The Fire Court

Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, and The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.

He has won many awards, including the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA's prestigious Diamond Dagger.

'Andrew Taylor's historical crime novels have proved a benchmark for the genre, and The Fire Court is no exception. Cunningly plotted and movingly written, it's a fascinating portrait of a city, and its people, recovering from trauma' Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses

'This is how historical crime should be written, with rich authenticity underpinning a twisting plot' The Times

'Marwood and Lovett's search for a killer in the sooty streets of 1660s London is an atmospheric pleasure, full of twists and memorable characters' The Times

'With a fast-moving, complex plot underpinned by solid but unobtrusive research and plenty of drama and intrigue, Taylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it' Guardian

'Once again, Taylor combines his detailed research with a deviously twist-laden storyline' Observer

'This atmospheric murder mystery by Andrew Taylor is a real treat' The Times

'This gripping mystery is even better than its predecessor, The Ashes of London' Sunday Express S Magazine

'Taylor remains to my mind at the top of the list of historical novelists writing in English today' Reviewing the Evidence

'If it were not a superlative crime novel, Taylor's evocative picture of the Great Fire of London, The Ashes of London, could be considered a historical novel of the first order. Its sequel, The Fire Court, is equally impressive' Financial Times

'In addition to a fascinating portrait of the 17th-century city, Taylor offers a father-son relationship that is as touching as it is convincing' Literary Review

'Taylor's sense of time and place are awe-inspiring, the plot is fiendishly clever and beautifully executed and the language is divine' Historica Mag