Journal Entry 1 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, March 16, 2010

This is a big book (650+ pages) and while paperback won't be available to send by post!


one reviewer writes "In what looks like being the final book of a trilogy, C J Samson brings out long-suffering lawyer Matthew Shardlake for another mystery thriller set against the impeccably researched background of a vivid, tumultuous and colourful Tudor England. " ... well I like Tudor stuff, but haven't read (or got) anything else by Sanson so we'll see if this book stands alone ...


Sunday Times
'So compulsive that, until you reach its final page, you’ll have
to be almost physically prised away from it.’

as I said we'll see :)

 

Journal Entry 2 by seethroughfaith at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, February 01, 2011

about to find out how compulsive this book really is ...  

Journal Entry 3 by seethroughfaith at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Sunday, February 06, 2011

rather compulsive
I read this fat brick of a book in only a few days.

What I liked most were the insights into how the English took to the Tudors and came to give Henry VIII popelike status


The truth that the right head of the Church in England is not the bishop of Rom, but the King set by God above his people as Supreme Head, to guide them. When the King's conscience is moved it is God who speaks through him .... (p. 26) ... giving him the right to make or break religious policyt ... anyone who took the throne would take the title Defender of the Faith as well (p.187) ... This was God's appointed on earth, head of His church, guardian of the souls of three million subjects more than human in his glory. In those few seconds I believed it all (p. 247)



pity Henry didn't live up to that expectation

Overall quite a good read. A bit long, but full of insight.