Goodreads Reading Challenge – 91% done!
It is now coming close to the end of October, It’s dark now in the mornings as I set off in the cold heading to work! And it’s normally windy and drizzly with rain as I head home. Although I’ve had an interesting, and for me, a strangely socially full last few weeks since my last blog, which has included the wife’s birthday and the Nottingham Beer Festival.
So how has this effected my reading? Not too much I’m pleased to say. I’ve decided to hit a few books that have sat on my shelf, again for quite awhile, to see how they fare.
Book number #40 – Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
I picked this book up quite a while ago, must admit the material of the front cover being scripture like really appealed to me and it was kind of recommended to me by a family member who only really reads historical fiction which involves battles, blood and gore so was expecting another battle type book set in Tudor times. And I was pleasantly surprised that wasn’t the case.
With a lot of historical fiction books, sometimes the authors can bog you down in facts, figures and names as they try and impress you with their knowledge. What I liked with this book is you don’t get any of that. You do still however get the feeling of what life was like back then, and I do feel I’ve learnt a little about 1537 England back then with the Reformation in full swing, about Lord Cromwell the Vicar-General of King Henry VIII who is more than keen to shut down any papist institutions he can find and claim their lands, and about how the people felt in a country seemingly in such turmoil, but the author does this without labouring any point. He almost tricks you into it.
Another major plus point for me was the main character, Matthew Shardlake, a commissioner of Cromwell’s who has the interesting trait of being a hunchback! This made him, for me, a lot more interesting then your normal hero types, as he has to deal with both the ailments and restrictions that this causes as well as how society back then treated people with deformities. He is sent to investigate a murder of a co-worker and to conclude the work he was doing of dissolution of a monastery.
From there, the story unfolds with more mysteries, murders and mishaps appearing along the way. Really enjoyed the book, any downside? Not really, I kind of guessed the murderer along the way, but won’t say anymore as spoiler free here! So easily recommend to you by me and I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
Five out of five stars!
