What next after C.J Samson and S.J Parris?

[Partylots]

I’ve got a mega long commute (90 mins each way usually) and have been having a lovely time working my way through all the CJ Samson Shardlakes and SJ Parris Giordiano Bruno books on audiobook. I’ve really enjoyed the rollicking good Tudor mysteries! (And sort of fancy Bruno but not as much as Jack Barak!) but I e now finished than all and wondering if there is anything similar but also as good??

No recommendations but following as they are my favourite series of late with a few still to read. What's your favourite book? I think mine is Heartstone by CJ Samson so far, which is the one set on the Mary Rose. The books are so vivid. Next time I go to London I'm going to go the Tower of London, it's not something that interested me before reading these!

Ooh I really like Heartstone too. I did like Dark Fire as well. But just love them all! Becoming obsessed with Tudor times now as well! The Bruno books are set in Elizabethan era. They’re not quite as good as the Samson but still really enjoyable.

I enjoy the Bruno ones too but he’s
quite the traditional hero compared with Shardlake. I love the Tudor era. Have you read the Wolf Hall books? They are a bit more high brow and the style take a bit of getting used to but probably a bit more accessible on audio.

www.roryclements.co.uk/books

I've just finished Holy Spy from this author and enjoyed it. Not quite as good as CJ Sansom but close.

There’s only two of them, unfortunately, but the John Dee Papers series by Phil Rickman reminded me quite strongly of the Shardlake books and I really enjoyed them. The first one is The Bones of Avalon.

Have you read the Wolf Hall trilogy? It’s isn’t rollicking but is very interesting, detailed and immersing.

@Ulysses Just saw you mentioned Wolf Hall above also

I lived both of the series you mention, particularly CJ Samson.
Would you consider War off the Roses? The Kingmaker series by Toby Clements is also excellent. It has a very strong female character I especially like.

Pillars of the earth - fab.

Andrew Taylor sets his work in different historical periods, but his series set in Restoration era England and starting with the Ashes of London might be worth a try. I think there are now 4 books.

Antonia Hodgson's Thomas Hawkins series, a bit later again, starts with the Devil in the Marshasea and there are 4 books.

If you have a Kindle, a number of books by Diana Norman published in the 1980s and 1990s are available there - think they're all standalones although her later work includes 2 series. I cab't remember exactly when it was set but I remember loving The Vizard Mask when I read it, maybe 20 years ago?

I was going to suggest Wolf Hall too. I gave up reading it but went back after I finished Shardlake and enjoyed it more.

I think I was the same @Sometimesonly with Wolf Hall. I caught the tail end of the TV series as well so I was a bit more primed for it. There was a hell of a lot of men called Thomas IIRC.

Hi, yes I listened to all three this year. I really enjoyed although it took me a while to get into the style. Thought they were incredible. (Although not quite as much as a romp!)

Ooh I’ve not heard of him… will look him up. Ta!

@BillieLurk

There’s only two of them, unfortunately, but the John Dee Papers series by Phil Rickman reminded me quite strongly of the Shardlake books and I really enjoyed them. The first one is The Bones of Avalon.

John Dee pops up in one if the Brunos, doesn’t he!

@WisestIsShe

I lived both of the series you mention, particularly CJ Samson. Would you consider War off the Roses? The Kingmaker series by Toby Clements is also excellent. It has a very strong female character I especially like.

Ooh yes maybe I could get into a bit earlier in history. I don’t know a huge amount about the war of the roses. Although I went to uni in Lancaster and we had an annual Roses sports contest with York.

@noneedtoexpelme

Pillars of the earth - fab.

I read this years ago- agree. Is fab.

I love CJ Sansom but not heard of SJ Parris!
Thanks for the tip 📚

Just going to post the same FayKnights!

I love Matthew Shardlake, although I think the last couple of books could have done with more rigorous editing.

Andrew Taylor's books as a pp mentioned are very good although not Tudor set.

I picked up a couple in a charity shop recently which both look promising, The King's Witch by Tracy Borman and The Incendium Plot by A.D Swanston (all writers of Tudor fiction clearly got the memo to mimic CJ Sansom's name!)

There's a great crime series by a writer called Abir Mukherjee set during the end of Raj era India. Would recommend.

I tried to read an SJ Parris but they don't hold a candle to CJ in my opinion.

Two old fashioned books but I still love them are:

Pour the Dark Wine by Dinah Lampitt
Katherine by Anna Seaton

I can't think of many others that have the mystery solving like Sansome and Parris.

Has anyone read S.W. Perry series? (Initials again!!)

Thank you everyone for these!! Building up a little audible waiting list!

No I haven't but I've noticed that they come up in my Kindle recommendations all the time.

I'm going to add Pillars of the Earth to my reading list.