C. J. Sansom

1952–2024

1 series 7 books in order

Christopher John Sansom (1952–2024) was a British writer of historical crime novels, best known for his Matthew Shardlake series. He also wrote the spy novel Winter in Madrid and the alternative history novel Dominion, and his awards included the 2005 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger and the 2022 Cartier Diamond Dagger. He is credited with six Shardlake novels, including Dissolution and Dark Fire. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Born: 1952
Known for: Shardlake series

Series by C. J. Sansom

Shardlake series

7 books in order · 2003–2019

Dissolution

2003 · C. J. Sansom

Dissolution (2003) is a historical mystery novel by British author C. J. Sansom. It is Sansom's first published novel and the first in the Matthew…
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Dark fire

2004 · C. J. Sansom

It is 1540 during the hottest summer of the sixteenth century. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, believes he is out of favor with Thomas Cromwell. He is…
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Sovereign

2006 · C. J. Sansom

Sovereign is a 2006 historical mystery novel by British author C. J. Sansom, his fourth novel and the third in the Matthew Shardlake series. Set in…
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Revelation

2008 · C. J. Sansom

In Revelation, the third novel in the Shardlake series, the year is 1543, and King Henry VIII is pursuing Lady Catherine Parr, a woman who supports…
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Heartstone

2010 · C. J. Sansom

Summer, 1545: England is at war after Henry VIII's invasion of France goes badly wrong, and a massive French fleet prepares to sail across the…
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Lamentation

2014 · C. J. Sansom

In this 2014 novel by C. J. Sansom, set in summer 1546, King Henry VIII is dying while Protestant and Catholic councillors fight for control of his…
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Tombland

2019 · C. J. Sansom

In 1549, during a time of political turmoil in England, lawyer Matthew Shardlake faces a difficult choice. The country is in chaos under the rule of…
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has C. J. Sansom written?

We list 7 books by C. J. Sansom across 1 series, published between 2003–2019 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read C. J. Sansom's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Dissolution.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy C. J. Sansom's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Bibliography and reading orders compiled from verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.