This is a good old-fashioned who-dun-it, with bodies dropping every few chapters. Set in 1537 and told in the first person, Matthew Shardlake (a King’s Commissioner) must investigate the brutal killing of the previous King's Commissioner, Robin Singleton at Scarnsea monastery. What is a good and reasonable Reformer to do amongst a bunch of deluded crazy Papist monks? With the fate of the Monastery at risk, everyone has something to cover up and nobody is to be believed!

The historical background is phenomenal in this book (the author really knows his stuff) and the murder mystery ain’t bad. The character of Mathew Sharldlake is charming but will probably need to be developed a little more (I assume this will happen in later books?).

Altogether recommended for those who like a slightly different murder mystery and for fans of historical fiction set in the Tudor period.