The latest 'Shardlake' was a disappointment. The historian has taken over the novelist to produce an 800 page slab - to the detriment of the usual well-researched detective story. Half way through we leave the central plot in virtual abeyance and by the time we get to the slightly perfunctory ending, I had rather lost interest. Instead we get a lot on Kett's rebellion, the realities of which may be under-appreciated but could have been more economically woven into the story and the historical appendix expanded. A minority view?
(Tony Pratt - bwl 91 Winter 2019 ) |
