Revelation by C J Sansom

A Metheringham Group Book Review

My type of book, a medieval murder mystery set towards the end of Henry VIII's reign when England was in the grip of religious turmoil. The old religion is reasserting itself, with Bishop Bonner purging the Protestants. Henry is drawn to the old religion and even the Archbishop of Canterbury is not spared investigation.

Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, is asked by the Court of Requests to defend a young man who had been put in Bedlam by the Privy Council "for blaspheming true religion in his madcap frenzy". He feared the man could be burned as a heretic.

When an old friend is horrifically murdered he promises his widow that he will bring the killer to justice though powerful people at Court want the murder suppressed. There follows a series of horrific murders, which soon bring talk of witchcraft, demonic possession and the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation.

Shardlake, with his assistant Barak and physician friend Guy Malton investigate, the murders for Archbishop Cranmer, who is desperately defending Protestantism and trying to persuade Catherine Parr, a reformist sympathiser, to marry Henry. Shardlake must be careful; he has enemies, his old patron Thomas Cromwell has been executed and if Cranmer is displaced it will mean certain death for Shardlake.

For enjoyment 10/10
For writing 9/10

Jan

This book was our most popular in recent times and scored an average of 8½ for both enjoyment and the quality of the writing. Most people loved it, apart from one in our group who likes neither historical nor crime fiction. We knew she was always going to struggle but she did read it.