My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent historical read. Set in King Henry VIII's England of 1540. Matthew Shardlake must help Thomas Cromwell. The king's main man is in serious trouble concerning the Anne of Cleeves marriage. In an attempt to win back favour with the king, Cromwell enlists the help of the hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake to find the secret of Greek Fire. In this day and age, Greek fire is akin to an atomic weapon and would allow Henry VIII's navy to have tremendous power. The problems start for Matthew as he comes across a collection of dead bodies along his investigative way. Soon his own life is in peril too.
This is a gritty fast-paced historical thriller set against the backdrop of protestant reformist England etc. It has a splendid feel and is the second Shardlake story I have read. It was very compelling and I'll certainly be reading the third instalment after this exciting historical thriller brought 1540's London to life.
No comments:
Post a Comment