Chris Nickson is one of my favorite writers of historical mysteries. He's solid and reliable, and I mean those words as a very sincere compliment. The world of historical mysteries if full of books that begin with a clever premise, but can't follow through or that read like a child's story "and then... and then... and then." The balance between characters and mystery vary, and all to often the solution to the mystery becomes clear well before the book's end.

I know I won't get any of those weaknesses when I start a new Nickson book. He has a number of mystery series. The one I know best is the DI Tom Harper series, set just before the turn of the 20th Century in Leeds, and featuring a main character who has managed to work his way into the hierarchy of the police department despite his humble origins (as they say). There are so any details I would love to share about that series, but the characters have developed so richly over time that I worry I'd let slip something that would deprive readers of the pleasure of encountering events "as they happen."

The Simon Westow series is also set in Leeds, in the 1820s. The lead character is a thief taker. His two partners are his wife Rosie—she's got a mean hand with a knife, but you'd never know it just looking at her—and Jane, a former street child with rigid ideas about justice and rigid rules for her own life as compensation for the years when her life was a rule-less struggle to survive.

In this volume, resurrection men (who dug up recent burials and sold the bodies on to medical schools) have just arrived in Leeds. A wealthy factory-owner who still works alongside his employees has asked Simon and company to investigate the disappearance of the body of Gwendolyn Jordan, the ten-year-old daughter of one of his employees. There's a particular horror around this event because it's not just the dead being disturbed, but the child of a family still mourning her unexpected death.

I encourage you to spend some time with Simon, Rosie, and Jane—and with Tom Harper and his coworkers and family. You'll find satisfying mysteries and casts that grows increasingly complex as the series continue. I can't personally vouch for his other series, but I would most definitely pick one up with confidence, knowing I'm in for an engaging ride with Chris Nickson in the lead.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Simon Westow is a thief-taker. In the days before police forces were created, thief-takers were the community police, they would find stolen property and return it for a fee. This case is very ugly. A child's body has been stolen from its grave and the burial dress sold to a rag and bone dealer. Simon's assistant, Jane, uncovers the dress and gets a description of the person who sold it to her. Jane is a ghost, drifting along the streets of Leeds, whispering to the poor and downtrodden to uncover evil doings. Since she escaped this life, she always pays it forward, dropping coins along her way. Meanwhile, Simon and Jane are also hired to find a man who stole 50 pounds from a rich woman. She is incensed and wants her money back and revenge. Simon soon discovers she is not all she claims to be and withdraws from the case. However, this case and the case of the missing body will be entwined forever. Bodies begin to drop and Jane nearly dies, which scares her very much. Simon, his wife, Rosie, and Jane must follow down some very dark paths to uncover the ring of resurrection men, who dug up corpses to sell to universities for anatomy classes. If you appreciate well written and extremely well research historical novels, I cannot recommend Nickson's books enough.

A captivating new addition to a series that keeps getting better and better since The hanging psalm.

Leeds' well known thief-taker Simon Westow and his enigmatic but highly lethal partner Jane, are back and this time around they are hot on the trail of an unscrupulous gang of body-snatchers who are wreaking havoc in various cemeteries around the city.

This gripping novel is really dark and its cinematic qualities will take the readers on a frenetic and violent cat-and-mouse game all over the urban bleakness and grimness of that forever expanding industrial beast that was Leeds in the 1820s

The plot is densely driven, the violence unrelenting, the language is richly detailed and the terrific cast is exquisitely drawn.This is an adrenaline-fueled fictional journey that is sure to keep many unexpected readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish!

The dead will rise is an accomplished literary treat from a talented English wordsmith and it deserves to be read and enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this fabulous ARC!

A fantastic hostorical mystery that had me gripped right fromt the dtart, I couldn't put it down. I will definitely look for more from this author.

Gripping Victorian Noir!

1824. Leeds has a new low in crime!
Nickson has blown me away with this episode of thief-taker Simon Westrow. The abused Jane, his very damaged partner who is making slow steps and is not cutting herself anymore, although her trusty honed blade never leaves her side is of course present, and Rosie, Simon’s wife, mother of his children and partner until motherhood shifted her attention to their boys. This time however she’s more than ever up for the chase.
Bodysnatchers have struck in Leeds. The population is aghast. The body of a ten year old child has been stolen. The parents are bereft. The population is angry. Rosie is incandescent with rage. This has become personal for her.
The owner of a Foundry, Joseph Clark, a close friend and employer of the father, has asked Simon to find the degenerate grave robbers. For a finders fee of course
At the same time a Mrs Amanda Parker has asked Simon and Jane to attend her. She wants them to find a man who stole 50 pounds from her. Jane is suspicious of the widow, doesn’t like her. Simon says they’ll try for 3 days. If they can’t find the man they’ll stop. Simon and Jane both sense something a little off key. But what?
The search for the resurrectionists lead them all over Leeds. They find them, but then two escape custody, the third dies. Mob emotions have come into play.
Now the chase is on—again! Jane confronts the Irishman. It doesn’t go well. She is shaken and angry. She’s felt fear for the first time in a long time. That doesn’t sit well with our Jane. To conquer that feeling she becomes more determined than ever to settle things with the Irishman. Jane becomes a silent wraith, even more than before, as she and Simon track their quarry.
Extraordinary times, and extraordinary measures taken by all three.
I love Nickson’s knowledge of old Leeds, of its alleyways and streets, all mapped out in Jane’s head.
I admire his craft as a storyteller, weaving history and fiction.
Tense, darkly imagined reading, makes this a favorite.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

A very engrossing entry in a series for historical mystery lovers. The characters, a family man ‘thief taker’ and his protege, a damaged young woman rising from poverty and neglect, are heroic yet flawed and the reader can’t help rooting for their success. There is plenty of danger-fueled action as these two take on the criminal element, succeeding, sometimes by the skin of their teeth, due to their street-savvy, and devotion and confidence in each others’ abilities. In this outing, body snatchers are at work, and the two must aid grieving loved ones by stopping the heinous plotters.

Simon Westow stands on the Leeds Bridge gazing into the murky water. Leeds, itself, could be a main character here with its darkened streets, sometimes shifty residents, and the panoramic waft of decay and thickening soot in the air. Such are the remnants of progress.

It's April of 1824 and Simon is almost feeling defeated. He's a thief taker of stolen goods hired by people for the return of their items. Simon usually has a high success rate, but this time he's been called upon to return the impossible.

Joseph Clark of Clark Foundry has reached out to Simon for a specific reason. One of his faithful workers lost his daughter recently. The wife noticed that her daughter's grave had been disturbed. And here Chris Nickson introduces us to the dastardly deed of the resurrectionists. Grave robbers, if you will. The bodies were usually sold to medical schools for research and anatomy lessons. Simon is shocked that such things would transpire in Leeds. This is the last thing that Simon wishes to pursue, but the circumstances of a child involved leads Simon to take on this case.

The Dead Will Rise enters with a macabre beginning, but it also leans heavily on the relationships of these characters. Simon's partner is a young girl by the name of Jane. She came from an abusive situation and is beyond street-wise. Jane is fast with the knife and fast with her instant reactions to the goings on in Leeds. We'll observe changes that have been pressed upon Jane as she is reaching maturity. There is a softening here inside a mighty hard shell.

Rosie, Simon's wife, was his tried-and-true business partner before having their sons. I'm glad to see that Nickson is incorporating her more and more into his storylines now that the boys are older. She's a wise one, most certainly, and more than capable to keep up with Simon.

Chris Nickson, as always, delves into impeccable research in his novels. But this time, Nickson weighs the age old question of the value of life. Desperate times lead individuals to desperate acts. But to disturb the resting place of a loved one is beyond the imagination and especially for profit. Nickson will have us on edge as we follow the trail of Simon, Jane, and Rosie. Believe me, he never disappoints.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Severn House and to the talented Chris Nickson for the opportunity.

3.5 Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for introducing me to a writer previously unknown to me. I received this early review copy in return for an honest review. The characters are memorable and fascinating, and I wanted to know more about them. As this is the 5th book in the series, I felt something was missing, and I was not fully engaged. I needed to know more about the main characters and their backgrounds. My reactions were not due to any lack of talent by the author, as the story was complete and well-constructed. As a stand-alone, it made me anxious to read the previous books. I was curious to learn whether Simon had previously worked on cases that didn't involve retrieving stolen goods and returning them to the rightful owner for a fee. I wondered if his wife, Rosie, had prior experience in solving crimes, as she was depicted as a brave and resourceful partner. I wanted to go back and learn what caused Jane to be so fierce and terrifying in her pursuit of revenge.

The Dead Will Rise is a historical thriller set in Leeds in 1824. The sense of place is vividly portrayed with its soot and grime. A gang of 'body snatchers' have begun their repulsive work in Leeds, exhuming bodies of the dead from graveyards and selling the bodies to medical schools for dissection. Simon Westrow works at finding stolen property. A wealthy businessman, Joseph Clark, employs Simon to find the persons who stole the buried body of Catherine Jordan, the 10-year-old daughter of an employee. Simon is shocked o learn that a number of corpses have been dug up locally and sold to medical schools located in large cities.

This is mainly a slow-paced story due to the nature of the case but punctuated with scenes of shocking brutality. Simon and his assistant Jane's suspicion fall on three men. They spend a lot of time following them and have them under constant surveillance, but find a lot of circumstantial evidence but little that can be proven in court. The law does not classify human bodies as property, so grave robbers can only be sentenced to a few months in prison. A costly dress taken from one of the corpses and sold is classified as stolen property. The penalty, according to the value of the garment, could be transported to Australia or hanging. Simon, Jane, and Rose need to prove that three men and their associates are in the business of grave robbing, transporting and selling the bodies. These criminals are desperate to avoid arrest as their crimes are very profitable. One of the grave robbers is a large and brutal man who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on anyone who stands in the way. Simon and his helpers are in grave danger of violence and death. The fragile partnership between Simon and Jane is shattered by what she considers an act of betrayal.

Recommended for lovers of historical thrillers and others who like a good mystery with engaging characters.

Chris Nickson always has the ability to transport me back through the mists of time to the Leeds of old, to the sounds and smells, the soot, smoke and grime and the old cobbled streets of this once industrial city, and it’s somewhere I’m more than happy to spend my time.

Simon Westow is a thief taker, he returns stolen items to their rightful owners for a fee. His trusty sidekick Jane helps him in his quests (she can be quite deadly when the occasion calls for it) and together they make a formidable pair.

It’s April 1824, and this time around, Simon is asked to return a body that’s been stolen from the local graveyard. The body is that of a ten year old girl. Simon is appalled, he’s heard of body snatchers in other towns but not in Leeds. The only problem being, a body is not looked on as property, so as much as he’d love to return the child’s body and catch the monsters responsible, his hands are tied. However, after further information he’s able to accept the job, and nothing would give him greater pleasure than to put the perpetrators behind bars.

The gang they seek are extremely dangerous men, after all, they’re making easy money from their body snatching, so they’ll let nothing and no one stand in their way, so naturally, much violence ensues in attempts to capture them and it takes every bit of Simon and Jane’s resolve to make this happen.
However, this case puts immense pressure on Simon and Jane’s professional relationship, and the trust that had taken years to build up suddenly becomes very fragile in what is seen as a betrayal.

Another great read from Leeds born author Chris Nickson. Chris certainly knows Old Leeds inside out, thanks to his meticulous research, which in turn brings authenticity to his books, with fictional cases blending alongside real historical cases. His characters are well fleshed out - none more so than protagonist Simon Westow his sidekick Jane, and wife Rosie, who personally becomes involved in the quest for the body snatchers. The plots are always interesting, and well thought out, and ensure that I furiously turn the pages, eager to know what happens next.