I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Although I think comparisons with the superb Hilary Mantel are perhaps a bit overblown, it is very well written and historically convincing.
The plot is interesting too and I really liked the characters and immediately moved onto the next in the series to find out what they did next.

I was disappointed in this book, it didn’t keep my interest unfortunately. It began really well, excellent writing, descriptions and historical detail. However I found the long descriptive passages became tedious, and I did not care enough about the characters to keep plodding on, to the end.

Andrew Taylor’s exciting new novel about 1600’s London is an interesting and involving page turner set against the Great Fire of London and the after effects whilst a murder investigation is going on. This intriguing plot is just the tip of what is going on with this novel.

This deeply interesting book has really lifted the lid and has made history exciting and informative whilst at the same time, including characters that are fully constructive against the odds. Taylor has a fantastic talent of including political intrigue, murder investigations and gender roles against the back drop of London 500 years ago.

The character of Cat is well developed and he has really been able to flesh out the tragedies found in someone social bearings if born a woman while at the same time, we have Marwood, a family that once was influential but due to their political support, have their own social class issue to bear. This is historical fiction that is so above par that all hats are off to Taylor.

The importance of detail without losing grip on plot is extremely well handled. The circumstances around the beheading of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell and the return of Charles II really kept me gripped and gave me a sense of history that I knew about but wasn’t quite sure of the particulars. This is a book that gives so much more beyond the standard bog standard murder mystery.

I can not recommend this book enough as this is a bona fide hit and works on so many levels. It’s inventive, creative, historical, political intrigue, murder mystery, social structures and thriller and that is just mentioning a few. This is an excellent book on all accounts and I can’t wait to start the sequel. Hats off to Andrew Taylor.

So did this live up to my expectations? Oh yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As to be expected with a story that starts in the middle of the Great Fire of London, this one starts with a bang. James Marwood watches the destruction of St Pauls Cathedral, with a vivid description of the heat and violence as the fire ripped through the interior and then destroyed the quantities of stationery and books that was stored in the crypt, in the belief that they would be safe.

Taylor has clearly done his research – there is a wealth of historical detail here woven into the everyday lives of the people caught up in the drama and terror. I was interested to learn that the official version – that there was a surprisingly small loss of life, given the ferocity and speed of the flames – is contradicted in this book. As the fire storms across tenements at a speed faster than a man can run, there is a general acceptance that whole families and communities were immolated. The reason why there is no official recognition of this loss of life is simply that the destruction was so thorough, nothing is left of the poor souls caught up in the conflagration but ashes.

That said, most of the action takes place in the days, weeks and months after the fire. I really liked this. That single event has caused havoc in the capital, which is nicely reflected in the political turbulence that is still being played out after the Civil War. Once Charles II regains his throne, one of his missions is to track down the handful of people responsible for executing his father. The young protagonist is caught up in this business – as are a number of other people in the story, even though they were either children or not yet born when the execution occurred.

I am conscious that I have managed to make this book sound as if it is some sort of historical account of the aftermath of both the Civil War and the great Fire of London, when of course, it’s nothing of the sort – it is a murder mystery adventure. That said, after the initial drama, the pace necessarily slows down. We are not in an era of fast car chases, or fast anything for that matter. This mystery reflects the fact that most people walk everywhere and the majority of tasks are still done by hand. So this mystery spools out over a period of time, which gives the denouement an extra kick as it takes place among the shattered remains of St Paul’s Cathedral. There were a number of intriguing twists, with one in particular I certainly didn’t see coming. I am delighted that this is the start of a series featuring James Marwell and I shall certainly be getting hold of the next book. Recommended for fans of historical murder mysteries. While I obtained an arc of The Ashes of London from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Set during the great fire of London.
Oliver Cromwell is dead and the Restoration period has begun and Charles the second is on the throne.
It is difficult times for the inhabitants of London for along with the scars of the fire are the scars of Cromwells time and people have not forgotten what happened to their king.
Amid a time where spy’s are everywhere and no one can be trusted comes the story of two people effected by their parents actions from the past. Cat the daughter of the Thomas Lovett a known Regicide and James Marwood the son of a traitor.
Both through no fault of their own are pulled into the political intrigues of the government where neither are safe and have no one to trust.
For lovers of historical fiction this is a masterpiece.

As a fan of historical novels, especially those based in real events, I was excited to be given an Netgalley ARC of ‘The Ashes of London’ before the release of the sequel – ‘The Fire Court’.

Set during and after the Great Fire of London in 1666, this book promised to be a rip-roaring read. While St Paul’s is still a smoldering wreck, the body of a man is discovered and upon further inspection, he’s not a victim of the fire. He’s been stabbed and his thumbs tied behind his back. He is also wearing the livery worn by the servants in the household of Henry Alderley – an Alderman and goldsmith, popular with the money-lending rich of London, including King Charles. Scandal is not something to be expected in these circles and could cause great embarrassment if not dealt with quickly and effectively.

Not too far away, Catherine ‘Cat’ Lovett is residing at the home of her Uncle – the very same Henry Alderley. Cat has ended up here as her father is a wanted man – still at large, he is wanted for his direct involvement in the Regicide of King Charles I. In a canny business transaction for grasping, greedy Uncle Henry, Cat has been promised to an older man, whom unsurprisingly, she cannot bear. She is desperately trying to find a way out of her situation when her creepy cousin Edward assaults her. Shortly afterwards, Cat escapes from the Alderley home, leaving Edward stabbed in the eye, and his lodgings burnt down. Never cross a gentlewoman, eh? She goes to ground, finding work as a housemaid in return for a roof over her head, and tries (unsuccessfully) to stay out of mischief.

Onto James Marwood. James is the son of Richard Marwood – traitorous supporter of the Cromwellian cause, however thanks to his son’s efforts he has been pardoned by the King as long as he stays outside of the London area. In order to care for Richard, who is ailing mentally, James takes a job as a clerk for Master Williamson – a successful and popular editor and publisher with a finger in many interesting pies. Master Williamson calls upon James to help him work out who killed the Alderley employee found in the ruins of St Paul’s. When another body linked to the wealthy goldsmith is found not long afterwards, again with the thumbs tied together, James starts to investigate further, ideas forming about who the killer may be.

James and Cat come into contact with each other very early on in and teeth and sparks fly. As we go through the book, they circle each other’s orbit until eventually meeting again, with interesting results.

I enjoyed the descriptive elements of this book – I felt Andrew Taylor really drew out the detail of 1666 London, and successfully conveyed the fear and frustration that ‘normal’ people suffered every day at the hands of those in power – both Cat and James went through elements of this in their character arc, although Cat’s was much more severe.

I didn’t really like the characters much – although James appealed to me more than Cat, not sure why – I liked that Cat did what she had to to get by, and wasn’t ‘prettied’ up because she was a female.Although the narrative was well paced and drew me in for the first half or so, it didn’t really have enough focus on the story development or the mystery surrounding murders. It sped up towards the end, but I felt it was a bit too late by then. I also felt that there was something lacking in the form of a story although as this is to be a series, it may well be that this first book is an excellent introduction to Marwood & Lovett, and we will see the story focus develop through the 2nd installment – and I do hope that is the case.

This is a historical thriller set in London, just after the great fire in 1666, and follows two main perspectives. The first is James Marwood, a reluctant government informer, and the second is a young woman named Cat, who is from a rich family and has been paired with an awful man who she doesn't want to be with. The perspectives swap almost every chapter, and their stories intertwine, with their paths almost crossing several times before the climatic ending.

I had mixed experiences with this book, and took notes of my journey along the way. Early on, I think I'd have been tempted to DNF this book, had it not got such wonderful descriptions. I could picture every single inch of London in the aftermath of this fire. I felt like I was actually there, which was helped by me having a sound knowledge of the layout of London, though I do think even those that have never been, would have been able to still get a very accurate image in their heads.

Wonderful descriptions can only get you so far though, and from early on I decided I didn't enjoy the chapters that were from James' perspective, mainly because they were incredibly dull, and this stayed the same until the last quarter of the book. I truly didn't care about what he was doing, or about what was happening with his side of the plot. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Cat's perspective, which is what helped pull me through.

There is such a thing as too many descriptions in a book like this. By half way through the book, I could see everything clearly, and yet the descriptions kept on rolling in. By this point I was getting frustrated, as this was meant to be a historical thriller, and I was finding it less than thrilling. Again, I was tempted to DNF, and I'm so glad I didn't as a few chapters later, things really started getting exciting.

In case you haven't noticed yet, this book goes from exciting, to dull, and just repeats this process over and over again. Just as I thought things were looking up, it went dull again, but at this point I had invested too much time to allow myself to give up on it, and so again I pushed on through.

The ending is totally worth it, and is a fantastic thrill, if you can get yourself there that is. With the combination of too many descriptions, narrative that keeps swapping from exciting to dull, and meanwhile loads of characters to try and keep track of, this is no easy read. I did enjoy it overall though, so much so that I decided to dive straight into the sequel while I'm still used to the over descriptive writing style. This book is also a little gruesome and times, and covers topics from rape, to murder, just so that you're aware.

As the great fire of London rages around him. James Marwood loses his cloak to a young man or possibly a woman. He had no idea how many more times it would reappear in his life or who it would lead him too. A murder followed by another one sets him on a path to find a man wanted by the King.

This was such an interesting read. The great fire of London is a well known piece of history and this story uses that to add to the story. The plot is complex at times but well written. You are easily drawn into the characters and the need to know how their story will turn out.

I really like Marwood, he's got quite the back story given his father and it adds to his character. He's easily likeable and you want him to succeed without getting himself into trouble along the way. Cat was a great character too.

A Brilliant read.

i feel like it had a lot of promise that just wasnt realised. a bit disappointing

I simply love reading about historical London and I think this book gave such a lovely storyline using the great fire of London. Fantastic book!

I must confess that I do have a leaning toward any story set in the medieval period but not so much that I will read anything. This book does not disappoint. The Great Fire of London is raging and the story takes place in and around Whitehall, St Paul's Cathedral and its environs. It is a great romp of a story. In fact it is two stories. Murder, intrigue and all the ruthlessness of both the wealthy and politically favoured meld together with the dirt, squalor, malevolence and cutthroat villainy of the poverty stricken “no-go” areas of London and its inhabitants. King Charles has been restored to the throne. The paper work has begun on restoring St Paul's and the City but finances are dictating the way forward. There is a young heiress searching for her father. Her uncle by marriage has taken her in but she discovers that he and her cousin mean to use and harm her. She is on the run. There is a young man who is caring for his aged father whose health and mental abilities have been ruined by imprisonment and recent release. However he is burdened by his father's fevered religion and regicide past. His life is being manipulated and he is coerced into secrecy, to seek and gather information for the government about a recent spate of murders. The two stories twist and turn and interconnect. An irresistible page turner. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what happens next to the two protagonists.

Set in 1666, during the Great Fire of London and the immediate aftermath, 'The Ashes of London' vividly evokes the sights, sounds, smells and attitudes of the era. From the roar of the fire in the opening chapter, to the ash-covered squalor of people struggling to survive in the ruins, this is stinking 17th-century London at its finest!

Against the backdrop of a devastated London, the book delivers a fine tale of murder, religious persecution and intrigue, a strong sense of the brutality and turbulence of the time, and characters sufficiently complex for me to want to see more of them.

Andrew Taylor does for the 17th Century what C. J. Sansom does for the 16th, and Ellis Peters does for the 12th, and I hope there will be many more to come in this series.

An absolutely riveting account of the great fire of London in 1666. An absorbing tale involving the exchange of power from Oliver Cromwell back to the King and the monarchy. It was a page-turner, I was drawn into it very quickly and found it very interesting, hard to put it down. I loved the flowery language used (true to the time) the descriptions of the places, the people, the customs, clothing etc. Loved the main characters and was routing for them throughout the story especially Cat, who I felt was deeply misunderstood by most around her except for Master Hakesby, and perhaps even Master Marwood who was so determined to unravel the truth behind her "disappearance". Almost like a detective he left no stone unturned and nothing escaped his keen eye.
Looking forward to reading the continuation of the story. Highly recommended!

A well crafted and well written book that took me on an exciting journey into the heart of London during the Great Fire. The characters were intriguing and the plot fast paced. I look forward to reading the sequel.

This is an old-fashioned tale of intrigue and murder set against a background of the embers of the Great Fire of London. Charles II is on the throne and the plot revolves around the ramifications of the execution of his father, the previous king. James Marwood is the son of a Fifth Monarchist and Catherine Lovett the daughter of a regicide of Charles I. Both of them become caught up in a dangerous situation while trying to make their way in life and cope with the legacy of their fathers’ sins. There is also a cast of colourful minor characters and plenty of rich, historical detail, which feels very authentic. The Ashes of London is an accomplished page-turner and an enjoyable read.

The Ashes of London is a good book. It wasn't what I expected but I still enjoyed many aspects of it.

I really enjoyed the plot. It was gripping, surprising, and well planned out. It features a good mystery and some interesting characters which make it a good read. I also really enjoyed the setting of 17th century England and the fact that the plot revolved around the Great Fire of London because it's one of the historical events that I find most interesting.

I have mixed feelings about the writing style in The Ashes of London. I enjoyed the differing points of view because it made the story more engaging but I found the writing itself a bit off-putting. I just found it jarring and some of it drew me away from the story because it felt so out of place. Some of the writing was just a bit unsettling.

Overall, The Ashes of London is a good book and I'd recommend it for people who love historical fiction and even people who love a good mystery book. I am currently reading the sequel and I'm enjoying it a tad more than this book so far.

This is not the sort of book I enjoy - historical is never fun for me, especially when it's about a place or time period I don't know. However, I loved this book. It was done so well and I even visited London to visit some of the sites mentioned in the book. An absolutely gripping read.

In the aftermath of the Great Fire of London the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul's with his thumbs tied behind his back and a stab wound to the back of the neck. Then another man is found in the Fleet ditch in exactly the same circumstances. The son of Fifth Monarchist, James Marwood is trying to make his way in life, supporting his father in his dotage and working for the Government. He is tasked with finding the murderer and he finds links to a wealthy family of merchants and also their relative, Lovett, one of the named regicides still not accounted for. Meanwhile Lovett's daughter Catherine is finding betrayal and danger at every turn and she deals with that the only way she can.

Taylor is a hugely accomplished writer of historical mysteries and I have loved so many of his books, this is no different. Set in 1666, London is a foment of worry and paranoia. There has been the Great Fire which has destroyed huge swathes of the capital and the rebuilding is just in the planning stage. I love the way that Taylor manages to include known figures (Sir Christopher Wren and Charles II) without making them major characters, but just as adjuncts to his fictional characters. Everything is done with a light but sure hand and the knowledge that the research is impeccable.

Andrew Taylor is one of my favourite authors, so I had high hopes of The Ashes of London. And I was not disappointed – I loved this book, set in 1666 in London. It was just six years after the Stuart Monarchy had been restored – Charles II was reinstated as King after twelve years of the Interregnum under the Cromwells’ reign (Oliver succeeded by his son, Richard) as Lord Protector and there are still sympathisers of their regime at large.

What struck me most is just how real it seemed as people struggled after the Great Fire had reduced a large part of London to ashes and rubble. It brings home the reality of being homeless – a refugee in your own country – and I could hear the noise of the fire, smell the smoke and almost feel the heat and the pain of the victims of the fire.

The novel is narrated in the first person by James Marwood, working for Master Williamson (under-secretary to the Secretary of State for the South) as one of the clerks on the London Gazette, and also from Cat (Catherine) Lovett’s viewpoint in the third person. James’s father, who was a Fifth Monarchist, an extreme Puritan sect, and a supporter of Cromwell, has recently been released from prison, and is now suffering from dementia. Whereas Cat’s father, Thomas Lovett, was one of the Regicides, excluded from the pardon granted to those to those guilty of most crimes committed during the Civil War and the Interregnum, now in hiding, after Charles II took the throne. They meet briefly as they both stand watching the fire engulf St Paul’s Cathedral when James snatches Cat, dressed as a boy, away from the flames. Their stories later combine when the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral – stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back, followed by the discovery of a second murder victim in the Fleet Ditch.

Andrew Taylor has written a complex story interweaving the murder mystery, the hunt for the regicides responsible for the execution of Charles I and the historical details of the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. Both James and Cat meet Master Hakesby, a draughtsman working with Dr Wren – that is Christopher Wren – on a design for rebuilding London, including St Paul’s Cathedral.

I found it all fascinating, fully engaged in the plot full of suspense and tension, loving the detail of its setting and the characterisation. I particularly liked James Marwood and the glimpses of Charles II as he directs the work to prevent the fire from spreading and his engagement in scientific research. It is an impressive recreation of the period, full of historical detail without overwhelming the story. In short, I loved it.

Many thanks to Harper Collins for a review copy via NetGalley.

I'd read one of Andrew Taylor's books before, but overlooked this one previously as I tend to stick to my preferred historical period, the Victorian era. What a mistake! This book, set around the Great Fire of London in 1666, is just fabulous. What starts as a murder mystery when a body is found in the ruins of St Paul's becomes something much twistier and complex when the politics of the day come into play; Royalists are pitted against the now underground Regicides, responsible for the death of Charles I (whose son is now on the throne after a period of rule by Cromwell). Which side is anyone on? What is the significance of the murder? And what part in all of this can Marwood, our narrator, play? He's the son of a conspirator against the monarchy, yet is working at the heart of Whitehall to support his ailing father.

I really loved that the story moved between Marwood and Cat, a mysterious woman he met in the ruins of the cathedral on the night of the murder. This clever device often keeps you one step ahead of Marwood in his investigations, yet rooting for both characters as you see their separate and often conflicting motivations. Cat is an intriguing figure in her own right: brave, resourceful and tough. I hope that she plays an even bigger part in the sequel to this book, 'The Fire Court' (which I can't wait to read). A third and equally important character is that of London itself, destroyed and covered in ashes and yet with distinctive districts and the potential to rise again.

I would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction generally - there is much to enjoy here, whether the evocative description of the fire consuming London or the finely researched historical detail. There are also strong characters, a crossover into political thriller territory and the promise of even more in book two. This is so much more than straightforward historical crime; it's a deeply satisfying few hours spent in a politically interesting but tense period of history.