Tombland

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Pub Date 18 Oct 2018 | Archive Date 8 Nov 2018

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Description

Tombland is the seventh novel in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series.

Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos . . . 

Since the old King’s death, Matthew Shardlake has been working as a lawyer in the service of Henry’s younger daughter, the Lady Elizabeth. The gruesome murder of Edith Boleyn, the wife of John Boleyn – a distant Norfolk relation of Elizabeth's mother – which could have political implications for Elizabeth, brings Shardlake and his assistant Nicholas Overton to the summer assizes at Norwich. There they are reunited with Shardlake’s former assistant Jack Barak.

The three find layers of mystery and danger surrounding Edith's death, as a second murder is committed. And then East Anglia explodes, as peasant rebellion breaks out across the country. The yeoman Robert Kett leads a force of thousands in overthrowing the landlords and establishing a vast camp outside Norwich.

Soon the rebels have taken over the city, England’s second largest. Barak throws in his lot with the rebels; Nicholas, opposed to them, becomes a prisoner in Norwich Castle; while Shardlake has to decide where his ultimate loyalties lie, as government forces in London prepare to march north and destroy the rebels. Meanwhile he discovers that the murder of Edith Boleyn may have connections reaching into both the heart of the rebel camp and of the Norfolk gentry . . .

Tombland is the seventh novel in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series.

Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos . . . 

Since the old...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781447284482
PRICE £20.00 (GBP)
PAGES 784

Average rating from 14 members


Featured Reviews

There are a handful of fine authors that always deliver the goods, especially when continuing an established series. No need to pore over countless reviews on various sites, read an excerpt or listen to a sample before parting with my money - I‘ll just click ‘pre-order’ as soon as I discover that the next installment even exists. CJ Sansom and his Shardlake series belong firmly in that category. Return here for finely woven stories and painstaking research but most importantly a character that you want to spend time with over and over again. Each new book is like a hug from an old friend.

Tombland is an exceptional novel; all of the Shardlake stories are excellent but I found the specific time setting for this book to be particularly compelling.

England is a country in crisis. The nation has endured political and religious upheavals inflicted on them by a sovereign driven more by his ego and libido than the good of his subjects. Now a solemn child sits on the throne and his uncle holds the reins of power. A scrappy but long-winded campaign against Scotland has drained the national coffers and the coinage has been debased more than once. Rich landowners are evicting rural families, replacing crops with sheep bred for their lucrative wool. Food is scarce and prices are high. All of these factors lead to a populace at boiling point, rebels are sweeping the land and scooping up anyone they encounter. Dear Master Shardlake often lands himself in hot water whilst doing the honourable thing but this time he is kept simmering for almost half the book.

As always there is a multi-faceted murder mystery to be solved at the behest of an important patron (in this case the young Lady Elizabeth). Also, a retinue of colourful characters including those of the ‘boo-hiss’ pantomime variety (here some deliciously vile twins and their hateful grandfather join the self-interested courtiers on the naughty list). However, for me the strength of this novel lies in the way Sansom brings the plight of the average Englander to life. We cannot help but empathise with the rebels just as Matthew surely does, at the same time we worry about the consequences of his involvement with them. This book truly gives the reader insight into this dark period of English history. I wish I could say that we have come a long way since then but that wouldn’t be the whole truth. What is true is that CJ Sansom is a wonderful writer who will hopefully keep me clicking the ‘pre-order’ button for many years to come.

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