Dissolution (The Shardlake series, 1)

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In 1534, Cromwell began investigating the monasteries and now in 1537, the larger ones face the threat of dissolution, being potentially rich sources of revenue for the Crown. I know in mysteries words and thoughts on a crime are often repeated but it was making the story extra long and it got a tad boring some parts. He analyses the facts in a pragmatic way; he doesn’t jump to conclusion and only delivers a realistic approach to the crime. It is set in a time of great upheaval; Henry VIII has declared himself head of the English church, and his ministers are looking at ways of dismantling the power of the priesthood.

Matthew Shardlake, a disfigured detective finds himself embroiled in an investigation that uncovers many enemies, motives, and suspects, as the inquiry takes him right back to the beheading of Ann Boleyn.I admit that I struggled trying to read this book years ago, such a shock to many that ripples appeared across those who follow my reviews. Dissolution has been well received by critics, although there has been some criticism of the language and detail in the writing.

To add to Shardlake’s problems, snow arrives, virtually cutting the Abbey off from the outside world. Set in 1537 and told in the first person, Matthew Shardlake (a King’s Commissioner) must investigate the brutal killing of the previous King's Commissioner, Robin Singleton at Scarnsea monastery. Shardlake with his rather comely (male) assistant in tow arrives at the monastery to discover that there are more problems than just one murdered man. Not only that, the people he encounters and the stories he hears begin to make him question all he that has believed so far.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. The tensions in the country are high between those loyal to King Henry and those to the Catholic Church. The festive holidays are the perfect time to escape the cold, cosy up with a hot drink and lose yourself in a new book. Sansom takes enough time to impress upon us the general perception that monasteries and other religious houses were seen both as sources of land and revenue for the king and his nobles and also an evil where the abbots, monks, novices, etc. Cromwell now sends one of his protégés, a lawyer named Matthew Shardlake to investigate the murder and to conclude the dissolution of the monastery.

Never mind the fact that they are trampling over evidence, leaving their own hairs and jumping to ridiculous conclusions based upon preliminary testing. Shardlake is accompanied by a handsome young assistant named Mark Poer, and the two make their way through the snow to Scarnsea to find a tangled web of murder and intrigue along with financial and sexual irregularities. Though the setting was a religious house and each person revealed their thoughts on God, the book never overdoes the Christian theme or becomes preachy. But for me, he is somewhat naïve, given that he is a lawyer who operates very close to the heart of the court.Under overwhelming time and secrecy pressure imposed by Cromwell, Shardlake begins a long set of interviews and immerses himself in the life of the monastery.

Altogether recommended for those who like a slightly different murder mystery and for fans of historical fiction set in the Tudor period. Dissolution is not just a fascinating detective story, but a convincing portrait of a turbulent period.The seventh book in the series will be out in about a month, and I am very much looking forward to reading that. This along with Shardlake’s unsuccessfulness with the ladies, results in a very damaged yet resolute commissioner.