Come the Fear

Richard Nottingham #4

by Chris Nickson

With the discovery of a young woman’s charred and blackened body, Richard Nottingham tackles his most disturbing case yet March, 1733. Fire rages through an empty house in a rundown area of Leeds, but the investigation takes a disturbing turn with the discovery of the charred remains of a young woman and her baby amidst the smouldering ruins. Was the fire deliberately started to conceal the woman’s murder? Richard Nottingham’s enquiries into the victim’s identity will lead him from squalid alehouses, prostitutes’ haunts and thieves’ dens to the home of a wealthy wool merchant.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2012

About the author

I'm a novelist and music journalist, the author of many books set between the 1730s and 1950s in Leeds, as well as others in medieval Chesterfield and 1980s Seattle.

Above all, though, its Leeds I love, the people, the sense of the place changing with time. Yes, I write mysteries, but ultmiateoly they're books about people and their relationships, and the crime becomes a moral framework for the story.

Reviews

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe four and a half, almost five. This author gets better and better.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"With the discovery of a young woman’s charred and blackened body, Richard Nottingham tackles his most disturbing case yet March, 1733."

As always, this series is just superb, so very riveting to read. The period detail is fine and surely all the Leeds city history is perfect. As Chris Nickson says: "Why Leeds? It's where I was born and raised, and that puts a place in your bones."

He also says: "The books are about more than murder. They're about the people of Leeds and the way life was - which mean full of grinding poverty for all but the wealthy."

I now have to skip back one book further to finish the series. That may be a good thing as Richard Nottingham had some bad things happen later in the series and I really like him. What wonderful character development!

Recommended to all..

[D.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives up to the standard of the three that precede it in this Constable Nottingham series. The characters are robust and their stories are compelling. Some of the new characters were disturbing to the point of making me wish I could shield my eyes with my fingers in the way I do when watching a TV show or movie that disconcerts me to the same degree. The familiar characters have all developed into such endearing individuals that they feel like distant family that I love to visit despite the fact that it doesn't happen frequently enough. Having said that I am sure it is obvious that I am looking forward to finding out what happens next. Hurry up with book number 5 please Mr Nickson!

[Sallee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first one of the Richard Notingham mysteries I've read. I look formard to reading the prior ones. Come the Fear is fast paced with the Constable Nottinham and his deputy constable, Sedgewick and Rob Lister, a contable who is in love with Emily, Constable Nottingham's daughter. There are thieves, whores, kidnapping, politics and the rich that disregard human rights. All in all, a great book with a SHOCKING ending that I wasn't prepared for. I hope the author Chris Nickson has another in the works to follow this one, I couldn't sleep well because all I could think of was different scenarios that would occur because of how the book ended. One of the best I've read.
I love books that have a map that allows the reader to place herself in the story.

[Judith Shadford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pacing is modest, but so thorough that Nickson's work makes "page turners" cheesy. Nickson has built families--the Nottinghams, the Sedgwicks, Rob Lister and young Emily Nottingham. Picking up with their lives is warm, welcoming. The other families, those with money and no integrity, those with nothing except integrity, the street girls who keep each other despite their trade, the hideous wretches that also inhabit Leeds. It's a whole world--one where the law buckles on their swords to make an arrest, but a gun has been drawn in this edition.

Good stuff. And the series continues. Just sayin'

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better historical series for atmosphere and for not having incredibly anachronistic sleuths.

Richard should get a new haircut so he can stop shoving his fringe off his forehead multiple times a book.

And just how many drains need to be stopped with dog and cat corpses in any given day?

Still, these quibbles aside, these are strong books for character and setting. The mysteries are generally not that baffling, but that's okay.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th book in the Richard Nottingham Mystery series. There were several cases ongoing at the same time in this book. All of them intriguing and easy to follow. This time the main characters had their own troubles that needed sorting as much as the crimes. As in the previous book I had an idea who committed two of the crimes quite early on, despite this along with the three previous books the story was very enjoyable and riveting.

[Cybercrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in these are filling in well and taking on some life.

Enjoyable read.

[Maya Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Deanna Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series!

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

another murder mystery and police procedural in leeds in 1733. author is good at evoking the minutia of life in england, cold, dirty, and incorporates the marco-history of increasingly industrialized, in leeds specially the wool fabric manufacturing and selling. the rich dudes getting richer, the workers being exploited and squeezed.
then there is the idea of mens rights over womens lives, whether the rich dude in his mcmancsion fucking the maids, poor dudes in the bar fucking the maids, or everybody fucking the prostitutes, while their bosses [pimps] making the money. the 4 previous titles and this revolve around the constable of leeds richard nottingham (whose interesting back story lends to pointing out the class struggles, he was of a rich family of clothe merchants, but his mom got caught having an affair so his rich dad kicked out the wife, and son, who is now the top cop, answering to and taking care of all the rich dudes, etc etc) and his crew of deputies.
fun historical mystery.

[Vanderlleef · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down! The Richard Nottingham series makes you feel as if you are living in 18th century Leeds--which as depressing as it is, is a nice break from reality. This is the third book in the series. Character development deepens with each book, and by the time I finished this book I was fully invested in the lives of the main characters. One thing that I particularly like is that Nickson isn't afraid to get rid of some of the integral characters. While I am sad (at times) to see them go, it brings more reality and complexity to future plots and the remaining characters.

[SoulSurvivor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying the setting and main character of this series : Constable Richard Nottingham i 1730s Leeds , England . The books are somewhat dark and slow-moving , appropriate for the times .
The Deputy , John Sedgwick , is an important character , and each book introduces others that are in the position of 'Constable's men' . I guess the genre is medeval police procedural ? Not quite a 5-star but much better than a 3 .

[Linda Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Nickson is a skilled author of historical novels, and really makes one feel the aura of the time and place. The ending kept me from giving this one 5 stars.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS

I wish authors would have the confidence to rely on their writing ability to get people to read their next books, rather than resorting to cliffhanger endings. A few loose ends are fine, but major cliffhangers smack of cheap manipulation. I like novels, not television soap operas.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become one of my very favorite historical mystery series, despite the fact that it is set in a time period a little beyond my usual favorite. (It's set in the 1730's in Leeds...I am more drawn to the medieval period, generally.) The characters are well-fleshed, the mysteries are interesting and the writing is easy to read and very evocative.

Looking forward to the next one!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters and plot of this and "The Constant Lovers," and read them both quickly. My only complaint is some of the language sounds anachronistic to me. I did not note down any examples. That said, it's an interesting read that clearly evokes the time period.

[Brenda Selner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We thought you were sick," when I didn't get to school at my usual time. No, I couldn't stop reading this book - historical fiction and crime story set in 1700s England. Missing child, ghastly murder of young pregnant woman, and more. Wonder what happened next??

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Another great Richard Nottingham novel. Chris Nickson's mysteries will keep you wanting more Richard Nottingham novels to read. Chris ranks with the best of the mystery writers."

[Lois Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best, most looked forward to books I've read in a long time! BUT...shocking ending doesn't even begin to cover it....please, please, please say its's not so!

[Patricia O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to the series in which Nickson explores how the law favors those with wealth.