Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ashes of London | 2016 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
| 2 | The Fire Court | 2018 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
| 3 | The King’s Evil | 2019 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
| 4 | The Last Protector | 2020 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
| 5 | The Shadows of London | 2023 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
| 6 | The Royal Secret | 2022 | Andrew Taylor | Buy |
The Marwood and Lovett series by Andrew Taylor is set in London during the 1660s and 1670s, a period of political intrigue, religious conflict, and rapid change following the restoration of Charles II to the English throne. James Marwood is a government clerk and reluctant informer; Cat Lovett is the headstrong daughter of a disgraced regicide. Their paths cross in The Ashes of London, set against the smoking ruins of the Great Fire, and they are drawn into a reluctant partnership that deepens with each book.
Taylor brings the Restoration period to life with specific, grounded historical detail. The streets, coffee houses, prisons, and palaces of seventeenth-century London feel lived-in rather than theatrical. Each novel weaves real historical events and figures into its plot while telling a self-contained mystery. The relationship between Marwood and Lovett develops slowly and convincingly across the series, shaped by the social restrictions and dangers of the era.
The series has been widely praised by both crime fiction and historical fiction readers. Taylor’s years of experience writing mysteries give these books a strong sense of pacing and suspense, while his research into the period provides a setting that feels authentic down to its smallest details.