Lamentation by C. J. Sansom

February 4, 2021

Lamentation by C. J. Sansom

Summer 1546 - as Henry VIII lies dying, lawyer Matthew Shardlake is summoned to the palace by Queen Catherine Parr. As a Protestant supporter, Queen Catherine authored a distinctly Protestant tract which, if discovered by the Catholic faction, could bring about her arrest and execution. The manuscript has vanished from a locked chest, but a single page is found clutched in the hand of a murdered London printer.

At the same time, Matthew is dealing with a civil law case that is essentially a family feud regarding inheritance rights. Both cases are more complex than they first appear.

This is the sixth book in the Matthew Shardlake series. The titles in this series are well-researched and give an accurate picture of daily life of both courtiers and common people in the 16th century. There is seamless blending of real and fictional characters, and fiction with historic facts. This is one of my favorite historical series.  Highly recommended.