C J Sansom. I am hooked! Is there anything similar?

[BendyBob]

I'm sure I've cottoned onto this much later than most bookworms on mn. Still better late than never. I have read Dissolution and now coming to the end of Dark Fire.

I'm so hooked, I don't think I'd notice if the house fell down the books are so gripping (wouldn't they make great films?)

I have Sovereign lined up..but then what? Help!

I haven't really read historical crime books before and had no idea I'd enjoy these so much. Where can I go when I have exhausted the wonderful Shardlake? Any suggestions welcome

Ooh yes to that suggestion for Barak. Absolutely no to Kenneth B for Matthew S though as a) I can't stand him b) he is too 'meaty' looking and I picture Shardlake as quite spare looking iykwim and c) I think he's too old. Vigo Mortensen probably too tall but I think he has the right sort of sparseness about him.

I tried reading one of Hiliary M's which I thought was utter tosh, so prob won't bother with Wolf Hall.

How did I kill this? I want to talk about Shardlake some more!

Oh and yes to Ken Follet. The first one is a bit predictable and two dimensional but I liked the second one a lot. And the plot of the first one is gripping, even whilst knowing it's not v well written. And they are HUGE so good in that sense for those of us who read too quickly!

I'll talk Shardlake with you. Which was your favourite book and why?

I also have Wolf Hall on my radar but I am not certain whether I will like it.

I think the first was my favourite tbh but I liked the last one too - can't remember what it was called or what happened in it though, so am pretty useless.

The Hilary M one I tried was something to do with an overweight medium - something to do with Black in the title I think. Terrible.

Revelation is the fourth one and, not to give too much away for those who haven't read it yet, the plot was linked to a passage from the Book of Revelations. Yes I liked the first one a lot too, but there were loads of minor errors in it which annoyed me - someone needed to proof read it a bit more carefully.

I have just been looking up Ken Follet on Amazon. His books do seem to bring out extreme reactions in people!

Have you read Winter In Madrid too? I really liked that.

No, I haven't. I am not sure the Spanish civil war appeals to me. Or is that a mistake?

I think because my father tried to get me to read For whom the bell tolls when I was a teenager and I really couldn't be bothered with it.

I read the first Shardlake book on holiday and found it quite entertaining, but haven't quite managed to progress to the rest yet.

Was wondering what other people reckon to Philippa Gregory? - obv. lighter historical fiction than Hilary Mantel, but worth a go? I have 'The Other Boleyn Girl' in a charity-shop haul, but somehow never get round to making a start on it....I haven't really done historical fiction since a teengae Jean Plaidy phase!

That should be teenage, clearly (pedant alert)

Just remembered 'The name of the Rose' Umberto Eco is in this genre if you haven't read it. (I read it years ago, and have slightly forgotten it, but seem to remember it as enjoyable!)

Was that book Beyond Black Janeite? Not read that one so can't really comment tho I did LOVE A Place of Greater Safety and WH. Could be she's a marmite author.

Agree that Pillars/World Without End are good. Set in early Medieval times tho rather than Tudor

Also excellent is Sharon Penman, but where Pillars focus mainly on fictitious characters she bases as much as she can on fact, actual battles and beheadings (DG should like!)plus romatic intrigues, Closely follows the royals and sticks to the facts. Afaik her books go up to The Wars of the Roses and I now have a crush on both Edward IV and Richard III thanks to
The Sunne In Splendour It's soooooo good!

keep looking at Philippa Gregory Serena- I think I like the covers - and then backing off when I hear bad reviews (!) Maybe someone can fill us in?

I really like Phillipa Greogory, fwiw.

Winter in Madrid is fantastic.

So many recommendations! How to keep all the books and authors in my head so I can look for them in the charity shops? Thanks for the mention of Sharon Penman, MrsDanvers. I do indeed like gore

God I do sound a complete psychopath. Can I quickly explain that what I actually like are stories about loyalty and brotherhood and overcoming adversity, and with that sometimes goes quite a lot of gore. It isn't the gore per se

Dumbledore'sGirl - Do give Winter In Madrid a go - tis nothing like Hemingway!

if you like gore try this - it looks as if it would be rubbish but it is really, really good (but VERY gory!). And lots of loyalty/brotherhood type stuff in it. And did I say there was a lot of gore?

The Hilary M one I tried was Beyond Black, yes. Was rubbish.

Philippa Gregory - I have read some of hers and they do take a lot of liberties with the period. Also, after you've read a couple, they get very samey.

Vlad the Last Confession? Does that really sit alongside Jane Austen on your shelves Janeite?

I am assuming vampires? Actually, I will look out for it. Anything has to be better than that Twilight series.

No vampires - Vlad the Impaler. It's brilliant: trust me!

If you want to read more historical fiction in enclosed settings, Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant is set in a 16th century Italian convent.

I have both Wolf Hall and Beyond Black, also Vacant Possession and A Place of Greater Safety. And her memoir. I liked what I heard of BB on the radio, but I still have to read any of them.

An Instance of The Fingerpost - Iain Pears - Oxford in the mid 1600s, 4 different characters giving their view of a murder. Really well written and gripping.

Oh I read that last year. I found it a bit disappointing tbh - too long and narrators I didn't much care about. Well written though but I failed to connect with it, I think.

Zombie thread but thought I'd resurrect just to say how much I love the Shardlake series. Heartstone was a bit disappointing but I'm willing to overlook.

In order of preference I'd have to go

Dark Fire
Sovereign
Revelation
Dissolution (Mark was dull wasn't he?)
Heartsone

Would love it if they'd make a film series / tv series based on the novels. As long as they got the casting right. someone big and meaty and dark and handsome for Barak. Swoon.

S J Parris is similar and very good. Heresy is one of her books, can't remember offhand the others but they are about a runaway monk solving murders and stuff. The Giordano Bruno series they are called.

I am also a CJ Sansom addict and have found that Rory Clements provides a similar hit.

www.amazon.co.uk/Revenger-Rory-Clements/dp/184854085X/ref=pd_sim_b_2