Learning | Matthew Shardlake Mysteries

Historical mysteries are so much fun. The history nerd in me loves learning details of life in days of yore, or comparing what I already know about a certain time period with the author's portrayal. The best authors of historical fiction (whether they write in the mystery genre or not) write with a certain authoritative quality that only comes from extensive research and study of a subject.

For example, take a look at the author of the Matthew Shardlake series. C. J. Sansom not only earned both a B. A. and a PhD in history--he became a solicitor after all of that. His sleuth, Matthew Shardlake, is a solicitor in Tudor England. Sansom's realistic depiction of daily life--and legal conflicts--during the reign of Henry VIII make these mysteries hard to put down.  

The following is the first paragraph from the third book in the Shardlake series, Sovereign:

"It was dark under the trees, only a little moonlight penetrating the half-bare branches. The ground was thick with fallen leaves; the horses' hooves made little sound and it was hard to tell whether we were still on the road. A wretched track, Barak had called it earlier, grumbling yet again about the wildness of the barbarian land I had brought him to. I had not replied for I was bone-tired, my poor back sore and my legs in their heavy riding boots as stiff as boards. I was worried, too, for the strange mission that now lay close ahead was weighing on my mind. I lifted a hand from the reins and felt in my coat pocket for the Archbishop's seal, fingering it like a talisman and remembering Cranmer's promise: 'This will be safe enough,there will be no danger.'" 

Shardlake has a hunchback, or crooked spine, which causes him physical pain, but also engenders ill will from people who believe that deformity is a sign of evil.  He is an intelligent,  erudite, perceptive gentleman.  It's interesting to watch his character change as the series progresses; he is much more naive and idealistic in the first book, Dissolution. He becomes increasingly wary of others' motives as he grows older.

Books On Film | Bones

The television show Bones, starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, has been on the air since 2005. The show follows forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) as they solve murder cases.

The show is based on the Temperance Brennan books by mystery author Kathy Reichs. Reichs herself is a forensics anthologist as well as a writer, professor, and producer on the show Bones.

The Temperance Brennan books began in 1997 with Déjà Dead and now there are fifteen books in the series with more to come. The television show and the books differ in dramatic ways. The Brennan in the books is more closely modeled after the author. She is older than her television counterpart, works as the Director of Forensic Anthropology in the Canadian province of Quebec, and partners with the Quebecois police. In the television show, she is an anthropologist at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute (modeled after the Smithsonian Institute) in Washington, DC and she consults with FBI.

The television program not only showcases Brennan's anthropology skills, but also the skills of her fellow Jeffersonian scientists in solving cases. This includes entomology, forensic art, pathology,  psychology, and archeology to help solve cases. If you like to see science applied to real world situations this might be the show for you.

Even with the differences between the books and the show I believe if you like one you will also enjoy the other. Assuming murder, mayhem, and anthropology interest you, of course!

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[Covers courtesy of LibraryThing]  
[Author/Show/Book Source: KathyReichs.com]
[Titles in order: Good Reads - Temperance Brennan series]