Listen to a sample
The Royal Secret
James Marwood & Cat Lovett (Book 5)
- Author
- Andrew Taylor
- Narrator
- Leighton Pugh
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 29 April 2021
- Run Time
- 13 hours 13 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Rating
- 5.0 (2 reviews)
What to expect
From the No.1 bestselling author of The Last Protector and The Ashes of London comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett during the time of King Charles II.
Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold! A Times Best Paperback of 2022Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate – but the task brings unexpected dangers.
Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry House for the woman that the King loves most in all the world.
Unbeknownst to all, at the heart of this lies a royal secret so explosive that it could not only rip apart England but change the entire face of Europe…
Critics Review
-
‘With all his customary deftness and skill, Taylor weaves a colourful, complicated plot involving royal secrets, foreign spies in London and a mangy lion, caged in a merchant’s stables, that is used to frighten a man to death’ The Times Best Paperbacks of 2022
‘A pleasure from start to finish’ The Spectator
‘Beautifully crafted story’ Mystery and Suspense
Praise for The Last Protector:
‘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
“[G]reat fun and perfect summer getaway reading”! Globe and Mail
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
What is there to say? Yet another fine example of how history can be intertwined with most entertaining storyline. Gripping from beginning to end, when is eager to find the next step in this convoluted story. Every of it forward to discover the next intrigue
A must read for everyoneGeoff Miles 2025-09-21 -
5.0 5.0
Fabulous
historical 2025-07-16
Details
- Author
- Andrew Taylor
- Narrator
- Leighton Pugh
- Duration
- 13 hours 13 minutes
- Release Date
- 29 April 2021
- ISBN
- 9780008325596
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Crime and / or mystery fiction, Historical fiction
- Rating
- 5.0(2 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(2 reviews)
Synopsis
From the No.1 bestselling author of The Last Protector and The Ashes of London comes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett during the time of King Charles II. Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold! A Times Best Paperback of 2022 Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate – but the task brings unexpected dangers. Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry House for the woman that the King loves most in all the world. Unbeknownst to all, at the heart of this lies a royal secret so explosive that it could not only rip apart England but change the entire face of Europe…
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.