At the Dying of the Year

Richard Nottingham has just returned to work as Constable of Leeds after being stabbed in the stomach half a year ago.  It was a close run thing, but he is glad to be back to work despite the discomfort he still feels.  He is shocked when he goes to deliver his morning report to the new mayor, and discovers that this mayor only meets with people by appointment.

That same morning, Deputy Rob Lister was called to one of the bell pits.  Inside he discovered the bodies of half a dozen children.  Nobody had noticed that they were missing because they were vagabonds.  They had been cruelly used, abused and killed.

They aim to get the killer, but what will the populace of Leeds do?  Nottingham decides to approach those who would know the best; the vagabond children of Leeds.  He has one advantage; at one time he was one of them.

In the mind of Nottingham the reward offered by the merchants of the city will be a hindrance because people will offer ideas about the wrong people, which of course he and his men will have to follow up on.  Before the reward is posted, a servant comes in to speak to Nottingham and suggests that his master could be the killer.  They now need to know more about him.

How can they prove anything against the suspect?  He is a well known merchant, and with money on his side, Nottingham is sure that people will step forward to support him.  However, a witness quickly eliminates that suspect.  That night Lister finds the body of the witness in the river.

Now they have a new suspect.  Once again the mayor warns Nottingham off.  Deputy John Sedgwick is able to gather some evidence, but how can they present it?  What if their original suspect is involved with the second?  Proving it in court against two men of wealth and influence would be difficult.

Author Chris Nickson has Nottingham’s team gather evidence, but they know that despite the pressure they are putting on their suspects isn’t enough.  Then the team has a shock!  How will Nottingham overcome it?  This thriller has a fair bit of tension with an unsurprising conclusion.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.