Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Revelation

  • A Matthew Shardlake Novel
  • By: C. J. Sansom
  • Narrated by: Anton Lesser
  • Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (228 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Revelation cover art

Revelation

By: C. J. Sansom
Narrated by: Anton Lesser
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £9.99

Buy Now for £9.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Shardlake: Lamentation cover art
Shardlake: Dissolution cover art
Cathedral of Bones cover art
The Seeker cover art
The Unquiet Bones cover art
The Ashes of London cover art
A Plague on Both Your Houses cover art
Company of Liars cover art
The Broken Token cover art
Speaks the Nightbird cover art
Sacred Treason cover art
The Alienist cover art
Dust and Shadow cover art
The King's Justice cover art
Relic cover art
Some Danger Involved cover art

Summary

Abridged edition.

C. J. Sansom's bestselling adventures of Matthew Shardlake continue in the fourth title of the series, the haunting Revelation.


Spring, 1543. King Henry VIII is wooing Lady Catherine Parr, whom he wants for his sixth wife. But this time the object of his affections is resisting. Archbishop Cranmer and the embattled Protestant faction at court are watching keenly, for Lady Catherine is known to have reformist sympathies.

Matthew Shardlake, meanwhile, is working on the case of a teenage boy, a religious maniac locked in the Bedlam hospital for the insane. Should he be released to his parents, when his terrifying actions could lead to him being burned as a heretic?

When an old friend is horrifically murdered Shardlake promises his widow, for whom he has long had complicated feelings, to bring the killer to justice. His search leads him to both Cranmer and Catherine Parr –and with the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation.

As London's Bishop Bonner prepares a purge of Protestants, Shardlake, together with his assistant, Jack Barak, and his friend, Guy Malton, follows the trail of a series of horrific murders that shake them to the core, and which are already bringing frenzied talk of witchcraft and a demonic possession – for what else would the Tudor mind make of a serial killer . . .?

Continue the gripping historical series with Revelation, Heartstone, Lamentation and Tombland.

©2008 C. J. Sansom (P)2008 Macmillan Digital Audio

Critic reviews

"Gripping, colourful and beautifully brought to life by Anton Lesser." (Daily Express)

"The perfect blend of history and mystery. Sansom¿s novels make for compulsive listening. At over seven hours, this is the ideal companion for a long haul flight." (Independent)

"Anton Lesser gets into the swing of dialogue that mixes detective-fiction idiom and olde English not quite 'Make my day, churl', but close." (The Sunday Times)

What listeners say about Revelation

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    159
  • 4 Stars
    59
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    112
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    99
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Finished

Finished this book in its entirety and so no need to write any more words.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Engrossing and superbly read.

If historical mysteries are your thing, I can't recommend this highly enough. The plot twists and turns with great imagination, the scenes are well set and described, and in the hands of Anton Lesser the whole thing comes to life and grips you throughout.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good story, excellently read

I've read, and enjoyed, the earlier books in CJ Samson's series of detective novels featuring the lawyer and ex-monk Shardlake set in the turbulent time of Henry VIII. I'm glad to say that this latest book in the same series works well as an audio book, not least because of the excellent reading by Anton Lessor. It's an intriguing story using the seven prophecies in the book of revelation as a template for a series of extraordinary murders. If you know and like David Hewson's Rome series of modern detective novels you'll likely enjoy Revelation and see the parallels between it and Book One in the Rome series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

revelation

loved listening to this part of the shardlake series
most enjoyable well done cj sansom

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful listen

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, this author and this narrator. I look forward to listening to more of these books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful reading of great story

Love Anton Lesser's readings of these stories. They are entertaining and interesting, and very educational.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Why abridged?

I love Anton Lesser's narration. Despite my having read all the books before buying the audio versions, he IS the voice of Matthew Shardlake.
However, by abridging the books, many of the details I liked so much when reading the books are missing.
The story itself has a good plot and as I'm a fan of historical fiction, it's right up my street.
I notice that 'Heartstone' is available in an unabridged version, but on listening to the sample I find that although the narrator is good, he's not the Matthew Shardlake in my head! - This is just my personal preference though, so you'll have to listen to a sample and see what you think!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best Shardlake novel yet

It's fast, it's punchy, it has you on the edge of your nerves with "cannot put it downitis". Absolutely loved it. Anton Lesser absolutely superb narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

captivating and superbly written

love love love it. couldn't stop listening .the narrative was perfect the voice fits the character

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Revelation by CJ Samson

The continuing tale of Matthew Shardlake (4th book). The story gives a picture of life in the 16th C at the time of Henry VIII as well as the adventures of Shardlake and his friends. A thrilling story and well told by Anton Lesser, very enjoyable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful