And the Rest Is History

Name: And the Rest Is History
Author: Jodi Taylor
ISBN: 9781472264169

St Mary’s · Novel 8 · 2017

And the Rest Is History brings an old adversary to Max with an unexpected offer.

Book 8 of 15 in The Chronicles of St Mary’s · 14 published; 1 announced

AI-generated illustration inspired by And the Rest Is History; not a book cover.

What it’s about

And the Rest Is History brings an old adversary to Max with an unexpected offer.

The promise of peace is tempting, but the price is uncertain, giving the novel a sustained question about how to judge a bargain when the person making it has a history with the Institute.

Max must weigh what she wants for her colleagues against what she can safely believe. That personal decision sits alongside St Mary’s continuing research work, so the story retains the series’ mixture of historical visits and present-day consequences.

The book’s title hints at the scale of history, but its focus remains on choices made by people with incomplete information. Readers see the Institute navigating a situation where a clever plan is not automatically a trustworthy one.

This is the eighth numbered novel, and it draws its tension from the series’ established conflict and relationships. Reading the books before it helps keep the stakes clear while preserving the uncertainty that the story is designed to unfold for itself.

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Can I start here?

This is book 8 in its series. Start with the first novel for its clearest introduction.

Reader questions

Do I need to read the earlier books first?

Starting earlier is recommended: this novel occupies position 8 in the novel sequence. This guide follows that numbered order. Later instalments continue a sequence already under way. Catch up on the preceding books, then return here. You can include their shorter companions if you wish.

Source: joditaylorbooks.com

Who narrates the And the Rest Is History audiobook?

For this novel, the linked Audible edition credits Zara Ramm as narrator. The narrator credit applies to this linked recording. Other editions may carry the same title. Open the product listing to check and sample the edition. Then plan your next listen through the series guide.

Source: audible.co.uk

Where this fits

This is the eighth St Mary’s novel, after Lies, Damned Lies, and History and before An Argumentation of Historians. Its central offer depends on knowing the adversary and the Institute’s earlier history, so begin with book one if this is your first visit.

Markham and the Anal Probing sits shortly afterwards in the suggested order.

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Why readers love it

Our view

Readers who enjoy stories built around a difficult choice will find the central offer compelling without needing a simple right answer. The returning adversary gives the novel a strong through-line, while the Institute’s internal loyalties keep the question grounded in character.

It also suits fans of long arcs: earlier tensions matter, but the book still makes room for lively field work and the team’s familiar warmth. The result feels like a turning point in a continuing story rather than an isolated case.

Listening notes

The unabridged UK audiobook is performed by Zara Ramm and runs for ten hours and forty-three minutes, making it one of the longer early-series recordings. The single voice maintains continuity across the returning cast and the historical scenes.

Listeners can take it in chapters over several days; its place in the sequence is more important than finishing it quickly. No separate dramatised adaptation is listed for this novel.