The Constant Lovers

Starred review from March 26, 2012
In Nickson’s excellent third 18th-century historical featuring Leeds constable Richard Nottingham (after 2011’s Cold Cruel Winter), Nottingham looks into the fatal stabbing of an unknown young woman found in a ruined abbey outside town. The victim is only identified as Sarah Godlove, who disappeared a day earlier while traveling to visit her parents, after her despairing husband arrives in search of her. Nottingham can find no obvious motive for the murder, though he suspects Sarah’s unusual circumstances—her parents sold her into marriage for their financial benefit—may play a part. Nottingham, a strong and memorable lead, uneasily accepts a society with different kinds of justice for the rich and for everyone else. This book is a textbook example of what a historical mystery should be, making the attitudes and beliefs of the time comprehensible, and engaging interest even without a crime that somehow poses a threat to the realm. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann Ltd.

May 1, 2012
His investigation into the death of a young woman stretches to the limit the meager resources of Richard Nottingham, Constable of Leeds. A girl lies stabbed to death near ruined Kirkstall Abbey. Although she is apparently from a well-to-do background, no one seems in a hurry to claim the body. Finally, a wealthy farmer, Samuel Godlove, appears looking for his missing wife, who, with her maid, had gone to visit her parents and not returned. Sarah Godlove, the daughter of Lord and Lady Gibton, was much younger than her husband. Nottingham is certain that the mayor will push for a quick solution to the murder of a wealthy, aristocratic woman. Fortunately, he has help. Along with his longtime assistant John Sedgwick, Nottingham has recently taken on trial Rob Lister, the educated son of a local newspaper publisher. Rob has not been able to find a job he likes, but he quickly shows an aptitude for investigative work, and his connections among the town's upper classes prove to be helpful in the case of the dead girl. Using all their connections, the pair discover that Sarah was forced into the marriage with Godlove by her parents, who had little money to support their title and the lifestyle they wanted. Although Godlove genuinely cared for Sarah, she had been forced to give up the man she loved. After secretly meeting her every week, he killed himself when Sarah was found dead. It won't be easy for Nottingham to discover her killer while also dealing with gang rivalries about to erupt in violence. Nottingham's third (Cold, Cruel Winter, 2011, etc.) does not provide a very challenging mystery but is worth reading for the details of life in 18th-century Leeds.

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May 1, 2012
In July 1732, peasants find the body of a well-dressed young woman in the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, outside the city of Leeds, England. Richard Nottingham, the constable of Leeds, must work beyond his normal comfort zone to solve this crime. He does not know the farmers and sheepherders who inhabit the rural area, and he is short of staff. As he investigates, he learns that the woman came from a wealthy background, but it took her husband quite some time to report her missing. The love note in her pocket from W makes Nottingham wonder if the woman had a secret admirer. The indifference of her parents is troubling, too. Scenes from Nottingham's family life and his mentoring of a new assistant add historical detail and color to a well-constructed story. The vivid picture of life in eighteenth-century England is sure to please fans of historical mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)