Staff Pick: Dissolution

Dissolution – A masterclass in historical fiction by CJ Sansom

It’s 1537. King Henry VIII has just buried his third wife and the country is in disarray.  Religious reform and persecution are widespread.  The monasteries are being dissolved; their treasures and land divvied up amongst those favourable to the crown.  Against this backdrop, a body is found in a monastery at Scarnsea.  The king’s commissioner has been murdered.  Is there a killer on the loose?  Matthew Shardlake, a London barrister, is sent by his patron, Lord Cromwell, to investigate. But in this closed secretive community, nothing is as it seems and Shardlake soon finds himself in grave danger. 

A classic closed-setting crime mystery, Dissolution is the first in the excellent Shardlake series (of which there are seven books).  Matthew Shardlake is a wonderful character.  Born with a curvature of the spine, he is subject to much abuse for his physical appearance. He is fiercely intelligent, insightful, melancholic and a great judge of character.  Dissolution brings this fascinating period of English history to life.  We see the monastery life just as it is on the verge of disappearing forever.  The smells and sounds of Tudor England bring the reader back in time and makes you feel you are walking the streets of London or wading through the marshes of Scarnsea.  We too are thrown into the political intrigue and religious fervour of this turbulent time. 

CJ Sansom passed away in April 2024 from a rare form of cancer.  He will be remembered as a master of historical crime fiction. As well as writing the bestselling Shardlake series, he also wrote standalone historical novels. The TV adaption of Dissolution is now available to watch on Disney + starring Sean Bean and Arthur Hughes. 

Dissolution is available on the library catalogue.  You can also listen to a wonderful BBC 4 full cast dramatisation on Borrowbox. 

 If you’ve already read and enjoyed the Shardlake series, try The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor, which is also highly recommended.

Lara Barry

Pearse Street HQ