I'm a huge fan of the Tudor detective novels (if that's the right term) involving the hunch-backed lawyer Matthew Shardlake, and its large cast of characters, imagined and real - Cranmer and Henry VIII for starters.

Apart from the cast, the plot is complex, terrifying and thoroughly enthralling, involving multiple murders and a study of passages in the Book of Revelations. Tudor London is conjured up so that I can smell the streets and see the urban scenes that Sansom brings to life. I sense the religious turmoil, the unease and fear in this period of upheaval and change. I enjoy the company of Shardlake, of his assistant Jack Barak; of the doctor and former monk Guy who is Shardlake's friend; of Barak's wife Tamasin; of the widowed Dorothy, whose husband's death begins this bloody, complex and horrifying murder hunt; and so many others.

Sansom wears his considerable learning lightly and uses it to great effect in weaving his complex and fast-moving tale. Above everything though, this book's a great page-turner. It was hard to put it down until I'd read every single one of its almost 550 pages. ( )

In volume 4 of the series, Shardlake has found some contentment in his job as Sergeant, senior lawyer, at the court dealing with law cases affecting ordinary people. But the violent death of someone close to him draws him into another murder investigation, and also drags him into the religious and political conflicts of the declining years of Henry VIII's reign.

Alongside this, Shardlake is also representing the interests of Adam, a young man who is seriously disturbed and is confined in the famous mental hospital, Bedlam. Despite its inadequacy, Adam is safer being held there, given the climate in London where Bishop Bonner has already had two young men burned at the stake for heresy. Both Shardlake and Adam's parents are concerned that Adam's ravings, influenced as they are by his background in the reformist religion (which we would now call the Puritan wing of the Protestant community), will put him in danger, especially since Bonner has launched another crackdown.

Interwoven with this are various personal issues, with the possibility of a renewed relationship with an old flame, and stresses on Shardlake's close friendship with Guy, the moorish doctor. His sidekick Barak is having marital difficulties, adding to the general air of anxiety. And to complicate matters, the murder investigation must be kept secret, given the sensitive connection with Catherine Part, whom the king is now courting.

This was a fascinating story, enhanced by the personal issues affecting Shardlake. I thoroughly enjoyed it and take pleasure in awarding a well deserved 5 stars. ( )

Imagine reading 600 pages in a day. Page turner, is the word! ( )

"Certe volte, in questi giorni, mi sembra che da qualunque parte guardi altro non ci sia che follia, tenebre e diavoli." (334)

"Credo che il Libro dell'Apocalisse sia stato scritto da un falso profeta, che ripeteva i propri sogni e i propri fantasmi", dissi. (369) ( )

Excellent book! Highly recommended, review to follow ( )