The Matthew Shardlake is a Legal Thriller / Historical Fiction series by C.J. Sansom, made up of 8 books published between 2003 and 2024. It begins with Dissolution (2003), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Shardlake (2024), spanning 21 years of storytelling.
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | |||
| 1 | Dissolution | 2003 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | Dark Fire | 2004 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 3 | Sovereign | 2006 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 4 | Revelation | 2008 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2010s | |||
| 5 | Heartstone | 2010 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 6 | Lamentation | 2014 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 7 | Tombland | 2018 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2020s | |||
| 8 | ShardlakeLatest | 2024 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
Matthew Shardlake series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Matthew Shardlake series?
Start with Dissolution (2003), the first book in the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the Matthew Shardlake series?
There are 8 books in the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom, published between 2003 and 2024.
What is the first book in the Matthew Shardlake series?
The first book in the Matthew Shardlake series is Dissolution, published in 2003 by C.J. Sansom.
What is the latest book in the Matthew Shardlake series?
The most recent book in the Matthew Shardlake series is Shardlake (2024) by C.J. Sansom.
About the Matthew Shardlake series
C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake novels are richly immersive historical mysteries set in the dangerous world of Tudor England. Shardlake is a hunchbacked lawyer in the reign of Henry VIII, a decent man navigating a court of murderous intrigue, religious terror and shifting loyalties as he investigates crimes that brush against the highest powers in the land.
Sansom, a trained historian, recreates the sights, smells and perils of the period with extraordinary depth, and the mysteries are as much about the era's politics and faith as about the crimes themselves. The recent Disney+ adaptation has widened the audience.
The series follows the turbulent 1530s and '40s in sequence, so it's best read in order from "Dissolution."