November 1, 2016
In 1893 Leeds, England, DI Tom Harper is representing the police at a demonstration of a powerful new naval weapon, the torpedo, when the resulting explosion in the lake brings up a body; meanwhile, river dredging uncovers a woman's leg. Are the two corpses connected, and who is killing the petty criminals of Leeds? This fourth installment follows Skin Like Silver.
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October 15, 2016
Set in 1893 in Leeds, England, this historical procedural brings back DI Tom Harper in another baffling case. This one begins at the demonstration of a naval torpedo on the lake in Roundhay Park. When the torpedo goes off, there's an unexpected result: a body surfaces from the depths of the lake. Shortly afterward, a woman's leg is found in the canal, with no body attached. When two more bodies are found, Harper is worried there may be a serial killer on the loose. But then he discovers that there could be a link to the city's two most notorious criminal gangs and, worse, that another, even-more-powerful gang may be moving into Leeds in a takeover bid. Dead ends proliferate, and even when Tom's superintendent is convinced the case has been cracked, Tom is still unsure. Outstanding period detail, complex characters, a twisty plot, plenty of surprises, and a likable protagonist make for an engaging and intriguing read. Recommend this one to fans of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
May 1, 2018
Police Superintendent Tom Harper likes the status and the pay that come with his new title but misses daily involvement in police work. Also on his mind is the fact that his wife, Annabelle, is running for political office?hardly a typical occurrence in turn-of-the-century England. Despite the obstacles and many constituents' comments that a woman's place is in the home, Annabelle is determined to run and win. But then she receives a death threat, and a bomb explodes in the hall where she is supposed to give a campaign speech. Tom is both furious and terrified, so he puts his entire force on high alert. But the villain is wily, leaving few clues as to his identity. When the threats to Annabelle become more violent and are extended to the five other women running for office, Tom knows he must stop the perpetrator or risk not only Annabelle's life but also the idea of a free society where women can run for and hold office. A tense, well-crafted police procedural with authentic period ambience, a clever plot, and an engaging husband-and-wife duo in the lead.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
May 21, 2018
Set in Leeds, England, in 1897, Nickson’s so-so sixth Tom Harper mystery (after 2017’s On Copper Street) lacks his usual superior plotting. Tom, a police superintendent, is proud that his wife, Annabelle, has joined with six other women to run for the city’s Board of Poor Law Guardians. The women’s candidacy draws the attention of an anonymous misogynist, who begins sending them letters, which at first assert that a woman’s place is in the home and later threaten them with death. Tom steps up his efforts to identify the sender after a bomb is detonated at the hall where Annabelle was slated to speak, killing the hall’s caretaker. Amid the rubble, the police find a scrap of paper with a handwritten excerpt from the song “Barbara Allen,” the first of multiple missives from the villain consisting solely of ballad excerpts referencing a woman’s death. That the police overlook an obvious suspect and that Annabelle is never in serious peril make this entry a lesser effort. Series fans will hope for a return to form next time. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann Agency (U.K.).
May 1, 2018
Superintendent Harper works a case that threatens his wife.One of the few rights Englishwomen have in 1897 is the ability to serve as Poor Law guardians. Tom Harper is fiercely proud of his wife, Annabelle, who not only runs a successful pub in Leeds, but is also standing for election as a guardian of the poor. Annabelle and the other female candidates have been getting threatening letters that are obviously written by an educated man who feels threatened by women. As Annabelle and Harper approach a hall for her first speech, it explodes, killing the caretaker. Harper asks the Army bomb experts to search every hall where election meetings will be held by women. Because the only clue is a piece of paper bearing the words of a song, Harper calls on Frank Kidson, an expert on old and obscure folk songs, for help. Another candidate is snatched off the street and threatened with rape if she does not withdraw. As more bombs are disarmed, the female candidates are all offered police escorts, and when the killer tries to snatch Harper's daughter, Mary, on her way home from school, Harper's whole team is roused to find him. More bombs are discovered, each with a bit of folk song describing the death of a woman. Although some of the women drop out, especially after the husband of one of them is knifed to death, Annabelle presses on, her fiery speeches and common-sensical ideas going over well with the voters. Frustrated and fearful for his family, Harper never gives up pursuing a killer as lucky as he is clever.An excellent character-driven procedural. Nickson (On Copper Street, 2018, etc.) uses the historical battle for women's rights to expose the prejudice and misogyny that still persist today.
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