| Shardlake series | |
| Books: |
|
| Author: | C. J. Sansom |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Historical mystery Adventure |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Publishers |
| Pub Date: | 2003–present |
| Media Type: | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
The Shardlake series is a series of historical mystery novels by C. J. Sansom, set in 16th century Tudor England. The series features barrister Matthew Shardlake, who, while navigating the religious reforms of Henry VIII, solves crime and tries to avoid getting caught up in political intrigue.
The first six books are set during the reign of Henry VIII, while the seventh, Tombland, takes place two years after the king's demise. Sansom said before his death that he planned to write further Shardlake novels taking the lawyer into the reign of Elizabeth I.[1]
The series' protagonist is the hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake, who is assisted in his adventures by Mark Poer and then Jack Barak.
Shardlake works on commission, initially from Thomas Cromwell in Dissolution[2] and Dark Fire,[3] then archbishop Thomas Cranmer in Sovereign and Revelation,[4] queen Catherine Parr in Heartstone and Lamentation, and lately princess Elizabeth in Tombland. The seventh book, Tombland, was published in October 2018.[5] [6]
The books cover several historical events, such as the Dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541), the Royal Progress to York (1541), the Battle of the Solent and the sinking of the Mary Rose (1545), the burning at the stake of Anne Askew (1546), the publication of The Lamentation of a Sinner (1547), Kett's Rebellion (1549), and the several marriages of king Henry VIII.
| Title | Year set | Year published | Publisher | ISBN | Awards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolution | 1537 | 2003 | London:Macmillan | 1-4050-0542-4 | Nominated for the 2003 Crime Writers' Association (CWA) John Creasey Memorial Dagger, for first books by previously unpublished writers. It was also nominated for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger in the same year.[7] | |
| Dark Fire | 1540 | 2004 | London:Macmillan | 1-4050-0544-0 | Awarded the Crime Writers' Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger award in 2005.[8] | |
| Sovereign | 1541 | 2006 | London:Macmillan | 0-3304-3608-2 | ||
| Revelation | 1543 | 2008 | London:Macmillan | 0-3304-4710-6 | Shortlisted for the Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year 2009[9] and the Crime Writers Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger in 2008.[10] | |
| Heartstone | 1545 | 2010 | London:Mantle | 1-4050-9273-4 | Shortlisted for the 2011 Walter Scott Prize[11] | |
| Lamentation | 1546 | 2014 | London:Mantle | 978-1-4472-6025-7 | ||
| Tombland | 1549 | 2018 | London:Mantle | 978-1-4472-8449-9 | Shortlisted at The British Book Awards 2019 for Fiction Book of the Year and Marketing Strategy of the Year[12] |
BBC Radio 4 has adapted novels in the Shardlake series as part of its 15-Minute Drama series. In 2012, Dissolution was adapted into a 10-part radio serial by Colin MacDonald, starring Jason Watkins as Shardlake and Mark Bonnar as Cromwell.[13] [14] BBC Radio 4 later broadcast Dark Fire in 2014, with Justin Salinger taking over the role of Shardlake and Bryan Dick playing Barak, Sovereign in 2015, Revelation in 2017, Heartstone in 2018, and Lamentation in 2021,[15] all adapted by Colin MacDonald as 10-part serials.[16]
See main article: Shardlake (TV series).
In 2007, the BBC commissioned an adaptation of Dissolution, with Kenneth Branagh set to star as Shardlake.[17] Branagh chose instead to star as the eponymous protagonist in the BBC series Wallander.[18]
In 2023, Disney+ greenlit an adaptation of the Shardlake novels. The series will consist of four episodes, and will be directed by Justin Chadwick.[19] Arthur Hughes will play Shardlake.[20]
In 2023, Mike Kenny adapted Sovereign as a community theatre production for the York Theatre Royal. Fergus Rattigan played Shardlake.[21]