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Andrew Taylor

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The Last Protector: from the No 1 Sunday Times bestselling author comes the latest historical crime thriller (James Marwood & Cat Lovett, Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Andrew Taylor (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 2,827 ratings

Book 4 of 6: James Marwood & Cat Lovett

See all formats and editions

From the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ashes of London comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett.

Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold!

A dangerous secret lies beneath Whitehall Palace…

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 Cromwell’s son, Richard, has abandoned his exile and slipped back into England. The consequences could be catastrophic.

James Marwood, a traitor’s son turned government agent, is tasked with uncovering Cromwell’s motives. But his assignment is complicated by his friend – the regicide’s daughter, Cat Lovett – 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 lives…and could even be sent to the block for treason.

Praise for Andrew Taylor

‘One of the best historical crime writers today’ The Times

‘If you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, you’ll love Andrew Taylor’ Peter James

‘Effortlessly authentic…gripping…moving and believable. An excellent work’ C. J. Sansom

‘This is historical crime fiction at its dazzling best’ Guardian

‘One of the best historical novelists around’ Sunday Times

‘A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era’ Financial Times

‘A masterclass in writing for the genre’ Ann Cleeves

‘Andrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers' Antonia Hodgson

‘Vivid and compelling’ Observer

‘Taylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it’ Guardian

‘A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill’ Daily Telegraph

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Confirms his status as one of our finest writers of historical thrillers’ The Sunday Times

‘There is colour, violence, devotion, courage and fun here. What more could anyone ask of a crime novel?’ Literary Review

‘Taylor is on reliably good form in this fourth instalment of a series that effortlessly blends history and mystery.’ The Times

‘A teeming London (in the process of reconstruction after the Great Fire), political chicanery, duels, brothels, court manoeuvrings ― all are grist to Taylor’s imaginative mill’ The Financial Times

‘A brilliant historical novel about Cromwell… Riveting’ Evening Standard

‘Superb… Cat, especially, remains one of the most compelling, multifaceted characters in contemporary historical fiction’. Observer

‘Taylor’s fourth Marwood tale is gripping and rich in detail – 4.5 stars’ The Sun

‘Boasting political intrigue and evocative period atmosphere, The Last Protector is crime writing at its most elegant and assured’ Waterstones blog

‘It’s been a good year for historical crime fiction, with another strong outing for Andrew Taylor’s Restoration sleuths James Marwood and Cat Lovett in The Last Protector’ Books of the Year,Guardian

'Full of intrigue, unforgettable characters and a plot which keeps you engaged until the last page.' Waterstones

Praise for Andrew Taylor:

‘One of the best historical crime writers today’ The Times

‘If you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, you’ll love Andrew Taylor’ Peter James

‘Effortlessly authentic…gripping…moving and believable. An excellent work’ C. J. Sansom

‘This is historical crime fiction at its dazzling best’ Guardian

‘One of the best historical novelists around’ Sunday Times

'Taylor has long been the pre-eminent chronicler of beautifully atmospheric historical crime' The Times

About the Author

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.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07XDN7LB8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (April 2, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 2, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2665 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 419 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #243,474 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #204 in Tudor Historical Romance
- #734 in Historical Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #2,184 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 2,827 ratings

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Andrew Taylor

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Andrew Taylor is a bestselling British crime and historical novelist, winner of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger (for lifelong excellence in the genre), the HWA Gold Crown for best historical novel of the year, and the triple winner of the CWA Historical Dagger. He has published over 45 books.

They include the international bestseller, The American Boy (a Richard and Judy selection); the Roth Trilogy (filmed for TV as Fallen Angel); the Lydmouth detective series set in the 1950s; and The Anatomy of Ghosts, shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

His most recent books are the Marwood and Lovett Restoration series. The Ashes of London was a Times/Waterstones number one bestseller. The sequels have both all been bestsellers too. The fifth in the series, The Royal Secret, is scheduled for UK publication in April 2021.

For more information: web www.andrew-taylor.co.uk; twitter @andrewjrtaylor

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

2,827 global ratings

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L. MB

Great historical fiction

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021

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I have read the entire series and really like them. They are well written and the characters are developed fully. They act in ways that make sense related to who they are, and have been. They grow. Even the minor characters. The plots are tight and flow. This book follows several characters interactions who have met in previous books but the book can stand alone easily which is a great thing in a series. There are a couple relationships that make more depth if you’ve read the others but it would be easily understood if you haven’t.
**the kindle edition is well formatted.

Helpful

Marianne

Entertaining series with the captivating James Marwood and Cat Lovett!

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2020

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The chief protagonists, James Marwood and Cat Lovett are the dynamic pair that kept my interest throughout the series. Their combined talents of observation and insight drew me into the historical and fictional intrigue of all four books ending with the current one.
James and Cat are first thrust together at the beginning of THE ASHES OF LONDON as he rescues a boy, or so he believes, from the flames of the devastating London fire of 1666. He realizes later that the boy is a girl after she has bitten his hand in her frenzied state to escape. So begins the extraordinary relationship which will develop between James and Cat; it will evolve into a more complex and enduring bond than either would freely admit. James is cooly analytical; Cat is a realist who carries a knife for protection and does not hesitate to use it if necessary. There is, however, one significant link between them: both of their fathers were active in the Fifth Monarchists movement, a radical group during the Cromwellian period which encouraged the regicide of Charles I.
In THE LAST PROTECTOR, our duo becomes involved in the conspiracies of the Duke of Buckingham in his attempt to usurp the power of Charles II. The Duke tries to enlist the help of Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver, who has returned to England from exile to search for his mother's secret treasure. Cat knew the Cromwells as a young child and unwillingly becomes involved with her architect husband, Simon Hakesby, in the hunt for the treasure in the sewers of the Duke of Albemarle's garden. Cat fearing a treasonous action in the relationship between Buckingham and Cromwell seeks help from her friend, Marwood. James realizes Cat's danger; she is the daughter of a regicide and would be hanged as a participant in Buckingham's maneuvers. James also knows he must tread carefully as a regicide's son while protecting Cat. He has continually walked a tight rope between his employers: Williamson, in charge of a news gathering service, the London Gazette, while keeping informants at his beck and call, including James. His other employer is Chiffinch, Keeper of the King's Closet, who is closely allied to the King and influential in court matters. While James is a king and country man on the surface, he realizes the flaws in the court of Charles II, as does Cat. Marwood, however, is conflicted with his desire to help Cat and his own privileged and rewarding position as the King's man.
There are glimpses of humor throughout, especially when James finds his investigation has led him to a "bawdy house". Buckingham's "creatures", the thin brown clothed Mr. Veal and his rotund partner, Durrell, are both comedic and lethal - an interesting combo. I recommend all four books - they are endlessly surprising. the plots are sometimes convoluted with a surfeit of characters, but the author does supply a listing. This last book can be read as a stand-alone, but you become better acquainted with James and Cat if you read all of them.

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Eric J. Cassell

Taylor’s plot get better with each book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022

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The characters are well drawn to the times they live in! The intrigue is captivating! The reader can almost feel the danger!

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020

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Another great story about Andrew Marwood's exploits in 17th century London by best-selling author Andrew Taylor following his first novel, Ashes of Fire,

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Reader and Traveler

Another great Marwood/Lovett story.

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023

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Another enjoyable book in the Marwood/Lovett series, with a full compliment on intrigue and a bit of action as well. Mr. Marwood (or Marworm in the Duke of Buckingham’s parlance) becomes more sophisticated with each book, and in “The Last Protector” is both clever and lawyerly (the two not being necessarily synonymous). I shall read on to see, among other things, if Marwood and Lovett ever recognize what I’m certain has been obvious to most readers from the start.

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willb186

My favorite of the series?

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021

It's a toss-up whether this or the more recent Royal Secret is the best in this series so far, but I think I'd give this the nod. Where books 2 and 3 have some obvious failings, this one is engrossing from start to finish. Unfortunately (** mild spoiler**) it takes the Marwood and Lovett relationship into ever-more-fraught territory. This is strikes me as the ideal beach read lovers of English literature and history, and detective stories--good mix of history and story.

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Top reviews from other countries

Sharon Rose

A Great Read

Reviewed in Canada on August 13, 2023

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I really enjoyed this book. It is more about intrigue than mystery. I learned about an historical time period.

Shelagh Keers

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2024

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Good read

John

Better and better

Reviewed in France on September 12, 2020

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The development of Cat and Marwood as characters gets better and better. The plots fit so well with the historical fact. A brilliant series.

One person found this helpful

Jann 58

Series continues to entertain.

Reviewed in Italy on April 8, 2020

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I am a fan of well written historical fiction. I have read all of this authors work and find the characters and plots well thought out and not too predictsble. As i would always expect the period is well researched and the writing evokes a sense if 17 th Century London. I suggest reading this series in order rather than jumping in. I look forward to the next installment.

gav

Superb ‘ nuff said

Reviewed in Australia on May 21, 2020

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Mr Taylor you are a genius.
The story is solid and evokes how I imagine the times to have been ( please stop describing the meals in each of your books as I find I’m eating bread and cheese and wine far too often )
The dialogue in all the authors books is superb as are the plots and descriptions.
Probably the best historical mystery writer around with splashes of Dickens, Leon Garfield, Hugo et al
Superb

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The Last Protector: from the No 1 Sunday Times bestselling author comes the latest historical crime thriller (James Marwood & Cat Lovett, Book 4) Kindle Edition

From the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ashes of London comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett.

Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold!

Praise for Andrew Taylor

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Andrew Taylor

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries