His first book, Blazing Star: The Life and Times of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was published in 2014, and led to a public dispute with the historian Cliff Davies.
[8][9] It attracted significant global media attention due to Larman's discovery of new documents relating to the July 1936 assassination attempt on Edward VIII by George McMahon.
"[13] In The Guardian, Ian Thomson states that though "The biography is not without its faults ... Larman takes us through the high adventure of Rochester's life and loves" and "paints a picture of a great poet who flared brightly before burning out.
She concludes that "This is no ordinary biography; through exploring the lives of the women in his life and the impressions he left upon them, we are offered an outline of Byron’s person, arguably more accurate, compelling and candid than any portrait focused on him and his poetry could be.
"[16] Roger Lewis wrote in The Times that 'It isn’t a tiresome feminist rant, as from a pushy university lecturer, it is humane and brooks no balderdash.
"[24] And Hephzibah Anderson described the book in The Observer as 'An enduringly relevant chapter of British history, brought to life with panache', and praised its 'impressive suspense.