Edwardian Murder Mysteries
historical mystery
Series · historical mystery
Matthew Shardlake
The Matthew Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom has 7 known books (7 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Dissolution (2003). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Tombland.
- Books
- 7 known books (7 novels)
- Published
- 7
- First published
- 2003
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime, Historical Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Dissolution (2003) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Dissolution
Dissolution opens C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, a historical mystery published in April 2003 at 300 pages. It's the first of seven books, followed by Dark Fire.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dissolution - Book 2:
Dark Fire
Dark Fire is the second book in C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, published in November 2004 at 579 pages. It follows Dissolution and precedes Sovereign.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dark Fire - Book 3:
Sovereign
Sovereign is the third entry in C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, published in 2006 at 400 pages. It follows Dark Fire and precedes Revelation.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sovereign - Book 4:
Revelation
Revelation is the fourth book in C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, published in April 2008 at 549 pages. It follows Sovereign and precedes Heartstone.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Revelation - Book 5:
Heartstone
Heartstone is the fifth entry in C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, published in 2010 at 633 pages. It follows Revelation and precedes Lamentation.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Heartstone - Book 6:
Lamentation
Lamentation is the sixth book in C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, published in 2014 at 650 pages. It follows Heartstone and precedes the series' closing volume, Tombland.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lamentation - Book 7:
Tombland
Tombland closes C. J. Sansom's seven-book Matthew Shardlake series, published in October 2018 at 880 pages. It follows Lamentation as the final entry in a series that ran from 2003.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tombland
About the Matthew Shardlake series
C. J. Sansom's Shardlake novels follow Matthew Shardlake, a hunchbacked lawyer in the reign of Henry VIII, who investigates murder and conspiracy against the backdrop of Tudor England's most dangerous decades. Dissolution opens in 1537 with Shardlake sent to investigate a killing at a monastery on the eve of Henry's dissolution of the monasteries, and the series follows him across the following decade through the fall of Thomas Cromwell, the king's later marriages, the Boulogne campaign, and finally, in Tombland, Kett's Rebellion in the reign of the boy-king Edward VI.
The appeal is Sansom's exacting historical research (he holds a PhD in history) paired with proper whodunit plotting: Shardlake is an outsider by physical disability in a society openly hostile to it, which gives him a sharp, sympathetic vantage point on Tudor law, religion, and politics, while real historical figures — Cromwell, Cranmer, Catherine Parr — move through the story around him. These are dense, serious novels (several run past 600 pages) that use detective plots to dramatize a genuinely turbulent, dangerous period of English history, rather than costume-drama window dressing.
Complete at seven novels, it's a natural next stop for readers of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy who want the same era rendered as historical crime fiction rather than literary fiction — meticulous, morally serious, and unafraid of Tudor England's genuine brutality.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Shardlake series?
Seven novels: Dissolution (2003), Dark Fire (2004), Sovereign (2006), Revelation (2008), Heartstone (2010), Lamentation (2014), and Tombland (2018).
What order should I read Shardlake in?
Publication order, starting with Dissolution. The series follows Matthew Shardlake's career in a single continuous timeline, so publication order and in-story order are the same.
Is the Shardlake series finished?
Functionally, yes. C. J. Sansom had spoken of wanting to carry Shardlake into the reign of Elizabeth I, but he died in April 2024 without writing further novels, leaving Tombland (2018) as the series' last book.
Do I need to know Tudor history to follow Shardlake?
No prior knowledge is required -- Sansom explains the political and religious backdrop as the story goes -- but the novels assume you'll pick up period detail as you read rather than offering a simplified version of Henry VIII's reign.
Is there a Shardlake TV or film adaptation?
Yes -- Disney+ produced a Shardlake television series (2024) adapting Dissolution, with further books possible depending on its reception; it isn't required viewing to follow the novels.
If you like the Matthew Shardlake series
Reading order last verified .