Set in the Restoration Period with Charles II reigning as King of England, Scotland and Ireland, this is the latest in the series of books featuring the compelling relationship between architect Catherine Hakesby and government official James Marwood. Andrew Taylor is a master at conjuring up the atmosphere of 1671 London with its fabulous royal court, wealth, power, poverty, squalor and stench. The plot, centred on a murder investigation pursued by Hakesby and Marwood, is clever and complex and the writing is wonderfully descriptive and fast-paced. A real strength of this book is the relationship between Hakesby and Marwood and the relationship between them and other central characters such as the courtiers Lord Arlington and the Duke of Buckingham. A thoroughly enjoyable read which is strongly recommended.

The Shadows of London' is the latest addition to the popular series by Andrew Taylor. Set in 1671, our protoganists are recent widow Catherine 'Cat' Hakesby and architect James Marwood and this is the sixth novel in the series with the characters well set into their roles. However, it is worth diving into the story for the rich descriptions of London life and to hear of the inequalities faced by women (regardless of their level in society, they are largely powerless).
Marsden and Hakesby are investigation a murder which has held up their renovation of an old almshouse that was destroyed during the great fire of London. Their efforts are constantly hampered by George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, who is also a courtier of King Charles II. As their situation becomes increasingly critical, the author expertly mixes fact and fiction to create a tense and exciting storyline.

It is 1671 in Andrew Taylor's latest addition to his marvellous historical series set in London and featuring the now relatively powerful confidential Whitehall agent to Lord Arlington, James Marwood, and the architect and widow Catherine 'Cat' Hakesby. Cat is working on the restoration of an old Chard Lane almshouse for the wealthy Robert Hadscraft, who has a beautiful and alluring young daughter, Grace. However, work is halted when the brutally murdered and disfigured unidentifiable man's body is discovered on the site. With costs mounting that she cannot afford, she hopes that Marwood investigating will be able to help get work restarted, Arlington wishes him to pursue the matter. The victim it turns out could be one of get 2 men who have disappeared, a possibly corrupt copyist employee of the Council of Foreign Plantations and Grace's sacked French Tutor.

Influential King Charles II's courtier, George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, a man who hates Marwood and takes every opportunity to denigrate him, is showing an interest in his inquiries and to the horror of Marwood and Cat, his man Roger Durrell is making his dangerous presence felt. French lady in waiting to the Queen, the young, desperate and beautiful penniless Louise Keroualle finds herself trapped between a rock and a hard place, having caught the eye of the King, intent on making her his mistress. Politically pressurising her in this direction is the French ambassador, Colbert de Croissy and the Arlingtons, moves the powerless and despairing Louise is not in a position to resist. Marwood finds his livelihood and life under threat as his investigation takes him right to the heart of government intrigue, lies, deceptions, and secrets.

This is a fascinating addition to the series, with its detailed focus on the crude overt inequalities faced by women, unable to control their fates, and the machinations of the powerful, nations and men. Marwood finds himself encountering the unpalatable side of those in power which makes him feel that he is being inevitably touched himself by the dark side, given he is subject to orders from above. This is an insightful and informative blend of fact and fiction, a historical examination of the position of women, the manner in which they were used and abused, highlighting the present day contemporary #MeToo movement. On the plus side, whilst the world around him crumbles, there are significant developments in Marwood's relationship with Cat, I cannot wait to see what happens next! Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
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The Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor
I have read and loved the previous 5 novels involving the story of Cat Lovett/Hakesby and Marwood. This novel is set about six years after the Great Fire of London and Cat is working on the restoration of some ancient almshouses. She is working with Brennan her partner having taken over her husband’s business following his death. Cat has gained some interesting commissions as an architect and is developing her reputation.
Then a dead body is discovered at the site of the almshouses and the local judge insists that all work be stopped until the death can be investigated. Cat reluctantly calls upon her friend James Marwood to ask for help in speeding up the process. As James investigates he uncovers a trail of intrigue apparently leading to those close to the King and James encounters his old enemy, the Duke of Buckingham. As with the other books in the series Andrew Taylor carefully interweaves fact and fiction in his story using the conspiracies which abounded in court at the time. The murder may be fictional but the interwoven stories have a basis in truth.
The characters are well developed and I really enjoyed another outing with these characters I have come to know so well. I also found it fascinating the way in which beautiful women were employed by those who surrounded the King to attempt to gain influence and power. I will be recommending this novel to all of my book groups and would like to thank Andrew Taylor, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

In a city still reeling from the aftermath of the Great Fire, Cat Hakesby and James Marwood are once again working together in order to identify the body of a man found naked and horribly disfigured and hopefully uncover the motives behind his violent death. But it could soon be too dangerous for the couple to unmask the perpetrator or perpetrators of this despicable crime especially when a royal favorite, a powerful duke and some shady diplomatic shenanigans could be directly linked to it....

A thrilling whodunit set in Restoration London where greed, jealousies, lust, lies and political ambitions joyfully and shamelessly flirt with death within a vast and colorful fictional tapestry full of twists and turns and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters.

A captivating novel that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this fabulous ARC!

Andrew Taylor never disappoints me! Again he wrote an enthralling novel, with a riveting plot. I love the descriptions of London, the houses, one gets an atmospheric insight on how people used to live. His characters, very human in their weaknesses feel real. Quite a bit of action as well, and a conclusion which makes me very impatient to read his next novel! Highly recommended!
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

A new book in Andrew Taylor’s Marwood and Lovett series is always something to look forward to! This is the sixth in the series and another one I thoroughly enjoyed. If you’re new to these books they do all work as standalones, but I would recommend reading all of them in order if possible so you can watch the relationship develop between James Marwood and Cat Lovett.

The Shadows of London is set around six years after the devastation of the Great Fire of London in 1666. The city is continuing to rebuild and Cat Lovett – now the widowed Mistress Hakesby – is working on the restoration of an ancient almshouse. Having taken over the running of her late husband’s architecture business, Cat is establishing a reputation for herself as a talented architect in her own right, and she and her partner, Brennan, have received a commission to rebuild the almshouse and construct new brick houses on the adjoining land. When a dead body is found on the site, bringing the project to a halt, Cat approaches her friend James Marwood to ask for his help in speeding up the investigations so that work can continue.

Marwood is now working as private secretary to the powerful statesman Lord Arlington. When it emerges that the dead man could be a clerk employed at the Council of Foreign Plantations, Arlington instructs Marwood to find out all he can about the murder. As he and Cat begin to investigate, however, they begin to uncover a trail that seems to be leading to the royal court and to Marwood’s old enemy, the Duke of Buckingham.

The investigation also has implications for another young lady, Louise de Kéroualle, formerly a maid of honour to Charles II’s sister, Minette. The King has his eye on Louise and she has been brought to England to serve as lady-in-waiting to his queen, Catherine of Braganza. It will suit certain people in both England and France to have a Frenchwoman in the King’s bed, but Louise has other things on her mind. Her lover, a French tutor, has gone missing – could he be involved in the almshouse murder?

As with the other five books in this series, Andrew Taylor blends fact and fiction together perfectly. Although the story of the dead man on the building site is fictional, it weaves in and out of the government intrigues and court conspiracies in a way that almost convinces you it could really have happened. While it was good to meet Cat and Marwood again, as well as some of the recurring characters I’ve become quite fond of, such as Marwood’s servants Sam and Margaret Witherdine, I also enjoyed getting to know Louise de Kéroualle. It was interesting to read Taylor’s author’s note where he discusses the politics behind Louise’s seduction by Charles II – with letters from the period as evidence – and why his interpretation of her story is more sympathetic than some.

Long-term readers of the series will be wondering whether this is the book where Cat and Marwood finally get together after what has been a bit of a love-hate relationship. Well, I’m not going to tell you that, but I do think you’ll be pleased to know that, unlike in some of the previous novels, there are plenty of interactions between the two of them and they work closely with each other to solve the mystery. I found the ending of the book quite satisfying, but I’m hoping there will be a book seven as I would love to see what’s in store next for Marwood and Lovett!

Cat Hakesby & James Marwood are back again and we couldn't be more thrilled!

I think we can safely say that Andrew Taylor's Marwood & Hakesby series is our favourite as far as historical fiction goes. Much like the previous five books in this series, Taylor weaves a complex plot with bringing Restoration London alive and balances it with intrigue which leaves you longing for more. At times the descriptions were a little long (especially in sections taking place outside of London) and these same parts could have been condensed a little more, but these minor criticisms are simply due to us holding Taylor in SUCH high regard.

Whilst it was a joy to read book six as a long term fan, those who are new to the series would equally enjoy picking up this book as their first foray into Cat & James' world. Taylor manages to create enough reference points for new and seasoned readers of the series to ensure the reader does not get lost. Unlike previous books in the series, this opens a little differently with Cat getting straight to the heart of the matter and an additional narrative voice being introduced. The plot, based in historical fact, weaves Cat and James back into the fold of Charles II's court with all the excitement and misdemeanours one comes to expect.

The ending especially left us eager to revisit Cat and James Marwood and has certainly set Taylor up for a brilliant book seven. We certainly were not disappointed with the latest glimpse into goings on at The Savoy and the sign of the Rose on Henrietta Street...

Our review will be going live on in due course - www.instagram.com/history_belles

I loved this amazing historical masterpiece. It's a good interesting murder mystery set in London five years after The Great Fire. The attention to historical detail is absolutely amazing and becomes all the more poignant at the end after reading the author's notes. One not to be missed.

This latest book in the series does not fail to hit the mark. The attention to historical detail makes this a joy to read. The descriptions of the clothes, houses, streets, methods of travel taught me a lot about this period. The plot is quite complicated and has several layers of intrigue, coming to a tense, dramatic conclusion. I highly recommend this book.

The Shadows of London is the latest historical novel in the James Marwood & Cat Lovett / Hakesby series, set in the reign of Charles II. Having read the earlier books I was very eager to get my hands on this one and it doesn't disappoint.
When the murdered and disfigured body of a man is discovered in the ruins of an ancient almshouse that architect Cat Hakesby and her team have started to restore, they are forced to stop work and she calls in her friend Marwood to help investigate the death on order to enable them to get back to work.
This is an excellent story with all the intrigues and twists and turns expected of an Andrew Taylor book and I thoroughly recommend it.

Another brilliant book in the Cat and Marwood series. Set in the reign of Charles II, Taylor gives a real sense of the period including the stench without being over descriptive so the plot keeps moving. Unfortunately, once I start reading I can't put it down so I have finished already and now eagerly awaiting the next in the series - if there is another one.
Although it could be read as a stand alone, it would be far better read as part of the series as the relationship between Cat and Marwood is an essential element of the story. Also the earlier books are so good it would be a shame to miss them or read them in the wrong order.
Taylor is still high up on my list of favourite authors.

The sixth book in the historical series set in the reign of Charles II. Andrew Taylor is one of my favourite writers and again he has produced a superb book. I'm running out of superlatives to describe this series. The historical detail gives a wonderful atmospheric background. The plot is fast-paced and exciting. But best of all are the characters and the relationship between them is played out beautifully. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Life doesn't get easier for Marwood in this latest adventure.

"Shadows of London" is the sixth book in the Ashes of London series, and continues the adventures of James Marwood and Catherine Hakesby. It's 1671 and Marwood is now in the full employ of Lord Arlington, as clerk and part-time spy. His star is still rising, but he seems uncomfortable with his new role. Catherine, with her now business partner Brennan, is beginning work on a large commission to build an alms-house and a street of luxury homes.

When work commences on the alms-house, and a mutilated body is found in the work yard, thus halting work, Catherine is forced to call on her friend Marwood to try and speed up the investigation and so prevent her project from failing before it begins. And with that we are launched head-first into another fast-moving and intricately plotted tale in London in the years following the Great Fire.

We meet again most of the characters from the previous books, and there are several threads which are nicely developed from earlier books. In particular, the Duke of Buckingham and his henchman are still up to no good, and the machinations of the Royal Court still feature large. The pressure on Marwood grows as Arlington and Buckingham show a growing interest in his activities, especially as the trail leads to the heart of King Charles government.

As you'd expect, at book six of a series, there is some repetition. In particular the on-off / will they-won't they relationship between Marwood and Catherine is starting to grate a little. But this book is saved by the plot around Charles II and his amorous adventures, in particular his attempts to bed Louise de Keroualle. The ways in which those in the Court and the Governments of both England and France vie for power and influence is fascinating.

Although the book will naturally be welcomed by long-time fans, new readers would equally be rewarded for picking it up. And I suspect the last few pages will keep readers coming back for more. Heartily recommended.