Matthew Shardlake Books in Order
Matthew Shardlake by C.J. Sansom contains 7 books, published between 2003 and 2018. The first book is Dissolution (2003) and the newest is Tombland (2018). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 2003–2018
- Confirmed
- 7 of 7 titles
- Pages on record
- 2,753 in 5 of 7 books
- Reading time
- 46–69 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 2,753 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 5 of 7 titles with a page count on record.
Matthew Shardlake is a historical mystery series by C.J. Sansom, set in sixteenth-century Tudor England. Shardlake is a barrister who solves crimes while the religious reforms of Henry VIII reshape the country around him, and the first six books sit inside that reign. The seventh, Tombland (2018), takes place two years after the king's death. Seven books run from Dissolution (2003) to Tombland; Sansom spoke of carrying the lawyer into the reign of Elizabeth I, and no eighth title was published before he died.
How many Matthew Shardlake books are there?
Matthew Shardlake has 7 books, released between 2003 and 2018.
Matthew Shardlake Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 7 Matthew Shardlake books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1Dissolution2003 · 455 pages · confirmed 3/420034553/4
- 2Dark Fire2004 · 528 pages · confirmed 3/420045283/4
- 3Sovereign2006 · 578 pages · confirmed 3/420065783/4
- 4Revelation2008 · 549 pages · confirmed 3/420085493/4
- 5Heartstone2010 · confirmed 3/42010–3/4
- 6Lamentation2014 · 643 pages · confirmed 3/420146433/4
- 7Tombland2018 · confirmed 3/42018–3/4
Is there a chronological order for Matthew Shardlake?
No separate chronological order is on record for Matthew Shardlake, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.
Do you have to read Matthew Shardlake books in order?
You should read the Matthew Shardlake books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Matthew Shardlake book also stands alone.
Where to start with Matthew Shardlake
Start with Dissolution (2003), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Matthew Shardlake book?
Tombland (2018) is the newest Matthew Shardlake book released so far.
Is there a new Matthew Shardlake book coming?
No next Matthew Shardlake book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Matthew Shardlake has won
Wikidata records 1 award for Matthew Shardlake. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- CWA Historical Dagger2005Wonfor Dark Fire
Matthew Shardlake at a glance
- No recent titles
- The newest Matthew Shardlake title on record dates from 2018, 8 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
- Release pace
- Matthew Shardlake books have appeared about one every 3 years on average.
- Length
- 2,753 pages across the 5 of 7 books with a recorded length, a median of 549 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Matthew Shardlake books, 4 of 7, were published in the 2000s.
What the Matthew Shardlake books are about
All 7 Matthew Shardlake books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: lawyers is tagged on 7 of 7. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Lawyers 7 of 7 books
- History 6 of 7 books
- London (England) 3 of 7 books
- Mystery & detective 3 of 7 books
- Mystery & detective, police procedural 3 of 7 books
- Great Britain 2 of 7 books
- Historical fiction 2 of 7 books
- Mystery & detective, historical 2 of 7 books
More books by C.J. Sansom
The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.
- C.J. Sansom books in order 18 books