I recently encountered the BBC dramatization of the first 6 books in this series by C. J. Sansom on Audible and decided to give it a try. I’d not heard of the series before but now…

As a rule, Tudor England is not a period of history that captures much of my interest. I know a passing amount about Henry VIII and his family. This isn’t unusual if you have access to some sort of viewing screen and a streaming platform or two… Perhaps that is why I don’t claim any real Interest (yes, capitalization and all that goes with it) in the period.

That being said, I could say the same about Cadfael, that wonderful series starring Derek Jacobi from 1994. Different period of English history but still mysteries. <shrug/grin>

Shardlake is beautifully presented with interesting characters and more than a passing reference to historic people and places. It gives you an opening to walk through a looking glass, so to speak, and meander among the locals.

The stories are well written and the mysteries do not require the reader to dive in head first if they don’t want to.

This article, from the Adventures of a Tudor Nerd, provides a great introduction and might answer any questions you have before you dive in. Click HERE to read it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the BBC production but I will also be checking out the standard books in the series.

If you are inclined, Hulu / Disney+ has the 4 episode live action series. It is on my To Be Watched List.