CJ Sansom - Sovereign

review by showhost
Another engrossing book from an acclaimed Historical Mystery Thriller Fiction writer. I have read a few of his Shardlake series now, which are all set around Tudor England and have enjoyed them all. This author brings London to life. Shardlake, the main character, is a hunchback lawyer working out of Lincolns Inn in London and at one point worked for Cromwell.

There is unrest at York, as elsewhere in the North. Monastries have been pulled down, and land has been seized by Southern merchants. The 'War of the Roses' is over as is the 'Pilgrimage of Grace' uprising but the hatred of the King and his religious reforms still harbour rebellious factions. Its 1541, the King (Henry 8th) has come to York with his present wife Catherine Howard, to meet with the King of Scotland, to find some common ground, an alliance.

Shardlake and his assistant Barak, have been asked by Archbishop Cranmer to go to York ahead of the Royal Progression. Shardlake is assured his job will simply be to help a fellow lawyer with the pleas before the King. But then he is given another task - to look after the welfare of a prisoner being held there. They want the prisoner brought back to the Tower to be tortured. The prisoner was part of the rebellion to dethrone the King.. Nobody is to question the prisoner as he has knowledge which could prove the King not to be the true successor to the throne..

During his duties Shardlake encounters the Glazier, who’s job it is to remove all the stained glass from the windows of the churches & monastries. Shardlakes problems start when the Glazier is pushed from his ladder, his last words in Shardlakes ear are about a family called Blaybourne and secret papers proving Henry (Mouldwarp) not the rightful King. Shardlake finds the box of missing papers but is knocked out & the papers stolen.

There are several attempts on Shardlakes life and once he and the Progression return to London he finds himself accused of being a ‘party’ to the knowledge of The Queens dalliance with a member of Royal court. He is put in the Tower for torture. The rack, teeth pulling with pliers & finger nails burnt off, are all in store for him.
There was just a 'tad' too much unnecessary info at times (could have been 100 pages less and still a very good read)but a great read for anyone interested in Tudor history combined with a good fictional thriller.