Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake, #2)

Jan 06, 2013 Lance Greenfield Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Continual suspense

Matthew Shardlake has put the nerve-wracking episode of his investigations at Scarnsea Monastery behind him and is living the relatively quiet life of a London lawyer of the Tudor era. Suddenly, his peace is shattered. He is asked to defend a young lady who is accused of murdering her cousin, but refuses to speak to anyone, even Shardlake. A difficult task, and even more stressful because failing to plea when brought to court in those days resulted in a slow and agonising death...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, historical-fiction, tudor

I enjoyed reading this, and I'll continue with the series. Sansom is a good writer and his characterization is excellent. I like Shardlake and his new sidekick Barak very much. The setting felt authentic and the author manages to include a lot of historical details without disrupting the narrative. But despite these excellent qualities I'm knocking it down to 3 stars because of a few serious flaws.

Both of the mysteries in this book are weak. The first involves a girl accused of murder, and the r...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was ok as far as historical mysteries are concerned. It got pretty confusing and convoluted, there were more characters and suspects than necessary. And in the end, the bad guys end up being the people you dislike all along.

Still, it was fun to read about England in the 16th century. I learned all kinds of things that were pretty interesting. Like the fact that some women used nightshade (a poison!) to make their pupils wider because it was supposed to be sexy. The book takes place ab...more

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Sep 08, 2007 Bill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who likes historical fiction

This is the second novel by C.J. Sansom, a former lawyer in the UK who also has a PhD in history. Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer protagonist, has hoped to stay away from mystery and danger, but Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's dependable enforcer, needs him to find the men who said they had discovered the secret of Greek Fire, a devastating ancient flamethrower used by the Byzantines against the Ottoman Turks and others. Cromwell's own position has become shaky because he arranged the marriage of He...more

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Jan 01, 2010 Gerald Sinstadt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Second novel syndrome is a fearful hurdle for an author; C J Sansom takes it in his stride. Dissolution, which first introduces Matthew Shardlake, was a clever and original detective story, hard though it was at times to distinguish one monk from another. Now, released from the claustrophobic Scarnsea monastery, the hunchback lawyer is called again to serve Richard Cromwell, this time in the dirty and dangerous lanes of 16th Century London and the no less treacherous English court.

Other reviewe...more

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May 05, 2013 Carl Brush rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've reviewed more C.J. Samson books this year than any other author. Just got into the guy and couldn't stop. From Heartstone to Winter in Madrid to Sovereign, he kept me going. Now it's Dark Fire. Chronologically it's the first in the series of Shardlake, the humpbacked lawyer and his investigations into matters surrounding the affairs of the time and environs of Henry VIII. Winter in Madrid is a Spanish Civil War tale, and a different matter entirely. I sort of wish I'd read the Shardlake tal...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Bruno Bouchet rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second Shardlake book is a bit like the second season of a hit TV series where the writers really hits their form. The first book, Dissolution was enjoyable, the second much more so. The action is speeded up dramatically, the plot is more complex (I didn’t workout the guilty party early this time) and the atmosphere of Tudor England incredibly rich. Shardlake is a totally engaging hero. Methodical, careful, honest and trustworthy - he’s the bane of many people who would rather he got a quick...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Gavin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was recommended to me by someone who knew my taste for history and mystery. It could hardly have been more perfect.

Essentially a Tudor detective novel, the main character of Shardlake is a humble lawyer who finds himself entangled in a plot which could impact upon the whole of Europe. But this summary is so facile that I am tempted to delete it because it makes the book's contents sound trite. Sansom is the kind of author which makes you weep that neither you nor those you speak to have hea...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hunchback Matthew Shardlake, a London lawyer and one-time disciple of Thomas Cromwell, has found himself embroiled in another murder mystery. A young boy has been killed, with all evidence pointing to his cousin, Elizabeth, as the murderess. Her uncle swears she's innocent, but Elizabeth isn't talking. If she doesn't enter a plea soon, she'll be gruesomely pressed to death.

In the meantime, Cromwell seeks Shardlake's help to solve another mystery: the alchemical recipe for the legendary Greek Fi...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Pretty reasonable Tudor detective thriller; better than the first in the series in my opinion. Sansom is a historian and lawyer who has obviously combined his two passions. This one is set in the summer of 1540 at the time of the fall of Cromwell.
Shardlake, the hero/detective is an honest lawyer (there's an oxymoron if ever there was one!)and is a likeable character. There is none of the mean moodiness and complex personal life here; Shardlake is a 40 year old hunchback who is unmarried. He doe...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Matthew Head rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished Dark Fire by C J Sansom last night. I wasn’t head over heels in love with his first book, but I could tell there was potential for a cracking read so I wanted to read on. And Dark Fire comes an awful lot closer to that expectation. I wouldn’t say that it meets it 100%, but for me it was certainly a much better read than Dissolution.

I think the thing with Dissolution was that it was probably 80% monastery based – all the action taking place in that one enclosed set of buildings. You di...more I finished Dark Fire by C J Sansom last night. I wasn’t head over heels in love with his first book, but I could tell there was potential for a cracking read so I wanted to read on. And Dark Fire comes an awful lot closer to that expectation. I wouldn’t say that it meets it 100%, but for me it was certainly a much better read than Dissolution.

I think the thing with Dissolution was that it was probably 80% monastery based – all the action taking place in that one enclosed set of buildings. You didn’t get much of a feel for the age in which the book was set. Dark Fire is 100% set in London, and that gives the story a whole lot more scope for experiencing an entire range of historic 16th century delights. Because of the nature of the story where Shardlake has to take on several investigations at once (and the time limit that is put upon him,) you are constantly flitting from place to place – sometimes several places just in one chapter. This could be seen as risky – it could disorientate the reader and to be fair you have to pay attention otherwise you might forget where he’s been and when he went there. But for me it worked well – you went from the stinking disgustingness of Newgate prison to the sweet poshness of the aristocratic Lady Honor’s House of Glass within a matter of pages. You experienced the whole spectrum of life at the time – something which I was crying out for with Dissolution.

In terms of story, I have to admit it kept me guessing a lot more than Dissolution. I got a part of it right, but to be honest the main part of the story was so complex with so many suspects all swearing innocence that it got difficult to pin them down. This again could be part to do with the fact that the story was moving about all over the place – there wasn’t much time to get fully aquainted with all the characters, which I think could be a bit of a flaw. And in the end I have to admit that I wasn’t 100% happy with the outcome – particularly because it seemed that it was all for nothing, that for all their discoveries it didn’t really matter in the end anyway. The fact that the main overall culprit was a real famous historical figure meant that you knew as soon as they stepped into the room that they weren’t going to get caught, which again was a bit dissapointing. Another minor niggle I have is that like Dissolution we don’t actually see any justice being served. No gory executions – which pesonally I would have quite liked to see. All those involved either got killed before the story was finished or they just died in prison – and one you don’t even hear what his fate was. Sansom teases us with mentionings of hangings and burnings and drawing and quarterings, but you never actually witness them through his eyes, which is to me a shame as again it’s one of those things that is typical of that time period – it would be nice to experience it to get the whole effect. I felt sure we would at least witness Cromwell getting his head hacked off, but that is just a passing note at the end of the book. Still never mind.

I did love some bits however. I loved the introduction of bananas to the upper class diners – that was great fun. There were some great action sequences that genuinely got your heart beating faster and your eyes reading quicker. Toky and Wright made excellent villains, and you felt as though you might be being watched by them too as you read through the story. I did enjoy the character of Lady Honor, but then her ending was really quite dissapointing and I was just left thinking she was a bitch after all. Oh and also the “Giants” bone in the pub – that was a nice touch too.

Overall then, I did enjoy it a lot more than Dissolution (for all my moaning) – although there is (as always) – still more room for improvement. Next stop: Sovereign.

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Jul 23, 2012 Rosemary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book I've read in this series (four written so far--I'm a bit behind). I'm looking forward to picking up the next, which is probably the clearest indication of my opinion.

There are a number of things I like about these books. For one, the characters are complex, with virtues and flaws that make them fully human. Sansom also focuses on the middle class characters of Tudor England, as opposed to the aristocracy, which is a refreshing change after the endless list of mysteries of...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Ioana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: outstanding-historical-detective-fi, worth-re-reading

My favourite book by C.J.Sansom; this book is an underated masterpiece. Features 17th century lawyer Matthew Shardlake, helped by his colourful sidekick, Jack Barak, investigating political and social crimes in Tudor England. This book, and others by Sansom, has been criticised by critics for having a 'stuttering' style. In my opinion, there is nothing in this book that gives that impression; unless you're gonna take every single sentence apart, which is of course, a silly exploit. On the whole,...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Karen maslen rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is 1540, and Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer renowned as "the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England," is pressed to help a friend's young niece who is charged with murder. Despite threats of torture and death by the rack, the girl is inexplicably silent. Shardlake is about to lose her case when he is suddenly granted a reprieve—one that will ensnare him in the dangerous schemes of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's feared vicar-general.

In exchange for two more weeks to investigate the murder,...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Indiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, fiction, historical, mystery, tudor-england

LOVED IT! Okay so this is the second book in the Matthew Shardlake series that I started a couple of months ago. This one is set in London and what a joy to read. Everything in the city is wonderfully described. If I woke up tomorrow and found myself in 1540 London I would be able to walk around and know where everything is without the aid of a map – that is how well he described everything. Unlike some other mystery writers, C.J. Sansom does not follow a formula for his books. If the previous b...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Ali rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second installment to the very successful Shardlake series. I know the paperback version runs to over 500 pages, and yet it is a fairly quick read. The Tudor period is brilliantly re-created with all it's sounds sights and smells. They were bloody and treacherous times, and the plot twists come thick and fast. Mathew Shardlake may appear at times like a man out of the time in which he lives, an honorable, compassionate, just man, often suffering prejudice for being a hunchback. We me...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Al rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Second in the series about Matthew Shardlake, the hunchbacked lawyer/sleuth in sixteenth century England. I liked this book, set in London in 1540, better than the initial one (which was still good); it seemed like the London setting provided more scope and diversity than the monastery setting of the first book. There are similarities; Shardlake again has an agile, clever young associate; in this case, happily, the young man is better natured and more helpful than in book one. Shardlake again i...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Annabelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the best of Sansom’s mystery trilogy of Shardlake, the attorney, who helped Cromwell get rid of the Catholic Church for Henry the VIII but now regrets the reformist atrocities of looting the monasteries of land and riches. As a historian Sansom melds his detailed knowledge with interesting characters, endearing Shardlake who is naïve about the affairs of the heart but whip smart to follow clues and nuances of crimes and others like Cromwell drunk with power, sheister lawyer Bealknap, and...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Alana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tudors, mystery, historical

After the events at Scarnsea, lawyer Matthew Shardlake thought he was through with the machinations of the powerful. But his attempts to practice in peace are thwarted when Thomas Cromwell procures a reprieve from a brutal death for one of Matthew's clients accused of murder. Favors from Lord Cromwell always come with a price - in addition to investigating the murder, Shardlake must also track down a stolen formula for the formidable ancient weapon known as Greek Fire with the help of boorish Ja...more After the events at Scarnsea, lawyer Matthew Shardlake thought he was through with the machinations of the powerful. But his attempts to practice in peace are thwarted when Thomas Cromwell procures a reprieve from a brutal death for one of Matthew's clients accused of murder. Favors from Lord Cromwell always come with a price - in addition to investigating the murder, Shardlake must also track down a stolen formula for the formidable ancient weapon known as Greek Fire with the help of boorish Jack Barak whom Cromwell has set to guard and assist.

This second instalment in the Matthew Shardlake series is more action-oriented than its 'locked-room' predecessor (Dissolution). Matthew finds himself shadowed by a pair of ruthless thugs, digging up corpses and struggling over orchard walls - and the bodies seem to pile up just one step ahead of him. The story is on a tight timeline - Shardlake has only 12 days to complete his missions, and it is clear that his client's life and Cromwell's teetering career hang in the balance.

Once again, Sansom brings Tudor England to life in all its danger and grime. Religious and political differences are at the forefront. Cromwell's career (and his head) are in jeopardy because of the King's dissatisfaction with the marriage to Anne of Cleves that Cromwell arranged, and the King's increased interest in the pretty teenaged niece of Thomas Howard, the Catholic Duke of Norfolk and no friend of Cromwell's. We also witness the aftermath of the dissolution of the monasteries Shardlake helped bring about in Dissolution, and the results aren't pretty - patients and orphans turned out into the streets, desecrated graves being plundered for baluables, money-grubbing landlords using legal technicalities to get out of dealing with dreadful sewage and other concerns, and the corruption of judges and other officials who care more about lining their pockets than dispensing justice.

The relationships bewteen the characters are what really make Sansom's mysteries stand out for me. Shardlake has plenty of room to debate the right and moral action, but here he is increasingly confronted with alternative perspectives to challenge his judgments: Barak grew up impoverished as the son of a cess-pit cleaner and raised his status in the world by his ready wit and sword as well as through a distinct lack of deference to those in rank. Lady Honor enjoys provoking heated discussions as her 'sugar banquet' salons, and Brother Guy points out the moral consequences of Shardlake's plans (and of his former reformist zeal).

The weakest point of the novel, in my opinion, was the crime Elizabeth was hiding. Perhaps because it got so little page-time due to all the interweaving plot-threads, I never felt as if the crime itself was satisfactorily explained. Given the horrific implications, and the fact that Elizabeth was willing to be pressed to death rather than reveal the secret, I was surprised that Shardlake didn't need to spend a bit more time coming to grips with the evil he had uncovered. I would have liked to see more of his thought process there.

That's a minor quibble, however. Dark Fire was an excellent fast-paced historical mystery. I barely closed the cover on this one before reaching for the next Matthew Shardlake mystery - Sovereign.(less)

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Oct 27, 2009 Andrea Bowhill rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this Second novel Dark Fire, two stories have been entwined over a twelve day period; C. J Sansom has brought us forward three years to 1540, the hottest summer of the 16th century. Based in London where brutality of life is harsh, noisome, sweat, stench and greed is everywhere. Thomas Cromwell's position as chief of staff for King Henry VIII is filled with great uncertainty, for the King is preparing to dump yet another wife Anne of Cleves. Sansom has also questioned Hunchback London lawyer...more In this Second novel Dark Fire, two stories have been entwined over a twelve day period; C. J Sansom has brought us forward three years to 1540, the hottest summer of the 16th century. Based in London where brutality of life is harsh, noisome, sweat, stench and greed is everywhere. Thomas Cromwell's position as chief of staff for King Henry VIII is filled with great uncertainty, for the King is preparing to dump yet another wife Anne of Cleves. Sansom has also questioned Hunchback London lawyer Matthew Shardlake views after his Dissolution experience, he is now less sure of his political position, religious convictions and more sceptical of others.

Shardlake had been trying to keep a low profile; business had not been great since he had been out of favour with Cromwell. A case had come his way unexpectedly by helping an old friend's niece. Even though the Judge ruled against Shardlake in court, he suddenly had a change of heart outside of it; the Judge agreed to a stay of execution for two weeks. But Shardlake was about to realise darker forces had intervened, Cromwell's network had been doing overtime and the girl was only to keep a longer life span if Shardlake was to help his old nemesis, another pressing matter awaited.

Cromwell had witnessed with his own eyes a demonstration of Greek fire or Byzantine fire of liquid. It was capable of discharging a stream of burning fluid effective on both sea and land, inextinguishable, dreaded and feared by any enemy on attack. The secret behind Greek fire was handed down from one emperor to another and no one else had been able to produce it, but in history the formula had been lost long ago. What a war weapon to behold, not to mention it would put Cromwell back in favour with the King, whom he'd already promised a demonstration to, in two weeks. The problem was these men who had held the liquid formula were shrewd, willing for it to go to the highest bidder either in England or overseas; this was conspiracy against the King. Shardlake's commission was to find out about these men, quietly, also obtain the formula and source of Dark Fire, Cromwell appointed a minder for this dangerous mission one Jack Barak, the chase across London Begins.

Fantastic! Sansom gives us a broad view of politics in the Tudor era, conspiracies of court, a political system based on birth not merit, the division between church and state, prisoners who are tried without representation, housing and sewage problems, even Jack Barak is mocked for being the descendant of Jews. Shardlake is given plenty of scope to debate the morality of the world. Sansom does a great job of weaving real history with fiction so it flows remains easy to read and understandable.

This book is longer than Dissolution, but it's so enjoyable it's not noticeable, with its history and mixes of real names in history such as Richard Rich, Thomas Cromwell and the Duke of Norfolk even an overview of Henry VIII and his wives entwined with fictitious characters. Mathew Shardlake is a great fiction character at last given the opportunity for some sexual tension between him and a lady of higher standing. But adding the character Jack Barak to this novel is a wonderful touch of writing; Shardlake and Barak complement each other. Shardlake's quiet, logical and has formality, Barak's younger, slightly arrogant, rough and ready with touches of violence if needed and an eye for the ladies, the two get into no end of trouble.

Thoroughly enjoyable History. Highly Recommended!

Andrea Bowhill
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Jul 10, 2012 Evelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book #2 in the Matthew Shardlake series, this time set in London during the blistering summer of 1540.

Though these books nominally focus on Shardlake and the mystery or mysteries he's tasked with solving, the secondary character, which I find equally intriguing, is the historical detail that Sansom is so good at capturing and describing. This particular installment takes place during the unfortunate fourth marriage of Henry VIII to Anne of Cleves, a period when religious chaos and poverty were...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Laura C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

In Dark Fire, book two of the Matthew Shardlake series, we find a wiser protagonist, whose blind faith in the value of reforming the church has been chipped away. The powerful Cromwell has made one marriage too many for Henry VIII, having arranged his union with Anne of Cleeves sight unseen. Unfortunately, good lighting and a sympathetic artist aside, the king cannot stand his new bride and goes fawning after Miss Catherine Howard, leaving both Anne and Cromwell worrying about their heads. Cromw...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 9-star, bookcrossing, british

This is the sequel to Dissolution and I enjoyed it just as much – am now well and truly hooked on this series! I hope C.J. Sansom is young and has a long writing career ahead of him
Set in 1540, during the hottest summer of the century and three years after the events in Dissolution, Matthew Shardlake is involved with two investigations and it’s a race against time. In one, a young girl is accused of murdering her cousin – her uncle Joseph believes her innocent but she refuses to speak. And alth...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Jerelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Better than the first!

This is the second in the Matthew Shardlake mystery series, and I loved it! I have put off reading these because I was just Tudored out. But a few years have gone by and I have come back to the time period, but I will avoid anything directly to do with any of Henry’s queens. Anyhow…

Cromwell’s career is in jeopardy, and Shardlake is no longer in favor.

What I liked: I like Shardlake, a good man in a system so archaic and damaged by corruption, that it seems there is no such t...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Matti Karjalainen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Kaikille! Erinomainen historiallinen dekkari!

Shelves: aikuiset, historiall-fiktio, dekkarit, 2000-luku, kotikirjasto, gbr-kans, englanti

Lontoo, 1540. Lontoolainen asianajaja Matthew Shardlake saa epämieluisan toimeksiannon koko maan mahtavimpien miesten joukkoon lukeutuvalta Thomas Cromwellilta; yhdessä apulaisensa Barakin kanssa hänen tehtävänään on jäljittää kauan kadoksissa olleen, kreikkalaiseksi tuleksi nimetyn aineen valmistusohje, jonka avulla Henrik VIII:n hallitsema Englanti voisi saada taas yliotteen vastustajistaan.

Englannin kirkollisen ja poliittisen juonittelun keskellä panokset ovat kovat, eikä aikaa ole paljon. Ka...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An enjoyable mystery, where the history and the depiction of life in 16th century London surpassed the particular stories told (I found his depiction of London better than Stephenson's Baroque's Cycle depiction of 1680s London). Matthew Shardlake is a hunchback barrister in 1540 London. He has worked for Thomas Cromwell before and comes to work for him again as a means of keeping another client alive. The investigation of the mysteries kept the story moving, but the biggest delight is an immersi...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Starling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical, mystery

I absolutely love this series. CJ Sansom is an excellent writer. He is also able to make the while idea of someone who is investigating murder, and other things, realistic in a world where supposedly no one was doing so.

The author also has a clear idea of what living in Tudor London had to have been like. You are aware of just how uncomfortable all of those heavy wool, velvet and fur clothing had to have been when the temperatures went up. The summer of 1540 was the hottest in the 16th Century,...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Deborah Moulton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The trials and tribulations of lawyer Matthew Shardlake continue on a second mission for Lord Thomas Cromwell. This time, he is on the trail of a mysterious substance from the Middle East that could be the greatest weapon England has ever held.

It is no secret that this magical fluid is raw petroleum. What is interesting is to see how that new substance appeared to those living in the Tudor age. Alchemy is the first answer and there it stays. Master Shardlake will need to puzzle out what it is an...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Margaret Lawrenson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read all the Matthew Shardlake books now: all in the wrong order, but it doesn't matter. I feel as if I know my way round Tudor London, and have a bit of a feel for the sounds and smells of the streets, and the religious and political turmoil that was a part of everyday life then.

This is a complex two-pronged tale, beginning with a young girl falsely accused of murder, and soon involving Shardlake in another apparently unrelated all-but impossible mission to uncover the secret behind the m...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery

C. J. Sansom’s Tudor mystery series continues with DARK FIRE, a follow-on from DISSOLUTION and once again featuring Matthew Shardlake as Thomas Cromwell’s hunchbacked lawyer.

DARK FIRE is a step up from the quality of the first novel, a book I found pretty decent to begin with. The story breaks free of DISSOLUTION’s single, isolated setting – a remote monastery – and instead brings to life the sights and sounds of 16th century London, and is much the better for it. One of Sansom’s real strengths...more C. J. Sansom’s Tudor mystery series continues with DARK FIRE, a follow-on from DISSOLUTION and once again featuring Matthew Shardlake as Thomas Cromwell’s hunchbacked lawyer.

DARK FIRE is a step up from the quality of the first novel, a book I found pretty decent to begin with. The story breaks free of DISSOLUTION’s single, isolated setting – a remote monastery – and instead brings to life the sights and sounds of 16th century London, and is much the better for it. One of Sansom’s real strengths as author lies in his vivid and evocative descriptions of the times in which he writes, so if you love reading about historical backdrops then you’ll adore the one here. There are no niceties, mind: this is full of brutal realism all the way, with corpses floating down the Thames and the stink of urine and excrement in pretty much every street.

DARK FIRE isn’t a perfect book and indeed some of the flaws from Sansom’s first novel are still present here. It feels extremely formulaic, with Shardlake and his new assistant Barak trotting from one location to the next and back again, and the plotting is long winded. At least half the novel is, in my mind, somewhat extraneous, involved with unravelling a mystery that turns out to be unassociated with the book’s main thrust. If only some supporting characters had come clean to begin with, Sansom could have excised some of these repetitive back-and-forth shenanigans.

Nevertheless, the strengths definitely outweigh the weaknesses here. I’m no fan of politics, but the manoeuvering and backstabbing between Cromwell and his enemies makes for a fascinating background to the story’s mysteries. The supporting cast is much more engaging than the interchangeable monks of the first book, although there is the welcome return of one character. Barak makes for a more interesting accomplice for Shardlake than DISSOLUTION’s Mark, and watching the rapport between the two leads is highly entertaining. At its best, the story is sinister and atmospheric, and features some highly memorable set-pieces: Shardlake indulging in a spot of grave-robbing or attempting to uncover what lies within the depths of a long disused well, as well as murder attempts at some famous landmarks and some vivid descriptions of the titular conceit at work.

It’s a good, if not excellent book, and certainly paves the way for the third – and best – in the series, the York-set SOVEREIGN. I read SOVEREIGN out of order, my first Sansom read, and enjoyed it so much I went back to the beginning. Now I see that the author’s strengths grow with each book, leaving SOVEREIGN the clear best of the three. I look forward to catching up with REVELATION, the fourth Shardlake adventure, at some point in the near future. (less)

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Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake #2)

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