The third in the Matthew Shardlake mysteries set in Tudor England.

The Tudors was a series that ran four seasons on Showtime about the life of Henry VIII.

From: More Prisoners of Eternity.

At the start of the 16th century England was benefiting from the stability provided by the Tudor dynasty. England at that time was similar to most of Western Europe, a catholic country whose wealth was mostly held by the nobility, the monarchy and the church. The economy was largely agricultural and mainly rural population; poor harvests could spell disaster especially for the poor.

Mary Queen of Scots was born in Linlithgow Palace in West Lothian. When she was six days old, the crown was handed down to her. She was the first female monarch since Robert II passed the law that only males could inherit the throne, unless all the male lines were extinct.