Ashes of London and Fire Court are truly skillful historical fiction. Taylor might seem at times to be favoring setting over plot-advancing but this is a legit read. Not a single character was anachronistic in action, agency, or power yet Taylor brings to fore the natural danger of post-Great-Fire London to keep tensions high. Also, I was surprised, I had all but forgotten about the reality of the 5th Monarchists and just how bonkers they were (I was pleased I did remember the monarch they killed).

James Marwood is the hero of this story set in the period after the Great Fire, he encounters Cat and they are both living in the hidden world as children of those who signed Charles the First death warrant. The Fire Court deals with the after effects of the fire and how people were given compensation for their loses plus deciding on ownership in the complex land decisions. James gets an appointment that leads to his life changing for he must look after his father who is now a changed man after imprisonment and his mind is wandering too. The book beautifully evokes the time - one can see and smell the London of the past and the author brings to life the events so that one feels that you are seeing London of the seventeenth century and to this comes various menacing events plus the advent of a murderer makes live difficult for our leading characters. Cat has to leave her Uncle’s home after an attack by her cousin and her retaliation to it and finds herself now down in the lowest level of society. A marvellous second book in the series. How James eventually uncovers the truth and finds the murder amid the massignations of the great and powerful is at the centre of this book. This is a must for all who love historical fiction. Hoping for a third novel to continue this great tale.

A good twisty tale of murder in post Great Fire London. Atmospheric. I’d read. The first in the series and thought it was a bit clunky - n this one the author seems to have got into thier stride. Good story

Another fantastic outing from Andrew Taylor. The fire court reads well as a stand alone as well as part of a series. Can't wait for the next one!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I read Ashes to Ashes and quite enjoyed it in a bizarre way but not too sure about this one at all that I gave up half way so not sure I can give an honest review

The next in line book expanded upon Marwood and Cat and with some unexpected results. It draws you in to an all to familiar politics and intrigue scenario but eye opening given the Fire Courts are a less well known consequence of the Great Fire of London. I thought it married the the story to the common denominator of greed and political gain/manipulation very well and produced a good and worthy sequel.

Andrew Taylor’s follow-up to the successful ‘Ashes of London’ is an interesting read and picks up the threads of his two main characters lives. Again, we are faced with an investigation which leads our man Marwood through the political and social background of 1600’s London.

The book is an interesting follow-up and although it does not live up to the first book, there is still enough richness within the pages to keep fans hungry for more. The characters are well drawn but as this is the second book in the series, some of the information is drummed up again so readers new to the series can be caught up whilst the story progresses. As a fan of the first book, this for me was a bit to repetitious but totally understanding the reasons for this. I feel that all books in a series can suffer from this such as the reason why the Harry Potter books got fatter as the catch up became more page filling than the actual story by the last book. This can be difficult for a fan of the series and grudge reading but for the first time reader it does catch them up.

The character of Cat is still an interesting character and one of the highlights of the series. Although her character is more engaging in the first novel, her appearance in this and her story carry on given her some extra dimension and depth. Her character is probably has the most growth in personality and stems from the events in the previous book.

Marwood on the other hand seems to not have much growth and still acts pretty much the same as the first book. It seems as he is going to be the steadfast soldier with little to no change in his personality. He is an interesting character and he narrates his part of the story in the first person, it is important to have a character that is likeable and steady.

Overall, the Fire Court hits all cylinders and at times it does get bogged down in historical detailing that can sometimes become repetitive, overall it is a good addition and follow up to Ashes of London. There is still room for more to come and I will eagerly await for the next instalment. I do believe that Taylor could be a bit more clever in catching the reader up who are new to the series so we do not have a catch up session from what we already read previously but as stated, this is a small complaint. Interesting, Historical murder mystery thriller written by an upcoming author who does deliver the goods.

This is continuation of an earlier Taylor novel - and it retains his fresh approach to historical situation - the characters react in recognisable ways - yet it does not feel anachronistic. We sense the boundaries of the world, but we don't say to ourselves (or i did not ) that it would not happen for us in this way. It's a team left over from earlier novel and Cat , who has gained her freedom even though it's difficult, tries to help Marwood wiht his dilemma - a dissident father who he has to protect in the midst of a highly politicised London in the atmosphere after catastrophe. . As ever, readable and informative of a transitory time in London. Very effective and ambitious - but it works.

This was the second book following on from Ashes of London

It’s a nice easy read however I did enjoy Ashes of London more

I was eager for this sequel and was not disappointed! Its always hard to follow a first book in a successful series but readers need not worry, Taylor created another wonderful and intriguing plot brimming with atmosphere.

This is the second book by Andrew Taylor dealing with the after effects of the Great Fire of London. It is superbly written with his characteristic painstaking research of the subject. Compelling reading with an intriguing plot.

This sequel to Andrew Taylor's excellent 'The Ashes of London' picks up just after the events of the first novel and the Great Fire of London. James Marwood is working at Whitehall serving two political masters and Cat (with a new name) is settled working for a draughtsman. The Fire Court of the title refers to the legal proceedings that aim to get London rebuilt by sorting out matters relating to land ownership and leases. A murder is committed and all investigations seem to lead back to the Fire Court and the political wranglings sitting behind the cases being heard.

For anyone who enjoyed the first novel, there is much to enjoy here. The investigations are interesting and take the reader through a vivid depiction of Restoration London from the taverns to the court itself. The characters are well drawn and it is pleasing to read about those familiar from the first novel.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys intelligently plotted historical crime. I don't think reading the first book is necessary to enjoying this one, but it's another great read so I really would suggest you start there.

Life is looking up for James Marwood. After his last adventures he is in favour at court and has two roles which pay enough for him to move to the Savoy and employ a couple to take care of him and his increasingly difficult father. When his father escapes into London one day he returns with a wild tale of murder. Marwood ignores it but then his father is killed by a supposed accident and a body is found in circumstances which link to Marwood seniors claims. Everything seems to be linked to the Fire Court, a court set up to determine rights in the wake of the Great Fire, and a dispute over the development of a piece of valuable land. Investigating the deaths leads Marwood back to Cat and into far worse danger that will leave him permanently reminded of the case.

The Marwood and Lovett tales, of which this is the second, are thoroughly enjoyable romps in Restoration London which combine excellent historical detail with an exciting thriller plot. Whilst purists may say they are more populist in design that Taylor's other historical fiction, that is no bad thing as they are still very superior in their genre. I admit to loving both sides of Taylor's writing and this book is no exception.

This book continues a short while after book one finishes. James Harwood and Cat Lovett feature in this, so if you really enjoyed their characters in Ashes of London then you will enjoy this storyline.
As with Ashes of London, there is something about the style which doesn't quite connect for me. At times I found the plot lost itself and was too drawn out. I wasn't invested enough to be hooked on it like I am with some historical fiction. Sorry just an ok read and I won't be continuing the series.

An unusual take on a reasonably conventional whodunnit plot, this is a murder mystery set in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. A woman is found dead in mysterious circumstances, which sets in train a string of events that lead to further bloodshed and a tale of murder and intrigue - all set against the grim backdrop of the City of London struggling to rise from the ashes of the Great Fire. The author manages to introduce factual historical background in a way that fits with the natural flow of the narrative - who knew, for example, that the government of the day did indeed institute Fire Courts to ensure a (reasonably) fair and speedy reconstruction of the City? All in all, a reasonable story, well written and engaging enough to read briskly to a conclusion, although some readers may feel that the denouement did not quite live up to the standard set earlier in the book.

The sequel to "The Ashes of London" picks up shortly after the previous novel ends, and follows the continuing fortunes (?) of some of the characters we've already met - notably Mr Marwood and Catherine Lovett.

I quite enjoyed this, although as in the previous novel, felt that some of the situations would certainly have given rise to more problems for the protagonists than they appeared to. I suppose that death was all too common then though, so perhaps I'm applying modern standards to an historical novel!

I'll read the next in the series though, should there be one.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

The aftermath of the Great Fire sees more murders!

James Marwood moved to the new lodging eight months after the Great Fire with his frail father and two servants. He continued working for Master Williamson at Whitehall.

The Fire Court was set up the judges, appointed by the king as there was no proper inquiry at that time. The questions and solutions of many cases (affected by the fire) at the court were, for example, “should the tenants continue paying the rent for the already burnt-out properties as they did not reside there anymore?”

A body was found mutilated in the lane and Marwood wanted to identify that corpse. Then some people were killed in the suspicious foul plays. He faced the grave danger with Cat, who risked her life while investigating the murders.

I enjoy reading the second book after Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London. I recommend this books.

Caesar 13

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

This started with a list of characters, something I always skip past. They don't mean anything until they become a part of the story!

However, once the story began, some familiar characters from the first book of the series appeared, most notably Catherine Lovett and James Marwood. Marwood's father, an old man without all his faculties, starts off in a sequence wherein he follows a woman thinking she is his wife, Rachel, who actually died years ago. He finds a body of a different woman and eventually discovers that the woman he followed is not Rachel.

Thus starts the mystery and intrigue that will shape the story. I found the pace a little slower in the first part of the book than in Ashes of London, the first book of the series, but still interesting and I'm glad I stuck with it as it gets better as more connections fall into place.

The pace actually gets very fast and dramatic in the later part of the book and the spiderweb of connections that have been set up throughout the story all fall into place. In a lot of ways it's a whodunnit, but with political intrigue and a lot of very human emotions involved. It's extremely well-written and I will be looking for a third book, which is hinted at by the very end.

The outcome surprised me not once but twice with plot twists I never saw coming. That's pretty rare!

This sequel lives up to the expectations set by volume 1 of the James Marwood stories (The Ashes of London). It highlights some of the issues one would never think of in relation to the aftermath of the Great Fire.Once again complex plots keep the tale moving along at a cracking pace. Having read volumes 1 & 2 back to back it will be difficult waiting for volume 3. A great read.

Very enjoyable and captivating. I did not want to put the book down and wanted it to carry on. Definitely recommended to people liking this genre.