From the bestselling author of The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times best-seller and a Richard & Judy Book Club choice, comes another gripping historical crime novel

Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold! A Times Historical Crime Novel of the year

'An absolute delight in a series that goes from strength to strength' S. G. McLean, prize-winning author of the Seeker series

'This is Taylor at his unassailable best' Financial Times

London 1671

The damage caused by the Great Fire still overshadows the capital. When a man's brutally disfigured body is discovered in the ruins of an ancient almshouse, architect Cat Hakesby is ordered to stop restoration work. It is obvious he has been murdered, and Whitehall secretary James Marwood is ordered to investigate.

It's possible the victim could be one of two local men who have vanished - the first, a feckless French tutor connected to the almshouse's owner;

the second, a possibly treacherous employee of the Council of Foreign Plantations.

The pressure on Marwood mounts as Charles II's most influential courtiers, Lord Arlington and the Duke of Buckingham, show an interest in his activities - and Marwood soon begins to suspect the murder trail may lead right to the heart of government.

Meanwhile, a young, impoverished Frenchwoman has caught the eye of the king, a quiet affair that will have monumental consequences...

The gripping new historical crime thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Royal Secret

About the Author

Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, and The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.

He has won many awards, including the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA's prestigious Diamond Dagger.

Reviews

'Another brilliantly realised historical mystery' A Waterstones Best Books of 2023: Crime and Thriller

'Andrew Taylor has brought the sights, smells and sounds of the Great Fire and its aftermath brilliantly to life' Daily Express

'With a mixture of real and fictional characters, this tale of intrigue and power imbalance is well up to standard in a series that has set a benchmark for historical mystery fiction.' Guardian

'With their complex characters, clever plots, political intrigue and vivid depictions of London just after the Great Fire of 1666, Andrew Taylor's books about troubled civil servant James Marwood and prickly architect Cat Lovett are historical crime fiction at its finest.' Irish Times' 25 Great Holiday Books

'Some of the most enjoyable historical thrillers of recent years have been Andrew Taylor's novels set in Restoration England ... Taylor weaves together all the varying threads of his plot with his customary skill, but fans of the series will be sorry to learn that this is the last hurrah for Cat and Marwood' Sunday Times

'Another sophisticated 17th-century mystery abounding in page-turning twists and period detail' Waterstones

'Taylor's storytelling brio is on full display.' The Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month

'Sheer brilliance ... Truly, this is breathtaking. The combination of emotional literacy, with beautiful language and an utterly immersive sense of time and place is perfect.' Manda Scott

'Andrew Taylor offers us a completely convincing portrait of life in the city and at court in Restoration London ... An absolute delight in a series that goes from strength to strength' S. G. McLean, prize-winning author of the Seeker series

'This is Taylor at his unassailable best.' Financial Times

Book Information
ISBN 9780008494117
Author Andrew Taylor
Format Hardback
Page Count 464
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 690g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 159mm * 42mm