The Fire Court by Andrew TaylorSynopsis: “A time of terrible danger…
The Great Fire has ravaged London. Now, guided by the Fire Court, the city is rebuilding, but times are volatile and danger is only ever a heartbeat away.

Two mysterious deaths…
James Marwood, a traitor’s son, is thrust into this treacherous environment when his father discovers a dead woman in the very place where the Fire Court sits. The next day his father is run down. Accident? Or another murder…?

A race to stop a murderer…
Determined to uncover the truth, Marwood turns to the one person he can trust – Cat Lovett, the daughter of a despised regicide. Then comes a third death… and Marwood and Cat are forced to confront a vicious killer who threatens the future of the city itself.”

My Review

This was is book 2 in The Ashes of London series, a really good historical crime fiction set in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666. My husband recommended this series to me, whilst reading it back in 2023, and I’m  glad I’ve finally started it, as I’m hooked!

This book is set straight after the first book, as the rebuilding of London starts. The Fire Court of the title plays an important part in the plot.

The story is told once again by James Marwood and Cat Lovett, two acquaintances who met by chance in the first book as St. Paul’s Cathedral was burning in the Great Fire. They get to know each other a little better in this book, but it isn’t a romantic relationship in any shape or form.

Just like in the first book there’s a few nasty characters and dodgy dealings going on, with quite a few twists and turns. I enjoyed being back in this world and rather than trying to work out what was going on I just sat back and enjoyed the story.

I truly felt like I’d time travelled back in time to the London of the 1660s, as the writing and descriptions are superb. I loved the language and the etiquette used by the characters, but the snobbery, misogyny and poverty was appalling!

The narration by Leighton Pugh, a new-to-me narrator is superb, and I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.

Highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy historical crime fiction.