Nevertheless, their lack of moral character stops nobody from arguing the validity of their viewpoint and its evident justification. He knows only success will placate Cromwell and the dynamics of the political and religious tensions are palpable. Having had my Tudor education expanded by Hilary Mantel’s books, I thought it might be an interesting diversion to read a mystery set in the same period of Henry VIII’s reign. Even before the previous Commissioner, Robin Singleton, had his head removed by some unfriendly sort during his stay there, a monastery in this period was far from safe.

When Cromwell’s commissioner to Scarnsea Robert Singleton is brutally murdered, Shardlake charged with finding the murderer heads there with his assistant Mark Poer, only to find that things are very very murky in the monastery though on the surface, everything seems fine.

The plot involves Shardlake’s dependence on Cromwell for his future and the seeming equal zeal the two men have for reforming the new Church of England.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. It was a time of terrific uncertainty due to an extensive refashioning of society, most especially in the religious sphere, with papists facing severe penalties.

England in 1537 is certainly a fascinating setting and Matthew Shardlake is a character I highly enjoyed. Clásica novela histórica de misterio que transcurre en la Inglaterra de Enrique VIII, con un protagonista que actúa como comisionado a las órdenes del vicario general del reino, Sir Thomas Cromwell, que persigue la disolución de los monasterios durante la escisión de la Iglesia Anglicana de la Iglesia Católica.

More murders will follow their arrival and it's clear that Shardlake and his young assistant are also in grave danger every moment that they remain in the monastery. Por lo demás, El Gallo negro presenta una prosa y un estilo sencillo y natural, que consigue que se lea con facilidad.I have not read many but the few I have read, I liked how the detectives has to depend on their instincts and hunches and someone was always on their heels to murder them. It’s a wonderful who-dunnit with a colourful cast of very different characters, well identified in welcome, subtle ways by Sansom as they appear and reappear in the story. I learned interesting details about the monastic life, most of them not showing the Catholic Church in the best of lights. Dissolution is set in England and the action takes place over a couple of extremely cold and snowy weeks in 1537. While there is plenty of evidence as to previous bad behaviour, the problem is finding any evidence to convict any of them for murder.