Andrew Taylor's fine historical fiction has been a favourite of this blog over a number of years. Taylor has always been capable of delivering the critical detail and atmosphere to wrap around his strong narratives and memorable characters. His writing is evocative, thoughtful and exciting.
In recent years Taylor has taken us back to the Restoration with his Marwood and Lovett (lately Hakesby) series that takes place after the Great Fire of 1666 and in a terrific series - this is the sixth and apparently final installment in the series - he has done for the Restoration what CJ Sansom did for the Tudors, bringing finely-tuned mystery into the heart of the court, and over-layering it with political and personal drama.
The Restoration is a time pregnant with possibility for historical fiction as social upheaval, foreign subterfuge and scientific advancement gripped. As the monarchy reasserts its power, led by a popular and charismatic King - last seen up close in The Royal Secret - there is plenty of scope for high court intrigue and low behaviour. Marwood, as an administrator to Secretary of State Lord Arlington, whose responsibilities were said to include management of royal mistresses, has ample opportunity to find trouble, and it's never far away. Like Shardlake, he becomes a reluctant investigator and often unwilling tool of the state.
In The Shadows of London, Marwood is drawn into another investigation when a corpse is discovered on the site of an alms house construction being managed by Cat Hakesby. The lack of face on the cadaver hinders the intitial investigation, but eventually and inevitably, it points towards the royal court.
Marwood, despite his position in the employ of one of England's most powerful men, remains vulnerable to the machinations of other important courtiers and it isn't long before he is drawn back into the orbit of his implacable enemy the Duke of Buckingham and his attack dog, Roger Durrell.
Bubbling away in the background as ever, is the "will they won't they" tension between the two main characters, a storyline that provides an anchor to the series but it never overdone.
One of the joys of historical fiction is being brought face to face with the notable characters of the day. In the past we have been introduced to Sir Christopher Wren and King Charles himself, and here the celebrated diarist and courtier John Evelyn makes a cameo appearance.
I'm sorry to see this series go, but Taylor leaves it on fine form with a pacy and absorbing story full of drama and incident. Surely this most prolific of writers will be back soon with something different and I look forward to the next turn. Books such as Bleeding Heart Square, a personal favourite, and The Anatomy of Ghosts, has shown that no era is safe from his formidable imagination and impeccable research.