shardlakeseriesbr

pick

England, 1543 - Henry VIII is aiming to marry his sixth (& final) wife, Lady Catherine Parr, recently widowed, but perhaps too sympathetic to Reformists for a king who has drifted back towards Catholicism in his old age. The line between acceptable & unacceptable religious practice grows ever thinner & innocent people are being caught in the backlash.

OutsmartYourShelf Meanwhile Shardlake, has been asked to defend a teenage boy who is in danger of being labelled a religious fanatic & is currently being held in the infamous Bedlam hospital for the insane. After an old friend of Shardlake's is murdered, he finds himself also drawn into the hunt for the murderer as it seems that Shardlake's friend was not the only victim. 2h

OutsmartYourShelf The killer is obsessed with the Book of Revelation & is punishing those deemed to have backslid on their faith.

This fourth book in the series was an easier read for me with few instances of the brutal treatment of animals. Here the focus is on the clash of religious doctrines & practice & how this created a climate of fear & mistrust amongst the population. Say the wrong thing to the wrong person & you could have soon found yourself condemned. 2h

OutsmartYourShelf All in all, I really liked this one but it went on for just a shade too long for me so
4🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4054423907
Read 29th Jan - 26th Feb 2025

#Readaway2024 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @andrew65
#ShardlakeSeriesBR @dabbe 2h

dabbe Excellent review! Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to our discussion this Friday! 🤩 2h

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe 😀 2h

14 likes5 comments

LitsyEvents

Revelation: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery | C J Sansom

Repost for @dabbe

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Friendly reminder Shardlakians! See pic above!

dabbe TY! 🤩🤩🤩 4h

24 likes1 comment

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR @LitsyEvents

Friendly reminder, Shardlakians! See pic above! Happy almost 🐪 Day, too!

Daisey, Cuilin, Amiable, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

kwmg40 Looking forward to the discussion, though I may join a bit late, as I‘ll be out of town this weekend. 20h

jenniferw88 I am still reading these, but at my own pace, so I'll join in when I can! 17h

dabbe @kwmg40 Join in when you can! I hope your trip is for fun! 🤩 4h

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dabbe @jenniferw88 Sounds good! I hope you're enjoying it! 🤩 4h

lil1inblue Looking forward to the discussion on this one. I know I keep saying each new book is my new favorite, but this one really did tickle my brain. 2h

dabbe @lil1inblue They keep getting better, don't they? 🤩 2h

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lil1inblue

Revelation: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery | C J Sansom

pick

I found this installment of the Shardlake series to be quite timely. In the US, at least, I think many of the themes resonate today, particularly fanaticism and the struggle for power. The uncertainty of the period is also quite familiar.

My one quibble is the repetitive nature of Shardlake's crushes - I'd like to see some fresh plot lines in Shardlake's romantic life.

#shardlakeseriesbr @dabbe

dabbe I'd love to see him happy with somebody, though! Looking forward to our discussion! 🤩 1d

lil1inblue Samesies! This one really fascinated me. 1d

Deblovestoread So agree about the crushes! 1d

31 likes3 comments

dabbe

Heartstone: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery | C. J. Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Hey, Shardlakians~
@TexReader put this on my radar! Our next books is HEARTSTONE, and it's only $1.99 on Kindle right now! If you don't have a copy yet, here's your chance!

Looking forward to our discussion over the end of REVELATION on 2/28! 🤩

Daisey, Cuilin, Amiable, PurpleyPumpkin, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks Have a copy of it, and I paid 10.99 at the beginning of the month, bummer! 2w

dabbe @LiseWorks They should let you exchange for the lower price! 😱 2w

lil1inblue Hooray! Thank you! 2w

dabbe @lil1inblue YW! 😘 2w

66 likes4 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I would not like to live in these times at all. The people in charge are greedy, insane and are willing to kill anyone for power. The Monarch does not really have a say. Everyone doesn't trust, and they all lurk in the dark. 4w

Karisimo I feel for these people who are dealing with religious “rules” and traditions changing on the whim of a king. 4w

OutsmartYourShelf I feel for anyone living in those times who had a mental health problem. Very likely to either be denounced as being 'possessed' & killed or stuck away in a place like Bedlam. 4w

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dabbe @LiseWorks I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk on London Bridge and see all the heads on poles--especially for people once in favor with the king--like Cromwell. Maybe 2025 ain't so bad--even with our current horrific leader. 4w

dabbe @Karisimo IKR? It's like one day you're Catholic, oops, no, now you're Protestant, oops, no, back to Catholic. What the heck? 😳 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To still use the word “bedlam“ today to mean “wild uproar and confusion“ from the original place kind of says it all, doesn't it? I really feel for Adam Kite and his family.😔 4w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe I think it underscores that for Henry VIII (whether he wanted to admit it or not) the core issue wasn't so much the form of worship but the seat of power. If it was truly the religious side of things, he wouldn't have part walked it back as he did. 4w

dabbe Some characters set apart by isolation and loneliness: Shardlake (as a lawyer often at odds with the powerful figures he has to encounter), Guy Malton (as a healer and outsider due to his nationality having to work on the margins of society), Adam Kite (whose religious mania confines him to Bedlam), and Tamasin (whose gender limits her opportunities by forcing her to remain at home and deal with the loss of her child while Barak is elsewhere) . 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Get Catherine of Aragon out of my way to allow me to marry good ol' Anne ... whatever it takes. He pretty much stayed Catholic even though he changed the religion so he could divorce Cat. What a scumbag (imho). 4w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Oh I could give Barak a good kick up the backside for how he's acting. Even if he is not out with other women, making Tamasin wonder where he is & what he is doing - I expected better from him. Grief makes people act out in funny ways but no wonder she is angry with him.

I hope Guy is not ill. He has to walk about a lot here & there for Shardlake in this book & at all times of the day & night!

4w

kwmg40 I really like how Sansom explores all the themes you mentioned in this post, especially the attitudes toward and understanding of mental illness at that time. 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To use his favorite word, Barak is an ARSE! He needs to man up and learn that it takes two to make a marriage work. Hopefully, Shardlake will kick his butt. And Guy ... he just has to be okay, right? 🤞🏻 4w

dabbe @kwmg40 The description of the rooms at Bedlam where these poor people have to stay are almost as bad as the cells at the Tower of London. Just horrific. 😱 4w

AnneCecilie I‘m just happy that I live today and not in the Tudor area. The Tudor area was not a place for be for the poor and powerless which after all is what most people are. What comes across in this book is the confusion of all the religious back and forth, people hardly dare believe anything anymore. 4w

dabbe @AnneCecilie And how religion just flips on a dime at the whim of a king. 😳 Truly unbelievable! 3w

38 likes15 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks The king had syphilis and that disease brings on madness. 4w

OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks That is one theory but not proven as far as I am aware. Personally I tend to believe the head injury he suffered whilst jousting (the fall which was said to cause Anne to miscarry) altered his personality. After that he was more cruel & mean-tempered. 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks ... and I'd add to that that he was in incredible pain most of the time due to his infected ulcerous leg and furious that he could no longer be the athletic self he once was. These issues might also have contributed to his later despicableness. 4w

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dabbe To me, Roger‘s murder in the churchyard is a richly symbolic act that sets the tone for the novel‘s exploration of religion, violence, and judgment. It underscores the killer‘s fanaticism, the corruption of sacred spaces, and the pervasive fear of divine retribution that characterizes the Reformation era. This event is the critical starting point for Shardlake‘s investigation and the novel‘s broader themes. 4w

dabbe The title REVELATION itself is symbolic, as the story revolves around a killer who uses the apocalyptic visions from the Book of Revelation as inspiration for their murders. The Book of Revelation symbolizes fear, chaos, and the end times, reflecting the anxieties of 16th-century England during the Reformation, when many believed the world was nearing its end. 4w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes - head injury, chronic pain, & approaching mortality. That would do it. 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf More than enough, right? 4w

AnneCecilie I completely agree with @dabbe 4w

dabbe @AnneCecilie 🤩😂😘 3w

lil1inblue @dabbe Yes! I appreciate how Sansom weaves this theme throughout the multiple plot lines that are occurring. I also like how the title can work many ways - as reference to the Book of Revelation, but also the meaning of “the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown.“ 3w

dabbe @lil1inblue Excellent point re: the actual meaning of the word itself! 🤩 3w

25 likes11 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I feel sorry for any young girl that He king is after now that he is old 4w

Butterfinger @LiseWorks it makes me angry toward the men who pushed the girls toward the king. Sorry, I am not part of the discussion, but I had been reading your comments. 4w

LiseWorks Oh, I agree. Women were property at the time. @Butterfinger 4w

See All 18 Comments

OutsmartYourShelf Piers - something shady about him.
Cranmer - seems a bit more human this time. Not so remote.
Catherine Parr - always felt sorry for her. Married to two old men (Latimer & then the King) & when she finally is able to marry the man she loves, disaster strikes. 4w

dabbe @Butterfinger No need to be sorry; chime in whenever you want! And if you'd like me to tag you, I'd be happy to! 🤩 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Excellent points. What a tragic life she had! She's my favorite of all of the wives for many reasons, which I'll wait to share because she'll be in the books more and more. 🤩 4w

dabbe @LiseWorks As a child I always thought how romantic it would have been to have been a princess/queen in Tudor times--even to dastardly Henry. Then I actually learned more about the time period. 😳 And now I am thrilled to be my 2020s free womanly self. 🤩 4w

dabbe Even Shardlake comments on the worthlessness of women: “A terrible thought occurred to me. Dorothy, like Roger, like me, was a lapsed radical. I told myself not to be so foolish; none of those murdered had been connected to each other and there was surely no reason why he should change his pattern and go after Dorothy. And she was a woman, whose opinions counted for less.“ 🤬
4w

dabbe Adam Kite is a deeply troubled and enigmatic character whose religious mania and psychological struggles play a significant role in the novel‘s exploration of faith, madness, and the human condition. His fanaticism symbolizes the darker side of the Reformation, where intense religious fervor could lead to psychological breakdowns. His vulnerability also makes him a sympathetic figure, even as his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. 4w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes, & women were then also subdivided. When Shardlake looks up Strodyr, he notes that no-one really cared that much when he killed prostitutes, only when he started killing 'respectable' women. Shades of the Yorkshire Ripper there. (edited) 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Wowza. Had to look him up. Thanks for the information, and I agree 💯! 🤩 4w

kwmg40 I find the characters of Piers and Thomas Seymour interesting. They are definitely not likeable people but I'm eager to see what roles they end up playing in the story. 4w

dabbe @kwmg40 They definitely seem to be on the darker side in the 1st half of the book ... another reason to keep on wanting to read! 😂 4w

AnneCecilie Piers seems a little shady. Thomas Seymour doesn‘t come off that well and I feel isn‘t the smartest one. I just feel sad about Adam, but I hope we learn what happened to make him pray so much. 4w

dabbe @AnneCecilie Piers's insolence is what gets me. And I hope things with Adam turn out well. I've read it before (years ago) and can't remember! 😱 3w

AnneCecilie Me too, I read the the translation when it came out. And I have a feeling that there was something about Piers 3w

lil1inblue @dabbe I'm so intrigued by Adam's character. I feel like there is more to the story, and I'm anxious to see what has led to his fanaticism. 3w

dabbe @lil1inblue Me, too. His parents as well. 3w

25 likes18 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
Wow! It's been two months since our last discussion! Forgive me if these questions are a bit open-ended. Now that we're in Book #4, it just seemed better than to rehash ideas we've already talked about before.
The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I think these books are getting better with each book 4w

Librarybelle One of these days I will catch up! I‘m still on Dark Fire 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4w

OutsmartYourShelf I'm really enjoying this one so far. 4w

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dabbe @LiseWorks Agree 💯! 4w

dabbe @Librarybelle No worries. We'll be here! 🤩 4w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Yay! Me, too! 🤩 4w

kwmg40 I'm enjoying this one so far. With the serial killings, it feels darker and more of a thriller than the previous books. I'm finding it hard to put down. 4w

dabbe @kwmg40 Ooh, I love that when a book just grabs you and won't let go! 🤩 4w

AnneCecilie I‘m agreeing with both @LiseWorks and @kwmg40 I also feel that Sansom is showing us different aspects of the Turdor area. In the last book the prison system, in this one the treatment of the mentally ill. And as the religious landscape gets blurrier, it‘s harder to navigate 4w

dabbe @AnneCecilie “Blurry“ is an excellent word to describe the religious landscape during this period. 🤩 3w

lil1inblue @AnneCecilie I agree! I appreciate that he is willing to look at the history of those that are often overlooked. 3w

26 likes11 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlakebuddyread #shardlakeseriesbr @LitsyEvents

Looking forward to Friday's discussion, Shardlakians! 🤩

Daisey Just saying . . . I teach middle school! The comic is great! 😂 🤣 1mo

Mollyanna I am all caught up and ready to discuss. Thanks as always for hosting Denise. 1mo

LiseWorks Let's hope I remember as I read the first half in December lol 1mo

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LiseWorks I love that cartoon 1mo

dabbe @Mollyanna YW! And thanks for that! 🤩😂🤗 1mo

dabbe @Daisey I did, too! I moved to high school at the end of my career to get a so-called break from all the middle-school madness! 🤩😂🤗 1mo

dabbe @LiseWorks Same here, m'dear! 🤩😂🤗 1mo

lil1inblue What a great cartoon! I'm ready for discussion - no cramming needed this month! 😂 1mo

dabbe @lil1inblue 🤩😂🤗 1mo

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