Molten City

Starred review from May 4, 2020
Set in 1908, Nickson’s superior eighth mystery featuring Supt. Tom Harper (after 2019’s The Leaden Heart) finds Harper preparing to provide protection for Prime Minister Herbert Asquith on his forthcoming visit to Leeds—and dealing with a cold case. Harper receives an anonymous letter from a dying woman who states that an affluent family paid a man, now dead, to steal a two-year-old boy in 1893. Though Harper, then a detective inspector, was in charge of the area where the boy vanished, shockingly, he’d never heard of the matter before. Harper gets a possible explanation for the case’s mishandling when he learns that the police constable who took the initial report was Adam Taylor. He himself had sacked Taylor for corruption in 1898. The discovery of Taylor’s stabbed body raises the stakes, as does the threat of protests by working-class men and suffragists during Asquith’s visit. Even minor characters are fully fleshed out in this trip down the mean streets of early 20th-century Leeds. Nickson’s consistent high quality across multiple series continues to impress. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann (U.K.).

May 1, 2020
A police officer with a deep love for his home city juggles several difficult cases. As Detective Superintendent Tom Harper tirelessly works his job, outside forces are about to roil Leeds in 1908. Harper's oldest friend suddenly dies, and his force is severely tested by the coming visit of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. As desperate unemployed men and a group of determined suffragettes seeking publicity prepare separate demonstrations, Harper's curiosity is piqued by an anonymous letter claiming that a wealthy family's son was actually stolen from a poor family as a child. Investigations reveal that the wealthy family's daughter was also stolen. Both crimes were covered up by Adam Taylor, a bent cop long since fired, but before Harper can question Taylor, he's found dead. Harper and his squad spend as much time as possible investigating the ex-cop's murder despite the many hours they must devote to preparations for the prime minister's visit. Harper's wife, Annabelle, bored since she gave up her job as a Poor Law guardian, is seriously considering the lucrative offer she's received to sell the pub she owns. Although the Harpers' daughter is 16 and passionate about the suffragette cause, they forbid her to go to the demonstration. Harper, stretched to his limit with so many problems to ponder, emerges battered but unbowed. Social commentary and period detail enhance a solid, thoughtful procedural.

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May 1, 2020
Set in early-twentieth-century Leeds, England, Nickson's latest police procedural featuring DS Tom Harper offers authentic period ambience, engaging characters, and a realistic look at the challenges of policing without high technology. As usual, Harper has his hands full, first with an upcoming visit by the British prime minister, for which he must provide security, and, second, with investigating the implications of an anonymous letter suggesting that the kidnapping of two local children 15 years ago was connected to a baby-selling ring. The letter further implies that a wealthy local businessman and his wife bought two of the kidnapped youngsters. Meanwhile, two demonstrations are planned during the PM's visit?one by suffragettes and one by a gang of unemployed men. Both have the potential to create massive security headaches. Determined to crack the kidnapping case and ensure that the violence doesn't erupt during the visit, Tom finds his policing skills tested to their limits. A good read in this reliably entertaining series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)