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

Heartstone is the fifth spellbinding mystery in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.

England, 1545. England is at war. Henry VIII's invasion of France has gone badly wrong, and a massive French fleet is preparing to sail across the Channel.

Meanwhile, Matthew Shardlake is given an intriguing legal case by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. Asked to investigate claims of 'monstrous wrongs' committed against a young ward of the court, Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak journey to Portsmouth. There, Shardlake also intends to investigate the mysterious past of Ellen Fettiplace, a young woman incarcerated in the Bedlam.

Once in Portsmouth, Shardlake and Barak find themselves in a city preparing for war. The mysteries surrounding the two cases involve Shardlake in reunions both with an old friend and an old enemy close to the throne. And soon, events will converge on board one of the King's great warships gathered in Portsmouth harbour, waiting to confront the approaching French fleet . . .

Heartstone is the fifth novel in C. J. Sansom's gripping historical series. It is followed by the sixth book in the series, Lamentation.

Shardlake goes to war in the fifth historical mystery in the compelling series.

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. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lived in Sussex until his death in 2024.

Reviews
C. J. Sansom has created a convincingly realistic Tudor detective in Matthew Shardlake. He lives and breathes in an utterly convincing world, drawing the reader into the darker corners of history -- Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl
A triumph of Tudor history and mystery . . . Heartstone is a rousing tour de force of period re-creation, testifying to Samson's fascination with history * Sunday Times Culture *
The best novel in this richly entertaining series . . . History never seemed so real * New York Times *
Fans will need no introduction to Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer embroiled in dark secrets during the reign of Henry VIII. Newcomers can discover why Sansom's Tudor mysteries exert such a pull * Independent *
The pace and tension hot up splendidly as Shardlake's inquiries take him to the Hampshire home of a family with a great deal to hide. A wholly unexpected twist takes us to a superb denouement aboard the doomed warship Mary Rose - terrific stuff, for both fans and newcomers to the series * Guardian *
In my review of the previous Shardlake novel, Revelation, in these pages I described it as the best yet. Well, Heartstone is better . . . Sansom is now so settled in his milieu and at home with his characters that the story canters along effortlessly, while Tudor England is recreated with such attention to detail the reader feels propelled back in time * Tribune *


Awards
Commended for CWA Historical Dagger 2010 (UK). Short-listed for Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2011 (UK) and National Book Awards Crime Book of the Year 2011 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781035012299
Author C. J. Sansom
Format Paperback
Page Count 768
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 510g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 131mm * 46mm