This historical thriller is set in 1666 in the aftermath of the Great Fire. Two young people are the focus. In alternating sections, we follow James Marwood and Cat Lovett. James is a minor clerk who becomes a reluctant government agent. Several people in authority task him with finding people and investigating murders. Cat is a young heiress who has to go into hiding because of an attack.
James and
Cat meet by chance at the beginning of the novel, but they also have another
connection. Both of their fathers were
Fifth Monarchists, religious zealots who were staunch anti-monarchists. James’ father is in frail health and
suffering from senility after years of imprisonment; James does his best to
look after him, but he is always aware that his father’s past can affect his
advancement in the world. Cat’s father
went missing after Charles II regained the throne and he is still actively
sought; Cat tries to find her fugitive father whose past also affects her
present. Events conspire to bring James
and Cat together again before the novel ends.
The main
characters are credible and well-rounded.
James is a likeable character who always tries to do what is right
though that may be difficult when he is manipulated by people in authority with
secret agendas. He is a dutiful son
though he admits to sometimes resenting his father: “Sometimes I hated my father almost as much
as I loved him. He brought down troubles
on his own head, and also on the heads of those around him.” Cat is also realistic, a good person but one
who does not forgive easily; she is “a good hater. She hoarded the hatred as a miser hoards his
gold.”
The plot is
fast-paced. Suspense is maintained
throughout. We know what each of the two
protagonists knows and that information is more than each of them has. Some of the suspense is created by the reader
wondering when/if one of the two will learn something crucial that the other
knows. There is a great deal of
political intrigue that adds to the dense layering. As befitting the genre, there is a gripping
climax. The scene in the ruins of St.
Paul’s Cathedral is a bit difficult to imagine but the danger in the situation
is clearly conveyed.
Historical
fiction sometimes includes information dumps.
This book has a great deal of historical detail but it is nicely woven
into the plot so the author’s research doesn’t overwhelm the narrative. The amount of local colour does not let the
reader forget that the setting is that of 350 years in the past.
This book
was a great way to end my reading year.
I will certainly be reading more of Andrew Taylor’s offerings.
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