When I bought Revelation, which was actually the last book in the series, I wasn't really that excited to read it. I'd only bought it because I was in the mood for a murder mystery and because it was big and thick. I thought that it would keep me occupied for at least a week before I started getting antsy about going to the bookstore again.
I began reading it after lunch. After chapter two, I was intrigued and by the end of chapter five, the story had me in its clutches and I couldn't put it down. It was just so good! The one week I'd been hoping for turned into a couple of hours. And I knew I had to look for the first three. On our next trip to the bookstore, I scoured the shelves until I found two more: Dissolution and Dark Fire. I bought the third book in the series, Sovereign, just last week and as with Revelation, I zoomed through all three at breakneck speed. And I found out that the BBC is going to turn it into a TV series with Kenneth Branagh playing the role of Matthew Shardlake. I hope they release DVD's of it.
These books will introduce you to the sights and sounds of 16th century England as well as give a glimpse into the brutality of life in the Tudor period. And if you're a murder mystery fan like me, I guarantee you'll enjoy these books as much as I have.
Mood Music: Murder Mystery by Velvet Underground