The Ashes of London (James Marwood & Cat Lovett, Book 1)

Product Information

The story takes place over the few months following the fire, and is told through two different viewpoints. We meet James Marwood first of all, a young man eking out a living as a clerk in the employ of Master Williamson, the editor and publisher of The London Gazette – a man of influence whose position gives him access to governmental circles. Marwood is caring for his ailing father, a staunch supporter of Cromwell and the Commonwealth who refused the new king’s offer of clemency after the Restoration and was imprisoned as a result. After several attempts, Marwood managed to have his father released – on condition that he lives quietly away from London. Marwood senior is becoming ever more confused and subject to the wandering of his wits (we would probably today recognise this as dementia), making it sometimes very difficult for his son to make sure he adheres to the terms of his release. As the Great Fire burns the heart of London in 1666, political manipulators and religious fundamentalists struggle behind the scenes for control of the kingdom. I liked the historical details in this book involving the aftermath of the great fire in London in 1666, but I felt that the book was missing a compelling central mystery and it all seemed rather pointless. It’s a heavyweight piece and solid historical fiction, if perhaps not Taylor’s finest. The ending, although tying these events up in a perfectly satisfactory style, still felt slightly open, like a sequel might be in the offing.

From the No.1 best-selling author of The American Boy and The Silent Boy comes a brand new historical thriller set during the time of the Great Fire of London. The first of an exciting new series of novels. The fifth and final men's Test begins on 27 July, with Australia having retained the Ashes following a rain-affected draw at Old Trafford in the fourth Test. Enter the story’s two main protagonists. James Marwood is the son of a Republican, who lost everything when Charles II regained the throne. Catherine Lovett is daughter of a regicide – one of that small circle directly involved in the trail and execution of the king’s father. Both are affected and their actions shaped by forces beyond their control. She is a spirited teenager who dreams of becoming an architect and escaping an unsatisfactory marriage her aunt and uncle have arranged. Marwood, the son of another old puritan, is a minor civil servant whose only desire is to live down his notorious name and make his way in the world. When Cat is raped by her cousin, she tries to kill him and is forced into hiding. The Ashes of London weaves a pacy story from the framework of true events. A new Shardlake may rise from the ashes' The Times

Browse members by letter

On the same occasion, he met his future wife - Florence Morphy - who was the companion to Lady Janet Clarke, mistress of Rupertswood, and governess to the Clark children. Andrew Taylor provides a masterclass in how to weave a well-researched history into a complex plot.’ The Times, Books of the Year

Wonderful descriptions can only get you so far though, and from early on I decided I didn't enjoy the chapters that were from James' perspective, mainly because they were incredibly dull, and this stayed the same until the last quarter of the book. I truly didn't care about what he was doing, or about what was happening with his side of the plot. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Cat's perspective, which is what helped pull me through.

Need Help?

Recent crime fiction". The Spectator. 311 (9446): 36–37. 12 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009 . Retrieved 20 June 2011. More murders are discovered and a complex web of deceit unfolds that links Catherine and Marwood. Many additional characters are introduced, both real and imagined, whose actions contribute to this gripping novel mixing historical fact with intriguing fiction. Andrew Taylor has also written a number of novellas with ghostly or other-worldly themes, originally as Kindle Singles. The first three have now been published in print form under the title Fireside Gothic. Taylor creates fascinating characters and intermingles them with actual historical figures, yet without ever allowing the fictional characters to be overshadowed. As well as carrying the story, they facilitate the conveying of historical facts about which we may never have heard, such as the group known as the Fifth Monarchists. Still, it is Richard, Cat, Mrs. Alderley, Master Hakesby who play critical roles. Mrs. Alderly, in particular, is an interesting character. There is much more to her than we first believe.

It took me a while to get into the story. I actually listened to the first 5 chapters twice, but after I became familiar with the main players I couldn’t stop listening eager to hear what happened to them. This was first presented to Mark Taylor after his Australian side emerged triumphant in the 1998-99 Test series against England. Since then, the trophy has been presented to the winning captain at the end of each Test series between Australia and England. A "historical novel" set in 1666. About a Scotland Yard "detective". Scotland Yard and public policing in England by the way were instituted in 1829 through the Metropolitan Police Act. Prior to that law enforcement was haphazard and duties performed partially by community watchmen, partially by King's constables. While Taylor writes well, and as fascinating as I may find the setting - whatever merits this story may have had are entirely eclipsed by the glaring historical inconsistencies and anachronisms.

In this elegant, engrossing novel set during an extraordinary period, Taylor skilfully presents a London in which so many must still pay the price for the Civil War and the murder of King Charles I’ Sunday Express I would encourage anyone looking for a good historical novel that will hook them from the start to try this. There are brief moments of violence - it is a mystery, after all. But Andrew Taylor’s characters are so real. They stay with me. This may be my summer of Taylor. He can immerse me in another time and place, with people who feel real, and he makes this look so easy. This is a historical thriller set in London, just after the great fire in 1666, and follows two main perspectives. The first is James Marwood, a reluctant government informer, and the second is a young woman named Cat, who is from a rich family and has been paired with an awful man who she doesn't want to be with. The perspectives swap almost every chapter, and their stories intertwine, with their paths almost crossing several times before the climatic ending. His most recent books are historical novels as well as crime fiction. They explore different historical eras: Bleeding Heart Square, is set in the 1930s mainly in London (2008); The Anatomy of Ghosts (2010), set in eighteenth-century Cambridge; The Scent of Death, set in British New York, 1778–80; and its sequel, The Silent Boy (2014), during the French Revolution. From the number one best-selling author of The American Boy and The Silent Boy comes a brand-new historical thriller set during the time of the Great Fire of London. The first of an exciting new series of novels.