Revelation
2008 • 550 pages
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
The first three Shardlake mysteries have won over critics and readers alike. In Revelation, Sansom's newest book in the series, the year is 1543 and King Henry VIII is wooing Lady Catherine Parr, a woman sympathetic to reform, whom he wants for his sixth wife- much to the dismay of Archbishop Cranmer and the embattled Protestant faction at court. Meanwhile, Matthew Shardlake is working to defend a teenage boy, a religious fanatic who is being held in the infamous Bedlam hospital for the insane. When an old friend of Shardlake's is murdered, he vows to bring the killer to justice. His search leads him back to Bedlam but also to Catherine Parr-and the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation. As Bishop Bonner prepares to purge London of Protestants, Shardlake, with his assistant Jack Barak, uncovers a series of horrific murders that shake them all to the core. Revelation-the strongest novel in the series to date-is sure to delight Sansom's many fans and bring him to a wider audience.
Featured Series
7 primary booksMatthew Shardlake is a 7-book series with 7 primary works first released in 2003 with contributions by C.J. Sansom and C. J. Sansom.
Reviews with the most likes.
I found the first entries in this series very entertaining, but the formula is tired and the “mystery” has little to recommend it. The focus on the grim unpleasantness of life in 1543 is not much fun, and the only pleasure is reminding one of how much better things are now. Neither the story, the characters nor the historical background are enough to sustain interest over 600 pages, and once the novelty of the setting has worn off, it's not much fun. My initial infatuation with the series has worn off, and after three novels, Sansom's shortcomings as a writer, plotter and storyteller have made themselves very visible. I won't be reading any more of this series.
