Review of C J Sansom's Revelation
Fourth Novel Featuring Medieval Lawyer Matthew Shardlake
Oct 21, 2009
Matthew Shardlake is used to danger. As a lawyer in the mid sixteenth century he has served under Thomas Cromwell during the dissolution of the monasteries, and incurred the personal wrath of King Henry VIII on a royal visit to York, as well as fighting the many injustices faced by his legal clients.
Yet now the year is 1543, and the hunchback layer must face his most dangerous mission yet. The novel opens with the brutal murder of an old friend, whose death seems both random and ritualistic. The body of this seemingly innocent man is left on display in a public fountain, where it would have been seen by many had not Shardlake found it first.
Henry VIII and Catherine Parr
It soon seems that the death is more than just a personal tragedy; it may be part of a series of violent deaths which Archbishop Cranmer is keen to keep quiet in case they hinder a prudent marriage between King Henry and the reformist Lady Catherine Parr. As Shardlake has promised his dead friend's widow that he would find his killer, he has no option but to become involved once more with the complicated and dangerous world of medieval politics.
The plot of Revelation, Sansom's fourth book in the series, is the most complex to date. As well as the series of deaths which Shardlake must investigate, he is also working on the case of young Adam Kite, who has exhibited signs of religious mania – constant praying for a sin he feels he has committed - and has been locked away in Bedlam pending further trials. If found guilty, he could well be burned as a heretic, and his parents are relying on Shardlake to save their son's life.
Death in the Book of Revelation
In some ways, this quiet sub-plot is more satisfying than the main storyline, which some readers may find too lurid and sensationalist for such an intelligently written series of books. The idea of a crazed killer twisting the ideas contained in the Bible – in this case, the Book of Revelation – for their own sick version of faith has appeared many times in recent fiction, and devoted readers may look for a more original plot from such a talented writer as Sansom.
That said, there is still much to enjoy here. The ever engaging character of Barak is developed in a sympathetic manner as his marriage runs into problems, and regular readers will enjoy seeing Shardlake's old rival Bealknap humiliated. The sights, sounds and smells of the period are vividly brought to life, and there is even a possible love-interest for Shardlake himself; all in all there is enough to keep the regular reader eagerly looking forward to the next installment.
Revelation by C J Sansom is published in paperback in the UK by Pan MacMillan (2009), ISBN 978-0-330-44710-2.
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