The year is 1545 and Henry VIII is married to Catherine Parr. The Queen summons hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake to investigate a case involving allegations of mistreatment of an orphan. The wardship of Hugh Curteys and his sister was purchased from the Court of Wards by Sir Nicholas Hobbey. Shardlake and his assistant Barak travel to the the Hobbey estate in the vicinity of Portsmouth. This also takes them near Rolfswood where Shardlake takes the opportunity to uncover the history of Ellen Fettiplace who has been incarcerated in Bedlam for almost twenty years. Shardlake is obstinate as he continues to investigate both cases in spite of endangering himself and Barak, who is eager to get home to his pregnant wife Tamsin. The roads are crowded with soldiers en route to Portsmouth since a French invasion is feared. The King and his entourage are also expected in Portsmouth to review the fleet. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series but this is probably in the top two or three. As usual, C.J. Sansom has brought the period to life with well-researched historical detail. The cases were satisfying and knowing the history of the Mary Rose, and having seen it when we visited Portsmouth, added some extra suspense and interest for me.