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

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Most of the characters try to think ahead and calculate how a recent bit of information could affect their situation, but of course they miscalculate and you want to yell at them, especially Catherine whose first reaction to anything bad is to run as far and fast as she can. 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. Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley says action is needed to keep the close connection between fans and players.

Ashes of London Review The Ashes of London Review

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. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. 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. Even if you've read Pepys on the Great Fire you don't get as vivid a portrait as Taylor gives in this novel. The heat, the winds, the burning embers, the almost spontaneous flaming and the fact that it went on for months after the main fire was subdued are all vividly portrayed in this novel, which is apparently the first in a series.As with most historical novels like this one there are real people, like William Chiffinch, scattered amongst the invented people. When the book is as well written as this one it’s difficult to remember who is real and who isn’t. Andrew Taylor (born 14 October 1951) is a British author best known for his crime and historical novels, which include the Lydmouth series, the Roth Trilogy and historical novels such as the number-one best-selling The American Boy and The Ashes of London. His accolades include the Diamond Dagger, Britain's top crime-writing award. People in the 1600s did think differently to the way we generally do and Taylor puts in the different factors: fear of negative opinions of the aristocracy, distrust of those whom you don't know, a total inability to defend oneself against an employer, caution where different political or religious opinions might obtain and fear of long term dangers. You can feel the need to fear most people, most events, and anything out of the regular. Add something like this incredible fire and the destruction it caused and it would not be surprising if there were a number of strokes and other collapses during those last months of 1666. This is terrific stuff: intelligent, engrossing and, in its evocation of a long-vanished London, wonderfully plausible.' Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph The 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.

The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor | Waterstones

London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable c... From the No.1 bestselling author of The Last Protector and The Ashes of London comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett during the time of King Charles II.Two young girls plot a murder by witchc... All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. Recent crime fiction". The Spectator. 311 (9446): 36–37. 12 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009 . Retrieved 20 June 2011.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 From No.1 bestselling author Andrew Taylor comes the sequel to the phenomenally successful The Ashes of London 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 Ashes of London weaves a pacy story from the framework of true events. A new Shardlake may rise from the ashes' The Times He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA's prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator.