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The clever plotting and brilliantly evoked world of Heartstone-the fifth Matthew Shardlake mystery from bestselling author C. J. Sansom-will dazzle both mystery fans and Tudor history buffs.
Summer 1545. A massive French armada is threatening England, and Henry VIII has plunged the country into economic crisis to finance the war. Meanwhile, an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr has asked Matthew Shardlake to investigate claims of "monstrous" wrongs committed against a young ward of the court. As the French fleet approaches, Shardlake's inquiries reunite him with an old friend-and an old enemy close to the throne.
Matthew Shardlake, the hunchback serjeant of the Tudor courts, undertakes his fifthseries of cases (Revelation, 2009, etc.).
Henry VIII is marshaling forces for a war with France, but no one will conscript a crippledlawyer. Instead, Shardlake is commanded by the queen when his longtime patron,Queen Catherine, asks him to investigate corruption in the Court of Wards. Shardlake's task is togo to the Hampshire estate of the Hobbey family and investigate their custody of the teenagedHugh Curteys and his dead sister Emma. This assignment dovetails neatly with his personalobligation to an agoraphobic, Ellen Fettiplace, who cannot bring herself to leave the asylum ofBedlam. Matthew hopes to uncover the terrible events that cost her her wits, events that handilytranspired not far from the Hobbey manor. Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak ride fromLondon to Hampshire with the king's recruits, only to find that Hugh Curteys is apparentlysatisfied with his foster family. Dogged investigation of the Hobbey estate reveals nothing—untilAbigail Hobbey is shot through the head during a stag hunt. Meanwhile, a long-dead body, newlydiscovered, may hold the key to healing Ellen. Can Shardlake and Barak bring justice before theFrench invade?
The characters are sympathetic and the quirks of the historic courts interesting enough,but the plot is so tangled in the tedium of troop movements and provisions that it drags on longerthan Catherine and Henry's marriage. Best for historical sticklers, military fans andencyclopedists.
Anonymous
Posted May 8, 2011
I've read all of the books in the Shardlake series, and this one lived up to the others. It is fast paced and it keeps you guessing until the end. I have trouble with people who only give the book one star based on the nook price compared to the hardcover price. That has nothing to do with the story. I look forward to the next in the series!!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 3, 2011
I have read the previous 4 Matthew Shardlake books and still didn't see most of the twists coming. There is a lot of attention to detail, which sometimes seems overdone, but I think the author paints a very clear picture of what is transpiring. You can almost place yourself in the novel and smell as well as see and hear what the characters are going through. Whether or not a true historian would be ok with the story, I don't know, but it seemed reasonable to me. I would, however, strongly recommend reading the others in the series in order before reading this one as I think it helps you understand the relationship between Matthew and Guy and Jack and Leacon better.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 25, 2011
Like another nook customer, I too refuse to pay outrageous prices for ebooks when the hardcovers are less expensive and Amazon keeps their prices low. Barnes needs to be more competitive!
3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2011
I Also Recommend:
I love this series but I feel he relied too much on some old formulas to ge the result he was looking for-- and in the end, while I enjoyed the journey, was left a little unfulfilled.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2011
This was appealing on many levels, it had a lot of what I look for in an absorbing book that I can think about long afterwards. At times the writing was a little awkward for me but overall I would recommend it. We read it for our bookclub and generlaly people really did enjoy it, and they like all different types of books.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2011
Overall, and enjoyable read and not at all what I was expecting. He takes his time with the imagery, which can be nice but at times comes across as long-winded. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and this is why I gave it a positive review. I felt they were nicely drawn and made me care about the novel in a way that would have seemed one-dimensional otherwise.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2011
I Also Recommend:
Next to Van Rae's novel, this was my favorite e-read since I got my nook. It is contemporary, never boring, and this author is a really great writer. The imagery he creates can send you straight into a mood you can't get out of even when you put the book down. Great read!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 8, 2012
Once again, Sansom has captured my reading. The battle was a different slant and the mysteries were woven together with the historical novel. I loved it!
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Overview
The clever plotting and brilliantly evoked world of Heartstone-the fifth Matthew Shardlake mystery from bestselling author C. J. Sansom-will dazzle both mystery fans and Tudor history buffs.
Summer 1545. A massive French armada is threatening England, and Henry VIII has plunged the country into economic crisis to finance the war. Meanwhile, an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr has asked Matthew Shardlake to investigate claims of "monstrous" wrongs committed against a young ...