Book description
From the No. 1 bestselling author of THE AMERICAN BOY comes a brilliant
new historical thriller set during the American War of Independence.
'This is the story of a woman and a city. I saw the city first,
shimmering from afar like the new Jerusalem in the setting sun. It was
Sunday, 2nd August 1778.'
Edward Savill, a London clerk from the American Department, is assigned
to New York to investigate the claims of dispossessed loyalists caught
on the wrong side of the American War of Independence.
Surrounded by its enemies, British Manhattan is a melting pot of
soldiers, profiteers, double agents and a swelling tide of refugees
seeking justice from the Crown.
Savill lodges with the respected Wintour family: the old Judge, his
ailing wife and their enigmatic daughter-in-law Arabella. The family
lives in limbo, praying for the safe return of Jack Wintour, Arabella's
husband, who is missing behind rebel lines.
The discovery of a body in the notorious slums of Canvas Town thrusts
Savill into a murder inquiry. But in the escalating violence of a
desperate city, why does one death matter? Because the secret this
killing hides could be the key to power for whoever uncovers it…
Praise for The American Boy:
'A wonderful book, richly composed and beautifully written …
enthralling from start to finish' The Times, Top Ten Crime Novels of the Decade
'Hugely entertaining, beguiling and atmospheric' Observer, Books of the Year
'A most artful and delightful book' Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year
'Deeply absorbing and beautifully written. He creates an atmosphere
close to Sarah Waters' Fingersmith' Independent Andrew Taylor is the
author of a number of novels, including the Dougal and Lydmouth crime
series, the psychological thrillers Bleeding Heart Square and The
Anatomy of Ghosts, the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted
into the acclaimed drama Fallen Angel, and The American Boy, his No. 1
bestselling historical novel which was a 2005
Richard & Judy Book Club choice.
He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood
Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA
Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it twice) and the
CWA's prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in
crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator.
He lives with his wife Caroline in the Forest of Dean.
