Tuesday 11 June 2019

I'm Escaping The Georgians

- by going back to the Stuarts! I did feel that every NT property I visited, or town I strolled round recently was stuck with the Georgians. But then that changed. Every month I'm involved in Hymn Services at two dementia care homes in Ferndown, along with other friends from church. Often we meet relatives of the residents, who come along to the services with them. It is helpful to have a few more people singing along, and we have pleasant chats afterwards. Two of these encounters recently have developed in unexpected ways.
Back in March I met a lady whose mum was in one of the homes, and we got to chatting about all sorts of things-including books. She was interested that I'd not only read Sansom's Tombland, but walked round old Norwich pinpointing locations. And she recommending an author she had just discovered.
Andrew Taylor has written a trilogy of books set in the Stuart  period - specifically, in the immediate aftermath of the 1666 Great Fire Of London
I reserved book #1 1 "The Ashes Of London"  from the library. Then #2,finally #3!
Here's the Waterstones blurb 
The noise was the worst. Not the crackling of the flames, not the explosions and the clatter of falling buildings, not the shouting and the endless beating of drums and the groans and cries of the crowd: it was the howling of the fire. It was the voice of The Great Beast itself.
London, 1666: a city in flames…
As the Great Fire consumes everything in its path, even the great cathedral and as the embers smoulder, the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul's - stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back.
A woman on the run…



The son of a traitor, James Marwood is a reluctant government informer, forced to hunt the killer through the city's devastated streets. #A killer seeking revenge…
When a second murder victim is discovered in the Fleet Ditch, Marwood is drawn into the political and religious intrigue of Westminster. At a time of dangerous internal dissent, Marwood’s investigation will lead him into treacherous waters – and across the path of a determined and vengeful woman.
Marwood meets Catherine [Cat] Lovett - also the child of a 'traitor' [ie a participant in the regicide of CXharles I] and their relationship develops through the second book [The Fire Court] and then #3 [The King's Evil]
These books are 'stand-alone' - but I would strongly recommend you read them in chronological order. 
They evoke the period well, and the storylines were well thought out.
I shall be checking out Taylor's other stuff.
It is lovely to discover a new author whose work I've 
really enjoyed. If you like CJ Sansom, or S J Parris, I think you'll enjoy these too.





5 comments:

  1. Thank you for the book reviews, Angela. I shall check my library to see if they have copies. :)

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  2. Thanks Angela. Sharon Penman is another author worth reading if you enjoy historical novels.
    The Sunne in Splendour is the first chronologically.
    Two about Llewelyn need to be read in order.

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  3. Wonders of wonders!
    My comment seems to have been accepted after months of being wiped out!
    I smiled at your comments about your mum and pills yesterday.
    There are lots of occasions when my current situation reminds me of my mum and her health problems as I encounter similar ones. I wish I could rerun the years.
    I now understand her lack of energy and her difficulty with threading sewing needles, changing sheets etc and how frustrating that must have been.
    Hopefully your mum enjoyed the teasing as I’m sure it was done in a gentle way. Hindsight is not always helpful if we look back but it can help to prevent us being less impatient with others in the future; at least I hope so!
    Sue

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  4. I tried and failed with the first one some time ago, can't remember why. Perhaps I should try again

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  5. I read Ashes of London ages ago and really liked it. I had no idea that there were any more

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