The Last Protector Synopsis
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.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008325558 |
| Publication date: |
18th March 2021 |
| Author: |
Andrew Taylor |
| Publisher: |
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
428 pages |
| Series: |
James Marwood & Cat Lovett |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Andrew Taylor Press Reviews
'Boasting political intrigue and evocative period atmosphere, The Last Protector is crime writing at its most elegant and assured' Waterstones blog
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
'A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era' Financial Times
'This is how historical crime should be written, with rich authenticity underpinning a twisting plot' The Times
'A masterclass in writing for the genre' Ann Cleeves
'Andrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers' Antonia Hodgson
'Few historical novelists write with more authority and a greater sense of authenticity than Andrew Taylor' Sunday Times
'Vivid and compelling' Observer
'A novel filled with intrigue, duplicity, scandal and betrayal, whose author now vies with another master of the genre, C. J. Sansom' Spectator
'This is a novelist of consummate skill at the absolute peak of his power' Manda Scott
'Glorious' Sunday Express
'One of the most reliably enjoyable of historical novelists' The Sunday Times
'An atmospheric pleasure, full of twists and memorable characters' The Times
'Taylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it' Guardian
'Taylor combines his detailed research with a deviously twist-laden storyline' Observer
'A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill' Daily Telegraph
'A depth few other historical crime novels can match' Sunday Times
'Terrific' Sarah Hilary
'Elegant, engrossing' Sunday Express
'A complex weave of history and mystery' The i
'This is terrific stuff' Daily Telegraph
About Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor has been a full-time writer since 1981, and has written over twenty books. He has been described by The Times as 'One of Britain's best writers of psychological suspense.'
Having decided to become a writer at the age of ten, he claims that it was his newly recognised facility for writing stories, teamed with the idea that a writer's life consisted of not wearing a tie to work, that first attracted him to the career. More recently however he has suggested that 'one of the attractions of writing fiction is that it allows you to create your own little universe and play God to your heart's content.' It was the discovery of Sherlock Holmes at the tender of age of eight and earlier yet with Enid Blyton's Hurrah for Little Noddy, that his love for crime novels was incited. 'Another thing I like about crime fiction' he asserts, 'is its lack of pretension. It sets out to entertain - it's fiction with its sleeves rolled up.'
In the years preceding Andrew Taylor's breakthrough in the literary world, he worked as a boat-builder, wages clerk, teacher, librarian, labourer and freelance publisher's editor. Since then, Public Lending Right estimates place his British public library readership in the top one per cent.
His novels include the Dougal and Lydmouth crime series, the psychological thriller The Barred Window and his ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, now published in one volume as Requiem for an Angel. He also reviews and writes about crime fiction, particularly in the Independent Awards received for his books include the John Creasey Memorial award from the Crime Writer's Association and an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, both for Caroline Minuscule, and the CWA's Ellis Peters Historical Dagger. The Roth Trilogy was adapted into the acclaimed ITV drama 'Fallen Angel'. 'The American Boy' was a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club choice.
He lives in the Forest of Dean with his wife, a photographer, and their two children.
Author photo © Caroline Silverwood
Andrew Taylor was our Putting Authors in the Picture Feature for September 2019. Click here to read more about his author journey on our blog.
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