Author:CJ Sansom,Full Cast,Mark Bonnar,Jason Watkins
A thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on CJ Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel.
Winter, 1537. Henry VIII has declared himself Supreme Head of the Church, and instructed his chief minister Thomas Cromwell to dissolve England's religious houses and seize their wealth. But Cromwell's plot to bring down the abbeys has hit a snag – one of the King's Commissioners has been found brutally murdered in Scarnsea monastery, on the south coast of Kent. If news of the killing were to get out, the consequences could be disastrous.
Desiring a quick, discreet result, he sends his trusted lawyer-detective, Matthew Shardlake, to investigate. However, as Shardlake interviews the prime suspects and delves deeper into the mysteries of Scarnsea, it soon becomes clear that the case will not be as simple to solve as he had hoped. Which of the terrified monks is the murderer? And can Shardlake catch him before he strikes again?
CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' series has sold over two million copies, and this atmospheric dramatisation starring BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries) brings his début novel to electrifying life. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it is both an engrossing murder mystery and a brilliantly realised portrayal of Tudor England. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.
Harper Lee has a worthy successor. Wolk is a big new talent
—— The TimesWeaving together complex themes with extraordinary skill, debut author Lauren Wolk has created a book that deserves to be read . . . A timeless story, beautifully placed in an evocative and brilliantly realised historical setting
—— GuardianSuspenseful, wise, beautifully written and emotionally engaging
—— Sunday TimesHaunting . . . With a precociously perceptive girl as a main character; a damaged, misunderstood recluse; and themes of prejudice and bigotry, comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird will abound. But Wolk gives us her own story - one full of grace and stark, brutal beauty
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—— The BooksellerBeautifully written, with memorable characters, sensitively handled moral issues and a storyline that lingers long after the final page. I loved it
—— Daily MailA poignant story of prejudice, bigotry and one girl’s efforts to prove a man’s innocence
—— Sunday ExpressShades of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird loom close in Lauren Wolk's confident debut. Annabelle is every bit as determined and passionate as Scout Finch, but this is a plot that stays in the fields and farmhouses of the land . . . Sensitive and thought-provoking
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—— School Library JournalProfound
—— Publishers WeeklyThe honesty of Wolf Hollow will just about shred your heart, but Annabelle’s courage and compassion will restore it to you, fuller than before. This book matters
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—— Mystery People‘Intriguing’
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