Sansom explained his reasons for making his protagonist a barrister, in an interview with The Guardian."'I thought it made sense for Shardlake to be a lawyer for a number of reasons. First, the law was my profession: I find legal practice endlessly interesting. Second, it existed then and now, so it provides a point of contact for readers. And third, it's democratic: it offers a way into any number of mysteries, and puts Shardlake in the way of an endless variety of characters.'" Sansom also said that he plans to write further Shardlake novels taking the lawyer into the reign of Elizabeth I.