A dangerous secret lies beneath Whitehall PalaceâŠ
Brother against brother. Father against son. Friends turned into enemies. No one in England wants a return to the bloody days of the Civil War. But Oliver Cromwellâs son, Richard, has abandoned his exile and slipped back into England. The consequences could be catastrophic.
James Marwood, a traitorâs son turned government agent, is tasked with uncovering Cromwellâs motives. But his assignment is complicated by his friend â the regicideâs daughter, Cat Lovett â who knew the Cromwells as a child, and who now seems to be hiding a secret of her own about the family.
Both Marwood and Cat know they are putting themselves in great danger. And when they find themselves on a top secret mission in the Palace of Whitehall, they realize they are risking their livesâŠand could even be sent to the block for treason.
The TimesâOne of the best historical crime writers todayâ
Peter JamesâIf you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, youâll love Andrew Taylorâ
C. J. SansomâEffortlessly authenticâŠgrippingâŠmoving and believable. An excellent workâ
GuardianâThis is historical crime fiction at its dazzling bestâ
âOne of the best historical novelists aroundâSunday Times
Financial TimesâA breathtakingly ambitious picture of an eraâ
Ann CleevesâA masterclass in writing for the genreâ
Antonia HodgsonâAndrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers'
ObserverâVivid and compellingâ
SpectatorâA novel filled with intrigue, duplicity, scandal and betrayal, whose author now vies with another master of the genre, C. J. Sansomâ
GuardianâTaylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell itâ
Daily TelegraphâA most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chillâ
From the No.1 bestselling author of comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett.Sunday TimesThe Ashes of London Praise for Andrew Taylor