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Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake #3)
by
C.J. Sansom
Autumn, 1541. Following the uncovering of a plot against his throne in Yorkshire, King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to overawe his rebellious subjects there. Accompanied by a thousand soldiers, the cream of the nobility, and his fifth wife Catherine Howard, the King is to attend an extravagant submission of the local gentry at York.
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Hardcover, 380 pages
Published
August 18th 2006
by Macmillan _
(first published 2006)
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TWO DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MATTHEW SHARDLAKE SERIES:
Description the First:
Take Sherlock Holmes and...
1. Crook his back "Quasimodo" style (oh how I wanted to say “bend it like Beckham” instead, but I figure it's time we all move on from that one)...and make sure you include a nice hump;
2. Surgically remove 92.7% of the arrogant, ego-maniacal self love;
3. Replace Watson with a street-wise, well connected tough guy while deleting all hints of “bromantic tension” between the two;
4. Change the setting f...more
Description the First:
Take Sherlock Holmes and...
1. Crook his back "Quasimodo" style (oh how I wanted to say “bend it like Beckham” instead, but I figure it's time we all move on from that one)...and make sure you include a nice hump;
2. Surgically remove 92.7% of the arrogant, ego-maniacal self love;
3. Replace Watson with a street-wise, well connected tough guy while deleting all hints of “bromantic tension” between the two;
4. Change the setting f...more
55 likes · like · see review
view all 18 comments
SOVEREIGN (Historical-England-1541) – VG
Sansom, C.J. – 3rd in series
Macmillan, 2006-Hardcover
*** Lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak are sent to York to ensure the welfare of a prisoner being returned to London for interrogation. Matthew is also to assist with processing legal partitions King Henry VIII during the King’s Progress to York. When local glazier is killed, Matthew and Jack uncover a locked box containing several papers, including a genealogical chart. Before Matthew...more
Sansom, C.J. – 3rd in series
Macmillan, 2006-Hardcover
*** Lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak are sent to York to ensure the welfare of a prisoner being returned to London for interrogation. Matthew is also to assist with processing legal partitions King Henry VIII during the King’s Progress to York. When local glazier is killed, Matthew and Jack uncover a locked box containing several papers, including a genealogical chart. Before Matthew...more
In Dissolution, reformist Matthew Shardlake works with Thomas Cromwell to investigate the death of a royal commissioner; in Dark Fire, he defends a young woman accused of murder. Critics agree that Sovereign is as good as, or even better than, its predecessors. Themes of political ruses, conspiracy, religious fanaticism, and murder, combined with sophisticated plotting, meticulously researched details, and convincing characters (including a cruel, paranoid Henry) recreate the repression, tyranny
...more
This book is long and proceeds at a slow pace, but I rather enjoyed that. It was like taking a leisurely stroll through Tudor England. It may even have been a deliberate attempt to give the reader a feel for the slower pace of a time when it took days to travel from one town to the next, particularly if you were a member of the king's ponderous 3000-strong Progress.
Sansom's characterizations are still very good and he delivers historical detail effortlessly. His action scenes are clumsy and unre...more
Sansom's characterizations are still very good and he delivers historical detail effortlessly. His action scenes are clumsy and unre...more
Jan 16, 2009
Chris Hunt
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
england,
history-mysteries
This is the third in the Matthew Shardlake Mysteries by C.J. Sansom. In this one hunchback lawyer, Master Shardlake is sent to York to handle petitions for the King who is will be on a Royal Progress to York. He is also told to take charge of the welfare of a conspirator in the "Pilgrimage of Grace" uprising.
Matthew's job is complicated when a glazier dies and Matthew believes it was not an accident.
The story seemed slow at first. Lots of ruminating about clues and people. Once the King and hi...more
Matthew's job is complicated when a glazier dies and Matthew believes it was not an accident.
The story seemed slow at first. Lots of ruminating about clues and people. Once the King and hi...more
Jun 03, 2008
Barb
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
someone who enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl
This is the third Matthew Shardlake mystery by C.J. Sansom. I enjoyed it very much. It's nice to come back to a familiar character and catch up on his latest exploits.
This time he and his assistant Jack Barak are sent to York in the north of England where King Henry VIII and his latest wife, Catherine Howard arrive on a spectacular progress.
Matthew has been employed by Archbishop Cranmer to protect a prisoner accused of treason and conspiracy against the king and make sure that he arrives safe...more
This time he and his assistant Jack Barak are sent to York in the north of England where King Henry VIII and his latest wife, Catherine Howard arrive on a spectacular progress.
Matthew has been employed by Archbishop Cranmer to protect a prisoner accused of treason and conspiracy against the king and make sure that he arrives safe...more
This book follows on from 'Dissolution' and the hunchback lawyer, Mathew Shardlake is trying to live down the fact that he was one of Thomas Cromwell's Commissioners now that the greatest stateman in the country has been executed.
King Henry and his Queen of one year, Katherine Howard, are off to the North on a Royal tour, where a dangerous anti-reformist has been captured and imprisoned.
Thomas Cranmer has sympathy for the lawyer and sends him off to York to secure the well-being of the prisoner,...more
King Henry and his Queen of one year, Katherine Howard, are off to the North on a Royal tour, where a dangerous anti-reformist has been captured and imprisoned.
Thomas Cranmer has sympathy for the lawyer and sends him off to York to secure the well-being of the prisoner,...more
Oct 21, 2007
Jessica Howard
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-historical
I really liked this book, much to my relief, since I didn't like the second book in the series as well as the first, and was worried that the series was on a downhill slide. This book had superb imagery, historical detail, and an intriguing mystery all rolled into one. All I have to say is that I'm thankful I live in a time where there is indoor plumbing!! And where there's science to prove crimes...instead of than the rather tortuous (ha! it's a pun!) deductions that Master Matthew Shardlake an...more
Aug 16, 2007
Beth (moonivy)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
historical fiction readers.
Read 8/11-8/15/07
Sovereign is the third book in the Matthew Shadlake series. Matthew, a reserved lawyer in Tudor England, and his street-smart assistant Barak are sent to York to accomplish several complicated tasks for Archbishop Crammer. The plot thickens when a glazier is murdered and political conspiracies about, all of which sharp witted and nosy Matthew is compelled to untangle. This book works very well as both a mystery and
as lively historical fiction. I liked both of the earlier books,...more
Sovereign is the third book in the Matthew Shadlake series. Matthew, a reserved lawyer in Tudor England, and his street-smart assistant Barak are sent to York to accomplish several complicated tasks for Archbishop Crammer. The plot thickens when a glazier is murdered and political conspiracies about, all of which sharp witted and nosy Matthew is compelled to untangle. This book works very well as both a mystery and
as lively historical fiction. I liked both of the earlier books,...more
I picked this up at a booksale, not realizing it was the third book in a series. I read it anyway, and enjoyed it. The story was about a lawyer (Matthew Shardlake) in the time of Henry VIII (circa Katherine Howard) but was also about Richard III and the legitimacy of Henry through that bloodline. (And that storyline is based on a true story, apparently there is some debate as to whether Elizabeth is the true monarch or not. (Alternative family tree here, for those who like that sort of thing.)
I'...more
I'...more
Oct 12, 2007
Cathie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone liking historical mysteries
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I especially liked Mr. Sansom's handling on the historical background, in this case Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Howard. The mystery set in this novel was very good and held my attention. I particularly liked Mr. Sansom's description of Henry VIII, who was quite old and ill at the time he was married to Catherine Howard. He had gained weight over the years, and especially after a fall from his horse when he was with Anne Boelyn. I look forward to Mr. Sansom'...more
I don't quite know why it is that airplane travel saps the brain in quite the way that it does, but there is no doubt that it's impossible to read anything at all complicated on planes. So this weekend when I had to make a quick trip to not-so-sunny Queensland to teach my elderly mum (a) how to use a laptop for the first time in her life and (b) how to order her groceries online, I was very glad indeed to have an engrossing historical novel to read on the return flight. (Especially since I could...more
Lesley Sharrock (Author of one of my favorite novels, The Seventh Magpie) told me when I reviewed Heartstone that it was not the best of C. J. Ransom’s Shardlake series about a Henry VIII era hunchback lawyer-crimsolver. Once again. She was right, just as she was right to recommend Samson in the first place. Not to dwell on the comparison. Sovereign may be better, but Heartstone is no slouch of a novel either.
Shardlake is stuck in York. He’s been sent by Archbishop Cranmer (one of the few church...more
Shardlake is stuck in York. He’s been sent by Archbishop Cranmer (one of the few church...more
When it comes to historical fiction, King Henry VIII’s rule is my favorite period to read about. I find the entire thing fascinating, from the political and religious angles as well as the social ramifications of his reign and marriages. The Matthew Shardlake mysteries are all great books in this period, and manage to examine Tudor England without ever being set at the royal court like most other books about that time are. It gives a picture of what England was like for the common man then, and...more
The third Shardlake book and it’s another really enjoyable read. Sansom goes to some length to make each book different, rather than churning out the same old pieces shuffled into a new order. Most of the book takes place in York around Henry VIII’s progress. Again the historical aspects of the book are really engaging and there’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Despite the rich array of characters: good, evil, benign, suspicious and virtuous, I’m beginning to have a few nagging...more
I have loved each of the Shardlake novels.
If you ahe not read any Shardlake starts out as a strong reformist working for Cromwell during the dissolution of the monasteries. In Dissolution he has to investigate a murder in a monastery. in Darkfire it is the pursuit of Greek Fire which once again brings him into the political stage.
This third novel follows on a year after the events of Dark Fire. Shardlake has to catch up with the 1541 King's Progress to the North at York (the aim of which were t...more
If you ahe not read any Shardlake starts out as a strong reformist working for Cromwell during the dissolution of the monasteries. In Dissolution he has to investigate a murder in a monastery. in Darkfire it is the pursuit of Greek Fire which once again brings him into the political stage.
This third novel follows on a year after the events of Dark Fire. Shardlake has to catch up with the 1541 King's Progress to the North at York (the aim of which were t...more
I enjoy the Matthew Shardlake series, in part, perhaps because as the series has progressed Shardlake's dissolving respect for the Tudors mirrors my own passage from starry-eyed attachment to that dynasty to sheer, unadulterated disgust. I'm a proud Welsh-American in many respects, but I constantly feel it necessary to apologize for the Tudors, whose Welsh ties besmirch a noble people.
This book, in particular, is hard on the dynasty, and the portrayals of the members of the English nobility, and...more
This book, in particular, is hard on the dynasty, and the portrayals of the members of the English nobility, and...more
Conspiracy, suspense, and friendship. Recipe for great books. Which is why I love the Shardlake series. Our protagonist is honorable, incredibly intelligent and passionate. His deformity adds to his drive. Though he is incredibly insecure, his deep intelligence continually pulls him away from self loathing as he faces dangerous opposition to bring out the truth with little regard to self-preservation. Yet he isn't annoyingly righteous. C.J. Sansom has crafted a wonderful detective, whom I find m...more
I continue to be enthralled with this historical fiction and murder mystery series set in Tudor England. This is the third book in the series and one in which Henry VIII plays a more prominent role. Action revolves around Henry's "progress" into York and northern England in which he leads a caravan of hundreds of Court members, nobles and military personnel to stifle political unrest. I don't recall learning about this scenario in other accounts of the time period. Sansom continues to expand and...more
#3 in the Matthew Shardlake series, and perhaps the best one yet.
After his patron Thomas Cromwell's death Shardlake hopes to practice law and remain outside of politics, but he's called upon by Archbishop Cranmer to escort a prisoner from York to London, and becomes embroiled in the shady politics surrounding the aging King Henry, his fifth wife Catherine Howard, and separately the roiling, growing rebellion against Henry's increasingly cruel reformist regime.
As in the other books, Sansom makes...more
After his patron Thomas Cromwell's death Shardlake hopes to practice law and remain outside of politics, but he's called upon by Archbishop Cranmer to escort a prisoner from York to London, and becomes embroiled in the shady politics surrounding the aging King Henry, his fifth wife Catherine Howard, and separately the roiling, growing rebellion against Henry's increasingly cruel reformist regime.
As in the other books, Sansom makes...more
This is the third Matthew Shardlake novel I have read, and I wish I had read them all in sequence, not only that, I got a lot of pleasure in reading the last two books together, one after the other. They do come together like one huge novel, and they are much easier to read once you are familiar with the basic characters. The story lines, and the Tudor history played out in the books is chronological. You can duck and dive, but far better to start with the first book and work your way through th...more
1 like · like · see review
Another Matthew Shardlake mystery, this one involving the great Henry VIII himself. What I really love about Mr. Sansom’s novels is that they are both historical novels and captivating mysteries. Everything about it has the feel of careful, unromanticized research. I have read many a wonderful book about royalty, and even a few where the story revolves around the rising middle class during those turbulent times. What sets this series apart is the particularly well drawn portrait of an ordinary m...more
Autumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission of his rebellious subjects in York. Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. As well as assisting with legal work processing petitions to the King, Shardlake has reluctantly undertaken a special mission – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator being returned to London for interrogation. But the murder of a local glazie...more
The third part of what I thought was a trilogy, but now find there is a fourth part to read too! Hurrah!
This was not a book I expected to enjoy so much, although I was most impressed by his stand-alone "Winter in Madrid" about a different time and place.
The first part Dissolution dealt with the dissolution of a monastery during the reign of Henry VIII and crookback lawyer Matthew Shardlake's involvement in that and his ferreting out of the murderer of someone killed whilst he is there. The sec...more
This was not a book I expected to enjoy so much, although I was most impressed by his stand-alone "Winter in Madrid" about a different time and place.
The first part Dissolution dealt with the dissolution of a monastery during the reign of Henry VIII and crookback lawyer Matthew Shardlake's involvement in that and his ferreting out of the murderer of someone killed whilst he is there. The sec...more
Loved it! So I jumped right into the third book in the Matthew Shardlake series. This one is a “political thriller” and is set in the autumn of 1541 and takes place amidst Henry VIII’s Progress to the North of England. This was a state visit in which Henry formally accepted surrender from those who had rebelled against the Crown during the Pilgrimage of Grace. He was accompanied by Catherine Howard and many members of court. Most of the story is set in York which is wonderfully described by Sans...more
I had already read the first in this series, 'Dissolution', so I knew what to expect when approaching this book. (I hadn't read the 2nd, as this is the 3rd, but am now going back to do so). In general you do not need to have read the other two books to understand the plot in this book.
It follows Henry VIII's progress to the North and the tensions between the more conservative north from those in the reforming south, especially after the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536. As always in the Shardlake ser...more
It follows Henry VIII's progress to the North and the tensions between the more conservative north from those in the reforming south, especially after the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536. As always in the Shardlake ser...more
Shardlake and Barak are back and this time they are sent to York at the behest of Archbishop Cranmer to ensure the health of a prisoner who is to be brought back to London for torture in the tower to find out his role in the latest conspiracy against King Henry. Shardlake's visit is to coincide with the King's great Progress to the North alongside his new queen, Catherine Howard and Sheldrake is employed to assist with the sorting of petitions from the commoners to the King alongside York lawyer...more
Hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake would like to lead a quiet private life, but in his third adventure he is again reluctantly drawn into public events and danger. King Henry VIII is travelling with the Progress to the North of 1541, a huge entourage of courtiers, soldiers, servants, horses…an incredible undertaking. In York, the King will witness the submission, an enforced groveling, of his rebellious northern subjects. Archbishop Cranmer offers Shardlake legal work in York. When Shardlake acc...more
Fans of Medieval history and fiction will love this novel whose success lies less in the murder mystery and more in Sansom’s ability to weave a wealth of historical fact into a warp of fiction.
The year is 1541. The setting is Henry VIII’s Progress to the North. A little remarked event, the Progress was designed to put an end to the rebellion of the Catholic Yorkists who rose up against their (hated) King in 1536. This rebellion, - the Pilgrimage of Grace - attracted up to 30,000 armed northerne...more
The year is 1541. The setting is Henry VIII’s Progress to the North. A little remarked event, the Progress was designed to put an end to the rebellion of the Catholic Yorkists who rose up against their (hated) King in 1536. This rebellion, - the Pilgrimage of Grace - attracted up to 30,000 armed northerne...more
Shardrake, the hunchback lawyer, is tricked into following Henry VIII’s Progress to York. He is one of thousands in an entourage following the royal court. Formerly a reformist who supported the end of papistry and Cornwall, but he has been disillusioned by the King and his Lords taking land and torturing those who disagree. He has to help process legal requests to the King with the help of a local lawyer, Giles, and with the assistance of his traveling legal assistant, Barak. At the same time h...more
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Christopher John "C.J." Sansom is an English writer of crime novels. He was born in 1952 and was educated at the University of Birmingham, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he decided to retrain as a solicitor. He practised for a while in Sussex as a lawyer for the disadvantaged, before quitting in order to work full-time as a writer.
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