April 17, 2017
In Nickson’s crackerjack fifth police procedural set in late-19th-century Leeds (after 2016’s The Iron Water), Det. Insp. Tom Harper takes charge of two cases: the death of a man who has just been released from prison, and a horrific acid attack on two 13-year-old children. These draw him into a world of petty crime, poverty, and corruption. Meanwhile, the activities of Tom’s wife, Annabelle, a dedicated suffragette and a proponent of the newly formed Labour Party, shed light on the inner workings of the Socialist movement and on real-life activist Tom Maguire, one of the unsung heroes of British political history. Nickson successfully creates an intimacy between the characters and the reader by showing, with each successive book, how his protagonists grow and change as they face life’s milestones: marriage, children, promotions at work, and the death of dear friends. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann Agency (U.K.).
April 1, 2017
A Victorian police detective's newest cases and the vicissitudes of his private life give him cause to ponder his own mortality.DI Harper of the Leeds police is surprised when Henry White, a fence just released from prison after having been caught with stolen silver, is found stabbed to death. White would never name the man he was carrying the silver for, and now he never will. Superintendent Kendall, a man who's been like a father to Harper, announces that he's dying of cancer and has recommended Harper to assume his post. In addition, the death of union activist Tom Maguire, alone and uncared for, provokes both Harper and his wife, Annabelle, to soul-searching. Annabelle, a well-off pub keeper, had sold her string of bakeries to Elizabeth Reed, whose husband, Billy, had a falling out with Harper and quit the police for the fire service. Now a man has entered one of the bakeries and thrown acid in the face of a customer, splashing some on a young woman who works there as well. Billy Reed, who's on leave for an injury, offers to help in that investigation. Trying to accommodate himself to the demands of his new job and at the same time investigate these cases keeps Harper working long hours, which only get longer when more of White's associates are killed. Can Harper ever track down a criminal who will stop at nothing to escape justice? Nickson (Modern Crimes, 2017, etc.) is particularly adept at fleshing out his characters and providing a surprising solution to this procedural.
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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.
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 18, 2016
Gun violence and the ambiguities of justice add a topical edge to British author Nickson’s solid third Tom Harper police procedural (after 2015’s Two Bronze Pennies), set in Leeds in 1891. Shortly after the police discover a dead infant who was packaged and mailed in an anonymous parcel, Harper rushes to a huge blaze accidentally ignited at the city’s railway station. A female body there is partially sheathed in silvery metal liquefied in the fire, but she’s dead by stabbing. Harper’s team identifies her as former servant Catherine Carr, who married an elderly factory owner but fled his abuse six months earlier. Meanwhile, Catherine’s brother, a military veteran institutionalized for violent rages, escapes to begin sniper attacks, possibly spurred by his sister’s death. Subplots involving the unidentified infant, Harper’s failing hearing, his wife’s suffragist awakening, and tensions between himself and his former sergeant, Billy Reed, add appealing warmth. Nickson resolves the mystery of the dead baby in a believable, nuanced way. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann Agency (U.K.).
Starred review from May 1, 2017
It's another winner in Nickson's top-notch Tom Harper series. Set in Leeds, England, at the end of the nineteenth century, the story features meticulously researched period detail; a strong sense of the social, economic, and political situation at the time; and intriguing insights into how police functioned in the days before technology changed everything. Harper's latest case begins when Henry White, a fence of stolen goods and recently released from prison, is discovered stabbed to death. Harper is furious because he wanted to use White to get to the mysterious crime kingpin behind the robbery that sent White to prison. Then a friend of Harper's is found dead of pneumonia, two teenagers are seriously injured in an acid attack, and Harper discovers that his boss and mentor has terminal cancer. Long days and lots of shoe leather lead only to increasing frustration for Harper and his team. An outstanding entry in an excellent historical-mystery series that deserves more attention. Recommend Harper to fans of Anne Perry's William Monk.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
February 1, 2016
Nickson's latest DI Tom Harper historical procedural is tautly written and highly engaging, with a keep-'em-guessing plot and plenty of late nineteenth-century period details. Harper has his hands full, what with the gruesome discovery of a parcel containing a dead baby at the post office, a terrible fire at the railway station, and the imminent threat of violence against women in the growing suffragette movement. When the body of a woman is discovered in the aftermath of the station fire, Harper at first believes it's a terrible accident. Then he discovers that the womanCatherine Carr, wife of a wealthy businessmanwas stabbed to death long before the fire started. Meanwhile, pressure is building in Harper's other cases, particularly the problem of attacks against the suffragettes. Historical-mystery readers will find everything they need here, from a fully developed lead character to carefully delineated procedural details to meaty subject matter. Recommend this one to fans of the recent movie Suffragette.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
March 1, 2016
The latest adventure of DI Tom Harper of the Leeds Police sees the detective balancing two very different cases. In the first, he is trying to locate the mother of a dead baby found in a parcel at the local post office. Then a fire destroys a railroad station and discovered beneath the rubble is a woman's corpse, covered in melted steel. As Harper works to identify the murderer of Catherine Carr, he has to partner with a former colleague who had transferred to the Fire Brigade. Harper and Billy Reed had a serious falling-out, and their relationship remains tentative at best. Murder, women's suffrage, madness, and industrial shenanigans all come together in a shocking conclusion. VERDICT Harper is a good copper; he wants justice, but sometimes he is forced to seek it in slightly unethical ways. As an industrial hub, Leeds drew immigrants from all parts of the British Empire, making for a riveting historical setting. Readers of Iain Pears and Will Thomas will enjoy this Victorian series.
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.