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The Ashes of London

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The first book in the No. 1 Times bestselling series 'This is terrific stuff' Daily Telegraph 'A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era' Financial Times 'A masterclass in how to weave a well-researched history into a complex plot' The Times Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold! A CITY IN FLAMESLondon, 1666. As the Great Fire consumes everything in its path, the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul's Cathedral – stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back. A WOMAN ON THE RUNThe son of a traitor, James Marwood is forced to hunt the killer through the city's devastated streets. There he encounters a determined young woman, who will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. A KILLER SEEKING REVENGEWhen a second murder victim is discovered in the Fleet Ditch, Marwood is drawn into the political and religious intrigue of Westminster – and across the path of a killer with nothing to lose...
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    • Kirkus

      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.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. Excellent historical fiction. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      October 15, 2016

      Winner of the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger and three-time winner of its Ellis Peters Historical Award, Taylor returns with a new historical that has already won UK raves. After the Great Fire engulfs London in 1666, a partly mummified body is found in what should have been an empty tomb at burnt-down St. Paul's, and reluctant government informer James Marwood must find the killer. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

      Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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