Sovereign (The Shardlake series, 3)

Product Information

Sunday Times Not only a great detective novel but also a fabulous insight into the historical happenings of the Tudor period, this book is an absorbing read.

As I was reading this series, I came up with some ideas for spin-off series to continue the adventures of Matthew Shardlake and his friends. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission by his rebellious subjects in York. Matthew is unlucky when it comes to love, but that does not mean that we can’t help but root for him to find his happily ever after. Just when you thought you had the case figured out, a monkey wrench is thrown into the mix and all of the sudden, our intrepid heroes are risking their lives because one of the villains knew that they were getting too close. An excellent book, which again deepens our knowledge of Shardlake and our respect for him, and in this one we get to know Barak better and meet Tamasin, who will become a major character in the series as it goes on.These are true blue historical mysteries that pull you completely into the time of the story (in this case 1541). Dark Fire revolved around the – frankly preposterous – notion of a vastly powerful flammable chemical being unearthed by Henry VIII’s agents. SOVEREIGN was published in 2006 and was clearly influenced by the media attention and political conversation devoted to torture and its efficacy that was ubiquitous at the time.

Officially, Shardlake will be dealing with petitions to the king made by the people of York, but he has also been given another task to carry out. He came to prominence with his series set in the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century, whose main character is the hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake. Shardlake must hold his tongue and forge onwards as best he can, hoping that he is one step ahead of his critics throughout.His prime motive is fairness and he wants to right wrongs but never forgets the importance of his self preservation. In this production, adapted especially for the listening experience, Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane, and the entire cast recreate their acclaimed performances from the 2018 Tony Award-winning National Theatre revival of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. From scenic descriptions to the more gruesome accounts of horrific events, Sansom takes us on a trip to the past that we do not want to leave.