Winner of The HWA Gold Crown 2020From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The Fire Court comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood at the time of King Charles II.A royal scandal... In the Court of Charles II, its a dangerous time to be alive a wrong move may lead to disgrace, exile or death. The discovery of a body at the home of one of the highest courtiers in the land could therefore have catastrophic consequences.A shocking murder... James Marwood, a traitors son, is ordered to cover up the killing. But the dead man is known to Marwood as is the most likely culprit, Cat Lovett.The stakes have never been higher... Marwood is sure Cat is innocent so determines to discover the true murderer. But time is running out. If he makes a mistake, it could threaten the King himself...Praise for Andrew TaylorOne of the best historical crime writers today The TimesIf you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, youll love Andrew Taylor Peter JamesEffortlessly authentic...gripping...moving and believable. An excellent work C. J. SansomThis is historical crime fiction at its dazzling best GuardianOne of the best historical novelists around Sunday TimesA breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era Financial TimesA masterclass in writing for the genre Ann CleevesAndrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers' Antonia HodgsonVivid and compelling ObserverA novel filled with intrigue, duplicity, scandal and betrayal, whose author now vies with another master of the genre, C. J. Sansom SpectatorTaylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it GuardianA most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill Daily Telegraph