The Ashes of London: The first book in the brilliant historical crime mystery series from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author: Book 1 (James Marwood & Cat Lovett)

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The TMS team will again by led by Jonathan Agnew for the men's Ashes, with Isa Guha, Simon Mann, Alison Mitchell, Daniel Norcross and Jim Maxwell also joining as commentators. There were a number of times that I wanted to query a character or the author but each time it was immediately followed by Taylor's explanation or justification.

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. Set in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666, the central characters are James Marwood and Cat Lovett. The monarchy has just been restored after Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth and Charles II is looking for revenge over the 'Regicides', the people who had executed his father Charles I in 1649. Lovett's father is Regicide, while Marwood's is an old Cromwell supporter but who has dementia.This is terrific stuff: intelligent, engrossing and, in its evocation of a long-vanished London, wonderfully plausible.' Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph

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 ExpressThis story weaves the lives of these two people; the murders of three people; and the return of King Charles II.

The Ashes of London weaves a pacy story from the framework of true events. A new Shardlake may rise from the ashes' The Times The Ashes of London presents a breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era ... the multiple narrative strands are drawn together in a brilliantly orchestrated finale' Financial Times I'll bet that in the next book we'll get the sale of London's ashes to Russia so that building projects can move ahead. More like The Ashes of London: The first book in the brilliant historical crime mystery series from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author (James Marwood & Cat Lovett, Book 1) 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.

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Ashes of London” is a very good read filled with “ashes and blood,” history, excellent characters, startling revelations and a twist one doesn’t see coming. The body of a murdered man is found in the ruins of St Pauls after the Great Fire. Minor civil servant James Marwood, son of a Protestant extremist, is dragged into treacherous waters where he crosses the path of a determined, but vengeful young woman. With Charles I beheaded and Oliver Cromwell in his grave, King Charles II has claimed the throne. Now his reign is threatened by unrepentant republicans, the most radical being the Fifth Monarchists who want a Puritan theocracy with King Jesus as ruler. Trapped in these shenanigans are Catherine “Cat” Lovett, whose father fought against Charles I, and James Marwood, whose father, now pardoned, followed Cromwell. While seeking her father in the aftermath of the fire, Cat lives with her Alderley cousins, who resent and exploit her. Meantime Marwood has been extorted into working for Whitehall by a shadowy figure he knows as Williamson, a man who apparently has significant influence with the king, Privy Council, and Common Council. Williamson demands Marwood find Cat’s father, still a threat. Soon Cat and Marwood find themselves in danger. Taylor's ( The Silent Boy, 2015, etc.) characterizations are distinctive, with Marwood cautious, constantly worried his physically weak and senile father will be returned to prison; and Cat fascinated by architecture, pushing against social barriers to become assistant to Master Hakesby, an artist rendering Christopher Wren’s plans to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral. Taylor is marvelous at replicating a historical world that might otherwise be relegated to dusty history books, especially through his renditions of the era’s arch speech and his approach to class and status. Additionally, when a character remarks after an assault that “it was well known that young women were lascivious creatures,” Taylor again shows his talent for adding depth by weaving in examples of the historical subjugation and oppression of women. It’s worth noting that these fascinating minutiae interlaced into the narrative have no negative effect on focus or pace.