Annie

I have read all of CJ Sansom's mysteries set in/around the reign of Henry VIII and the establishment of the Church of England. i enjoyed the historical context and mystery plot. I was a bit hesitant to purchase Winter in Madrid as I did not know what to expect in terms of treatment of the very diverse and violent political movements of the time. I found the book to be quite enjoyable because of Sansom's creation of characters who are not perfect, but are wrestling either with post-war apathy or their pre-conceived notions of the "right" political stance. the story does not have a nice, "happy ever after ending", but this too is in keeping with the times. I enjoyed learning more about Spain's history both pre and post WWII as part of the plot development, and it has prompted me to take on some non-fiction reading of Franco and England's and France's role in keeping an authoritarian, rightist regime in power at the expense of the less wealthy/connected members of the society. Morally questionable?, that's for each person to decide, but pragmatically - it almost always comes back to kick you in the teeth (Shah- Iran; Allende-Chile...the list goes on). an enjoyable, and thoughtful read.