CJ Sansom, author of Shardlake series, dies aged 71

The writer released six further books featuring the character, as well as two standalone historical novels, Winter in Madrid and Dominion.

In a statement, Sansom’s publisher announced: "It is with immense sadness that Pan Macmillan announces the death of CJ Sansom.

"Chris’s first novel, Dissolution, which introduced readers to lawyer Matthew Shardlake, was published 21 years ago and won legions of fans.

"Chris wrote six further novels featuring Shardlake and two standalone historical novels, Winter in Madrid and Dominion, which were also huge bestsellers, and have all been applauded by readers and critics alike."

Sansom’s novels have been adapted into the series Shardlake, which is set to air on Disney Plus on Wednesday 1st May.

The mystery series stars Arthur Hughes (The Innocents) as the main character and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) as Thomas Cromwell.

Sansom’s agent Antony Topping said it was an "extraordinarily strange coincidence" that Sansom died just days before a brand new audience will meet his character Shardlake.

"This is also a moment for which Chris’s established fans have been waiting a long time," added Topping.

"Chris was so proud of all the work and determination that went into bringing the novels to our television screens, which I hope will bring an entirely new audience to the books."

Born in Edinburgh in 1982, Sansom attended Birmingham University, where he studied an undergraduate and PhD in history.

He retrained and worked as a solicitor before becoming a full-time writer, where he was able to combine his love for both law and history and find success as an author of historical mystery novels.

Sansom received many accolades for his writing. In 2022, he won the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for his outstanding contribution to the genre.

His longtime editor and publisher, Maria Rejt, described her late colleague as "an intensely private person".

"Chris wished from the very start only to be published quietly and without fanfare," she said.

"But he always took immense pleasure in the public’s enthusiastic responses to his novels and worked tirelessly on each book, never wanting to disappoint a single reader.

"He was working on his new Shardlake novel, Ratcliff, when he died, but his worsening health made progress painfully slow: his meticulous historical research and his writing were always so important to him.

"I shall miss him hugely, not only as a wonderfully talented writer who gave joy to millions, but as a dear friend of enormous compassion and integrity."

Topping also remembered the writer as someone who "did not seek the limelight".

"[He preferred] to be known through his novels, and so in comparison with his fame and reputation, relatively few people were lucky enough to know the person behind the work.

"He had an immense, far-reaching and deeply humane intelligence," she continued.

"His fans can see this in the novels, but he applied it equally in his everyday dealings with friends, in his politics and his charitable acts. He had a loathing of injustice of any kind and a special contempt for bullies," said Topping.

"At the same time, he had a joyful and piercing sense of humour which he would spring on you, with an attempt at a straight face, when you were least expecting it."