Dark Fire (Paperback) - C. J. Sansom

The second Shardlake novel in C. J. Sansom's bestselling historical crime series. A secret thought lost to the ages has been uncovered in Tudor London, and it's worth killing to protect . . .

'C. J. Sansom's books are arguably the best Tudor novels going' - The Sunday Times

Winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, Dark Fire is the second thrilling book in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.

England, 1540. Out of favour with Thomas Cromwell, Matthew Shardlake is intent on keeping a low profile in the courts. But his involvement with a murder case, defending a girl accused of brutally killing her young cousin, brings him once again into contact with the King's chief minister - and a new assignment . . .

The secret of Greek Fire, the legendary substance with which the Byzantines destroyed the Arab navies, has been lost for centuries. Now an official of the Court of Augmentations has discovered the formula in the library of a dissolved monastery. When Shardlake is sent to recover it, he finds the official and his alchemist brother brutally murdered - the formula gone.

Now Shardlake must follow the trail of Greek Fire across Tudor London, while still trying to prove his young client's innocence. But very soon he discovers nothing is as it seems . . .

This is the second novel in C. J. Sansom's gripping historical series. It is followed by Sovereign, the third book in the series.

About the Author

C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Sussex.