Books like 'Dissolution'
Readers who enjoyed Dissolution by C.J. Sansom also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical mystery thriller historical-fiction crime early-modern law-enforcement religion medieval suspense
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Lamentation by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAs Henry VIII lies on his deathbed, an incendiary manuscript threatens to tear his court apart.Summer, 1546. King Henry VIII is slowly, painfully dying. His Protestant and Catholic councilors are engaged in a final and decisive power struggle; whoever wins will control the government...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval politics religion spirituality -
![Tombland by C.J. Sansom]()
Tombland by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDuring the political upheaval of Tudor-era England, the lawyer Matthew Shardlake must decide where his loyalties lie in "one of the best ongoing mystery series" for fans of Hilary Mantel (Christian Science Monitor).LONGLISTED FOR THE SIR WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos...Categorized as:
crime drama early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval politics religion -
![Revelation by C.J. Sansom]()
Revelation by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSpring, 1543. King Henry VIII is wooing Lady Catherine Parr, whom he wants for his sixth wife. But this time the object of his affections is resisting. Archbishop Cranmer and the embattled Protestant faction at court are watching keenly, for Lady Catherine is known to have reformist sympathies. Meanwhile, a teenage boy, a religious maniac, has been placed in the Bedlam hospital for the insane...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense -
![The Council of Twelve by Oliver Pötzsch]()
The Council of Twelve by Oliver Pötzsch
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe seventh chilling mystery in The Hangman's Daughter seriesThe year is 1672. Hangman Jakob Kuisl and his family travel to Munich, the cosmopolitan heart of Bavaria, for a meeting of the prestigious—for dishonorable hangmen, at least—Council of Twelve, the leaders of the empire’s hangmen’s guild... -
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![Heartstone by C.J. Sansom]()
Heartstone by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSummer, 1545. England is at war. Henry VIII's invasion of France has gone badly wrong. Meanwhile Matthew Shardlake is given an intriguing legal case by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. He is asked to investigate claims of 'monstrous wrongs' committed against a young ward of the court, which have already involved one mysterious death...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement legal medieval religion spirituality -
![Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom]()
Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt is 1540, and Henry VIII has been on the throne for thirty-one years when Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer renowned as "the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England," is pressed to help a friend's young niece who is charged with murder. Despite threats of torture and death by the rack, the girl is inexplicably silent... -
![City on Fire by Don Winslow]()
City on Fire by Don Winslow
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo criminal empires together control all of New England.Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance, and set a city on fire.Danny Ryan yearns for a more “legit” life and a place in the sun. But as the bloody conflict stacks body on body and brother turns against brother, Danny has to rise above himself... -
![Angels and Demons / The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #1-2) by Dan Brown]()
Angels and Demons / The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #1-2) by Dan Brown
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsEnter the labyrinthine world of internationally bestselling author Dan Brown with his first two spellbinding thrillers featuring Robert Langdon:Angels and DemonsWhen a groundbreaking scientist is found brutally murdered, world renowned Harvard professor Robert Langdon is summoned to identify the mysterious symbol seared on to the dead man's chest...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement religion spirituality suspense thriller action-adventure -
![The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy]()
The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA curious priest uncovers a mystifying secret... One that leads to a long-buried relic some will do anything to possess. Can he outwit adversaries who will stop at nothing to keep him from revealing an object that challenges history as we know it? Father Michael Dominic discovers a strangely constructed 13th-century puzzle hidden deep within the Vatican Secret Archives... -
![Cometh the Hour by Jeffrey Archer]()
Cometh the Hour by Jeffrey Archer
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 28 ratings"Cometh the Hour" opens with the reading of a suicide note, which has devastating consequences for Harry and Emma Clifton, Giles Barrington and Lady Virginia.Giles must decide if he should withdraw from politics and try to rescue Karin, the woman he loves, from behind the Iron Curtain...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction law-enforcement politics suspense thriller 20th-century -
![The Worthy Soldier by Sarah Woodbury]()
The Worthy Soldier by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMay 1147. Gareth and Gwen have traveled to Deheubarth in the retinue of Prince Hywel. The Prince of Gwynedd has temporarily allied himself with King Cadell and his Norman relations in order to finally evict the hated Flemings from south Wales. But while the battle goes well, the celebratory feast afterwards does not, leaving Gareth and Gwen among the few left standing... -
![The Favored Son by Sarah Woodbury]()
The Favored Son by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNovember 1147. Gareth and Gwen have again been called to a castle belonging to Robert, Earl of Gloucester, this time by Prince Henry, who insists his uncle was murdered. Allying with Normans doesn't come easily to Gareth and Gwen, but initial doubts are swept aside as more losses come to light... -
![Word of Honor by Nelson DeMille, Brian Murray]()
Word of Honor by Nelson DeMille, Brian Murray
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe is a good man, a brilliant corporate executive, an honest, handsome family man admired by men and desired by women. But a lifetime ago Ben Tyson was a lieutenant in Vietnam. There the men under his command committed a murderous atrocity--and together swore never to tell the world what they had done. Now the press, army justice, and the events he tried to forget have caught up with Ben Tyson... -
![Sovereign by C.J. Sansom]()
Sovereign by C.J. Sansom
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAutumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission by his rebellious subjects in York.Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak... -
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![The Treason of the Ghosts by Paul Doherty]()
The Treason of the Ghosts by Paul Doherty
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the village of Melford, a local lord is executed for a spate of vicious murders. It's not until the killing begins again, and the dead lord's son alleges that a miscarriage of justice has taken place, that a serious investigation begins... -
![By Murder's Bright Light by Paul Doherty, P. Harding]()
By Murder's Bright Light by Paul Doherty, P. Harding
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsScandal, murder and treason… Athelstan and Cranston are back with a bang. Winter, 1379. French privateers are attacking the southern coast and threaten London itself, the very heart of the nation... -
![The Anger of God by Paul Doherty, P. Harding]()
The Anger of God by Paul Doherty, P. Harding
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn autumn 1379, the power of the British crown is invested in John of Gaunt, and the kingdom is seething with discontent. The French are attacking the southern ports and peasants are planning a revolt organized by a mysterious leader who proclaims himself “IRA DEI,” the anger of God. Meanwhile Gaunt's tenuous plans are plunged into chaos by a series of bloody murders in London... -
![Murder Most Holy by Paul Doherty, P. Harding]()
Murder Most Holy by Paul Doherty, P. Harding
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the early summer of 1379 in London, Sir John Cranston, Coroner of the city, is trapped into a wager with Signior Gian Galeazzo, Lord of Cremona, who challenges him to resolve a certain murder mystery within two weeks. Men have been found dead in the scarlet chamber of one of Cremona's manors... -
![Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer]()
Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA bomb goes off, but how many passengers on the MV Buckingham have lost their lives? You will find out only if you read the opening chapter of Mightier than the Sword...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction politics suspense thriller 20th-century action-adventure -
![The Boys from Biloxi: A Legal Thriller by John Grisham]()
The Boys from Biloxi: A Legal Thriller by John Grisham
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 30 ratings#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two families. One courtroom showdown. • John Grisham’s most gripping thriller yet. • “A legal literary legend.” — USA Today John Grisham returns to Mississippi with the riveting story of two sons of immigrant families who grow up as friends, but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law... -
![The Magdalene deception by Gary McAvoy, Will Damron]()
The Magdalene deception by Gary McAvoy, Will Damron
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA forbidden secret . . .The Church’s fate in the balance . . .Will a pair of amateur sleuths expose a truth that could upend the Christian world? Jesus’ resurrection is a cornerstone of Christian faith. But when a clue surfaces that hints at an alternate account, the ramifications stand to change Christianity forever...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction politics spirituality suspense thriller action-adventure -
![The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean]()
The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter Culloden, Iain MacGillivray was left for dead on Drumossie Moor. Wounded, his face brutally slashed, he survived only by pretending to be dead as the Redcoats patrolled the corpses of his Jacobite comrades.Six years later, with the clan chiefs routed and the Highlands subsumed into the British state, Iain lives a quiet life, working as a bookseller in Inverness...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement thriller mystery historical fiction audiobook -
![Treachery: A Novel by S.J. Parris]()
Treachery: A Novel by S.J. Parris
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAugust, 1585. A relentless enemy. A treacherous conspiracy. Elizabethan England is on the brink of war. Sir Francis Drake is preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish when a murder aboard his ship changes everything.Giordano Bruno agrees to hunt the killer down, only to find that more than one deadly plot is brewing in Plymouth’s murky underworld...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality thriller -
![A Death in Live Oak by James Grippando]()
A Death in Live Oak by James Grippando
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the 2017 winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction comes a powerful and timely story of race, politics, injustice, and murder as shocking and incendiary as today’s headlines... -
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![An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters]()
An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn 1141, England is still in the midst of the strife caused by the struggle for the throne between King Stephen and the Empress Maud. Among its victims the Abbey of Hyde Meade, totally destroyed...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality whodunit thriller -
![The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters]()
The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA late spring in 1142 brings dismay to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, for there may be no roses by June 22nd. On that day the young widow Perle must receive one white rose as rent for the house she has given to benefit the abbey or the contract is void. When nature finally complies, a pious monk is sent to pay the rent - and is found murdered beside the hacked rose-bush...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense whodunit -
![Hidden Killers by Lynda La Plante]()
Hidden Killers by Lynda La Plante
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe brilliant new crime thriller from the BAFTA-winning writer behind the TV series Prime Suspect and author of Widows, now a major motion picture When WPC Jane Tennison is promoted to the role of Detective Constable in London’s Bow Street CID, she is immediately conflicted... -
![The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters]()
The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOctober 1139. A savage murder interrupts an ill-fated marriage set to take place at Brother Cadfael's abbey, leaving the monk with a terrible mystery to solve. The key to the killing is hidden among the inhabitants of the Saint Giles leper colony, and Brother Cadfael must ferret out a sickness not of the body, but of a twisted mind...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense whodunit -
![A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb]()
A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this gripping medieval mystery.1374. When a member of one of York’s most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose throughout the city... -
![A Greater Glory by James Scott Bell]()
A Greater Glory by James Scott Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA force of nature in turn-of-the-century Los Angeles . . .Kit Shannon, trial lawyer, in a world where men control the courtroom . . .or think they do. The bestselling series continues! Having proved she's a legal success, Kit Shannon again battles injustices found in Los Angeles, the city she has come to love. She now takes up the cause of a society woman who fears her dark past will be exposed... -
![The Unexpected Ally by Sarah Woodbury]()
The Unexpected Ally by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMarch 114 7. Assassination, espionage, betrayal. King Owain has ridden east to confront King Madog of Powys with the attempt on the life of his son. Rhys, now abbot of St. Kentigern's monastery, hopes for peace and calls both Madog and Owain to the negotiating table. Peace, however, is the last thing on Madog's mind... -
![The Assassin in the Greenwood by Paul Doherty]()
The Assassin in the Greenwood by Paul Doherty
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the summer of 1302 the famous Robin of Locksley, popularly known as Robin Hood, has gone back to his outlaw ways in Sherwood Forest where he battles against royal authority, culminating in the barborous massacre of royal tax collectors and the mysterious murder of Sir Eustace Vechey, one of the sheriffs of Nottingham... -
![Murder in Canton by Robert van Gulik]()
Murder in Canton by Robert van Gulik
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA.D. 681Murder In Canton takes place in 680 A.D. Judge Dee, recently promoted to Lord Chief Justice, is sent incognito to Canton to investigate the disappearance of a court censor... -
![Evil Unveiled by Robert McCammon]()
Evil Unveiled by Robert McCammon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"New York Times" bestselling author Robert McCammon continues his triumphant return with the conclusion of an epic tale of suspense that reinstates him as one of the great storytellers of our time....The Carolinas, 1699: After hearing damning testimony from the townspeople of Fount Royal, magistrate Isaac Woodward sentences the accused witch, Rachel Howarth, to death by burning... -
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![The House of the Red Slayer by Paul Doherty]()
The House of the Red Slayer by Paul Doherty
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn December 1377 a great frost has the city in its icy grip; even the Thames is frozen from bank to bank. Murder, revenge and treachery also make their presence felt. The Constable of the Tower of London, Sir Ralph Whitton, is found murdered in a cold bleak chamber in the North Bastion...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval spirituality whodunit thriller adult -
![Conspiracy by S.J. Parris]()
Conspiracy by S.J. Parris
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA gripping murder mystery set in 16th-century France, as Giordano Bruno fights against multiple factions manipulating the succession of King Henri III.December 1585: King Henri III of France is the last of his line. He has appointed a Protestant as his successor, which has caused a three-way war in his country...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense -
![The King’s Evil by Andrew Taylor]()
The King’s Evil by Andrew Taylor
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWinner of The HWA Gold Crown 2020From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of Londonand The Fire Court comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood at the time of King Charles II.A royal scandal that could change the face of England forever… London 1667...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement politics suspense thriller action-adventure -
![With Our Blessing by Jo Spain]()
With Our Blessing by Jo Spain
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn 1975, a baby just minutes old is taken from its devastated mother. In 2010, the gruesome corpse of a nun is found in a Dublin public park. Detective Inspector Tom Reynolds and his team are on the scene and he's convinced the murder is linked to historical events that took place in the infamous former Magdalene Laundries, institutions for "fallen women... -
![O Noviço do Diabo by Ellis Peters]()
O Noviço do Diabo by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the autumn of 1140 the Benedictine monastery at Shrewsbury finds its new novice Meriet Aspley a bit disturbing. The younger son of a prominent family, Meriet is meek and biddable by day, but his sleep is rife with nightmares so violent that they earn him the name of "Devil's Novice". Shunned by the other monks, Aspley attracts the concern of Brother Cadfael...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense whodunit -
![The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters]()
The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBrother Cadfael’s pastoral life is upended by the disappearance of a young boy and the arrival of a saintly hermit.The year is 1142, and England is in the grip of civil war. Within the cloisters of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, there begins a chain of events no less momentous than the upheavals of the outside world...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval politics religion spirituality suspense -
![The Heretic's Apprentice by Ellis Peters]()
The Heretic's Apprentice by Ellis Peters
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the Summer of 1143, two visitors arrive at the gates of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul bearing a corpse. But another violent death follows in their wake, and Brother Cadfael is called upon to investigate the connection between these two gory events...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval religion spirituality suspense whodunit -
![Alchemy by S.J. Parris]()
Alchemy by S.J. Parris
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPrague, 1588A COURT IN TURMOILThe Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the elusive hunt for the philosopher’s stone and thus immortality...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement thriller early-modern religion medieval spirituality -
![Without a Trace by Melvin R. Starr]()
Without a Trace by Melvin R. Starr
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe wife of a knight disappears while traveling from her husband's manor to Bampton, on the way to another of the knight's properties. She and her maid are travelling in an enclosed wagon, whilst her husband and his grooms and a squire are mounted. When the party arrives at Bampton Castle neither the lady nor her maid are within the enclosed wagon: they have simply vanished... -
![Betrayal at Iga: A Hiro Hattori Novel by Susan Spann]()
Betrayal at Iga: A Hiro Hattori Novel by Susan Spann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAutumn, 1565: After fleeing Kyoto, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo take refuge with Hiro's ninja clan in the mountains of Iga province. But when an ambassador from the rival Koga clan is murdered during peace negotiations, Hiro and Father Mateo must find the killer in time to prevent a war between the ninja clans... -
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![Chains of Folly by Roberta Gellis]()
Chains of Folly by Roberta Gellis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThat Nelda Roundheels had been murdered would have been of little interest to anyone - except that her body turned up in the bishop of Winchester's bedchamber with a letter to the bishop, from the king's most important enemy, rolled up in her breastband... -
![Death Magic by C.S. Quinn]()
Death Magic by C.S. Quinn
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings'Quinn is a brilliant new talent!’ —Peter JamesFrom author of the bestselling Thief Taker seriesLondon 1663. A murdered girl. An attic full of charms …Charlie Tuesday has a new case. A maid-servant has been brutally murdered, leaving an array of strange protectorates in her attic room. Stolen from her body was a silver thimble which no-one can explain how she came to have...Categorized as:
crime early-modern historical-fiction law-enforcement suspense action-adventure book fiction -
![The Dragons of Archenfield by Edward Marston]()
The Dragons of Archenfield by Edward Marston
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086, England's mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their day of judgment. Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement; *and sometimes murder. . . -
![An Ancient Evil by Paul Doherty]()
An Ancient Evil by Paul Doherty
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn Ancient Evil inaugurates an ingenious new series of historical mysteries by P. C. Doherty, each one using characters from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In Chaucer's poem, the pilgrims narrate tales to pass the time during their journey to the sacred shrine of Canterbury; Doherty's pilgrims entertain their companions with stories of mystery, terror, and murder...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement medieval suspense adult amateur-sleuth book -
![The Mad Monk of Gidleigh by Michael Jecks]()
The Mad Monk of Gidleigh by Michael Jecks
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlone in his isolated, windswept chapel on the edge of Dartmoor, his only companions moor men and poverty–stricken serfs, who could blame the young priest, Mark for seeking affection from Jane, the local miller’s daughter? But when Jane’s body is found brutally stabbed, Mark is the obvious suspect—and the discovery that Jane was pregnant seems to confirm his guilt... -
![Ashes to Ashes by Melvin R. Starr, Tim Bruce]()
Ashes to Ashes by Melvin R. Starr, Tim Bruce
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMaster Hugh, Kate, and their children attend the Midsummer's Eve fire. Early next morning, Hugh hears the passing bell ring from the Church of St. Beornwald, and moments later is summoned. Tenants collecting the ashes to spread upon their fields have found burned bones. Master Hugh learns of several men of Bampton and nearby villages who have gone missing recently...
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