Revelation

A Matthew Shardlake Mystery

By: C. J. Sansom

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 21 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake mysteries whisk listeners back in time to the tumultuous court of King Henry VIII. Shardlake has his hands full this time defending a young religious fanatic who has been thrown into Bedlam. On top of that, Shardlake's friend is murdered, and the quest to find the killer leads Shardlake right to the steps of the king's latest romantic conquest, Catherine Parr.

©2008 C.J. Sansom (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

The best.

This series really sets the gold standard for others to aspire to. Listening to the whole series again with pleasure, as I take notes on all the characters to keep them straight, lol!

Tudor Lawyer/Detective - Sansom's Punching Bag

Would you listen to Revelation again? Why?

CJ Sansom takes prodigious care to paint his plot and the Tudor London which surrounds it (perhaps too much, if you are a reader who prefers fiction to move along in the third person, rather than with the much slower pace of first-person dialogue). This mystery, like the previous ones in the series, skillfully blends historical truth (eg., Henry VIII's health, the rising conflict between more Reformed and more Catholic-leaning members of his court, the parlous position of Katharine Parr, the effete and power-hungry Sir Thomas Seymour, the horrors of Tudor Bedlam, the filth of the London sewer system, and the dreadful, hide-bound ignorance of Aristotelian "medicine") with a ghastly plot. In this instance, Lawyer Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak, seek to find a gruesome serial killer. As usual (it seems Sansom has established this as his pattern), these detectives suffer great physical and mental anguish as they wend their way towards accomplishing their goal. Sansom (I think) delights in portraying truly nasty personalities with evil, self-centered motives. Shardlake is the only character operating under altruistic motives. If this mystery were portrayed cinematographically, it would be the blackest of film noir.

What did you like best about this story?

The description of Tudor London.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Crossley attemptes to voice the different characters differently - but frankly, I think the range and number of characters in this book extend beyond his ability to distinguish each by sound. I'm not sure any actor could successfully portray a clear vocal delineation between so many characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The continuous suffering of Shardlake, the almost-omnipresent loathing, mocking, and hatred against him, whether by out and out villains, corrupt officials, or personages seeking to protect their own gain (and necks) is becoming rather wearisome. Hence the reason for my removal of a star from my rating concerning "story" and "overall."

Any additional comments?

Except for Matthew Shardlake, there are only shades of blackest black and grey in this mystery. Borrowing from the Bible, perhaps he is too "innocent as a dove" - he needs to incorporate a bit of (self-serving) serpent's wisdom into his actions.

Engrossing

Well written, and well read. The Matthew Shardlake series pulls you into another time where a single word could cause imprisonment.
Well done!

Master Shardlake does it again

Where does Revelation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This audiobook is good. I'd listen to it again.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator brings feeling & fleshes out the characters in ways that printed word doesn't. When the right narrator is paired with the right story, the characters come to life in many ways. He actually draws you into the story--as if you're there right along with the others.

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

England---Religion & madness during the 1500's.....

Another mesmerizing story from CJ Sansom

Forget Wolf Hall – the Mathew Shardlake stories will teach you more than you could ever retain about the politics and the life of the court and of the lower orders in Henry the eighth England Not to mention the power of religious but fanaticism to pervert common sense and morality. AND keep you listening long after you should put it down and come back to it the next day. These stories are hugely entertaining and full of memorable characters and I can't wait for the next one!

Serial murder in Tudor England

I could read or listen to Sansom's books everyday. The historical aspect is so well researched and yet the problems seem modern. He keeps you guessing the entire book.

Excellent history lesson

Gives real insight into our forbears and reminds us the more things change the more we realize human nature does not really change.

What an author CJ Sansom is!

Fourth book I've read in the series and just loved it! What a fabulous writer and what an exciting story. The way that the author, CJ Sansom, wrote the story made It easy for me to become absorbed in living in that era with all of that religious tension. It was also easy to engross myself in the Tudor England period.

I enjoyed getting to know the character Guy, a former monk who is now a doctor. It was also very interesting and funny to learn about the false teeth that were becoming popular!

Once again, excellent narration by Steven Crossley!

Why random chapters???

Would you try another book from C. J. Sansom and/or Steven Crossley?

No - not if done by the same producers. The production ruins the experience.

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

He is a fine performer.

Any additional comments?

Why do the producers of the audio book break the chapters at random points? There are already chapters in the book - use them! It makes it so frustrating to navigate the audio book. What a terrible decision.

Sansom Does It Again

While some of the themes in the Shardlake series are a bit repetitive, they don't become annoying tropes. They become traits of characters that seem knowable. C.J. Sansom has created a lovable and flawed cast of characters. His attention to detail translates well to the audio versions of his books.

The plot twists are relatively clever. What keeps me coming back for each installment in this series is Shardlake and the other characters that Sansom has created. Good plot lines, great characters. I look forward to Shardlake's return.