Dissolution’ by C J Sansom

The first in an extremely popular series of historical detective novels, set during the period of Henry the Eighth, Thomas Cromwell, and the dissolution of the monasteries.

Events at the monastery of Scarnsea in Sussex have spiralled out of control. Cromwell's Commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege: a black cockerel sacrificed on the altar, and the disappearance of Scarnsea's Great Relic. Lawyer Dr Matthew Shardlake has been sent by Cromwell into this atmosphere of treachery and death. But Shardlake's investigation soon forces him to question everything he hears, and everything that he believes.

Great characterisation and plot, coupled with Sansom’s thorough knowledge of the period, make this book a compelling read. And if you enjoy it there are currently three further Matthew Shardlake mysteries, with a fourth due out later this year …