Dissolution

A Novel of Tudor England Introducing Matthew Shardlake

By: C. J. Sansom

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

This riveting debut set in 1534 England secured C. J. Sansom’s place “among the most distinguished of modern historical novelists” (P. D. James). When Henry VIII’s emissary is beheaded at an English monastery, hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake is dispatched to solve the crime. But as he uncovers a cesspool of sin, three more murders occur - and Matthew may be the next target.

©2003 C. J. Sansom (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

a new favorite

A compelling read, a little slow to start, but builds steadily until it cannot be put down. I love this as a historical read, but the mysteries could stand alone, several intertwined mysteries of varying importance, but all grab you and beg to be solved. Keeps you guessing and takes you down many side roads to immerse the reader in the tudor time and court. This is the first of the series, Matthew Shardlake becomes more and more real and likeable book by book. Having finished the most recent book, I feel in some odd way like a friend has moved away. Cannot wait for the newest adventure. The narrator is amazing, could not be better.

Thought I was listening to Masterpiece Theatre

This was an engaging story. It flowed so smoothly between the mystery and introducing the historical context.

The performance was so amazing that most times it felt like I was listening to the audio track of a Masterpiece Theatre series.

I am now looking for more from the team who produced this wonderful piece.

CJ SANSOM is great.

What made the experience of listening to Dissolution the most enjoyable?

I was not sure what I ordered at the time but was pleasantly surprised. Alot of details twists and turn not expected. Even the part near the end when I broke my Kindle and had to wait 3 days for new one to come in so I could finish the story. Ugh! Do not lean your elbows on your e-readers folks! Forgot it was there I was so engrossed in the book. Just order another book from CJ Sansom.

What did you like best about this story?

Details keep you hooked for hours

Have you listened to any of Steven Crossley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not but it was very enjoyable as if he wrote the book and knew the story inside out.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Medival mystery

Any additional comments?

Caution this writer is addictive. LOL

Most enjoyable.

Well done. Great story, informative. Characters well developed. What an interesting period. Highly recommend.

Great Mix of History and Mystery

In Dissolution we meet Matthew Shardlake a hunchbacked lawyer who is a Commissioner for Thomas Cromwell, during the reign of Henry the Eighth.

The Dissolution referred to in the title is the disbanding of the formerly papist abbeys in the now Protestant England.Another commissioner who was sent to an abbey has been found beheaded and Cromwell wants to know what happened and wants to know quickly. Matthew Shardlake struggles with solving the crime while also struggling with his growing disillusion with Cromwell.

An interesting blend of mystery and history! Recommended!.

Interesting look into 16th century life

I'm no historian but I enjoy getting a glimpse of history through these dramatizations. This was a good mystery which kept me interested while educating me a bit. The narrator has an excellent voice and was a great addition to the experience.

Good but a little slow

The story was interesting but the narration was a little off. If its companion is in Audible Plus, I’ll probably listen, but doubt will spend a credit on it.

Fantastic

Historical fiction at it’s best.. with a little mystery thrown in. Highly recommend to anyone interested in 1500s England (Cromwell, Henry viii, Anne Boleyn etc.), and the state of Christianity in those times - always evolving yet remaining the same.

I really enjoyed it.

I love the way some authors, in historical fiction, are able to fabricate a compelling drama against the backdrop of history.

Wonderful

I don't generally read murder mysteries but bought this book because it centered on a time period I find to be interesting - Tudor England during the reign of King Henry VIII. I thought I might learn something new about the time period and the dissolution of the monasteries while, at the same time, have an interesting murder mystery to solve. The decision was a really good idea.

The murder mystery left me guessing as to who might have committed the grisly crime and the scene of the murder, a Roman Catholic monastery, made the mystery even more interesting. The cast of possible murderers is large enough to make guessing the culprit something of a challenge and I found myself caught up in the lives of the people involved and caring about who committed the crimes and why. That alone would have made this purchase worth while.

But the book also provided enough background information about Tudor England to prove educational without seeming to do so and I learned quite a bit I did not know about the effort to close the church monasteries. All in all this book was good enough for me to recommend it to a friend who does not listen to Audible but does a good deal of reading and to convince me to buy the next book in the sequence.

While the book alone is quite good Steven Crossley's narration only serves to add to the enjoyment I got from listening. The recording is flawless without those sometimes annoying repetitions I find in other audible offerings when the recording was originally done on CDs and transferred to digital.

Highly recommended if someone has any interest in this time period and in murder mysteries in general.