Dissolution (Sansom novel)

Dissolution (2003) is a historical mystery novel by British author C. J. Sansom. It is Sansom's first published novel, and the first in the Matthew Shardlake Series. It was dramatised by BBC Radio 4 in 2012.^[1]

Dissolution

First Edition cover
Author	C. J. Sansom
Language	English
Series	Matthew Shardlake Series
Genre	Historical mystery
Publisher	Viking Books
Publication date	April 2003
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	400 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	978-0-670-03203-7 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC	52041174
Dewey Decimal	823/.92 21
LC Class	PR6119.A57 D57 2003
Followed by	Dark Fire

A television series, Shardlake, starring Arthur Hughes in the title role, was released on Disney+ in 2024. Its first season is based on the events of this book.

Background

Set in 1537 during the dissolution of the monasteries, the book follows the lawyer Shardlake in his attempts to solve the murder of one of Thomas Cromwell's commissioners in the monastery at the fictional town of Scarnsea on the south coast of England.

Reception

Dissolution has been well received by critics, although there has been some criticism of the language and detail in the writing.^[2] "The best crime novel I have read this year" – Colin Dexter;^[3] "Remarkable...the sights, the voices, the very smell of this turbulent age seem to rise from the page" – P. D. James;^[4] "This is a humdinger of a whodunnit. Read it!" – Colin Dexter;^[4] "This is historical fiction at its finest." – Peter Robinson.^[5] The US Library Journal review is more critical, commenting: "His novel is unrelentingly grim in tone, as the reader is forced to plod along with Shardlake and the other mostly unlikable characters."^[6]

Dissolution was nominated for the 2003 Crime Writers' Association (CWA) John Creasey Memorial Dagger, for first books by previously unpublished writers. It was also nominated for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger in the same year.^[7]

Publication history

• 2003, USA, Viking Books, ISBN 978-0-670-03203-7, Pub date April 2003, Hardback;
• 2003, UK, Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-4050-0542-5, Pub date June 2003, Hardback;
• 2004, UK, Penguin Books, ISBN 978-0-14-200430-2, Pub date April 2004, Paperback;
• 2004, UK, Pan, ISBN 978-0-330-41196-7, Pub date August 2004, Paperback;
• 2007, UK, Macmillan Digital Audio, ISBN 978-0-230-52911-3, Pub date August 2007, Audiobook.

References

1. Dissolution dramatised by BBC Radio 4
2. "Book Review: Dark Fire". Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2007. Book Review: Dark Fire – Blogcritics Magazine book review of Dark Fire, but which refers to Dissolution.
3. Pan Macmillan Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine page for Dissolution.
4. Dissolution – critical praise at Reading Group Guides.
5. Dissolution, Barnes & Noble
6. Freelists.org entry for Dissolution.
7. "2003 CWA Dagger Awards". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2007.