Reviews

Cat Lovett (Hawksby) and James Marwood battle through 1670 London’s Bawdy Riots to uncover a mysterious plot against the King. Rip-roaring and highly addictive.

essjay2023's review

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adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

hstbooks94's review

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adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

jmatkinson1's review against another edition

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5.0

Across London there is anti-Royal talk, James II is extravagant and worse still, he is probably a Catholic. Much of the trouble is being stirred up by the Duke of Buckingham and when he discovers that Richard Cromwell, former Protector and son of the Regicide Oliver, is back from the continent he decides to take advantage. Cromwell is back to recover a treasure hidden by his mother and he recruits the architect Hakesby to help him, Hakesby's wife being an old playmate of his daughter, the former Cat Lovell. Meanwhile James Marwood is trying very hard not to be killed by the Duke of Buckingham's men.
This is the fourth in Taylor's stories about Marwood and Lovell set in the 1660s. Taylor is an accomplished writer of historical fiction and class oozes from the page of this book. The plots are clever and never too far-fetched, shedding light on the politics around the Restoration and the influence of the Civil War is always an undercurrent. This is a great story from a master of his craft.

munchkindad's review

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adventurous informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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