The year is 1549, two years after the death of Henry VIII and England is slipping into chaos. 11 year old Edward is king with his uncle Edward Seymour as Protector ruling the country. Matthew Shardlake travels to Norfolk to find out about the death of Edith Boleyn, a distant relative of Elizabeth. But while there East Anglia becomes the hub of the rebellions against the rich landowners who are enclosing land for sheep. The rebels led by William Kett take over England's second largest city of Norwich (Tombland is an area of Norwich between the Cathedral and Castle) and soon Matthew and his assistant Nicholas are caught up in the battles. Meeting up with Jack Barak, Mathews former assistant they have to decide which side to take to survive.
At the end of the book are several pages about the historical sources he uses for this book and information of where his book uses authors invention to fill the gaps where nothing is known.
A really good story and because there has always been a big gap between each of his books (the first was written in 2001) I've collected them as they've turned up secondhand and read the last one to remind me of the story before the next one comes to me from the library. So it was a pleasant surprise to find Tombland sitting on the shelves in one of the Stowmarket charity shops for £1.50 (sadly not our charity shop so no volunteers discount!). I hope he writes number 8 in the next few years. And now I have them all I can read them all again one day....if I ever run out of library books.
Thank you to everyone for shoe cleaning memories after yesterdays mundane post. It was interesting to see that it was often the Dad of the house who cleaned shoes in the past. That was true in our house too when I was young, but it always ended up being my job once Col and I married! I'd forgotten that I used to have a shoe cleaning caddy - bright orange, like the brush set, with a carrying handle. So funny that even shoe brushes and caddy matched my first 1970's orange kitchen!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Whilst geographically Tombland is located between the Cathedral and Castle it is a small area outside the Cathedral Close and does not go as far as the Castle. It was the old market place of Norwich before the Castle was built and they moved the market place to where it still is to this day. Horse fairs continued to be held at Tombland. As a child my mother knew it as a good place to park while she had her hair done! As with everywhere else now, parking is no longer allowed on it. Glad you enjoyed the book. Not my sort so won't be reading it. Very windy here this morning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that info. I don't know Norwich very well at all and was just going by the map in the front of the book.
DeleteSo glad you loved it. £1:50 WAS a bargain, it only came out 4 months ago.
ReplyDeleteAh, the orange and brown 1970s kitchens! Still regularly using 2 brown plastic bowls and orange jug (Timothy Whites) and brown/orange floral M&S tray.
Funny how there was so much brown and orange in the 70's!
DeleteIt was a surprise to find the hard back for £1.70 already. All the others I've collected have been paperback and found months or years after the book was published.
My first Saturday job in the late 60s was in Timothy Whites, I earned £1 less threepence stamp. The two managers were horrible!
DeleteI have a copy waiting to be read (and returned to it's owner) so I wont read any of your post in case of too much info.! I very much enjoyed the previous books by C.J.S.
ReplyDeleteI should have put "spoiler alert" on the post but I don't think I have given anything away so it's OK
DeleteAlways remember that bright orange of the 70s and the orange and gold curtains we had. Not forgetting the Indian flocked (dark purple) wallpaper we walked into on our first house. Colourful in those days!
ReplyDeleteI painted the bathroom dark plum in our first house- it was awful!
DeleteIf you ever see them get CJ Sanson's Irish fiction "the missing library books" etc (about 4 in series) much lighter read and real hoot! In fact, very, very, Irish life!
ReplyDeleteThe books you mention are by Ian Sansom - different author completely. I have actually tried that mobile library one but didn't get into it at all
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the book. I'm not too keen on very long books, I tend to forget what's happened before and have to keep going back!
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly much longer than many other books but such a good story. It helps that the main characters have been in many others of the series so they are familiar
DeleteWe married and started our first home in 1970 and I set my heart on an orange kitchen. We had no car and lived in the country so had a terrible job getting orange paint and finally found some cheap brand which was dreadful and dripped everywhere. I had everything orange to match too.
ReplyDeleteI'm about half-way through Tombland. I enjoy his books; I always learn something.
ReplyDeleteI love Norwich. My parents used Tombland for parking too. I will see if I can get the book.
ReplyDeleteHow well I remember the colors of the 70's! I had the orange in my son's room and harvest gold and avocado green in the kitchen! I still have some avocado green dishes.
ReplyDeleteI've heard several people enthusing over Tombland.
ReplyDeleteNot read this but I loved C J Sansome's Winter in Madrid
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