Shardlake is an engaging hero, and Sansom a
fine writer. (Review by Margaret von Klemperer, courtesy of The Witness)
If there is a gold standard for writers of
historical fiction, then I would say C J Sansom comes close to it. He never
uses history as a mere backdrop for swashbuckling or ripping the odd bodice,
but foregrounds the past. That’s not as easy as it sounds: modern sensibilities
and political correctness do not always sit easily with historical events, so
it can be a tricky feat to pull off.
Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake series has taken
us through the reign of Henry VIII, starting in 1537 and the dissolution of the
monasteries. We are now in 1549, the era of Edward VI and Protector Somerset
and a time of serious discontent and rebellion in England. The hunchback lawyer
Shardlake has made powerful enemies over the past six books, but he still has
the patronage of Princess Elizabeth, though her position is far from secure. So
discretion is all.
When a distant Boleyn relative of the
Princess is accused of the murder of his wife in Norwich, Shardlake and his
assistant Nicholas are sent off to Norfolk to investigate, and, if possible,
solve the mystery without making waves. But the summer of 1549 explodes into
Kett’s Rebellion in Norfolk and other religious and peasant uprisings across
England, and Shardlake finds himself caught up in momentous events, which will
inevitably come to a violent and tragic conclusion.
Sharlake, as always, can see both sides of
any question and is a crusader for justice. So he has sympathy with the aims of
the rebels, even if not always for their methods. Entangled in the rebellion,
he is also still trying to solve his murder case, and, involved on two fronts,
he makes new enemies, doubly dangerous in lawless times.
Shardlake is an engaging hero, and Sansom a
fine writer. Perhaps Tombland, at 800
pages plus an informative historical essay, is longer than it needs to be, and
unusually I found the murder investigation dragging a little before we got on
to the brilliantly recreated and described rebellion, but it was good to be
back in the company of Shardlake and his usual team of helpers. Long may he
continue.
Tombland is published by Mantle. ISBN 978-1-4472-8449-9 - Margaret von
Klemperer
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