May 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead. As her lifeless body is carried to burial in a wooden chest, Cromwell emerges triumphant and continues his rise to power and wealth, while Henry VIII enjoys days of happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.

Cromwell has neither a great family behind him nor a personal army. Despite uprisings in the kingdom, traitors conspiring, and the threat of invasion, all of England is at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reforms. However, his enemies hide in the shadows, and the inevitable question remains: how long can someone survive under Henry's harsh gaze?

Hilary Mantel triumphantly completes Cromwell's journey from a self-made man to the most influential figure of his era. Full of passion and energy, he is a complex and unforgettable character: politician and schemer, husband and father, a man who defied and shaped his time.

• Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction • Nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction
• Nominated for the Booker Prize • Guardian Book of the Year • Times Book of the Year • Daily Telegraph Book of the Year • Sunday Times Book of the Year • New Statesman Book of the Year • Spectator Book of the Year