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C. J. Sansom
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Dark Fire: A Novel Hardcover – January 13, 2005

by C. J. Sansom (Author)
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When a friend's niece is charged with murder and threatened with torture for her refusal to speak, 1540 lawyer Matthew Sharklake is granted an unexpected two-week reprieve to investigate the case if he will also accept a dangerous assignment to find a legendary weapon of mass destruction. By the author of Dissolution. 25,000 first printing.
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  1. Book 2 of 7
    Matthew Shardlake Mysteries
  2. Print length
    502 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Viking Adult
  5. Publication date
    January 13, 2005
  6. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9780670033720
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0670033720
  9. See all details
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  1. Dissolution: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery
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  4. The Shardlake Series 7 Books Collection Set By C. J. Sansom (Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone, Lamen
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  6. Shardlake series collection c. j. Sansom 6 books set (Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone, Lamentation)
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  1. ‘Man is an angry, savage being. Sometimes faith becomes an excuse for battle. It is no real faith then. In justifying their positions in the name of God, men silence God.’
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  2. Truly, as the ancients taught us, there is nothing under the moon, however fine, that is not subject to corruption.
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  3. ‘Why does faith bring out the worst in so many, Guy?’ I blurted out. ‘How is it that it can turn men, papist and reformer both, into brutes?’
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Matthew Shardlake, the marvelous hunchbacked 16th-century attorney who first appeared in Sansom's Dissolution, returns in this spellbinding Tudor-era tale of murder, conspiracy and betrayal. Shardlake normally handles property cases and the occasional dangerous mission for Lord Thomas Cromwell, the king's high counselor. Now he is engaged to defend a young woman accused of a curious murder, and the case seems hopeless. The girl refuses to speak and, under English law, unless she offers a plea in court she will be slowly crushed to death. Cromwell offers Shardlake a two-week stay of execution if he will agree to undertake a secret mission. Desperate to save the girl's life, Shardlake agrees. Rumors abound of a new and terrifying weapon called Greek Fire, and Cromwell orders Shardlake to find it, along with its secret formula and the two alchemists who possess it. Before Shardlake can even speak to the alchemists, they are brutally murdered, the formula and Greek Fire go missing, and horror and death are unleashed. Fortunately, Shardlake is aided by Jack Barak, a capable rogue working for Cromwell, and his old friend, Guy Malton, a peculiar apothecary. Sansom's vivid portrayal of squalid, stinking, bustling London; the city's wealth and poverty; the brutality and righteousness of religious persecution; and the complexities of English law make this a suspenseful, colorful and compelling tale.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Hunchback Matthew Shardlake may be one of the sharpest lawyers in sixteenth-century England, but his skills have failed him in the defense of a friend's niece accused of murder. When Henry VIII's vicar general, Thomas Cromwell, spares the convicted girl's life for 14 days, Shardlake knows the reprieve comes at a hefty price: in that time, the lawyer must find a lost cache of "dark fire," the liquid weapon of mass destruction Cromwell has promised to deliver to the increasingly ill-tempered king. With the help of one of Cromwell's impudent servants, Shardlake pursues clues leading him to alchemists, aristocrats, and barristers alike. But in a country bitterly split between Roman Catholics and the newly formed Church of England, it's difficult to distinguish friend from foe. The body count climbs ever higher as Shardlake inches closer to the truth--and toward the deadline for his client's execution. Like his gripping debut, Dissolution [BKL Ap 1 03], Sansom's second Shardlake thriller is suffused with rich period detail and an aura of foreboding. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0670033723
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking Adult (January 13, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 502 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780670033720
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670033720
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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C. J. Sansom

C. J. Sansom

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C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer.

Sansom is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Shardlake series, as well as Winter in Madrid and Dominion. He lives in Sussex.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
14,908 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story intriguing, excellently plotted, and riveting. They describe the book as a pleasant, compelling, and fun read. Readers appreciate the historical detail and writing quality. They say the characters are well-developed, true to themselves, and strong. They also mention the drawing style is elegant, vivid, and realistic.

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Story qualityReadabilityHistorical detailWriting qualityCharacter developmentDrawing stylePacingSeries quality
116 customers mention "Story quality"105 positive11 negative

Customers find the story intriguing, excellently plotted, riveting, and entertaining. They describe the book as a very good historical mystery novel. Readers also mention the two major plot threads drive the tension and keep it imminently moving forward.

"...The story is solid, spoken from Matthew Shardlake's perspective, and has multiple plots/story lines that keeps the interest easily...." Read more

"...A compelling mystery with many threads. Highly recommend for perspectives of Tudor history." Read more

"...I can't find a single fault with this book. It's an excellently plotted mystery, beautifully written and full of fascinating characters...." Read more

"...is able to give his readers a history lecture along with his entertaining storytelling, and one is left with an itching desire to go back to the..." Read more

107 customers mention "Readability"107 positive0 negative

Customers find the book pleasant, compelling, and fun to read. They say it has enough excitement and intrigue to keep them riveted. Readers also describe the series as satisfying and excellent.

"...when he passed, and it is too bad... because these books are a wonderful page-turning, 'clean'..." Read more

"Addictive. Exhilarating. Eye-opening. Christopher Sansom's follow-up to his first novel, Dissolution, is definitely not disappointing...." Read more

"...I consider that a bad sign.The series is worth reading, and I found nothing else besides those to be negatives, but since I find them,..." Read more

"...The solutions are truly unexpected to all of the problmes. Great read as usual...." Read more

80 customers mention "Historical detail"80 positive0 negative

Customers find the book weaves interesting history into a decent mystery. They say it's a must-read for lovers of historical fiction. Readers also mention the details of Tudor London are interesting and complex.

"...The author's research is exceptional: we are immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of 16th century London; the poverty stricken lives of..." Read more

"...I love the carefully researched historical details that transform the reader to Tudor London during the reformation...." Read more

"Interesting and well written" Read more

"...The plot is good, book is well written and historical details are very interesting...." Read more

65 customers mention "Writing quality"56 positive9 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, readable, and superb. They say the author is knowledgeable about his topic, informative, and thoughtful. Readers also mention the book is well-interwoven into the Dark Fire story.

"...fond of the Tudor period, but C. J. Sansom's beautiful and captivating writing is too good to resist...." Read more

"Interesting and well written" Read more

"...The plot is good, book is well written and historical details are very interesting...." Read more

"...two major plot threads, drives the tension of the plot and keeps it imminently readable...." Read more

47 customers mention "Character development"47 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters well-developed, true to themselves, and well-painted. They say the historical characters are strong and the fictional ones intermesh completely. Readers also mention the actors did a fine job. In addition, they say the characters are realistic, some likable, and others unpleasant.

"...'s an excellently plotted mystery, beautifully written and full of fascinating characters...." Read more

"...The book is very good, characters are well developed and stay true to themselves. They grow, change and develop in believable ways...." Read more

"The interesting characters and the historical background keep this novel from being just another twisty overcomplicated mystery novel...." Read more

"...So well crafted. Amazingly complex and riveting stories. Fully fleshed out characters. Challenging. .. Intriguing. So incredibly well done...." Read more

18 customers mention "Drawing style"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the drawing style elegant, vivid, and gorgeous. They appreciate the realistic background to the action and graphic details of the lives of people living in that time. Readers also say the book flawlessly captures the atmosphere of the time and creates wonderful, enduring, and flawed characters.

"..." the first book of the series, "Dark Fire" flawlessly captures the atmosphere of the time, showing how political and religious schemes of the rich..." Read more

"...is 'a bit less polished', but the structure is Great, eye-opening, architectonic, cross referential, perhaps fractal (you get the drift?)...." Read more

"...Fully fleshed out characters. Challenging. .. Intriguing. So incredibly well done. Top of my list now...." Read more

"...of mid sixteenth century London extensivly and gives us a very realistic background to the action...." Read more

17 customers mention "Pacing"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book good. They say it's a fast read and hard to put down. Readers also appreciate the flawless characterization.

"Book in great shape and arrived next day" Read more

"...Brilliant. Astute. Informative. So well crafted. Amazingly complex and riveting stories. Fully fleshed out characters. Challenging. .. Intriguing...." Read more

"...It should have read: Very Used, Fair condition, but still intact, readable...." Read more

"...The writing is good, and fast paced, and from what I know from my non-fiction reading, the history is quite accurate...." Read more

15 customers mention "Series quality"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the series brilliant, worthy, and a good period piece. They say it has everything they enjoy, including mystery, history, suspense, and great reads.

"Good period piece. I appreciated the attention to detail. The character is intelligent and charming...." Read more

"This book is part of a fabulous series, although each book stands alone it is better to read is sequence...." Read more

"Great read. Has everything I enjoy, mystery, history, suspense, and great characters. I am very sparing with five star ratings...." Read more

"...Shardlake series for me, but each book in the series has something wonderful to offer...." Read more

Where's the cover?
2 out of 5 stars
Where's the cover?
I received the book when they said it would arrive. I was very disappointed that the cover was missing tho. This is not what their photo showed. The photo showed the book with the cover, which is what I purchased, not book without cover.
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Top reviews from the United States

Red
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
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I just heard about CJ Sansom when he passed, and it is too bad... because these books are a wonderful page-turning, 'clean' (for the most part... a few words in this novel, not many) historical detective, so to speak, but as a Tudor -era lawyer with a good heart. (Which gets him into all kinds of trouble as he helps those in higher power such as Cromwell...) Would loved to have this series continue on for a long while... (but Matthew's body and spirit can only handle so much, right?!)

I started with 'Dark Fire' as his first book in this series 'Dissolution' in hardback is a bit pricy yet.

The story is solid, spoken from Matthew Shardlake's perspective, and has multiple plots/story lines that keeps the interest easily. One gets a feel for the shaky times back then with religious upheavals and King Henry the 8th's ups and downs as Sovereign and also as Head of the Church.
Lots of interesting phrases such as, "God's teeth!"... or "God's wounds!" ... (or God's whatever... ) as an expression of the times.
Also, one is transported back to old (very) dirty London... where raw sewage is poured down the center of the streets...where horseback is for the wealthy... where beggars abound... and class distinction is very - very clear... and where the 'Tower' strikes fear in everyone, justly so. (Lots of false charges/arrests, torture to get info, and just the old burning if one was thought to be heretical or guilty ... as lawyers were expensive) Also, just traveling around London on horseback takes a long time... much less if on foot. Catching a 'wherry' (ferry) on the polluted and foul Thames to various 'steps' to get off at is also an interesting way they used to travel around.

Great read ~ ( And this reader is picky with books)
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Marianne Kay
4.0 out of 5 stars DARK FIRE
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
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As in DISSOLUTION, we are again transported to Tudor England and the reign of Henry VIII with the reformist Church of England at war with Catholicism and papal control. The author's research is exceptional: we are immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of 16th century London; the poverty stricken lives of ordinary people are contrasted with the privileged class of the aristocracy. Henry VIII declares that he has the God given power to declare his supremacy over the pope. With the help of his vicar-general, Thomas Cromwell, he is able to divorce his wives or execute them on fabricated charges of adultery or treason.
In DARK FIRE as in the previous book we are witness to the results of the destruction of the monasteries: the monks are pensioned off or left to search for ways to support themselves. The land has been sold to the nobility or well financed individuals who will build shoddy housing for the poor. Matthew Shardlake, our London lawyer, is involved in a case to determine who is responsible for maintaining the cesspools. He has also taken on the case of Elizabeth Wentworth accused of the murder of her cousin and sentenced to be pressed to death. Lord Thomas Cromwell has granted a stay of execution for the girl in order for Shardlake and Cromwell's assistant, Barak, to search for a mysterious dark fire. Cromwell has promised the king a display of this spontaneous magical fire which could be a devastating weapon against England's enemies.
There are many plots and subplots here including several murders which means that one has to pay close attention to Matthew's narrative. He comes across as an intellectual with sensitive feelings; he is also a hunchback and is constantly reminded of his disability by crude remarks or scrutiny of his handicap. Previously a reformer, he has become ambivalent in his religious beliefs after the dissolution. Barak, Cromwell's man, assists Matthew in all of his pursuits and brings a youthful passion and disdain for the aristocracy to the story. His robust and combative nature conflicts with Matthew, but it provides a stimulating spark to their relationship. I was pleased to see that Brother Guy, a former monk at Scarnsea has relocated in London. He is a moor, trained as a physician in France, and not allowed to practice in London; he has been able to establish himself with Matthew's help as an apothecary - I hope that Guy will be a recurring character in the series. As a healer and confidant to Matthew, he is a welcoming presence amidst all of the evil characters at play here.
A compelling mystery with many threads. Highly recommend for perspectives of Tudor history.
16 people found this helpful
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Alžběta
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and beautifully written. I couldn't tear myself away!
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022
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The Matthew Shardlake series has made me fall in love with Tudor England. I am not usually very fond of the Tudor period, but C. J. Sansom's beautiful and captivating writing is too good to resist. You really feel you are there together with Shardlake and Barak, investigating, exploring and sleuthing.
Like "Dissolution," the first book of the series, "Dark Fire" flawlessly captures the atmosphere of the time, showing how political and religious schemes of the rich influenced the daily lives of commoners, how the fight for power never ceased and no one was ever safe, and how all changes made in the name of good to be done for the wide society always ended up only making the rich even richer. Some things never change.
I can't find a single fault with this book. It's an excellently plotted mystery, beautifully written and full of fascinating characters. More than anything, however, it makes you feel like one of the Londoners going about their day in the early summer of 1540, trying to survive in the smelly and dirty streets of the capital, just by chance witnessing the tussles of the great and powerful.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Denise McLean
5.0 out of 5 stars arrived early
Reviewed in Canada on July 30, 2021
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this was in excellent condition and arrived early
awesome--- I wish every book would arrive early
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Fire
Reviewed in Spain on June 6, 2024
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Very good read
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Valeria Mota
5.0 out of 5 stars Valió la pena la espera
Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2021
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Llegó en perfecto estado!
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Valeria Mota
5.0 out of 5 stars Valió la pena la espera
Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2021
Llegó en perfecto estado!
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Seafire
5.0 out of 5 stars Very engrossing
Reviewed in Italy on August 25, 2022
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I've been fascinated by Greek Fire for a while, after researching Byzantine art. So this was a book I really wanted to read, and it was highly...Well, I won't say enjoyable because parts were quite fraught, as the Shardlake books tend to be. However, with their authentic Tudor London feel, i will keep an eye out for any future books Sansom writes.
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Alar
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful series:
Reviewed in India on November 30, 2018
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Dark Fire is an excellent murder mystery and a masterly evocation of the times, the mystery and history, seamlessly interwoven... I first chanced upon Dissolution and was riveted. The other Shardlake books by Sansom are brilliant too.
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