The story sets off right after Anne Boleyn is executed. Reformists are going strong, and the Catholic Church lost its power, monasteries are forced to accept the King's supremacy, that they have to keep masses in english and generally bow down to reforms. Those who refuse are executed, their lands and wealth are taken, their buildings are brought down. But it's not enough. Lord Cromwell wants to see all the monasteries gone and nothing can keep him from reaching that goal. He is cunning, ruthless, and uses the reforms to gain his own personal interests - namely to stay in the good will of King Henry VIII. When he realises force won't work anymore to close down the monasteries, he sends his agents to inspect every little detail of the monks' life, their finances, and if they follow the laws. Their goal is to find anything incriminating which would make the abbots sign their doom so those loyal to the King could get even more rich.
Things are going well, until, that is, one of the agents, Singleton is murdered in Scarnsea. Cromwell needs someone who can solve the mystery fast and quietly, so he sends one of his loyal friends and follower, the lawyer Matthew Shardlake. He is a clever, quick thinking man, who sincerely believes in the reforms and the men holding power over the government. He is also an unconventional protagonist - he is a hunchback. Feared, looked down and mocked in his whole life, although that doesn't stop him to be a respectable, humble man who is good in his chosen profession. He and his protégé has to solve the mystery shrouding Scarnsea, but the monks and the killer doesn't make it easy for them. Which starts as a single murder case, turns into several murder cases while they have to deal with the monks petty fights, their own survival and their clash of views.
The story takes place mostly in the monastery, a closed, full-of-secrets world, where almost everyone has a reason to commit such crimes in hope they could keep up their secluded, luxury lives the monastery provides them with. Shardlake has to figure out which leads are right and which take him to the wrong path. He also learns some uncomfortable truths about people he believed in blindly, which shakes his world. Does Cromwell truly believe in the reforms or they just want to please his king? Can he keep a straight head when his emotions are conflicted? Will his judgement be clouded by friendship or prejudice?
Dissolution is a masterfully woven mystery, which keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are alive and very real, you almost feel like they would walk off the pages anytime. They are not perfect. They have flaws, they make mistakes, they fight, they love. And underneath it all there is an insane amount of research to make not only the characters, but the whole era seem so real. You can smell the filth of London, feel the touch of the cold pew of the church underneath you, taste the cold november air. C. J. Sansom knows how to sneak in bits of information about the political state of England, how the gears work in the background even though it doesn't play such an important part in the story itself. But it all adds to it, it helps to understand better why it is so important for the monasteries to go, it gives a legitimate historical background to the story to make it feel more real. And this all is being covered by a blanket called religion. This book (and the whole series) shows why religion is so important when it comes to history. How it can influence not only the life of common people, but the fate of a whole country, depending on who is in power and what his beliefs are. It shows what powerful men can do in the name of religion, of belief, of God. It can make a hypocrite out of anyone.
If you enjoy mystery, with a historical background, especially the Tudor era of England, then I strongly recommend giving a shot at Dissolution. It's gripping, makes you sit on the edge of your seat, even though it's not exactly fast paced. It will held your interest until the end, and you'll find yourself totally engrossed and waiting when you can continue reading on. Oh, and did I say it also adds a tiny twist to Anne Boleyn's story? Yeah, it has many, many layers you'll enjoy discovering. I also recommend listening to the audiobook, Steven Crossley did a really good job narrating it!
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Reviews with images
A really fun historical murder mystery
A really fun historical murder mystery, set in Henry VIII's England. While the hero, Barrister Matthew Shardlike, tries to run his legal practice, he gets rooked into solving murders and going on dangerous missions for Thomas Cromwell. In the meantime, political fortunes, including Cromwell's, are being reversed, and the future is uncertain for all.
Top reviews from other countries
Farhad Shawkat
Murder in a Monastery - Faster, easier read than Name of the Rose
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2023Lynne M. Vicinanza
Leggete i primi sei libri prima
Reviewed in Italy on September 15, 2021