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. London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul’s is engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Among … ruins. Among the crowds watching its destruction is James Marwood, son of a disgraced printer, and reluctant government informer.
In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul’s, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man’s body has been mutilated and his thumbs have been tied behind his back.
Under orders from the government, Marwood is tasked with hunting down the killer across the devastated city. But at a time of dangerous internal dissent and the threat of foreign invasion, Marwood finds his investigation leads him into treacherous waters – and across the path of a determined, beautiful and vengeful young woman.
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Having been in London in the last year, it was interesting to be able to relate to the characters as they moved though the days and weeks after the great London fire. I enjoyed learning more about the political climate of the time as well.
A flawless, fast paced page turner. Historical fiction at its finest. Wow!
Andrew Taylor writes excellent historical fiction, obviously researching extensively. The Ashes of London is a mystery set immediately following the Great Fire of London (1666). It is the first book in the series (two others are available).
Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London is an intricately plotted book set in the seventeenth century at the time of the Great Fire of London. James Marwood is working as a clerk at Whitehall and Scotland Yard, and he is instrumental in solving the mysterious deaths. Catherine Lovett escapes from her Uncle Alderley’s house after being raped by her cousin Edward. She may be the key to finding her traitorous father, Thomas. These two main characters are fUlly developed and complex. Other characters play minor roles but add greatly to the story. The main plot centers on the aftermath of historical events: the beheading of Charles I, the rise of Oliver Cromwell, and the Restoration of Charles II. My favorite subplot is Catherine’s desire to be an architect and to help in planning a better, more modern London.
This is a historical novel based in Britain at the time of the great fire, 1660 I think, and Charles II is King. Good writing, suspenseful, I’m about 70% through it. I would read more of his books.
You learn quite a bit about this time in London while enjoying interesting characters and a twisty murder mystery.
Z
Excellent research and compelling characters. The settings were so believable, I felt I was there. It is a period of history I didn’t understand and makes me wonder if that is why my ancestors might have emigrated to America. I will definitely be reading more from this author
Wonderful history with strong, appealing characters. Enjoyed this very much.
Good historical fiction. Brings to life the way things were 400 years ago. A better class of writing. Refreshing to read something written for adults.
Loved this book. It is extremely well written and weaves a great story into the horrors of life after the London fire of 1666. Could hardly put it down.
I liked learning about the event of the London fire of 1666.
Too much switching back and forth among the characters. A little hard to follow. I wasn’t crazy about this book.
This is an informative look at the London Fire and its effects
I had high hopes for reading about the Great London Fire. I guess it may be the author’s style that I did not care for, however, I may come back to it.
For this just wasn’t anything to write home about. Did not enjoy it that much.
This sounded exciting but turned out to be very dry. Hardly inspiring.
Historical detail is excellent.
An excellent story showing real people dealing with the tragedy of London burning.
I liked the historical setting of the London fire but the plot was jerky.