Heartstone: A Shardlake Novel

By C. J. Sansom

The fifth novel in the Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery series—the inspiration for the original Disney+ series Shardlake!

Summer 1545. A massive French armada is threatening England, and Henry VIII has plunged the country into economic crisis to finance the war. Meanwhile, an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr has asked Matthew Shardlake to investigate claims of "monstrous" wrongs committed against a young ward of the court. As the French fleet approaches, Shardlake's inquiries reunite him with an old friend-and an old enemy close to the throne.

This fast-paced fifth installment in C. J. Sansom's "richly entertaining and reassuringly scholarly series" (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review) will enchant fans of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger – the highest honour in British crime writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307374226

C. J. Sansom

C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. in 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Sussex.

Reviews for Heartstone

[finxy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review from BadelyngeHeartstone is the fifth of C.J. Sansom's Tudor mysteries featuring the hunchback lawyer Shardlake. In previous books he'd been tasked with dangerous mysteries with political ramifications by two of the most powerful men in Tudor England - the doomed Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer. In this book he primarily sets out to do a favour for the Queen (Catherine Parr) by looking into a legal matter connected to one of the Queen's old servants. Along the way he resolves to look into another mystery involving a character introduced in the last book involving the woman's commitment to an insane asylum (Bedlam). Add to that yet another mystery connected to his new house steward. All three seem to present no danger to himself but Shardlake soon discovers that things aren't what they seem. The book proclaims on the cover 'Shardlake goes to war', the backdrop to the story being the threatened invasion by the French in 1545 after the King's foolish attempts to invade France. I used to have a bit of a thing for the Mary Rose, having been involved with a school project regarding it and watching the raising of the ship on tv in the early 80s. I used to have dreams about being a soldier on that ship when it went down. The scenes aboard the Mary Rose are very striking, haunting and sad. Sansom does a good job of portraying the futility of war without being too preachy or trite. I worried a little early on that the writer seemed to be dwelling on too many characters who had little or no connection to Shardlake's mysteries but his reason for doing so pays off in the end.

[karenduff · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If I could I'd give this another half star as I think it is slightly better than three stars but not a four star read.

While it was an enjoyable and for its size a quick read I didn't enjoy this as much as previous Shardlake stories.

For me I think the book would have worked better if the author had given Shardlake one case instead of two. Either of the two cases that he investigates in this book would I feel have made a good story in their own right. I'm sure that if investigated properly either the real reasons for Ellen being in Bedlam or the issue of Hugh and Emma's wardship would have thrown up enough corruption and conspiracy to keep Shardlake and Barak busy for a whole book.

I also wasn't impressed with the so called twist, a friend had read this and said it was a really good twist but when I got to it all I thought was that's been done to death. If you must have a twist in your story then please make it one that we haven't seen a million times before.

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this work - such a richly detailed, meticulously researched story. And I really am fond of Shardlake and Barak.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favorite historical mystery series. I love the setting of Tudor England and the character of Matthew Shardlake. I loved the first and last parts of this book the best but he middle felt a little flat to me. I loved Ellen's story but the rest I was not that interested in. I will, however, continue the series because I have really enjoyed the rest of the books and totally look forward to the next one.

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As is usual with the Shardlake stories this was slow to start. And then suddenly you get pulled in to the story and want to solve the mystery. And it immerses you in the world of Tudor England, of religious confusion, of a place where getting on the wrong side of the King could be detrimental to your health. The end of the story is centered around the sinking of the Mary Rose. I remember the excitement when the ship was brought up - I was 14 or 15 and it just seemed so incredible that they were able to do so. I have been to Portsmouth and seen the ship when it was still under spray several years ago. I believe there is a brand new museum now with a lot more to see, so a revisit must go on the to do list.

[ariadnearanea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction is my guilty pleasure - this one does not disappoint.

[johnwbeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think, although my memory is not that precise, given I have been reading this series over about eight years, that this is the best Shardlake book yet ( I cannot wait to see Branagh as Shardlake). As ever our hero has to be persistent to get at the truth, which emerges gradually, but very logically, from a mountain in of detail about the latter days of Henry VIII, this time during the almost invasion by France. I was at the wonderful Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth last year and Sansom's writing brought that wonderful display to life. I really cannot fault this book, or this series, or this writer (read the wonderful non-series books).

[aine.fin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Went straight from Revelation onto this one and will do the same with Lamentation. Matthew is called by Queen Catherine to work on a case in the Court of Wards which results in him being near Portsmouth and the threat of the French invasion. Side story of a fascinating look at the life of conscripted men ending up on great ships like the Mary Rose.

[brigidsmith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another matthew Shardlake thriller, and as ever a brilliant read - a great plot with well-researched detail.

[richardgarside · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read with convincing historical detail

[lara335 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vivid portrayal of Tudor England including a stag hunt, bedlam and aboard the Mary Rose with Shardlake as a sympathetic companion.

[lexieconyngham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent adventure for Matthew Shardlake, weaving in the attempted invasion of the French at Portsmouth in 1545 and the sinking of the Mary Rose. I heard Deborah Moggach on Radio 4's Book Club on Sunday bravely saying that when she had written Tulip Fever she was asked to write a short story in the same period, but everything she knew about the place and time was in Tulip Fever and she had nothing more to write. That can't be the same with C.J. Sansom - he seems to be totally immersed in the period, writing, as it were, like a native.

[aadyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A long, but very good historical crime thriller set in the mid reign of Henry VIII. As always with C J Sansom, his historical research & in particular, his ability to recreate day to day life in these very different historical eras is clearly evident. His prose is easy to read, & you never get the feeling that his convoluted plots are difficult to follow. Matthew Shardlake remains his sympathetic self, & is an easy character to sympathise with. Some his adversaries are not what they seem, & the strengths of this are very good. Where it comes into its own, is the last fifth of the book & the involvement with The Mary Rose. This was illuminating & evocative & has put the novel into a unique league. There are some weaknesses though, one again for Sansom, the pacing is weak in places, & whilst the main protagonists seem well drawn, there is a cardboard quality to some of the lesser roles, a common finding in a lot of crime fiction. Overall, to be recommended, if one has some time to get in, get involved, & is able to maintain momentum with what, at 700+ pages, is a longer than average, crime novel.

[nilbett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A well descriptive book on the era of King Henry V111 in 1545. Not what I would call a pacey book, but the times of the 16th century explained in detail during the solving of several mysteries is enough to keep one interested. The hunchback Shardlake the lawyer certainly adds to the books strength. Fact mixed with fiction is always an amazing combination. Well written Mr Sansom

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 5th book in the mystery series, featuring Matthew Shardlake, a Lincoln's Inn lawyer during the reign of Henry VIII. The more I read these books, the more I enjoy them. In this story, Matthew is helping one of Queen Catherine's women by investigating the death of her son, who was trying to keep an orphaned boy from losing his land. Investigating the mystery sends Matthew and his assistant Jack to Portsmouth where King Henry is gathering troops to fight the French. Although the mystery behind these books is always interesting, what I really enjoy about all of these books in the historical detail in the setting. England is in turmoil with an imminent invasion by the French. Young men are forced to serve in the army and the King has thrown a panic in the economy by producing a diluted currency to help pay for the war. The descriptions of the living conditions and specific events - especially the final battle on the Mary Rose - are vivid and always send me off to various history sources trying to get more background on what happened. Hope this series goes on, although in this book, Henry is on his last wife, so not sure how long it can last...

[lauralkeet · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series follows a common formula: a dead body, followed by more dead bodies, and a persistent investigator who gets himself into a pickle before solving the crime. Sansom's novels, set in Tudor England, include a large dose of history that usually masks the formula. Heartstone is set in 1545, when the French are threatening invasion, and troops are amassing at Portsmouth to fight them off. Shardlake is asked by the Queen (Henry VIII's last wife, Catherine Parr) to investigate events leading up to a young man's suicide. Shardlake decides he will also investigate another matter of personal interest, that occurred 19 years earlier. So: we have one dead body (the young man), and a bit of intrigue concerning the older case. And then we get lots and lots of period detail. Now, I'm not a bloodthirsty soul but the second dead body didn't show up until page 360, about the time I wondered where all this was going. And while the story picked up its pace at that point, there was too much that felt contrived. Shardlake's personal investigation was based on supposition more than evidence, and he just happened to be correct. He did, indeed, get himself into a pickle but his rescue and escape were a little too convenient. And the mystery behind the suicide turned out to be an oft-used and not very believable plot device. I've developed quite a fondness for Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak. I've heard Sansom is planning more books in this series, and I would definitely read them. I just hope for a tighter, more exciting story the next time.

[pixelette · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I started this during the Christmas holidays and it was a good summer read. It probably could have been 3/4 of the length, some of the story dragged on somewhat. Nevertheless I found it enjoyable throughout. The actual mystery was good but some of the detail was lost on me (length descriptions of ships and soldiers). Unfortunately I am simply not interested in those details. I bought this for $5 at a book sale so I can't really complain.

[booksinthebelfry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion this fifth installment is not the strongest entry in Sansom's series featuring Tudor-era lawyer Matthew Shardlake. The storyline (which turns on a not-so-surprising plot twist) tends to sag beneath the weight of period detail relating to Henry VIII's disastrous military campaign against the French, which in 1545 led to the threat of French invasion and to the tragic sinking before Henry's eyes of the warship Mary Rose. In his acknowledgements at the end of the book Sansom observes that this particular incident has been unaccountably overlooked by historians of the Tudor Age, and remarks that "somebody should" write a history of the war of 1544-46; at times while reading this book I felt that he had come closer to doing that himself than he may have intended!

[stevebishop-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've enjoyed all the Shardlake series of books so far. This was a bit of a let down, rather slow and overlong. The second half of the book was better than the first.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been too long since I immersed myself in C. J. Sansom's Tudor England. This audiobook made some long highway miles pass enjoyably and made me determined to catch up on the rest of his books.In this book lawyer Mathew Shardlake has been asked by Queen Catherine Parr to look into a case of a minor ward that has come to her attention. The ward lives in the south of England near Portsmouth which is preparing for an invasion by the French. When Shardlake and his assistant, Barak, travel down they encounter many soldiers travelling to Portsmouth. Among them is the archer that Shardlake met in the previous book, Sovereign. He allows them to travel with his company so they are not held up on the road. Shardlake has an additional reason to undertake this commission; he will be close to where the Bedlamite, Ellen Fettiplace, grew up and he can investigate who is responsible for her being in Bedlam. Both cases seem to bring Shardlake to the attention of people who do not want him to complete his investigations and even wish to do him harm. He also gets caught up in the bigger conflict between England and France. It is gripping stuff and history comes alive. The narrator, Anton Lesser, is fabulous.

[cassandra2020 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Shardlake series always delivers reliably. They evoke the Tudor era well and always manage to bring something of the history to life. This time, Henry VIII is still on the throne with his wife Catherine Parr at his side. The French are threatening to invade and Henry is raising an army and gathering the Fleet at Portsmouth in preparation. This, of course, includes the Mary Rose!

Shardlake has been engaged by the Queen to act on behalf of an old servant and his investigations also lead him to Portsmouth where he witnesses what takes place. Of course, there are various crimes and murders along the way, but it is the Mary Rose that raises this book from being 'just another Shardlake' and prevents it from being too 'samey'.

The author was inspired by the various artifacts found on the wreck of the Mary Rose and it is this that holds the story together. He weaves a story to fit with what the historians and archaeologists have pieced together from what has been found. I think I now need to go to Portsmouth to see these things for myself.

[northern_light-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this the fifth book in the Shardlake series. In this book he investigates whether a ward is being lookd after properly and also revisits the case of Ellen who is still in Bedlam. He manages to come across his old enemy Richard Rich and gets involved with the impending war with the French.

[cathymoore_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hunch backed Tudor lawyer, Matthew Shardlake is off to Hampshire in this novel, the fifth in the series. He is investigating two separate cases but as the story progresses they begin to overlap more and more. This is the longest of novel in the series so far, over 700 pages. The second half is certainly better than the first half, which, for me, felt like it was dragging somewhat. The story's climax in Portsmouth, aboard the Mary Rose, is classic Shardlake though, and it is just a bit of a shame it took us so long to get there.

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Matthew Shardlake returns with more investigations. This time he is determined to learn the truth about a young woman in Bedlam who doesn't seem to be insane and is being supported by a mysterious benefactor. He is also asked by the Queen to investigate the position of an orphan whose wardship was purchased by a family with questions hanging over them. The ward, Hugh, had been tutored by the son of one of the Queen's handmaids. When the tutor returned to visit Hugh he discovered something heinous but committed suicide before he could pass the information on to anyone. Matthew's helper, Barack, has to leave his very pregnant wife to assist Matthew and Matthew's doctor friend, Guy, watches his household. They proceed to stay at the ward's home not far from Portsmouth where King Henry is amassing troops and ships to ward off an invasion of the French.This book gives us a satisfying pair of mysteries along with another historical lesson in how orphans of landed families could be bought and their lands "managed" until they became of age. Needless to say, not all transactions were on the up and up.Another foray into the fascinating world of 1545 England with the dedicated and almost obsessive investigation to find the truth and a fair outcome for his clients.

[barlow304 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After a slow start, this entry in the Matthew Shardlake series picks up steam and comes to a satisfying conclusion. This time, the crookback lawyer is involved in the Court of Wards, a notoriously corrupt scheme for farming out rich orphans to benefit the royal treasury. He takes the case at the request of Queen Catherine Parr, who wants him to investigate the circumstances of a ward of the court who might be suffering abuse from is guardian. This case also lets Shardlake investigate how his mad friend Ellen came to be in Bedlam. As these two cases proceed, Matthew uncovers a tie between them. This brings him back to the unfavorable attention of Sir Richard Rich, member of the Privy Council and corrupt lawyer. Matters reach a head in both investigations just as the French invasion fleet appears off Portsmouth.In spite of the thundering conclusion, I think the novel is a bit too long (626 pages!). Either case could make a compelling novel by itself, but together they stretch out the material too far. Fans of this series will like the book, but new readers are advised to start with Dissolution, the first book in the series.

[passion4reading_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intervening on behalf of one of her female servants, queen Catherine Parr requests that Shardlake take on the case of Hugh Curteys, a young man whom the servant's son, Michael Calfhill, had believed to have been terribly wronged, Calfhill having since committed suicide. No concrete evidence of any wrongdoing exists, and Shardlake has to answer his case in the notoriously corrupt Court of Wards, where his opponent is evidently hostile towards him from the beginning. Acceding to the queen's influence, the judge grudgingly grants Shardlake the right to take depositions from all the parties concerned at their place of residence in Hampshire.Once again - after Sovereign - Sansom decides to move the location of the plot outside London, giving him, and us, the opportunity to visit the Hampshire and Sussex countryside and the assembled navy in Portsmouth, where an attack from the French appears to be imminent. As always, he seems to capture the mood perfectly, the battle weariness among the veterans, the barely suppressed excitement and optimism among the new recruits, the jitteriness amongst the general population. This is where Heartstone comes into its own, the depiction of everyday life, imbuing even the minor characters with a voice of their own. I felt genuine grief when I learnt of the death of one member of Shardlake's household, mentioned in passing, and could feel the horror faced by George Leacon at the siege of Boulogne; the passages of the sinking of the Mary Rose are quite harrowing and will haunt you for days. Yet I was less convinced of the mystery central to this story, and could never really identify with Hugh Curteys, who is always portrayed as devoid of emotion, whereas the other members of the Hobbey household, though coming across as unsympathetic, are at least ruled by their emotions; this is the reason why I have only awarded it four stars. While parts of Heartstone are as sublime as previous volumes in the series, I still had the nagging feeling that it didn't hang together just as well, it starts off far too slowly and drags on for too long, with nothing worthwhile happening for several chapters. While Sansom has taken the admirable step of not always making Shardlake likeable, I have to confess that in Heartstone I found him to be particularly irritating, stubbornly pursuing his ideas to the detriment of everyone around him, not considering that his actions will have consequences; Barak aptly phrases it thus: 'That's the problem, ..., you set something in motion and before you know where you are it's all out of control.'To me, Sansom's stories have always been more than 'just' a historical mystery, they let us explore what it means to be human and allow us to gain a deeper understanding of history. As Dr Jerome de Groot writes in the 'Opinion' column in October's issue of the BBC History magazine, 'Historical fiction can give readers a more profound insight into the past, and illuminate an issue in a way that non-fiction prose can never hope to achieve.' So take that on the chin, all you nitpickers and sticklers for one hundred per cent historical accuracy! I am just grateful for the time I was allowed to spend in Shardlake and Barak's company, not to mention all the other friendly or sinister characters I've encountered along the way. Thank you for the ride, Mr Sansom, and for allowing us to partake in the journey, it's been a pleasure.

[everfresh1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The latest in Mathew Shardlake series didn't disappoint. There is probably more suspense here than in any of previous novels. Once again, the novel stalls sometime, but it's a minor drawback for me considering the quality of the novel - both entertaining and educational.

[victoriastrauss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake Tudor mysteries, and this latest installment, which sets a story of murder, identity theft, ambition, and betrayal in the context of Henry VIII's disastrous final war with France, doesn't disappoint. Sansom has a gift for combining the sweep of a historical epic with the suspense of the best murder mysteries, keeping readers guessing all the way through. The apparent leisureliness of the narrative is an illusion; Sansom builds tremendous suspense, manipulating multiple plot threads toward a resolution that always surprises but inevitably makes perfect sense. The characters are memorable, the psychology acute. This is one of those books that I was sorry to finish.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As with the previous books in the series, this had great description and conveyed well the atmosphere of Tudor life. However, like one or two of the others, it was a bit too long and you get the impression that the plot is rather too drawn out in places. Indeed, this was really two unconnected whodunits in one. I also found the resolution of the Hugh Curteys plotline rather unrealistic (no spoilers here). I don't know if C J Sansom is planning to continue this series past the death of Henry VIII, but if he does, I hope these undoubtedly excellent novels are plotted just a little more tightly.

[ponsonby_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The main theme of this book is an attempt by the lawyer Matthew Shardlake to secure justice for a young man apparently wronged by his guardian, combined with another plot which concerns Shardlake's search for the truth about someone he has tried for years to help. Although you could read this book and enjoy it without having read its four predecessors about the lawyer Shardlake, you can only enjoy it fully if you have done so, because one of the two main plot lines draws on events in those books. Overall I think this is the best of the series, with a magnificent sweep covering important events not often written about (the Anglo-French war of 1544-46) with Sansom's usual highly detailed and closely researched descriptions of places, people and institutions. The weaving together of the two plot lines is deft and the book moves towards an exciting climax, with however an epilogue which is positively elegaic. Overall this book makes a lot of other historical fiction/mysetry books look puny by comparison. There are one or two plot improbabilities but nothing outrageous. As usual, Sansom makes clear in an afterword what is true and what he has invented, something other novelists could usefully imitate.