The Moaning

England, 1546. The last year of King Henry VIII's life. The most difficult year of his reign. Heretical rebellion, harsh attacks on the queen, fundamental changes in foreign policy, a forced attempt at reconciliation with the Pope, and at the... end – a below-the-belt blow: the transition of the Privy Council under the control of reformers… Against this troubling backdrop, investigator-lawyer Matthew Shardlake investigates a strange crime that occurred in the chambers of Catherine Parr, Henry's wife – the theft of a precious ring. In reality, as Shardlake soon realizes, the ring is a decoy. The manuscript of the queen titled "The Moaning of a Sinner" has been stolen, and its publication could cost Catherine her life… In the world of literary heroes and in the minds of today's readers, the image of Matthew Shardlake occupies an honorable place alongside such well-known characters as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Nero Wolfe, and Commissioner Maigret.