I’m a lover of a good series, as regular readers will know. There’s nothing better for me than enjoying the first book and knowing there are several more waiting for me.
But being an author who tends to create series, I know as well as anyone they place extra burdens on the writer. The joy is that they give you time to slow things down a bit. You can develop characters more slowly, making them far more rounded than one volume allows.
There is scope for a wider view of their world, an ever-changing cast of side characters, and the opportunity to persuade readers to get really involved in the lives of the main protagonists. But if you don’t get this right, you’ll lose readers quickly, and you can end up writing later volumes for an ever-decreasing readership.
I read the first two books in the James Marwood & Cat Lovett series some time ago. Ashes of London and The Fire Court left me with mixed feelings. Interesting plots, an atmospheric world picture, and some action. But I had my reservations. So I approached this third volume with mixed feelings.
This story follows on fairly closely from the last. A body is found at the home of one of the greatest names in the land, and Marwood is called in to investigate – quietly. But the dead man is known to him, and he knows that Cat Lovett is the prime suspect. He believes her innocent, but seems to be the only one.
The case quickly reveals more secrets, as factions at court use the case to try and further their cause. The King and his closest advisers show keen interest in Marwood’s progress, and once again, trust is hard to come by.
It’s a fun story, with the expected twists and turns, but for me, it has the same failings as the first two books. There are too many unrealistic coincidences and contrivances, giving the characters an easy way out.
But my biggest problem is with the main characters. They haven’t really grown or developed since their first introduction in Ashes of London. Both Marwood and Lovett are vague and rather one-dimensional, and I don’t feel I know them any better in this third book. Indeed, one or two of the secondary characters are more rounded.
I always give a series a good chance; they often take time to develop. But having now read three books in this one, and having the same reservations with each, I won’t be picking up any more.
This is a review of the 2019 Kindle edition.
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