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Average Customer Rating:

Another excellent book by CJ Sansom	Customer Rating:
This is another excellent book by CJ Sansom, murder and political intrigue in Tudor England. The author captures the period very well, with great attention to detail that bring Tudor times to life. Well worth reading.

Dark Fire	Customer Rating:
Big disappointment. The plot, particularly regarding the Wentworth family was very easy to work out. The pace of the novel is slow to say the least. The book is full of detail, perhaps too much. The time and place is evoked well but overwhelms the main story.

A gripping and convincing novel of Tudor London

Customer Rating:

"Dark Fire" is the second novel in C.J. Sansom's series set in King Henry VIII's England, following the career of the hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake. It is the summer of 1540, a time of political and religious turmoil as various factions at court vie for the king's attentions. When Shardlake is asked to defend a girl accused of murder, the case brings him into contact once again with his old employer, Earl Cromwell. The earl has a new assignment for him, of vital importance to the state: the long-forgotten weapon of Greek Fire has been unearthed in London, but now the formula is stolen and the alchemists involved, killed. It is down to Shardlake to discover who the perpetrators are and recover Greek Fire - before it is too late. For the king himself is interested in the substance, and Cromwell's own career and life hang in the balance if it is not found soon. I arrived at "Dark Fire" without reading "Dissolution", the first book in the series. However, since each volume is intended as a separate episode in Shardlake's career, at no point did I feel that I had missed out on any essential details. At approaching 600 pages, this is the longest of the four Shardlake novels thus far, and some perseverance is required through the first half of the book, which does at times make for difficult reading. Part of the problem is that a large number of characters are introduced very quickly, and it is often difficult to differentiate between them. Nevertheless, as the book progresses, things are made easier. Indeed in the second half, as Shardlake discovers more about Greek Fire and his task becomes more concrete, it is much easier to feel drawn into the story. The sights and sounds of Tudor London are brought out in full, with everything from the heat of the summer to the undertones of political unrest realised on the page. Sanson holds a PhD in History, and it is clear that he has transferred that academic intimacy with his period to great effect here. The dialogue is well crafted, suggesting an antiquated 'period' fell but without being heavy-handed about it, and rarely slipping into modern speech. Likewise the characters are well-rounded and feel of their time. In particular the addition of Jack Barak to the cast, as Shardlake's assistant, is a welcome one: his grit and no-nonsense approach prove to be an excellent foil to the lawyer. All in all, despite a difficult start, "Dark Fire" is an entertaining and immersive read. The paperback edition also contains the first chapter of the next volume in the series, "Sovereign", to whet the reader's appetite.

16th century murder mystery

Customer Rating:

Having read "Dissolution" and thoroughly enjoyed it, I thought I'd give "Dark Fire" a go. I must admit I didn't enjoy it so much. It was a little pedestrian in places - I wanted it to move a little quicker. Also the plot got a little convoluted in places. But... I DID feel I was "living" in the 16th century with Thomas Cromwell and his ilk. Sansom is good at scene setting. For this alone it deserves the four stars!

Brilliant

Customer Rating:

I have just finished this book and, after Dissolution, I am well and truly addicted to this series. I really like the lead character of Matthew Shardlake and the other characters in this and the previous book. Will be starting on Sovereign asap and can't wait to read Revelation from what I've read on Amazon about that story. There seems to be a plethora of murder-thriller type books set in the 15th-16th century around at the moment but this is without doubt the best of them all.