Does not disappoint.
Cat and Marwood again, still playing a cat and mouse game.
London 1671, the smell, sights and atmosphere are so real.
Marwood seems settled working for Lord Arlington, he is in a privileged and relatively comfortable position.
Cat is working as an architect with partner Brennan, they are working on alms-houses for Mr Hadgraft until a faceless mutilated body is discovered on the site. The body could be one of two people, a clerk called Iredale or a Frenchman who was a tutor to Hadgraft's daughter, because of the disfiguration the body is unrecognisable. Marwood gets involved and searches for both men, other people are involved and search is hampered by Rush, a man with a grudge against Hadgraft.
Marwood meets Grace Hadgraft and falls victim to her charms, Cat is suspicious and thinks him a fool. There are more attacks on servants leading Marwood to believe his old enemy Roger Durrell is to blame.
At court one of the French ladies in waiting Louise is courted by the king, against her will, she is advised by Lady Arlington and a trap is set for Louise's seduction.
Marwood sees through Grace's flattery and realises she just needs a husband, he rejects her just as her Fathers investments fail, she is forced to marry Rush.
Marwood fears for his life whilst a prisoner of Durrell and reflects on his love of Cat.
Thank you Andrew, NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

An enjoyable romp through history which shows that power, money and reputation are more important than finding the truth.
When a disfigured body is found on a building site and work is ordered to stop Cat Hakesby who is the architect behind the new almshouses that are being built soon gets her friend Marwood to help her investigate. Marwood has connections with high ranking officials at court but will this be sufficient to help solve who was murdered and why?

The sixth in the Marwood and Lovett series is an enjoyable addition to Andrew Taylor’s brilliant mystery series set in 17th Century London.

The Shadows of London see’s our two protagonists investigating the murder of a badly disfigured body.

As ever the research is impeccable and the story draws the reader into Restoration London and doesn’t let go.

This is the sixth book in the Marwood and Lovett series, and as expected it’s a continuation of old rivalries - that Duke of Buckingham being a thorn as ever, and Cat and Marwood dancing around themselves…

Once again, we’re plunged into trouble- a murder at the site Cat is developing, and political issues as ever causing more intrigue.

As ever, the story is well written, and an excellent, exciting read. I really enjoy this series, and I hope there are many more to come.

My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Andrew Taylor's thoroughly enjoyable mystery starts with a mutilated body uncovered on the site of a central London Development in the mid 17th Century. As the cleverly drawn characters investigate the death, the threads they pull at quickly lead them to the upper echelons of English and French society. Mr. Taylor paints a vivid picture of historic London shortly after the great fire, and creates an exceptional tale of the abuse of power, and how various echelons of society close ranks to maintain their respective positions, even in the full knowledge that innocents suffer the consequences.
A credible portrait of a female entrepreneur trying to survive in what was an entirely male dominated field, and surviving.

I’ve been a keen fan of this series of books by Andrew Taylor since their start, and book 6 was another compelling story. I’m very grateful I didn’t live in Restoration times where women were often treated as chattels, slavery was an acceptable source of wealth creation and where walking around London left you vulnerable to attack from thieves or cutthroats! Marwood as usual seems to fall foul of the latter on more than his fair share of occasions - rarely taking advantage of paid protection to try and keep himself safe.

Cat is once again the other major protagonist in the book- and both a murder mystery and intrigue in the King’s court carry the plot along at a pace. I’ve very much enjoyed seeing characters evolve over the course of the series and I’m very much hoping there will be more books to come, despite my feeling that this may have been the final volume.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

Another book in the series of James Marwood and Cat Lovett. London is still suffering the damage caused by the fire of London, a body turns up in the ruins of an almshouse that Cat was in the process of restoring. The subsequent investigations turn up treachery on the part of powerful people and Cat and James end up in danger

When a body without a face is discovered on the site of Cat Hakesby’s latest building venture, Whitehall secretary James Marwood is ordered to investigate. ‘The Shadows of London’ by Andrew Taylor is sixth in the Marwood & Lovett series that started on the night of the Great Fire of London.
Cat’s renovation of a city almshouse is delayed for the coroner’s verdict, putting extreme financial pressure on her architecture business. Marwood soon discovers two possible identities for the dead man – a French tutor to the daughter of the almshouse’s owner, or a civil servant at the Council of Foreign Plantations. Both suspects suggest a foreign connection to the affair. This excellent series about Restoration London is a wonderful portrayal of the squalor, smells and grime of daily reality juxtaposed with the corruption of wealth, power and politics. Stink, disguised by a clove-studded orange pomander. Meanwhile the eye of King Charles II is distracted by a young French newcomer to court, Louise de Keroualle. Surrounded by panders, English and French, who see advantage to a dalliance between monarch and maid of honour, Louise longs for a lost love and attempts in vain to stop the inevitable happening.
Set in 1671, this novel is a wonderful mixture of murder mystery, political thriller, seventeenth-century fashion [gorgeous shoes] and romantic suspense, set in the complex Restoration period. Eleven years after the restoration of King Charles to the throne and five years since the Great Fire, London still bears the marks of destruction. As Marwood investigates the murder, pulled this way and that by the demands of his political paymasters, Cat struggles to find skilled workers when all the ruined City of London is being redeveloped. The plot is complex, with modern echoes to pick up, and Taylor pulls the strings of tension this way and that. I stayed up late to finish it.
Cat remains one of my favourite fictional characters; independent, spiky, steadfast, a little solemn with endless determination. Marwood is alternately frustrating, arrogant and impulsive but also loyal, brave and honest. It is this last quality that is most pressed in ‘The Shadows of London’ as, finding himself in unfamiliar territory, he questions what he is doing and why. Cat and Marwood are a brilliant pairing.
Excellent.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

This novel was an excellent evocation of Restoration London and the characters of Cat and Marwood were well-developed throughout the story. I found Marwood a somewhat frustrating character, though, as he seemed, at times, too ineffectual to manage his own destiny.
The plot and sub-plots twist and turn throughout, though, at times, it takes some concentration to recall just what has happened to whom so far. I found the pace variable and some sections a tad slow for my liking.
However, Taylor weaves excellent research and fantastic historical detail into his story that makes for a very entertaining read.

Cat and Marwood investigate the discovery of a faceless body, which threatens to destroy Cat’s business. Meanwhile, a young French woman is pursued by the king as he seeks a new mistress.

Court intrigue aplenty as both nobles and their lessers vie for influence at court. And the thorny relationship between Cat and Marwood begins to change.

Another rollicking tale in this entertaining series.

I love this series, it is gripping right form the start and kept me hooked all the way through, I have taken the characters to my heart and I love the mystery

This is a very well written book. It takes place five years after the great fire of London and centres around the relationship of King Charles the second and his French mistress. Well written. Fantastic book

This is the sixth book in Andrew Taylor’s wonderful series, and while each book can stand alone, I would recommend reading them in order as James Marwood and Cat Lovett, the recurring characters, start to feel like old friends.
Like all the previous books, which I’ve loved, this is a wonderfully immersive book that really captures a sense of time and place, you can almost hear and smell the sights and sounds of C17th London.
Set a few years after the Great Fire of London, a disfigured body is discovered in the ruins of an ancient almshouse, where architect Cat Hakesby is carrying out restoration work. Whitehall secretary James Marwood is ordered to investigate the murder which is anything but straightforward.

Two of 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 his murder investigation may lead right to the heart of government.
The book is extremely well researched, creating a clever blend of fact and fiction. The characters feel believable and the plot is twisty and intriguing enough to make it a real page-turner.
I’m already looking forward to the next one.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC.

I loved another book from the Marlowe and Hakesby series. Taylor's writing is so gripping and the action was done so well. I loved how certain plot points developed from the last book to this one. The crime and action was done really well and i loved how the story was presented. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series if it's anything like the ones that have gone before it.

This was the best so far! I really couldn’t put this down, which is rare for me as I prefer to have a few books on the go at once. There is a deep satisfaction in seeing characters grow and change over the course of the series. I still find the restoration period fascinating, as described by Taylor. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

One of my favourite books of the year. I have been incredibly fortunate to have read all 6 of the Cat and James series. The magnificent C J Samson Shardlake series has 7 instalments and I hope there are many more of Cat and James in this wonderful 17th Century Series.

The book as a standalone would be brilliant but the story that develops over the 6 book series has been a pleasure to behold.

In this book we have James and Cat in some serious trouble and danger lurks around every corner. There are dead bodies and skullduggery galore. There is a reason why Taylor has sold over 1,000,000 books, he is great

Quite simply I loved this atmospheric gem of a book and cannot recommend it highly enough. If you are lucky enough to have not read any of this series, start at the beginning, enjoy them all, you can thank me later.

This is book six in the series, which can stand alone. Once again, Cat Hakesby (previously Lovett) and James Marwood are united in their effort to resolve a murder case.

London, 1671. An architect, Cat Hakesby, is forced to stop her restoration project after the Great Fire due to man’s body found in the ruins. Delayed work means financial strain on her business. Thus, she tries to help in solving the case.

She knows James Marwood who is ordered to investigate. And they had some tangled moments previously. Marwood is good at extracting information, but the trail where it leads gets complicated.

The author continues to created fascinating characters and complex plot that intrigues. The story is alive with historical figures and events. With the fast pace, the reader is set on a fascinating mystery journey.

I found book five, The Royal Secret, as character driven. This book is more plot driven.

This is a very well written and researched book. It takes place five years after the great fire of London and centres around the relationship of King Charles the second and his French mistress. The style of writing is how it might have been in 1671 and lends and air of originality to the story.

I'm returning to this series on book six after reading the first two and find that although things have progressed in the characters lives, a lot is still the same: twisty, multi-stranded mysteries in a period of history that is as interesting as the Tudors but much less written about. This has taken a while to read, but these always do because they're long. I'm glad that we have no on page sexual violence in this one (although that's not to say there's not some sexual violence going on in the background) although it seems like some of the stuff that happened in the first book has been forgotten about (although obviously there may be explanations of that in the books I haven't read in the series) but in the main I think that's for the best.

I feel like I may go and read some of the other three I've missed now - I really do like the world and the characters.

Great historical read. Loved the writing style from this author. Really hooked me in from the start and needed to know more and more.