C.J. Sansom’s Dissolution is the first of a series of novels featuring Dr. Matthew Shardlake, who, in this episode is a lawyer whose boss is no one less than Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister. The action of Dissolution takes place just after The Pilgrimage of Grace rebellions have been put down and the main rebel leaders have been put to death. Part of the reason for this particular rebellion was the dissolution of several monasteries, a plan hit upon by Cromwell who supposedly saw this as a way to enrich not only the king's pockets, but his own and his relatives as well while he also happens to be reforming the church in England.

Cromwell had earlier sent a Commissioner to the Benedictine monastery at Scarnsea, but somehow he ends up dead and beheaded. Now Shardlake, along with his young assistant Mark Poer, is called upon to deal with the matter. After his arrival, things begin to heat up and more deaths occur. With a monastery full of suspects, Shardlake has his work cut out for him.

While it's not an absolute necessity, knowing some basic Tudor history would be quite helpful, especially where it concerns the reformation of the Church in England.

While this book made for a good series opener, and a fine look at a very small slice of Tudor history, I figured out the main whodunnit early on. Normally, this is when I bug out of a series -- I liked to be challenged. However, the Tudor period makes for interesting reading, and Sansom's writing is quite good, so I went ahead and bought the 2nd book.

I'd recommend it to people who like historical fiction, and to people looking for something lighter to read about the Tudor period that rises above say, The Other Boleyn Girl. ( )

Matthew Shardlake Is a unique solver of mysteries! Sansom is a unique master of storytelling! ( )

C.J Sansom has woven a fantastic dark historical mystery from his title word Dissolution "dissolved". It's 1537, Henry VIII has control of the Church of England, institution of monastic life with it's rich beautiful interiors and libraries filled with illuminated manuscripts are about to be destroyed. Thomas Cromwell King's chief minister has found more way's to fill the King's swelling treasury, boosting his own pockets in the process. Selling physical property for bargain basement prices to either wealthy gentry who greedily want to increase their own estates or middle classes who were given a chance to become land gentry, selling lands and taxing therefore solving any problems of imposing unpopular taxes later on.

Cromwell renowned for his shrewdness user of all methods and means in greed, sent forth a team of commissioners into the depths of England to confiscate and dissolve smaller and less powerful houses at first, making them unsuitable to be lived in by doing this he avoided much outcry from the people. With his ears always close to the ground Cromwell was shocked to learn through his network of informers that one of his most trusted negotiating commissioners, lawyer Robin Singleton has turned up dead.

Crookback London lawyer Matthew Shardlake is summoned, a protégé of Thomas Cromwell and a long time supporter of reform also trusted with keeping delicate matters quiet. Shardlake is commissioned by Cromwell to investigate Singleton's death at Scarnsea monastery on the Sussex Coast along with all it's dark happenings. Upon arrival he is far from welcomed but that is only expected. On closer inspection the monastery holds more than just religious and political chaos. Events begin to Spiral out of control, corruption rife and dark truth forces Shardlake to question everything he believes facing his own fears, passions and doubts.

This is a well crafted Tudor mystery, although it's similar to Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose, with its dark monastery mystery storyline, Sansom's book for me reaches further in History. It's showing a changing shift in English history after centuries in the old way of life. The 1530's descriptions pour out from this book, sights, sounds and smells the constant danger and fears, brutality of life in the Tudor period. Throwing at you the political and the religious workings in uncertain times and the deviousness of how powerful Thomas Cromwell had become. Sansom has also written an in depth character London lawyer Matthew Shardlake full of honesty and humility his disabled hero lives in Chancery Lane but uses Lincoln's Inn to Socialize for work purposes about 300 yards from Chancery, situated in Holborn, this is a great touch on History added. Wonderful start to a series, I think we can safely say I thoroughly enjoyed this book being a lover of English History.

History: The Inns of Chancery

The four Inns of Court, Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn and Gray's Inn each has further attached Inn's. The Inns were a social associations which housed attorneys and solicitors during the 15th and 16th centuries onwards, by about 1470 there were ten attached Inns of Chancery. Foucusing on Lincoln's Inn, it's name came from Henry de Lacy, third Earl of Lincoln, who died in 1311 (Henry de Lacy was a confidant of King Edward I of England). Lincoln's Inn is based in Holborn, it survived nearly unscathed the devastations during World War II Blitz on London, it has a medieval Hall and it's Library is also of ancient foundation mentioned in the Inn's records in 1471, the Gateway backs onto Chancery Lane. Two Inns attached to this court were Furnival's Inn, founded in about 1383, and Thavie's Inn, which may have been founded some 36 years earlier, and certainly existed a century later both were less prestigious than the Inns of Court. These two Inns provided some sort of initial training for those who would later join an Inn of Court and be called to the Bar. Lincoln's Inn bought the freehold of each of them shortly before 1550. Today, no more can be seen of the attached Inns but a short street called "Thavies Inn", in a cul-de-sac just south of Holborn Circus.

Andrea Bowhill ( )

I was intrigued from the beginning due to the setting and time occurring in one of the darkest and most disruptive times in English history. This was an extraordinary mystery, well-written with intelligent characters. You can feel the confusion of that period because you're not quite sure who's right and who's wrong: Henry VIII and Cromwell or the Catholic Church in its entirety?

I felt that the ending dragged a bit, and I was unsettled and unhappy with the conclusion, but the trip there was a delight, and I'd encourage anyone who loves a "history mystery" to give this book a try. It was fun and thought-provoking. ( )

A well written mystery with a solid historical setting that doesn't get in the way of the plot. I didn't notice any anachronisms and the characters seemed appropriate for the time and place.