Tudor England is brought to vivid life in Dissolution, the first in C.J. Samson's phenomenal, bestselling Shardlake series. 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 . . .

Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.

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

England, 1537: Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church and the country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers ever seen. Under the order of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent through the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: the monasteries are to be dissolved.

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 is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege - a black cockerel sacrificed on the altar, and the disappearance of Scarnsea's Great Relic.

Dr Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell into this atmosphere of treachery and death. But Shardlake's investigation soon forces him to question everything he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .

'Sansom has the trick of writing an enthralling narrative. Like Hilary Mantel, he produces densely textured historical novels that absorb their readers in another time' - Andrew Taylor, Spectator

Follow Matthew Shardlake into the dark heart of Tudor England with the rest of the series: Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone, Lamentation and Tombland.

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 Ph.D. in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the lauded alternative history novel Dominion. He lives in Sussex.

Reviews
When it comes to intriguing Tudor-based narratives, Hilary Mantel has a serious rival * Sunday Times *
Matthew Shardlake combines engrossing historical detail with a first-rate murder mystery. A really satisfying page-turner. * Independent on Sunday *
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. * Guardian *
Remarkable . . . The sights, the voices, the very smell of this turbulent age seem to rise from the page. -- P.D. James, author of the Adam Dagliesh series
Extraordinarily impressive. The best crime novel I have read this year. -- Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse 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 *
Terrific. Historical fiction at its finest. -- Peter Robinson, author of the Roy Grace series
Dissolution is not just a fascinating detective story, but a convincing portrait of a turbulent period. * Sunday Telegraph *
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 16th-century Henrician Reformation. -- Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe series * The Times 'The 25 books you must read' *


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 9781447285830
Author C. J. Sansom
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 129mm * 33mm