I've read all the Matthew Shardlake books now: all in the wrong order, but it doesn't matter. I feel as if I know my way round Tudor London, and have a bit of a feel for the sounds and smells of the streets, and the religious and political turmoil that was a part of everyday life then.

This is a complex two-pronged tale, beginning with a young girl falsely accused of murder, and soon involving Shardlake in another apparently unrelated all-but impossible mission to uncover the secret behind the mysterious Greek Fire, at the behest of Thomas Cromwell.

This is the book where we meet Barak, the coarse yet astute and intelligent young man whom Cromwell provides as his assistant: herbalist Guy, an ex-monk whom we met in the first book has more than a bit-part to play, and is in many ways the voice of Shardlake's conscience. Fast paced, intelligently and intricately plotted, this is a novel that is impossible to put down. ( )

1540, Thomas Cromwell, ministre du roi d’Angleterre Henry VIII, craint pour sa position et donne mission à Matthew Shardlake de retrouver la recette du mythique feu grégeois, alors qu’il doit également défendre une jeune fille accusée du meurtre de son cousin. Un roman historique dense en informations, au rythme inégal et à la double intrigue un peu bancale et dont le manque de descriptions empêche de visualiser lieux et personnages. Après le prometteur ”Dissolution”, un second opus décevant. ( )

After reading books 1, 5 and 6 of this series I managed to obtain this earlier volume. It is interesting to see in this book certain aspects of Shardlake's character and situation being set up which have borne fruit in later volumes. And also here is the first example of the structure I have seen in the later books where Shardlake has to juggle two cases at once.

The story starts when a man called Joseph engages Shardlake to help in the case of his accused niece Elizabeth who, following the death of both parents, had moved to the household of his wealthy younger brother and family. Joseph believes Elizabeth was unhappy there, but since she was accused of pushing the son of the household, Ralph, into a disused well in the garden, she has not spoken a word, either to refute the accusations of Ralph's sisters or to plead not guilty in court. At that time, defendants in criminal cases were not represented by lawyers and had to undertake their own defence, but they were entitled to take legal advice and Joseph hopes Shardlake can persuade Elizabeth to talk. Unfortunately, he also encounters a wall of silence from Elizabeth who has now been moved to a dirty, unhealthy prison where she is mistreated by the gaolers. Meanwhile, the cheap pamphlets calling her a child murderer being sold on London's streets means she has been prejudged, even if she does plead - and if she doesn't, she will be pressed under heavy weights until she dies. (I was aware of some of this background, as I knew that Giles Corey, one of the accused in the later Salem witch trials, was pressed to death because he refused to plead, since it prevented the authorities from confiscating his property if he was condemned, leaving his family in poverty.)

Into this dire situation falls a ray of hope when a man called Barak approaches Shardlake with a commission from Lord Cromwell. In return for a stay of Elizabeth's case, giving Shardlake more time to investigate and perhaps uncover the real culprit, Cromwell wants Shardlake to investigate a deadly and secret matter: that of Greek Fire. This substance, known to the citizens of Byzantium (now fallen) and used with devastating effect by them on enemy ships, is reputed to have been rediscovered, and its use demonstrated to Cromwell who has promised King Henry a demonstration of his own. It might save Cromwell's life, since the King has been increasingly hostile following the failure of his marriage to Anne of Cleeves, a marriage which Cromwell had arranged for political reasons. Cromwell's enemies are circling like vultures, but if he can show the King a potent new weapon against his enemies, France and Spain, he can get back into Henry's good books. The problem is, the two men who claimed to have made Greek Fire have now disappeared and just twelve days remain to find them.

This is an interesting tale of two interwoven cases. That of Greek Fire soon draws Shardlake into great danger, with multiple attempts being made on his life by assassins, who are eliminating anyone who knows about the substance. He also comes into conflict with the great of the land, who are unfortunately Cromwell's enemies and fast becoming his enemies too. Meanwhile, he must interview anyone who knew about it, including intermediaries who were used initially to pass on information of its existence from the supposed makers to Cromwell. One of these is a woman of the nobility to whom Shardlake finds himself increasingly drawn. She seems to return his regard, despite his disability which, in an age when physical appearance was often regarded as an indication of moral character, ensures a regular barrage of insults from people he meets throughout the book.

Guy, the ex-monk and physician, whom Shardlake met in book 1 of the series, returns as a friend, although he is having to practice as an apothecary, a trade which Shardlake helped him to set up in when his race barred him from practicing as a doctor (Guy is a Moor, originally from Spain). Their friendship begins to suffer as Shardlake takes risks, endangering others such as Barak as well as himself. When he secretly discloses his mission for Cromwell in order to consult Guy on its technical aspects, he creates more friction between them since Guy believes that the secret of such a weapon should remain lost. This becomes a trend in later books, as does Shardlake's tendency to develop unsuitable romantic notions about women who are, in that period of history, far above his social status and therefore unattainable. It was also interesting to see the beginning of his relationship with Barak, having seen how it develops in books 4 and 5. Barak is an interesting character, a real rough diamond of the streets from a humble family who yet had received the rudiments of an education which, for boys of that time, included a knowledge of Latin.

As ever, the author manages to flesh out even the minor characters of the book, so that the fate of a horse provides a poignant moment. And despite knowing that Cromwell was responsible for terrible crimes, including the false accusation and execution of Anne Boleyn and her brother and associates, undertaken purely to save his own skin, there is yet a touch of sympathy in his portrayal without lessening the terrifying effect he has on those around him. Especially since the alternatives to Cromwell, who was motivated to work for religious and social reform, include sadists such as the Duke of Norfolk and those who, like Richard Rich, worked only to line their own pockets. There is also the alternative viewpoint of Barak who, owing his rescue from execution for stealing to Cromwell, is totally loyal to him.

A strong thread throughout is the ongoing religious controversy in Tudor England. Here is the beginning of the sense of oppression which comes to overhang the later books - a person close to Shardlake dares to speak out and earns punishment in the shape of a fine and the need to make a public apology. But already there is mention of heretics being burned. There is also plenty of suspense and action in the story, with even the investigation into Elizabeth's case drawing Shardlake and Barak into danger. I did find though that there was quite a lot of repetitive going from place to place seeking particular characters, and rather a lot about Greek Fire which in itself I didn't find that interesting (as already having read of it I suspected it was going to need ingredients that would never be available in Tudor England. So I would rate this as a strong 4 star read, not quite as good as Lamentation which is my favourite so far. ( )

Il bacio del fuoco lieve e tormentoso.
(438) ( )

Absolutely great read. The second volume of the series more than holds what the first one promises, leading the reader on a gripping journey through Tudor London with all its gritty details and abysmal smells, giving a fascinating and often shocking glance into the period. ( )