This is a murder mystery set in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. The story is split between James Marwood and Cat Lovett. The fifth and final men's Test begins on 27 July, with Australia having retained the Ashes following a rain-affected draw at Old Trafford in the fourth Test. Recent crime fiction". The Spectator. 311 (9446): 36–37. 12 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009 . Retrieved 20 June 2011. The Ashes of London presents a breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era ... the multiple narrative strands are drawn together in a brilliantly orchestrated finale’ Financial Times

Catherine’s story is told almost entirely in the third person, which I thought rather a shame. She is the stronger and more ambiguous character, surprisingly modern in both outlook and reaction to adversity. 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 will be a new episode of the Test Match Special podcast every day throughout the summer while the Tailenders podcast with England bowler James Anderson and No Balls with England bowler Kate Cross and former England spinner Alex Hartley will also provide their unique take on the action. 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.

A few weeks later, an English team, captained by the Hon Ivo Bligh [later Lord Darnley], set off to tour Australia, with Bligh vowing to return with "the ashes"; his Australian counterpart, WL Murdoch, similarly vowed to defend them. With Charles I beheaded and Oliver Cromwell in his grave, King Charles II has claimed the throne. Now his reign is threatened by unrepentant republicans, the most radical being the Fifth Monarchists who want a Puritan theocracy with King Jesus as ruler. Trapped in these shenanigans are Catherine “Cat” Lovett, whose father fought against Charles I, and James Marwood, whose father, now pardoned, followed Cromwell. While seeking her father in the aftermath of the fire, Cat lives with her Alderley cousins, who resent and exploit her. Meantime Marwood has been extorted into working for Whitehall by a shadowy figure he knows as Williamson, a man who apparently has significant influence with the king, Privy Council, and Common Council. Williamson demands Marwood find Cat’s father, still a threat. Soon Cat and Marwood find themselves in danger. Taylor's ( The Silent Boy, 2015, etc.) characterizations are distinctive, with Marwood cautious, constantly worried his physically weak and senile father will be returned to prison; and Cat fascinated by architecture, pushing against social barriers to become assistant to Master Hakesby, an artist rendering Christopher Wren’s plans to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral. Taylor is marvelous at replicating a historical world that might otherwise be relegated to dusty history books, especially through his renditions of the era’s arch speech and his approach to class and status. Additionally, when a character remarks after an assault that “it was well known that young women were lascivious creatures,” Taylor again shows his talent for adding depth by weaving in examples of the historical subjugation and oppression of women. It’s worth noting that these fascinating minutiae interlaced into the narrative have no negative effect on focus or pace. The novel is narrated from two points of view: the first – in the first person – is a struggling junior clerk James Marwood, there on hand to witness the destruction of St Paul’s cathedral, but when he tries to help a lad who gets too close to the fire he discovers that he is a she, and he has his hand bitten and his cloak stolen for his troubles. The second strand – in third person – follows the adventures of this same girl, who turns out to be Catherine Lovett, the deprived and abused heiress. Marwood is the better-drawn; everyman, trying to do right, trying to advance in the world while being unwillingly dragged into murder, plots and political secrets. He relates much of the always believable action in the first person and his gentle, sometimes frustrated, relationship with his dementia-affected father provides a touching counterpoint to the world of envy, self-seeking, debauchery, machinations and brutality in which he finds himself.

The story takes place over the few months following the fire, and is told through two different viewpoints. We meet James Marwood first of all, a young man eking out a living as a clerk in the employ of Master Williamson, the editor and publisher of The London Gazette – a man of influence whose position gives him access to governmental circles. Marwood is caring for his ailing father, a staunch supporter of Cromwell and the Commonwealth who refused the new king’s offer of clemency after the Restoration and was imprisoned as a result. After several attempts, Marwood managed to have his father released – on condition that he lives quietly away from London. Marwood senior is becoming ever more confused and subject to the wandering of his wits (we would probably today recognise this as dementia), making it sometimes very difficult for his son to make sure he adheres to the terms of his release. This is terrific stuff: intelligent, engrossing and, in its evocation of a long-vanished London, wonderfully plausible.’ Toby Clements, Daily TelegraphAustralia retained the Women's Ashes despite it finishing 8-8 on points in the multi-format series. His most recent books are historical novels as well as crime fiction. They explore different historical eras: Bleeding Heart Square, is set in the 1930s mainly in London (2008); The Anatomy of Ghosts (2010), set in eighteenth-century Cambridge; The Scent of Death, set in British New York, 1778–80; and its sequel, The Silent Boy (2014), during the French Revolution. Andrew Taylor has also written a number of novellas with ghostly or other-worldly themes, originally as Kindle Singles. The first three have now been published in print form under the title Fireside Gothic.