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'C. J. Sansom's books are arguably the best Tudor novels going' - The Sunday Times

Dissolution is the first novel in C. J. Sansom's phenomenal bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Phillipa Gregory. After one of Cromwell's commissioners is brutally murdered, Matthew Shardlake is drawn into an investigation that becomes darker than he could have ever imagined . . .

England, 1537. It is a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers it has ever seen. And under the orders of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent throughout the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: dissolution.

But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell's commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege.

Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell to uncover the truth behind the dark happenings at Scarnsea. But Shardlake's investigation soon forces him to question everything that he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .

Follow Shardlake into the dark heart of Tudor England with the next book in the series, Dark Fire.

In an age of treachery and turmoil, brutal murder brings the ultimate test of faith.

About the Author
C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex until becoming a full-time writer. He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 2023. Sansom is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Shardlake series, as well as Winter in Madrid and Dominion. He lives in Sussex.

Reviews
Remarkable . . . The sights, the voices, the very smell of this turbulent age seem to rise from the page -- P. D. James, author of the Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series
Extraordinarily impressive. The best crime novel I have read this year -- Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse series
Terrific. Historical fiction at its finest -- Peter Robinson, author of the Inspector Alan Banks series
Terrific . . . a remarkable, imaginative feat. It is a first-rate murder mystery and one of the most atmospheric historical novels I've read in years * Mail on Sunday *
Dissolution is not just a fascinating detective story, but a convincing portrait of a turbulent period * Sunday Telegraph *
Matthew Shardlake combines engrossing historical detail with a first-rate murder mystery. A really satisfying page-turner * Independent *
Sansom has a greater talent for animating period details than most of his contemporaries; his rendering of the Tudor winter in the first of the Shardlake series makes you reach for thick fleece blankets * The Guardian *
I don't read historical novels any more - it's a busman's holiday - but I make an exception for C. J. Sansom's Shardlake books, which are set amid the uncertainties of the sixteenth-century Henrician Reformation -- Bernard Cornwell, The Times, 'The 25 books you must read'
CJ Sansom's books are arguably the best Tudor novels going * Sunday Times *


Awards
Short-listed for CWA New Blood Dagger 2003 (UK) and CWA Historical Dagger 2003 (UK) and Waverton Good Read Award 2003 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781035012282
Author C. J. Sansom
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 326g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 30mm