Revelation

Revelation (2008), a historical mystery novel by Christopher John Sansom, is the fourth book in the Matthew Shardlake series. Set in England in 1543, it follows a lawyer and his assistant as they hunt for whoever murdered a fellow lawyer. Shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award, critics praise it for its complex, layered plot and historical accuracy. Sansom writes historical novels with crime and mystery elements, and he is best known for the Matthew Shardlake novels. Before writing full-time, Sansom practiced as a solicitor in England.

The main character throughout the series is the lawyer Matthew Shardlake. He works for prominent Privy Council men in Tudor England, including Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. In Revelation, Shardlake works as a senior barrister, a very prestigious position, in Lincoln’s Inn.

When the book opens, Shardlake represents working class people in the Court of Requests. This is the equivalent of today’s pro bono work, as it is a court for poor people. He is defending a young boy Adam Kite, the son of a stonemason, who is locked up in the London mental hospital, Bethlem Royal (“Bedlam”).



Shardlake learns that Adam is praying to God to save him. He is a vocal supporter of the new religion, namely the teachings of Calvin and Luther. As the Roman papacy is determined to cling to its fragile hold over the people, King Henry VIII’s Privy Council locks Adam away. Unfortunately for Adam, he is burned at the stake as a heretic. Shardlake can do nothing for him. Radical conservatives are still in power, and the concept of free will and freedom of religious worship is scandalized.

Meanwhile, the political landscape of Tudor England is slowly changing. In 1543, King Henry VIII has recently executed his fifth wife, the young Catherine Howard. He is already on the lookout for his sixth wife, and he has set his sights on Lady Catherine Parr. Catherine has no interest in the king. He is ill and obese, covered in ulcers from lying around all the time. However, Catherine’s own supporters want her to marry him. She is a Reformer, supporting the growing Protestant religion. Her supporters know that she can further the Protestant religion if she is in power.

Although Shardlake distances himself from politics, it is only a matter of time before Catherine and the monarchy become his problem. Just after Adam’s inquest, one of Shardlake’s lawyer friends, Roger Elliard, is found murdered inside Lincoln’s Inn. Archbishop Cranmer believes that the murder may be connected to a spate of murders around London. These murders are targeting supporters of Catherine Parr.



Shardlake takes on Elliard’s case. He promises his widow that he won’t stop until the killer is caught. Shardlake despises working closely with the Privy Council, though. He knows that anyone who is close to the king, in any capacity, is in constant danger because of the king’s mercurial, tyrannical temper. However, Shardlake works with Cranmer and the others because it is the only way to avenge Elliard.

As Shardlake works on the case, he realizes there is a political link, after all. Torn between keeping the king out of the investigations and exploring every possible suspect, Shardlake’s job isn’t easy. No one wants the added pressure of the king scrutinizing their every move, and so, it is Shardlake’s job to ensure the king doesn’t know anything about the murders—and the potential link to Catherine Parr.

Meanwhile, the murders turn even more gruesome. The victims are mutilated and tortured; their deaths are staged. Shardlake eventually works out that the murderer has a religious agenda, not a political one. The murderer is using the prophecies from the Book of Revelations as an inspiration for his killings. Shardlake understands that the victims are all former Reformists who have since returned to Catholicism, and so, this must be why they are being targeted. The threat against Catherine Parr, then, is very real—especially if King Henry turns her head towards Catholicism.



Shardlake notices something peculiar about the victims. Although they have been tortured in horrendous ways, they all have peaceful facial expressions. Shardlake reasons that they were either murdered before being mutilated or, more likely, the murderer gave them a sedative before torturing them. This makes everyone question what kind of murderer would do such a thing, and why.

For Shardlake, the sedative angle is a useful lead. He approaches the Assistant Coroner of London who confirms his suspicions and assists with the case. The trail leads them to Westminster Abbey. Physicians with knowledge of sedatives trained and worked here. However, the lead proves a dead end, and time is running out. Shardlake and the others assume that the killer must be extremely cunning, powerful, and skilled, but they are wrong.

The killer turns out to be a lapsed monk. He despises lapsed reformers for reasons that no one can understand. He stalks his victims and pays informants so that he can find out everything he needs to know about them. Shardlake is rewarded for finding the killer before any harm comes to Catherine Parr.