Murder mystery in old Tudor England with disabled detective

Nigel Booth drops into murky world of Tudor sleuth

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A 16th century disabled sleuth and lawyer, Matthew Shardlake, is tasked by Thomas Cromwell to investigate a murder at a remote monastery, during the time of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

So the Disney+ series Shardlake (now being shown in its entirety on ITV X) begins against the backdrop of the reformation in England with Shardlake sent to find out who murdered a commissioner in the remote town of Scarnsea.

It is based on the Shardlake series of historical mystery novels by CJ Sansom, who unfortunately died on April 27, 2024, just four days before the series premiere.

Actor Arthur Hughes, who has radial dysplasia and is known for playing Richard III for the Royal Shakespeare Company, stars as the crown's hunchback barrister/ investigator Matthew Shardlake, alongside Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell.

Although the series was cancelled after one season and four episodes, there is talk that it could be resurrected, perhaps on a different channel and I, for one, would welcome its return.