Tombland is the seventh book in an amazing series, but I don't think it was one of his better ones. While I liked this book, I don't necessarily think it was his best. And as a reviewer I also have to look at it critically and as the book is listed as a mystery novel, not just historical fiction, it needs to be evaluated as such. And while the historical parts to the novel were great, the actual mystery did kind of take a back seat to the rebellion and kind of got lost a bit in the midst of what was happening. However, the writing is mesmerizing and you feel like you are right in the midst of everything; the sweat, the fear, the blood, the misery, but also the excitement and hope people felt at fighting back.

What can I say? I love Matthew Shardlake as a character and have since the first book. I really felt like he got the short end of the stick on this one though, as how he could investigate the murder of a relation to Princess Elizabeth without rousing undue attention was utterly beyond me. Of course he's going to attract the attention of the powers that be and get caught up in events of which he has no understanding as yet again, he was not being told the whole picture. It does get frustrating at times because you would think, after everything he has done for them, that they would at least give Matthew some understanding of exactly what was happening and not just the undercurrents. And then expect him to complete everything in a matter of days on top of it, frustrating. So the nuances at play here are brilliant; you really do need some understanding of history though to be able to put it all together and understand a lot of the political intrigues that are happening here. I really felt that Nicholas was the most developed character in this book, Barak just kind of got on my nerves, and you could tell that Toby would be the one who would cause problems later, just because there has to be that kind of character, you know? A bit predictable.

I am so glad this author wrote about this period of time as he did it wonderfully, bringing to light the English Rebellions, a time period where there were many violent responses to land enclosures against the rich and wealthy landowners. And while I do agree that this was a time of great importance, and the story was engaging, the author did lose sight of the main issue, which was to find the killer of Edith Boleyn. It was quite easy to figure out what happened to Edith, but I could see how the reader might have got lost amid all of the events surrounding the rebellion and the events that occurred because of it. And if you aren't interested in history, and the day-to-day workings of what happened, this book could have a tendency to drag on. Half of the book is devoted to the rebellion so people may not find that interesting if you are looking for a mystery novel. And while I was glad that Matthew got what he deserved in the end, I wasn't actually too impressed with the how; was it really necessary? And yes, it felt a bit contrived. When you read the book, you will know what I am talking about as I don't want to give too much away.

Tombland is one of those books that I enjoyed tremendously when it came to the historical aspect, but was a bit disappointed in when it came to the mystery and the character development. I adore Matthew as a character, but really felt that, although he was in the midst of a lot of events, he also seemed to take a back seat to a lot of things too. By that, I mean that he seemed to wait for things around him to happen which is not the character with which I am familiar in previous books, one who took charge and made things happen. In other words, it seemed like he just couldn't make a firm decision on anything and it was a bit frustrating. And although I understand the context in which he found himself, I am pretty sure he could have done more to stand up for himself and those he cared about. Overall, the story was interesting, but definitely not on par with some of the author's previous novels, and the character development was a bit flimsy at best. Will I read another book by this author? Oh, yes, simply because I enjoy his writing style and I love Matthew, so hoping for a better mystery next time.

"Tombland" is another excellent historical mystery from C. J. Sansom, author of Winter in Madrid, Dissolution, Dark Fire, and Sovereign (the latter three all starring greying barrister Matthew Shardlake, as does Tombland). As this story opens in spring 1549, Henry VIII is two years dead and Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, rules as Protector for young Edward VI. Seymour's war with Scotland is a disaster and rebellion is stirring.

Shardlake has been working in the service of the Lady Elizabeth, who is concerned about the murder of the wife of her distant relative, John Boleyn (there could be political fallout for the young Princess). So Matthew and his assistant, Nicholas Overton, journey to the summer assizes at Norwich, where they work with Shardlake's former assistant, Jack Barak. More murders follow and the trio are caught up in an uprising, with which Shardlake has more sympathy than he can afford to show.

This excellent entry in a distinguished historical series is highly recommended.

C.J. Sansom continues the Shardlake series with Tombland. Sergeant at Arms Shardlake is tasked by Princess Elizabeth to defend her distant kinsman John Boleyn in the charge he murdered his wife. Shardlake is to quietly protect Princess Elizabeth's interests without damaging her precarious position at her brother Edward's court under Protector Somerset. Shardlake does his lawerly best in the midst of local and national interests that want John Boleyn convicted to seize his land. Meanwhile the Kett Rebellion sweeps Shardlake and his party up in its wake. Masterful accurate but absorbing tales; I couldn't put it down even at 800 pages and finished it at one very long sitting. An amazing continuation of series with Dissolution and other settings. A chance to see Tudor England from the middle and lower class viewpoint as well as the aristocratic.

Very interesting novel. I had not heard about the series previously, and this book opened my eyes to something I am excited to be a part of. I was able to read the book as a standalone, however I feel as though there are a lot of things that I may have missed, so I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, and reading this one again.

What more can be said about this author and the hugely popular Elizabethan mystery series featuring lawyer Mathew Shardlake that hasn't already been trumpeted around the world. Simply this - its hardly surprising, but this is the Best One Yet - as the quality just keeps getting better and better with each new release - thanks very much. (Now I get to wait impatiently for the next, once again)