Litsy

Revelation: A Shardlake Novel 4 | C. J. Sansom

pick

A friend and colleague of Shardlake is found murdered and Shardlake promises the widow that he will find the killer. This leads to the discovery of more related murders as someone is killing according to one of the stories in the Book of Revelation.

At the same time Shardlake gets appointed the lawyer to Adam Kite. A young man who won‘t do anything besides praying who for his own protection has been sent to the asylum. This give Sansom to explore

AnneCecilie the treatment of mental health during the Tudor and shows the conditions in which they lived in. I loved each new Shardlake crime more than the last since we get to know the characters more. I‘m so happy that #ShardlakeBR has me rereading this amazing crime series. @dabbe 7h

36 likes1 comment

LitsyEvents

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

Repost for @dabbe

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Fascinating discussion today Shardlakians!

Next up: HEARTSTONE

21 likes

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR @LItsyEvents

Fascinating discussion today, Shardlakians!

Next up: HEARTSTONE. The events of this novel take place in the summer of 1545. Shardlake and Barak travel to Portsmouth on a legal case given to them by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. The book also concerns preparations for the Battle of the Solent and the King's warship, the MARY ROSE. Elizabeth I makes an appearance or two, too! 🤩

33 likes

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#anotheronedone!

#ChunksterChallenge2025
#AllergicToChunksters
@Amiable @julieclair

44 likes

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, Amiable, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

OutsmartYourShelf Back then, people in England had the 'comfort' of thinking that hardships were part of God's plan & that the afterlife would make up for any suffering on earth. I have a hard time reconciling in my mind a God that loves humankind but would allow His worshippers to suffer excruciating deaths in His name. The death for treason was horrific whilst being burned at the stake would be bad enough. 1d

OutsmartYourShelf “they confuse their own needs, for certainty or power, with God's voice speaking to them.“ We know that Henry VIII was one of these.

Also how many others over the centuries (even talking 20th century with the cult leaders) have claimed to have had the truth revealed to them by God, & somehow it involves them being in charge, getting rich, &/or having many lovers. Really odd that🤔 /s 1d

LiseWorks The greatest wars were about religion. I remember a priest telling me that members of the Congregation should not read the Bible because they can't understand it. I have read my Bible since I was given one in grade 5 ( when they used to give Bibles in school). I was so shocked. This was in 1981. How ignorant of that man telling me a woman that I could not read a book or understand it. No wonder ordinary people were kept in the dark. 1d

See All 9 Comments

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Excellent thoughts. The more I see the horrors unleashed in this world, the harder it is for me to believe. And just saying “God works in mysterious ways“ is NOT an answer to the amount of suffering that goes on. If God gets credit for all the good that happens (I see a person praising God for winning a game), he also gets the blame for the bad. Otherwise, we're living in chaos, which is what I do believe to be true. 22h

dabbe @LiseWorks Beyond ignorant. Aggrandizingly arrogant IMHO. 22h

lil1inblue This was a wonderful quote. It was a confusing, uncertain era, where things changed based on who was whispering in the king's ear that day. Those in power used religion as a way to maintain control or to gain power. They manipulated "god's word" to fit their ends. Meanwhile, the general population was left confused and afraid. And fear and confusion are often the seeds for extreme behavior. 18h

dabbe @lil1inblue You're more easily led, too, if you're afraid and think you have nowhere to turn to. 16h

lil1inblue @dabbe 🎯🎯🎯 15h

AnneCecilie The Tudor time along with many others just proves to me all the wrongs that have been done in the name of religion and that extremism in any form is never a good thing. (edited) 7h

33 likes9 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

OutsmartYourShelf It must have been a very confusing & dangerous time to live in. Henry VIII 'reforms' the Church, ripping away what has been a constant for centuries, & then as he gets older he starts walking it back in some ways.

The constant changing of those in power or favour - one minute you are high in the King's favour, the next your head is on a block. For the masses, there is the spectre of torture & execution for doing/saying the wrong thing. 1d

LiseWorks Being in London for a lot of people was in poverty. I would have lived in the country. The king was mad at the end. Being sick was not helping. His drs didn't know how to treat his leg. Can you imagine how much pain he was in? 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf I can't even imagine living in such uncertain times. Everyone had to be walking around constantly looking behind them. Who could like like that? 22h

See All 8 Comments

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf I'd probably want to live far enough away, too, to avoid getting caught doing anything wrong. But who knew what that was since it changed on a daily basis? 22h

lil1inblue The religious extremism and fanaticism really struck me, perhaps because there are echoes of those themes in our current times. Sansom seems to show that much of the extremism is the result of fear and uncertainty, which I can't help but compare to today, as well. 18h

dabbe @lil1inblue Agree 💯. And unfortunately, too many politicians and people in power know just how to stoke your fears and make you worry. At least we don't have to worry about getting our heads stuck on a pike, though, so there's that. 👊🏻 16h

AnneCecilie This most have been a hard time to live in. Especially for the common person where religious beliefs changes constantly and you can‘t expect to get justice if someone thinks you‘re doing anything wrong. It highlights know your friends because you must always be careful of who you say what to. 7h

Daisey @lil1inblue I also was more struck by the aspects of religious extremism when I read it this second time compared to several years ago because of how I see more of it in our current world now as well. 3h

26 likes8 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

OutsmartYourShelf I think a serial killer is classified as someone who kills more than 3 victims in separate killings. If someone killed several people at once, in one 'hit' as it were, I wouldn't consider them a serial killer.

The popular image is of a clever, fiendish killer who plans out their kills. The jury is still out on whether Jack the Ripper was clever or insane & remarkably lucky to get away with the murders. 1d

LiseWorks Bedlam reminded me that the medical community did not have a clue about mental health. When a lot of people are killed by one person at the same time, it's called a mass killing. Jack the Ripper was a serial killer. Something happened to him because those killings stopped, and that's why he was never caught. 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Agree 💯. If a person kills a bunch of people at once, I'd probably consider them a mass murderer but not necessarily a serial killer. RE: Jack the Ripper, it's hard to say. I guess I'd call him clever in his choosing of marginalized women that no one cared about. 22h

See All 9 Comments

dabbe @LiseWorks One of the greatest serial killer mysteries of all time! 22h

lil1inblue What makes a person insane is such a great question. Adam Kite was trying to deal with something he didn't understand Ellen is agoraphobic, but is utterly competent when she's inside. 19h

lil1inblue It seems as though many of these people just had differences people didn't know how to deal with, so they locked them away. 18h

dabbe @lil1inblue 🎯! Who gets to decide? The doctors? The families who can't deal with you? Guy knew that Adam just needed love and the right touch. I can't believe the horrors that have been unleashed in this world all in the name of someone's so-called religion. #ranttime 16h

dabbe @lil1inblue I just wrote that before reading this! So true! 🎯 16h

AnneCecilie Insanity seems to be when someone behaves differently than what society excepts/ wants. At this time, I would guess it was enough if the man of the family said someone was insane, to get them locked up. A serial killer is someone who kills on numerous occasions. I‘m going to assume that they have “always” existed, but in times before fingerprints, DNA and other technologies it was easier to get away. (edited) 7h

26 likes9 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

OutsmartYourShelf I liked Ellen, & having taken a peek at the synopsis for the next book it seems we may learn more about her story.

I think Barak & Tamasin will get back together by the end of the next book. 1d

LiseWorks I think the loss of a baby really affects the marriage of Barack and tamarin. But Barack is really being an ass. 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf I really cared for Ellen and want to learn her backstory and hopefully see her completely free. Agree 💯 re: Barak and Tamasin. 🤞🏻 23h

See All 12 Comments

dabbe @LiseWorks Or as he would say it: ARSE!!! 🤣 Takes one to know one, Barak! 23h

Mollyanna I agree with everyone. I like Ellen and would like to see more of her in the future. I hope Barak and Tamasin reunite, but I appreciated Tamasin for standing up for herself. I feel bad about Dolores, Shardlake sure can‘t catch a break in the love department. 21h

lil1inblue @OutsmartYourShelf Totally agree on both points. I'm intrigued by Ellen's character. I'm a little annoyed with Barak, but I want him to shape up for Tamasin. 19h

lil1inblue Guy's storyline in this one was both interesting and a bit heartbreaking. I'm curious to see how he fares in the next book. 19h

dabbe @Mollyanna I hope we see more of Ellen, too. I think Dorothy is gone, so I hope there's love for Shardlake somewhere in the future. 16h

dabbe @lil1inblue That boy needs to man up! 🤣 16h

dabbe @lil1inblue He's a fave of mine. Just heartbreaking to see what happened to him and to witness how lonely he is. 😔 16h

AnneCecilie That Dorothy went to stay close to her son wasn‘t a huge surprise. I felt sad for Ellen after learning parts of her story. I‘m glad Adam overcome his religious insanity, but did this really happen? I wouldn‘t be surprised if it did considering the times. I feel sorry for Barak and Tamasin for the loss of their baby. This shows that everyone deals with grief in different ways & some are more destructive that others. I hope they get back together 9h

Daisey I pretty much agree with all the previous comments. I did think the potential love of Shardlake & Dorothy was better and still incredibly realistic than his interests in previous books. I also really enjoyed Ellen‘s story. 3h

23 likes12 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

OutsmartYourShelf I liked this one. I think it builds on the previous books as we have seen Shardlake's growing disenchantment with religious reform (maybe religion in general) & in this book, doubters like him are being targeted. 1d

LiseWorks All I know is that the more I read these books, the more I know I would not like to be in these times. The medical profession was really bad, the religion beliefs were so attacked. Every high person was blackmailing someone for higher power. 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf I wouldn't call him an agnostic yet, but it seems as if he's headed in that direction. 23h

See All 10 Comments

dabbe @LiseWorks 🎯! I used to think it'd be so romantic during that time period. WTH was I thinking? 😱 Can you imagine even going on a walk around your city and seeing people's heads hanging from bridges? At least our political turmoil hasn't let us to that ... yet. 🤣 23h

Mollyanna I enjoyed this one. I think we are really seeing the evolution of Shardlake and Barak, just as you would watch friends or relatives grow. Sansom does a great job of portraying the true tension of the time. 21h

lil1inblue The religious fervor in this one seeme to be a culmination of the uncertainty of the time, which has also been building throughout the series. We also see how all of these tragedies are affecting both Shardlake and Barak personally. 19h

dabbe @Mollyanna 🎯! Their relationship reminds me of Holmes & Watson in a way. Such a great duo!🤩 16h

dabbe @lil1inblue I truly can't imagine living in such a tumultuous time period. But then I think of religion and other countries who are suffering today. 😔 No wonder I'm not religious anymore. 16h

AnneCecilie I like each book better than the last and think that‘s because we get to know the characters better. And that‘s something I like. Since this is a reread I think I‘m focusing less on the mystery this time around and more on the time Shardlake and Barak are living in. I wouldn‘t want to live in the Tudor times 9h

Daisey I really loved Dark Fire, partly because it‘s what first got me started on this series years ago, but the mystery and the connections to Revelation in this one were truly fantastic and thought provoking. It ties into the historical aspects of the religious turmoil so well. 3h

25 likes10 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

pick

This is #4 in the Matthew Shardlake series, set in 1543 during the final years of Henry VIII's reign. Shardlake, a “hunchback“ (not my words) lawyer grapples with personal struggles while navigating the volatile religious and political landscape of Tudor England. When a close friend is brutally murdered, Shardlake is drawn into a chilling investigation that leads him to uncover a series of killings inspired by the Book of Revelation.
#ShardlakeBR

52 likes1 stack add

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books