Dissolution

The monks of Scarnsea are no strangers to anything human. Does that apply to murder? It is 1537 and the king's dreaded first minister, Thomas Cromwell, is helping Henry VIII. to get rid of an inconvenient wife, become head of the Reformed Church of England and acquire the property of wealthy Roman Catholic monasteries. So Matthew Shardlake, a seasoned London lawyer, is sent to one of the remote retreats of the disenchanted monks, who seem to have forgotten the true mission of the mendicant Dominican order, with his young assistant Mark Poer. However, it is not only the threat of violent dissolution that hangs over the monastery in Scarnsea in the south of England, where he will head in early winter, but also the threat of fear. Behind its walls, the temple of God was desecrated and the previous royal commissioner was murdered. Master Shardlake immediately sets about investigating, but the bloody crimes mount and there is no shortage of suspects - from the local abbot, who plays the feudal lord and is terrified of losing his influence, to the mad Carthusian who has been removed here after inhuman torture as a relative of the deposed Queen Catherine. Cut off from the world by snowdrifts and swamps, the convention becomes a trap in which an unwelcome pair of investigators soon fear for their lives. And a startling revelation made by the seemingly uncompromising barrister will make this loyal servant of Cromwell's question his master's true motives... The first volume in a successful series of historical novels set in Tudor England, featuring a disabled London lawyer. The Shardlake series based on the novel will be released by Disney+ in 2024. "A remarkable work (...) with all the images and voices. The atmosphere of those turbulent times seemed to emanate from its pages." - P. D. James "An interesting blend of history, religion, politics and detective elements in the style of Agatha Christie." - The Crime Review "In his first book, Sansom offers a historical whodunit with a distinctive atmosphere that is charged with emotion and relies on an ingenious plot." - The Historical Novel Society "Are you coming from Lord Cromwell?" His voice was hoarse and shaky. "Yes, Sir." "Then know this, who handles the sword, the sword is also missing." "Matthias twenty-six, verse fifty-two," I replied. "What is it?" I wasn't sure what he meant. "Am I in confession?" He laughed scornfully. "No, hunchback. It is the word of God, and it is true." Prior Mortimus took the Carthusian roughly by the arm. He shook off his hand and limped away. "Please don't mind him." The Prior's face paled for a change. Cracked purple veins stood out prominently on her cheeks. "He's deranged," he added, pursing his lips. - excerpt from the book