ye olde mysteries

I might have missed a book in there somewhere, but I was back and forth to the hospital a lot last week/end, for my mom, so I didn't get a ton of reading done.
Finished Dissolution by C.J. Sansom the other day; it was a mildly fun book about a hunchbacked attorney in the days of Cromwell and Henry VIII (right after Jane Seymour died), by the name of Matthew Shardlake, who is sent by Cromwell to investigate a murder in an abbey (monastery?  I should really learn the difference, if there is one, and I think there is, as I feel rather ignorant right now) due to be shut down following Henry & Cromwell's "dissolution" (get it??) of the monasteries (and abbeys??).  Most importantly, it was a triumph for the blog system.  I came across the book somewhere, noted the title in the blog, and eventually checked it out of the library and read it.  Score!
Characters were decent, and while the plot was fairly straightforward, and the twists predictable, it suited the mood/energy level I was dealing with, and I enjoyed it.  Enjoyed it enough to pick up the sequel Dark Fire yesterday, in any case.  In this one Shardlake returns to solve a murder AND an unrelated case of some Greek Fire (and re-discovered formula) going missing in London.  Except I would bet money they will turn out to be related, but whatever.
OH, right.  Predictable.  After Dissolution (or before?  I'm confused now), I read the latest "Mistress of the Art of Death" book by Ariana Franklin, A Murderous Procession.  It was good, but nothing special.  I keep thinking the first one (Mistress of the Art of Death) was really good, and the second one was pretty good, and the third one was kinda crappy...I would say this one was decent?  At this point, as I discussed with my mom (who borrowed and read the first two from me, and gave back the third half done) the other day (Noni brought this latest one for me when we were all at the hospital for mom's surgery), I am reading them because I have become fond of the characters, not because the plot is so great.  And the writing would be okay EXCEPT FOR WHEN SHE TRIES TO INTRODUCE A SECOND, SCARY/CRAZY BAD-GUY VOICE.  Yuck.  So bad.  STOP.  Oh well.  Could have been worse.  Turns out C read Mistress at the beginning of the month, so if I can actually get places on time I will meet up with her and loan her the rest, so we'll see what she thinks.