I had read most of the Shardlake series and indeed did have the rather dull looking paperbacks some years ago but which were given away when I was running low on space. When the whole series was re-issued with very beautiful new covers, I couldn’t resist buying them just to have them on my shelf. They didn’t actually remain there for long as I was sorely tempted to revisit at least the first in the series. I’m glad that I did, and I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first time.
We have an unusual hero, deformed and rather physically weak but that just makes the challenges he faces more interesting in their resolution. The story moves along at a good pace and is populated with well drawn characters and the period detail seems really comprehensive. The author clearly has a lot of legal knowledge of the Medieval period and has made it clear here that the dissolution of the monasteries was much more of a legal process than something carried out by force. There is a satisfying conclusion and a nicely finished story that doesn’t leave any unnecessary loose ends hanging. I’m not surprised this has been adapted to television and perhaps we watch the show one day.
I look forward to getting between more of these colourful covers and rediscovering the rest of Matthew’s adventures.