by Cromwell. Shardlake, a hunchback travels the treacherous roads with his aide, Mark Poer, from London to the remote monastery. The suspects include many of the monks residing there. Things get especially tense as the deaths continue even after Shardlake arrives.
There is a wealth of detail in this well written debut which, alone, makes this work noteworthy. Sansom succeeds in bringing this time and place of almost five hundred years ago to the reader with a rare sense of immediacy. In fact, it is the fascinating detail that keeps the pages turning. The mystery itself is cleverly presented and the solution quite adequate. Pacing is the casualty of the meticulous attention to detail. Characters appear realistic, yet, it is difficult to distinguish one monk from another. A glossary in the front helps. Historical mysteries can be extremely difficult to write especially by a first time novelist who handles the task adeptly. A worthy nominee in two Crime Writers Association categories.

Rating:
Summary: interesting historical novel
Review: The novel centers on murders at a monastery of the south coast
of England in 1537. Henry VIII is head of the Church in England,
and is taking over ("dissolving") much of the property and wealth
of the Catholic Church. Thomas Cromwell (the Vicar General of
England) sends Matthew Shardlake to Scarnsea to investigate the
murder of Cromwell's previous emissary Shardlake, who is a
hunchback, also must look into other murders as well at the
monastery.

The primary interest here is in the historical period, and the
view of political and religious matters. Anne Boleyn's beheading
occurred in 1536 on trumped-up charges of adultery, and Thomas
More was beheaded in 1535 for refusing to acknowledge the
religious primacy of Henry. Many Catholic clergy went to the
scaffold; others were racked until they renounced their faith in
favor of Henry. The novel presents a good glimpse of life in
this time of transition.

As a mystery, this is not Agatha Christie; as a look at religious
matters, this is not The Name of the Rose. The characters do not
have a richness of depth, and the overall writing is good, but
not lyrical. Read it as a good historical novel, not as a great
novel.

Rating:
Summary: a treat for British history buffs
Review: This is a great read, especially for knowledgeable fans of Tudor history. I found the characters convincing and well drawn, the mystery well plotted and the writing well paced. I didn't know much about monasteries before reading this, other than that they were dissolved by Henry VIII in one of the great land grabs of English history; the author has brought these events and the time period alive for the modern reader. I esp. liked the description of the privy! Wow, that's historical detail.

While this is a highly readable novel,it also touches on deep and enduring themes such as disillusionment with political and religious idols.

Very highly recommended.

C.J. Sansom, write another one please!

Rating:
Summary: very good debut book
Review: this is the debut book by c.j. sansom, which already places him in the elite level of contemporary authors (perez-reverte, eco, et al). his writing style is exquisite. just as good as, but totally different from, another monastery/abbey murder mystery: the name of the rose by eco.
5 stars *****