To the Dark

Starred review from January 25, 2021
The murder of career criminal Laurence Poole propels Nickson’s superior third Simon Westow mystery (after 2020’s The Hocus Girl), set in 1823 Leeds, England. A few weeks earlier, Sir Matthew Fullbrook hired Westow to retrieve his family’s stolen silver, and the investigator found the missing items in Poole’s possession. Fullbrook decided not to press charges, and Westow thought the matter closed until Poole’s strangled corpse turned up. Westow, worried that Constable Williams, the city’s top lawman, will learn of his history with the dead man, decides to investigate the crime, along with his assistant, Jane, who helped him apprehend Poole. When two of Leeds’s more prominent citizens, a doctor and an alderman, take an interest in the case, they ask Williams to formally retain Westow to solve the killing. Their unusual level of interest in justice for Poole makes Westow wonder whether more’s going on than meets the eye, a thought validated as his inquiries continue. The whodunit is enhanced by a grim portrait of life on the streets, embodied in a homeless child whom Jane befriends. Nickson again demonstrates mastery of the historical mystery. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann (U.K.).

December 15, 2020
A thief-taker, his family, and his helper are all endangered when he takes on a new case. Leeds may be getting ever more industrial and unhealthy in 1823, but for Simon Westow, it's home, the place where he makes a good living and where Jane, his enigmatic helper, has found peace living with Catherine Shields. When local thief Laurence Poole is found murdered, Jane and Simon, who'd just recovered stolen goods from him, quickly search his room and find a notebook written in code. Lazy, venal Constable Williams hates Simon but hires him anyway to find Poole's killer. Jane, who's used to slipping unnoticed through the city, finds herself trailed by Martha, a near-starving young girl who's so eager to learn from her that she agrees to watch for Jane's deadly enemy. Once a friend deciphers Poole's notebook, it leads Simon to two cavalry officers stationed at the local barracks. Since Poole is dead and his fence has left town, the officers are seeking an alternative to deal with. Simon gradually encourages them to consider him. Meantime, his wife, Rosie, finds that the soldiers are badly in debt, and Jane turns up an amazing find from a friend of Poole's: an exquisite and priceless Book of Hours. As Simon plays a dangerous game with the officers, hoping to lure them into a trap, Jane's doubts about Martha deepen. Another cleverly detailed mystery thick with historical atmosphere and nuanced characters.

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February 1, 2021

When the snow melts in the dirty factory town of Leeds, England, in February 1823, the body of a thief, Laurence Poole, is found near the mill. Thief-taker Simon Westow fears Constable Williams will accuse him of killing Poole because Williams hates Simon for recovering stolen goods and getting paid when the constable fails at it. Simon and his assistant, a young woman of the streets named Jane, search Poole's house, finding nothing worthwhile. Then, Williams shocks Simon by hiring him to find Poole's killer. Simon learns Poole had two invaluable artifacts, a silver milk jug and a beautiful Book of Hours, and he was involved in a scheme with two military men used to killing. While Simon hunts the killer, Jane, used to being invisible in the streets, is hunted by a young waif who appears silently, and a violent man whom Jane once attacked. Simon and Jane must protect the people they love before finding justice for Poole. VERDICT The third "Simon Westow" mystery, following The House Girl, is for readers who appreciate realistic historical atmosphere and details of the sometimes grim life in a 19th-century factory town. Fans of Jeri Westerson's "Crispin Guest" series will appreciate the mystery and ambiance.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2021
Leeds, England, 1822. Simon Westow is a ""thief-taker""--an investigator hired to find stolen items and return them to their owners. He's been without work for two weeks, however, so when Leeds' chief constable asks him to help find out who killed a petty criminal, Simon is flattered but puzzled. Then he learns that the constable's job is in jeopardy, and he needs a success to show the town council he should keep his post. As Simon begins to investigate, he realizes that his new case is much more complex than he imagined, involving two army officers, a gang of high-level thieves, a valuable Book of Hours, missing silver, and a significant risk to Simon, his family, his assistant Jane, and a young street urchin. Could the ever-wily Simon finally be in over his head? Nickson's latest is another strong entry in a consistently satisfying series. Fine writing, a carefully crafted story, unexpected plot twists, plenty of human interest, and authentic descriptions of life in nineteenth-century Leeds make this a book with broad appeal for mystery fans.

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