"The second in a must-read series, this is a cracking historical thriller and a Liz Robinson pick of the month"
A captivating and absolutely thrilling historical tale that sits as a perfect sequel to the first in the series The Ashes of London. Please do start with the first book, it is a stunning read and sets the characters and scene so beautifully. After the Great Fire of London a court is established to judge the cases of discord between landlords and tenants. Suspicious deaths appear to link to the Fire Court, and as James and Cat attempt to find answers, their individual stories become more closely intertwined. After the drama and sheer visual spectacle of the first book, I did wonder how on earth the series would continue, and it is safe to say with great aplomb. The intricate plot immediately wormed its way into my head, slicing, enthralling, and sharply focused. There is one particularly unexpected and shocking moment that quite literally stopped my whole being, I sat in for a moment in silence before continuing, desperate to know more. Will you feel the same, will the words travel from the page, trap your feelings and hurl your thoughts in the air? This is a series that could run and run, The King’s Evil is already calling to me and quite simply can’t arrive quickly enough. The Fire Court has become part of a must-read series for me, it is highly recommended and one of my picks of the month.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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This novel was a completely unexpected treat, combining detailed historical research with an outstanding crime novel.
It seems to me that Andrew Taylor is an author with exceptional writing skills. He knows how to tell a good story and how to bring the reader in to enjoy it. In The Fire Court, which tells the story of the aftermath of The Great Fire of London, he manages to bring together an enormous amount of detailed research with the life stories of a set of characters with almost unbelievable authenticity. People come to life under his penmanship and they are not cardboard caricatures. We are drawn into a complicated fascinating look at seventeenth-century London and it is enthralling.
The Fire Court, a central aspect of the novel, was a court set up to negotiate legal settlements between interested parties to facilitate the timely rebuilding of London. If that sounds dull, it isn't.... Read Full Review
The Fire Court is an excellent sequel to The Ashes of London. A historical novel, rich in authentic detail, with an intriguing murder mystery at its heart - well worth reading!
The Fire Court, a sequel to The Ashes of London is an excellent historical novel, in my opinion. It takes up the stories of James Marwood and Cat Lovett in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1666, each trying to settle into their lives again after the great catastrophe. However. obstacles prevent them from continuing with their chosen paths. These obstacles are a series of deaths, all of which are linked in some way to Clifford’s Inn and the Fire Court.
The Fire Court was set up to determine the rights of property owners and leaseholders to rebuild after the fire. The aim was to deal with all in a fair manner, but for some influential people, the fairness of the judges was secondary to their needs.... Read Full Review
A historical who-dun-it with a great plot, well-drawn characters and a host of period detail, The Fire Court is an education as well as a great read.
This is the second of Andrew Taylors' novels in which James Marwood, clerk to a government official and also to the Board of Red Cloth, finds himself propelled into a world of crime and duplicity.
The year is 1667 and London is recovering from the Great Fire. The Fire Court has been set up to deal with claims for compensation and applications for new building projects. When there are fortunes to be made and old wrongs to settle, corruption and fraud hover over honest dealings.
James’s father is knocked down and killed by a cart the day after claiming to have discovered the corpse of a young woman.... Read Full Review
