Customer Reviews

Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The cover of Dissolution is festooned with glowing praise from writers such as P.D. James and Colin Dexter. This praise overcame my natural allergy to historical mysteries and led me to buy the book. I was not disappointed.

Dissolution is a surprisingly quick read for such a long book. It flows smoothly. The combination of skilled plotting and historical detail is a winning one. The length of the book is tricky to pull off. However, I believe that the complex nature of the subject would have been difficult to tackle in less time.

Dissolution is as much an investigation of personal faith as it is an investigation of a murder. Matthew Shardlake is not only uncovering who killed Robin Singleton, he is also finding some deep pools of unease within himself at the methods and motivations of his beloved Reformation. While a whodunnit could have been covered in half the time, the themes of history and faith would have been short-changed had Sansom skimped on the background.

Mystery writing at its best is often an exploration of cynicism and loss of innocence. Like any good Noir detective, Shardlake begins his career as an idealist. This book is his fall from belief into a bitter awareness of corruption. If Sansom picks up this thread and continues with it, then the readers should benefit from a very interesting series indeed.

Dissolution suffers from a few first novel flaws. For instance, Cromwell is awfully forthcoming about his scheming. It was not necessary for Shardlake to get a confession from him to believe that Shardlake could have his faith badly shaken. This and a few other minor missteps seem like artifacts of a writer who does not yet trust his own material. None of these things are flaws that should dissuade you from reading the book.

This book should appeal to fans of more literary mystery writers such as James, historical fiction fans, and armchair historians. Highly recommended.

Since Ellis Peters' passing, I didn't expect to read any new good murder mysteries set in English monasteries. Thankfully, I was wrong, as I thoroughly enjoyed this work by a new author. This book takes place centuries after Brother Cadfael's time, when the British monasteries were falling into the corrupt lifestyle of the pre-Reformation Catholic Church. Of course, Henry VIII's dispute over his wished for divorce sped things along, and the new officials who arose in their master's wake were for Reform, and wished to close the monasteries, as symbols of the "papist" devils. Our intrepid hero goes to a large monastery on the coast to strong arm the abbott into surrendering his monastery to the crown, after his predecessor was murdered there. The plot deepens when two other murders occur, and our hero and his assistant must work diligently to discover "whodunnit", from a list of several likely suspects. There are religious discussions, traces of disillusionment in some of the characters, and all in all quite an exciting tale from beginning to end. I look forward quite eagerly to further books from this author.

In 1537, having divorced his first wife and marrying a second, Henry VIII proceeded to close down the monasteries, which were a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church. This move was instrumental in the shaping of English society and politics during the 16th century. Although Henry had caused the Reformation in England to take place merely because he wanted an heir, he soon found that, like Martin Luther, there were problems with Catholicism- not the least of which was that the clergy were living much better than they ought to have. Their standard of living was so much higher than the average laypersons' that monks and their servants were living very long lives- sometimes into their eighties and nineties, uncommonly long for anyone to live in the 16th century. Dissolution refers to not only the process by which the monasteries were dissolved, but the process by which lives in England were irrevocably changed by the reformation. The dissolution of the monasteries left monks without a home, severed from the life most had known their entire lives.

A commissioner working in the name of Thomas Cromwell goes to oversee the closing of the monastery at Scarnsea- and is mysteriously murdered, his head cleanly sliced off with a sword. Matthew Shardlake, hunchback lawyer at Chancery in London and deputy to Cromwell, is sent to investigate the murder. He believes that the murderer is someone within the monastic community. Before leaving London, however, Shardlake encounters someone selling parrots, those bird which repeat things that are told to them. They are not unlike the political situation in England: people repeat back what the king wants to hear. Anything that is "wrong," however, can be viewed as treasonous.

Shardlake soon becomes involved in the various politics that shape up the monastery, and learns some very interesting pieces of information about the monks who live there. A young, attractive female servant, a homosexual, a stuttering monk, a converted Moor, and a mad Carthusian are some of the most interesting characters, all of which have a motive for murdering the commissioner. At the end of the day, however, three more people are dead, victims of an inevitable tragedy for the monastery.

This is an excellent, well-written book. If you enjoyed this, also try Dark Fire, the second book featuring the adventures of Matthew Shardlake.

"You should have seen this house just five years ago, before the king's divorce. Everything ordered and secure. Prayer and devotion, the summer timetable then the winter, unchanging, centuries old. The Benedictines have given me such a life as I could never have had in the world; a ship's chandler's son raised to abbot." He gave a sad flicker of a smile. "It's not just myself I mourn for, Commissioner; it's the tradition, the life. Already these last two years order has started to break down. We all used to have the same beliefs, think the same way, but already the reforms have brought discord, disagreement. And now murder. Dissolution," he whispered. "Dissolution"

It's 1537 and the king's divorce is, of course, Henry VIII's, which brought with it the disestablishment of the Catholic Church in England. Now, Henry and his vicar general, Thomas Cromwell, having survived the rebellion led by Robert Aske, are dissolving Church properties and adding their wealth to the royal treasury. But they require legal pretexts for doing so. When a royal commissioner is murdered while looking for such cause in the monastery of Scarnsea, Cromwell sends his fellow reformer Matthew Shardlake, "the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England," to investigate the killing and shut the place down.

The book is kind of a Name of the Rose for the rest of us. The theological and political conflicts at its core are far more accessible to a modern reader and the questions it raises, like those in the paragraph above, still haunt. If the zealous Shardlake finds much of the corruption he expects to find in a Papist institution, he is also given cause to doubt the very Reformationist project he serves.

Shardlake makes for a compelling hero, though his sidekick is annoying and is happily written out of what looks likely to be a series at novel's end. The atmosphere is tense and often quite frightening. The world of a 16th century monastery is convincingly rendered. And both the mystery and the theo-political drama are well-handled. Mr. Sansom seems like a writer to watch.

The story and plot has been well summarized elsewhere on this page, so I will undertake my evaluation directly.

The strongest parts of this first mystery novel are the sense of place and atmosphere. At the beginning of the tale,
Cromwell's office and the vicar general himself are very well drawn, setting the ominous tone for the "dissolution" of monastic holdings throughout England.

Also well limned are the vermin-infested rural inn that Shardlake and his assistant Mark stay in while journeying to St. Donatus, and the coastal environs of Scarnsea. The "star" of DISSOLUTION is the the brooding St Donatus monastery as the English winter sets in (obviously, a metaphor). The reader will enjoy the vivid descriptions of the church, the refectory, the infirmary and the secret passageways that are uncovered in the last third of the book.

Sansom largely succeeds in creating a sympathetic and believable protagonist, an individual with attractive and unattractive traits. Making his "detective" a hunchback, we vicariously experience the superstitious dread and cruelties that were visited upon the deformed in the 16th century.

Shardlake begins the tale as an idealistic reformer under the sway of Erasmus and we experience his disillusionment that seeps into his hope. Sansom has also given a decent, sympathetic account of his lead character's spiritual life, no small achievement in contemporary fiction about the Middle Ages and Renaissance where most writers - try as they may - end up concocting characters that embody the religious skepticism of our times. In addition, we empathize with Shardlake as we anticipate that his romantic interests will be rebuffed, so we cut him slack for his occasional bouts of self-pity.

The principal flaw of DISSOLUTION is that it unspools at too great a length before resolving. What took Sansom over 380 pages should have been accomplished in 100 fewer. Like the treacherous marshes abutting the monastery, the reader gets bogged down at too many junctures where the plot becomes too complex for its own good. This is not uncommon for historical novels where the lure of adding more local color and yet another vivid description proves too attractive for an otherwise expeditious writer to exclude.

If, on the other hand, you are the sort of reader whom enjoys writers who love to generously display they past they have researched and created, the book's length may be its asset.

As I write this, C. J. Sansom's second book of Shardlake's advenutures is about to be published. I'm keen to see how he develops Matthew Shardlake and finds other problems for him to solve.

I bought this book based on the reviews posted here and if, in turn, my lowly opinion inspires someone else to indulge, then I'll be more than happy. What a fantastic read this was. The characters were so spot on believable. Not one came across as anything but three dimensional with complex dispositions and attitudes and perfectly flawed. The character of Matthew Shardlake is an inspired creation; a hunchback solicitor at the service of his Majesty King Henry VIII and Vicar General, Thomas Cromwell. Shardlake, along with his assistance Matthew Poer, at the behest of Cromwell is dispatched to an isolated monastery in the village of Scarnsea in the south of England to investigate the brutal murder of Commissioner Singleton sent to review the house's finances prior to the dissolution of the monasteries during the English reformation. Upon their arrival they are met with suspicion, apprehension and feigned cooperation by not only the Abbot and Prior but by all those in position in that insular world and for good reason: The monastery is nothing short of a seething pit of corruption, thievery, lies, sexual misconduct and, of course now, murder. However, it's only the beginning. Shortly upon their arrival at Scarnsea, a novice monk is murdered and the tale of a missing orphaned girl surfaces further complicating matters and casting suspicion upon almost everyone. Soon another murder slowly starts bringing down this fragile house of cards. This is first rate storytelling, with historical figures and facts and fictional characters and settings, expertly melded, creating a wholly believable premise that neither lags nor incites boredom. Sansom expertly brings the novel to a wonderful conclusion, never rushing to unmask the culprit but rather allowing the denouement to unfold with stunning ease and confidence. I certainly look forward to reading more of Sansom's novels featuring the intrepid hunchback. If you love historical fiction in general or Tudor England in particular you will find much to enjoy in this wonderful debut novel.

I enjoyed this book very much. It will certainly please the myriads of historical crime novel readers. Period crime novels are probably at their highest level for many years and this is certainly one of the better ones. Not a classic but certainly a very enjoyable and interesting read.

1537 and the English Reformation is in full swing. Lord Thomas Cromwell Vicar-General of his majesty King Henry VIII is ready and willing to shut down any papist institutions he can find. When one of his commissioners is found beheaded at a remote Benedictine monastery, Cromwell sends another, the lawyer, Matthew Shardlake to investigate the murder . . .

The author gives an excellent portrayal of the corruption that abounded in England during the reign of Henry VIII. His plot is well structured and his characters charismatic and believable.

Dissolution, and C. J. Sansom's new novel, Dark Fire, both feature the hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake as the protagonist. Dissolution takes place soon after Anne Boleyn's death, right at the start of Henry VIII and Lord Cromwell's dissolution of the monasteries.

In this novel, Shardlake is sent, with his assistant, by Cromwell to investigate a murder at a monastery. From there, the plot becomes more complicated :-)

As a first novel, this one is a very promising start to a career. Having read Dark Fire as well, I can fully attest that I think Matthew Shardlake's progress will be of great interest to a number of new fans. Sansom manages to introduce a lawyer who is clearly flawed- he has strong views on religion, class, politics, etc.- not to mention his own appearance and self-worth- and tends to believe others should feel the same way. But even in this first novel, the readers can see the seed of doubt growing in Shardlake's mind about the turmoil of the times and I'm very interested to see where Sansom takes Shardlake as his series (hopefully) continues.

There has been a recent revival in the historical mystery, from Sharon Kay Penman's medieval mysteries with Justin de Quincy, to mysteries set in Regency London with Beau Brummell and several continuing the stories of Sherlock Holmes in Victorian England. With Matthew Shardlake and Dissolution, followed by Dark Fire, C. J. Sansom creates his own niche in the tumultuous era of the Tudor dynasty.

Many novels set in older times suffer from two flaws -- regardless of the ostensible setting of the novel, it comes across as shockingly modern, and the hero/heroine is invariably a modern spirit who could easily be portrayed by an uber-attractive movie star like Brad Pitt or Gwyneth Paltrow. These novels may be entertaining, but they often come across as less than authentic.

C.J. Sansom's "Dissolution" avoids both of these pitfalls. For one, Sansom's protagonist is a true character of his times. Matthew Shardlake is a hunchbacked (!) lawyer in the service of Thomas Cromwell, the right hand man of England's King Henry VIII. The novel is set in 1537, during the height of the English Reformation, and Shardlake is a man clearly caught up in the spiritual tumult of his times. Convinced he is serving both a man of honor and a cause that is just, Shardlake is also haunted by his memory of the execution of Anne Boleyn. But whatever sympathies Shardlake may have for those less fortunate than he, he is also a man who is proud of his Reformist beliefs, his loyalty to his king, and his own accomplishments. Rather than an unbelievable 21st century man living in 16th century England, Shardlake is a convincing and compelling man of his times.

Sansom also conveys a masterful grasp of England in 1537. Religious strife tears apart the fabric of the country as the Reformist King Henry seeks to topple the Papist monastaries. King's Commissioners, such as Shardlake, are feared for their absolute power. From his vivid descriptions of the snowbound countryside to his easy command of life in an English monastary to his characters' antiquated-yet-understandable jargon, "Dissolution" is a compelling read.

Sansom has also given us an intriguing mystery. One of the King's Commissioners has been foully murdered at a seaside monastary, beheaded in the Church with satanic imagery. Shardlake is sent to investigate by Cromwell. Wheels turn within wheels as Shardlake sets out to solve the murder as well as advance the King's political agenda vis-a-vis the monastaries, and Shardlake also uncovers other evidence that all is not well at the monastary, even if one discounts the murdered Commissioner.

An excellent who-dunnit, "Dissolution" contains sufficient red herrings and false leads, not to mention a few action scenes, to keep you turning pages long after you intended to set it down. A tremendous first novel -- dive in and enjoy!

Very much looking forward to the next installment! This is a fun novel in its own right, but the author does a great job of creating an unusual, lovable hunchback detective who one feels has more work to do in 16th century England. The `Who Dunnit' tale is exciting. Despite many such stories being a little bit disappointing at the end, `Dissolution' is finely concluded and relatively satisfying. It reads like a film, especially when there is more action than storytelling near the end (which was disappointing), but the final pages more than make up for this pitfall! You get a great sense of monastic years in the cold English winter and characters such as Prior Mortimus, Brother Gabriel and Brother Edwig simply have to be investigated!