The emerging mysteries around the young ward, and the events that destroyed Ellen's family nineteen years before, involve Shardlake in reunions both with an old friend and an old enemy close to the throne.

Heartstone differs markedly, being more of a mystery-solving plot, with incidents having happened in the distant past.Sansom handles a large cast and a complex narrative with great skill and his set piece scenes, the sinking of the Mary Rose, for instance are simply stupendous. For all ebook purchases, you will be prompted to create an account or login with your existing HarperCollins username and password.

I have become attached to these characters and every time they are put in mortal danger, I hope that they do not die. Matthew is unlucky when it comes to love, but that does not mean that we can’t help but root for him to find his happily ever after.A great attraction of CJ Sansom's series of novels set in the reign of Henry VIII lies not merely in the authentic background but in the personality of the main character - that persistent seeker after truth, Matthew Shardlake, Sansom's intelligent hunchbacked Tudor lawyer. You feel like you are friends with the protagonist and his pals and you despise the nefarious villains that try to thwart the efforts of the heroes. As the English fleet gathers at Portsmouth, the country raises the largest militia army it has ever seen.