Sovereign is the 3rd mystery in the Matthew Shardlake series. Once again a high ranking official in the King's inner circle asks Master Shardlake to undertake a task of some secrecy and importance. Against his better judgment and with promise of a large payment after services rendered, Shardlake accepts the commission, both to help arbitrate grievances and to watch over the health and safety of a political prisoner. Shardlake has to race up to York to help prepare for the coming of Henry VIII progress. Once there he soon becomes caught in a whirlwind of political intrigue, deception and murder. Shardlake soon wishes for nothing more than to be safe back home with his practice as his only concern.

This is the largest book of the series so far and it has a lot going on. There seems to be several different conspiracies and Shardlake has accidentally stepped into all of them. He really is too smart and observant for his own good. This go around the axiom "No good deed goes unpunished" seems to be very true for our poor hero. Once again Sansom transports us back to 16th Century England during the time of Henry VIII and you really get the feeling of what is was like to be living there. Excellent book, great mystery, well worth a read. A bit heavy on the detail but I enjoy that part. ( )

In the spring of 1541, Henry VIII faced another conspiracy in the north of England, whose people and nobles were still largely opposed to the 'new religion' and still loyal to Rome. While the conspiracy was uncovered and many of its leaders imprisoned and executed, Henry and his advisers hurriedly organized a grand Progress,setting out to York in July to consolidate his authority. This forms the backdrop to the third of C. J. Sansom's Matthrew Shardlake mysteries, SOVEREIGN.

The hump-backed barrister of Lincoln's Inn, London, is called before Archbishop Cranmer and given a commission to assist at York in bringing petitions for justice from the people to the king. In addition, Cranmer gives him a charge to see to the safety of a noble prisoner, one of the spring conspirators, who is being brought back from York to London to endure the ministrations of the expert torturers in the Tower. The book opens as Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak, once a top operative for the now deposed and executed Lord Thomas Cromwell, ride into York a few days ahead of the King's Progress. What follows is a story that has all the period detail, suspense, danger, and political intrigue one could expect in the tumultuous times of Henry's England. A suspicious death, cryptic dying words, a cask of secret documents, repeated attempts on Shardlake's life - to say nothing of his current legal quarrel with a powerful foe, Sir Richard Rich, of the King's Privy Council - plunge the lawyer into events larger than he can realize, even to the tragedy of the ultimate fate of Queen Catherine Howard.

Readers of the first two books in this series, DISSOLUTION and DARK FIRE, will have come to expect a sense of authenticity in Sansom's portrayal of the highly-charged and dangerous atmosphere of early reformation England, and they won't be disappointed. Sansom has a gift for making the characters and time live before our eyes, all but placing us on the ground there. Those who haven't read Sansom before are in for a treat. ( )

C. J.Sansom third book Sovereign brings us forward to Autumn 1541. Cromwell had met his maker the year before and King Henry VIII now extremely obese and currently on his fifth wife the young, naive Catherine Howard. Henry has set out with wife in tow on a spectacular slow progress to the North, his to attend an extravagant submission by his rebellious still strongly Catholic and Lancastrian in sympathy subjects of York.

Crookback London lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak are making their own arduous journey to York this time on orders of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Shardlake once again has reluctancy to take to the mission at hand; his task to check up on a dangerous rebel conspirator in prisoned at York, keep him healthy in good shape, reason being; he was to be transported on the long journey back to London to be cross examined by more skilled torturers.

There had been whispers was the new Queen with child; was the king to announce this on his York visit. Barak once again has his eye on a certain spirited Lady and seems restless; but his mood soon turns; for York brings nothing but trouble dark forces conspire. A mysterious event occurs it starts with the death of a York glazier whom not only has a connection to their prisoner in York castle but to royalty itself. After a visit to the glaziers home they stumble across a secret document, which if caught with or even knowing about could send all to the Tower, as events unfold treasonable truths lay in Shardlake hands which could force a change in history for everyone.

Terrific! I will start by saying; because it was on my mind when reading through; I did feel some chapters were not needed, it could have been a hundred pages shorter; it's great for history lovers like me especially that you make your point on topic; but to be honest maybe a bit long for others who may lose track just giving this ago.

So now that said; this is what I loved: Sansom for me once again flushes out the horrors of these turbulent times; his wonderfully descriptive all the way through and shows how Shardlake manages to keep his humanity always in his heart about these horrors. Again the story line hangs in the balance; Sansom's just looks like he had a great time battling this one out; this being the longest book; his route; playing with the Blaybourne history theory and his done a marvelous job, incredible; he explains and argues points about any legitimate claim to the English throne through his characters. He keeps the tension throughout between conspirators and Shardlake's compassion to life and its future. Of course bringing in an array of characters mix of real Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, Thomas Culpeper, Lady Rochford and again Richard Rich and so on with fictitious ones; Barak has mellowed for this one and manages to get himself a girlfriend as for Shardlake; well the poor soul just needs a kiss.

Fantastic still gets five from me. Great History; Highly Recommended!

Andrea Bowhill. ( )

http://wartaalman.blogspot.com/2009/0... ( )

This is a great book. I buy every medieval mystery I can find and this one is on the top of the list. Couldn't put it down. I look forward to more from this series. The characters have depth and the historical details are incredible. Sansom leaves no stone unturned in his descriptions of medieval life. Definitely one of the best.