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Simon Westow #5
The Dead Will Rise
Thief-taker Simon Westow is used to finding stolen goods, not stolen bodies . . . Can he hunt down those committing crimes against the dead in Leeds?
Leeds. April, 1824. Wealthy engineer Joseph Clark employs thief-taker Simon Westow to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Catherine Jordan, his employee's daughter.
Simon is stunned and horrified to realize there's a gang of body snatchers in Leeds. He needs to discover who bought Catherine's body and where it is now. As he hunts for answers, he learns that a number of corpses have vanished from graveyards in the town. Can Simon and his assistant Jane bring the brutal, violent Resurrection men who are selling the dead to medical schools to justice and give some peace to the bereft families?
Leeds. April, 1824. Wealthy engineer Joseph Clark employs thief-taker Simon Westow to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Catherine Jordan, his employee's daughter.
Simon is stunned and horrified to realize there's a gang of body snatchers in Leeds. He needs to discover who bought Catherine's body and where it is now. As he hunts for answers, he learns that a number of corpses have vanished from graveyards in the town. Can Simon and his assistant Jane bring the brutal, violent Resurrection men who are selling the dead to medical schools to justice and give some peace to the bereft families?
Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2023
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About the author
Chris Nickson
69 books182 followersI'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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 9, 2022
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.
*Thank you to Severn House for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
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.
*Thank you to Severn House for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
February 16, 2023
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 transport 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.
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 transport 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.
January 6, 2023
Simon Westow stands on 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.
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.
February 6, 2023
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.
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.
August 22, 2023
First Sentence: It was a balmy evening for early spring; after ten and still a faint, lingering hint of warmth in the air.
Joseph Clark is a wealthy engineer. After discovering the buried body of his employer's beloved daughter, Catherine Jordan, has been stolen, he hires thief-taker Simon Westow and his team to find the men. Simon discovers there is a gang of body snatchers who have stolen several corpses. It is up to him and his assistant Jane to find the Resurrection men who are stealing the bodies.
Nickson brings his characters to life, making you know and care about them, particularly Jane, whose character is developed more with each book. Her landlady, Mrs. Shields, may not help solve crimes, but she adds so much to the story.
For those of us who love historical mysteries, one can’t go wrong with Nickson. His research and detail are first-rate. One should also read the books afterward.
THE DEAD WILL RISE is a well-done book in an excellent series. Nickson truly takes one to industrial Leeds, not ‘prettying up” the period or the city.
THE DEAD WILL RISE (PrivEnq-Simon Westow-Leeds, Eng-1824)
Chris Nickson
Poisoned Pen Press, Mar 2022, 288 pages
RATING: VG
Joseph Clark is a wealthy engineer. After discovering the buried body of his employer's beloved daughter, Catherine Jordan, has been stolen, he hires thief-taker Simon Westow and his team to find the men. Simon discovers there is a gang of body snatchers who have stolen several corpses. It is up to him and his assistant Jane to find the Resurrection men who are stealing the bodies.
Nickson brings his characters to life, making you know and care about them, particularly Jane, whose character is developed more with each book. Her landlady, Mrs. Shields, may not help solve crimes, but she adds so much to the story.
For those of us who love historical mysteries, one can’t go wrong with Nickson. His research and detail are first-rate. One should also read the books afterward.
THE DEAD WILL RISE is a well-done book in an excellent series. Nickson truly takes one to industrial Leeds, not ‘prettying up” the period or the city.
THE DEAD WILL RISE (PrivEnq-Simon Westow-Leeds, Eng-1824)
Chris Nickson
Poisoned Pen Press, Mar 2022, 288 pages
RATING: VG
January 28, 2023
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.
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.
March 13, 2023
Despite the title of the fifth book in Chris Nickson's Simon Westow series, there is no suggestion of the supernatural occurring here; this horror is decidedly of the earthly variety and inspired by the real-life incidents of graves being robbed of their bodies. These body snatchers – or resurrectionists – were able to earn what was a substantial amount of money by selling the exhumed corpses of the recently buried to medical and anatomy schools. It's a grim thought and perhaps even more upsetting when the body of a child is involved.
Thief-taker, Simon Westow willingly accepts the request to find the people responsible for such a heinous act and throughout the story, his disgust and outrage is clear. This is the first book I've read in the series and so I was learning about the character as I read; it soon becomes patently obvious that Westow is a deeply principled man who adores his wife and two sons. It's also evident that he has a darker side and acknowledges that the life he has chosen will most likely result in his eventually meeting a dark end. There's certainly an ominous sense of tension throughout The Dead Will Rise, with the streets and ginnels of an expanding Leeds providing an atmospheric, vividly described backdrop to the story.
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of three female characters in the novel; two of whom – Westow's wife, Rosie and his young assistant, Jane – will be familiar to returning readers, while the third, Amanda Parker is an intriguingly shady figure. Rosie and Jane are allowed to be far more than we perhaps expect from women in the past, and although the former is a wife and mother, she ensures she becomes involved in a case which she takes an acute interest in. It's Jane, however, who I found to be the most fascinating character in the book and it's mostly here where I felt at a disadvantage not having read the earlier instalments in the series. There is no doubt that The Dead Will Rise can be enjoyed as a stand-alone but I did miss seeing the development of her character and having a greater understanding of who she is. This shouldn't be seen as a criticism as I was given enough to be able to empathise with her at all times, but I would ideally recommend reading the previous novels first, if you can.
Nothing is rushed in The Dead Will Rise and even though danger never feels far away, it's the painstaking work of identifying the culprits and then watching and waiting for the right moment to apprehend them which makes the strongest impression. The sense of frustration is almost palpable at times ensuring a feeling of authenticity throughout. From the excellent descriptions of both people and places to the suspenseful, well-paced storyline, The Dead Will Rise takes a macabre subject and imbues it with a sense of humanity; for all the excitement and tension, readers are never allowed to forget the victims – whether that means the dead or those now forced to grieve two losses. This is a compelling, clearly meticulously researched historical mystery with a strong sense of time and place. I enjoyed it very much and thoroughly recommend it.
Thief-taker, Simon Westow willingly accepts the request to find the people responsible for such a heinous act and throughout the story, his disgust and outrage is clear. This is the first book I've read in the series and so I was learning about the character as I read; it soon becomes patently obvious that Westow is a deeply principled man who adores his wife and two sons. It's also evident that he has a darker side and acknowledges that the life he has chosen will most likely result in his eventually meeting a dark end. There's certainly an ominous sense of tension throughout The Dead Will Rise, with the streets and ginnels of an expanding Leeds providing an atmospheric, vividly described backdrop to the story.
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of three female characters in the novel; two of whom – Westow's wife, Rosie and his young assistant, Jane – will be familiar to returning readers, while the third, Amanda Parker is an intriguingly shady figure. Rosie and Jane are allowed to be far more than we perhaps expect from women in the past, and although the former is a wife and mother, she ensures she becomes involved in a case which she takes an acute interest in. It's Jane, however, who I found to be the most fascinating character in the book and it's mostly here where I felt at a disadvantage not having read the earlier instalments in the series. There is no doubt that The Dead Will Rise can be enjoyed as a stand-alone but I did miss seeing the development of her character and having a greater understanding of who she is. This shouldn't be seen as a criticism as I was given enough to be able to empathise with her at all times, but I would ideally recommend reading the previous novels first, if you can.
Nothing is rushed in The Dead Will Rise and even though danger never feels far away, it's the painstaking work of identifying the culprits and then watching and waiting for the right moment to apprehend them which makes the strongest impression. The sense of frustration is almost palpable at times ensuring a feeling of authenticity throughout. From the excellent descriptions of both people and places to the suspenseful, well-paced storyline, The Dead Will Rise takes a macabre subject and imbues it with a sense of humanity; for all the excitement and tension, readers are never allowed to forget the victims – whether that means the dead or those now forced to grieve two losses. This is a compelling, clearly meticulously researched historical mystery with a strong sense of time and place. I enjoyed it very much and thoroughly recommend it.
March 7, 2023
The Dead Will Rise by Chris Nickson narrates an interesting tale of death mystery and death. Set in history, the plot revolves around narrow lanes and throws light on some dark corners of the society. The leading characters, Simon and Jane, intrigue us with their methods. The climax came as a surprise and it was really a fun reading the book. I would surely recommend the book for beginners of mystery and thriller genre.
Definitely, 4 stars for the book. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to be a part of the blog tour.
Read more on https://bibliophileverse.blogspot.com...
Definitely, 4 stars for the book. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to be a part of the blog tour.
Read more on https://bibliophileverse.blogspot.com...
March 21, 2023
The title should sound familiar to most people. “The dead will rise again” is to quote the bible literally and invokes the Abrahamic concept of how the dead will be brought back to be judged on the day of judgment. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this implies the book may have a supernatural bent to it; it most certainly doesn’t. To invoke G. K. Chesterson, the crime novelist, in order to stay a crime novelist, must not hit above the body, and so our dead men stay dead men in this book.
The Dead Will Rise is a historical mystery set in Leeds in the 1820’s. It’s the 5th book in the Simon Westow Mysteries series by the author and came out on the 7th of March and was published by Severn House. It focuses on two characters, Jane, a teenage girl with a dark past and Simon, the local thief taker or PI. Simon and Jane are called to investigate the disappearance of little girls body from her grave, at a hand of some resurrectionists.
This was, unfortunately, a more common occurrence than one would imagine. Medical schools in the UK were only allowed to use the bodies of convicts (which weren’t very many) and so body snatchers (or resurrectionists) would steal dead bodies from the grave in the night to sell onto a medical school to make a bit of money. Opening up a grave was not considered a serious felony under the law and so thieves also knew that they themselves, at worst, would be imprisoned for some time. Medical schools rarely asked where the bodies came from, and it was hard to track down body snatchers, meaning most people just got away with it.
That being said, Simon and Jane take on this case knowing that the girl was wearing a £2 dress that made this a theft with more serious punishment. As they go on they realize more powerful people are involved and there are more bodies that have been stolen and are attacked.
I liked the book and the slightly spooky vibe. You don’t know who is responsible and how things will turn out in the end. Jane is a phenomenal character and I loved how she wanted revenge so badly. I lowkey want to read the other books in the series just to get a bit more about her. However, I’m not sure I appreciate the deaths at the end of the book and how they were done. They didn’t make sense to me. I would read this author again!
The Dead Will Rise is a historical mystery set in Leeds in the 1820’s. It’s the 5th book in the Simon Westow Mysteries series by the author and came out on the 7th of March and was published by Severn House. It focuses on two characters, Jane, a teenage girl with a dark past and Simon, the local thief taker or PI. Simon and Jane are called to investigate the disappearance of little girls body from her grave, at a hand of some resurrectionists.
This was, unfortunately, a more common occurrence than one would imagine. Medical schools in the UK were only allowed to use the bodies of convicts (which weren’t very many) and so body snatchers (or resurrectionists) would steal dead bodies from the grave in the night to sell onto a medical school to make a bit of money. Opening up a grave was not considered a serious felony under the law and so thieves also knew that they themselves, at worst, would be imprisoned for some time. Medical schools rarely asked where the bodies came from, and it was hard to track down body snatchers, meaning most people just got away with it.
That being said, Simon and Jane take on this case knowing that the girl was wearing a £2 dress that made this a theft with more serious punishment. As they go on they realize more powerful people are involved and there are more bodies that have been stolen and are attacked.
I liked the book and the slightly spooky vibe. You don’t know who is responsible and how things will turn out in the end. Jane is a phenomenal character and I loved how she wanted revenge so badly. I lowkey want to read the other books in the series just to get a bit more about her. However, I’m not sure I appreciate the deaths at the end of the book and how they were done. They didn’t make sense to me. I would read this author again!
February 5, 2023
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!
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!
December 30, 2024
Third try. Good series. Body snatchers. Strong characters. Good descriptions of the factories and the town in that period.
March 8, 2023
The story is set in Leeds where Simon Westow and his assistant, Jane, live and work. Simon is a thief-taker whose job is to track down thieves and retrieve his client’s property, but it is up to his employer whether they decide to prosecute the thief. As a rule, Simon is not particularly interested in achieving a prosecution, however, the case that confronts Simon and Jane in April 1824 is different: Joseph Clark is a wealthy engineer who approaches Simon to retrieve not property but a child’s body. Gwendolyn Jordan was just ten years old when she died of fever. A fortnight after her death, Joseph Clark consults Simon because, when Gwendolyn’s family visited her grave a week after her death, they realised it had been disturbed and discovered that her body had been stolen. Gwendolyn’s father, Harmony Jordan, is a long-time employee of Joseph Clark and Clark is appalled by the family’s grief and is willing to pay whatever it takes to get Gwendolyn’s body back and bring the grave robbers to justice. Simon and his wife, Rosie, have eight-year-old twin sons and the grief of the bereaved parents and the heinous nature of this crime appals them both. Simon knows that the theft of a body is a misdemeanour because a body is not deemed to be property, but Gwendolyn’s parents had bought her a special gown for burial and that was costly enough to mean the thieves could be severely punished and possibly transported. Simon and Jane had been working very hard and had hoped for a rest, but this is a case that Simon knows he has to undertake.
Another case is offered when Simon is summoned by Mrs Amanda Parker, who insists that he brings Jane with him to their meeting. Rumour has it that Mrs Parker had been a working-class girl who had been a prostitute until, by successful marriage, she had risen in wealth and social standing. Mrs Parker wants them to locate a man called Tom Rawlings, whom, she claims, had borrowed fifty pounds from her and then disappeared. She says he has a taste for prostitutes and suggests that Jane pretends to be one in order to smoke out Rawlings. Simon and Jane turn down this proposal, but Simon agrees to spend a limited time searching for Rawlings. When they are alone, Jane asks him why he’d agreed to work for a woman that neither of them liked or trusted and Simon explains that he doesn’t believe Mrs Parker is telling them the truth and he hopes to discover what she really wants of them.
Simon and Jane make a wonderful team. He has experience and balanced judgment, a different range of contacts than Jane and a certain authority; she has friends amongst the very poor, a genius for blending into the streets and an acutely honed instinct for danger. Both have pulled themselves up from direst poverty by their own courage and determination and both are deadly knife fighters. Simon lives with his wife and sons and he is determined that his boys will receive a good education and have a successful future. Jane lives with an old lady who befriended her. Jane is also reaching out for education and feels empowered by her new ability to read and understand numbers.
Simon continues to investigate the grave robbers, also known as the Resurrection Men, and is horrified by the realisation of how many bodies have been stolen and sold to hospitals for teaching purposes. Rosie used to work with Simon before the twins were born and, now the boys are getting older, she wants to start work again. The theft of Gwendolyn’s body has touched her heart and she is determined to help with the investigation. She is sure that Mrs Parker is in some way involved with the grave robbers and she wants to make sure that all of those responsible for the desecration of the dead are brought to justice.
Simon and Jane move in on the grave robbers but it is a frustratingly slow process and it becomes clear that these are ruthless and dangerous men who will resort to murder without a second thought. Nevertheless, the thief takers will not give up until the guilty are caught and punished, whatever the cost to themselves.
The Dead Will Rise is the fifth story featuring Simon Westow, Rosie and Jane. It is a superb series, which grows stronger all the time. The protagonists are interesting and engaging and they grow with every book. The plot is complex with several twists. There is a slow, simmering build-up of tension and the setting is realistic with many subtle, authentic details. This is a page-turner which I wholeheartedly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)
Another case is offered when Simon is summoned by Mrs Amanda Parker, who insists that he brings Jane with him to their meeting. Rumour has it that Mrs Parker had been a working-class girl who had been a prostitute until, by successful marriage, she had risen in wealth and social standing. Mrs Parker wants them to locate a man called Tom Rawlings, whom, she claims, had borrowed fifty pounds from her and then disappeared. She says he has a taste for prostitutes and suggests that Jane pretends to be one in order to smoke out Rawlings. Simon and Jane turn down this proposal, but Simon agrees to spend a limited time searching for Rawlings. When they are alone, Jane asks him why he’d agreed to work for a woman that neither of them liked or trusted and Simon explains that he doesn’t believe Mrs Parker is telling them the truth and he hopes to discover what she really wants of them.
Simon and Jane make a wonderful team. He has experience and balanced judgment, a different range of contacts than Jane and a certain authority; she has friends amongst the very poor, a genius for blending into the streets and an acutely honed instinct for danger. Both have pulled themselves up from direst poverty by their own courage and determination and both are deadly knife fighters. Simon lives with his wife and sons and he is determined that his boys will receive a good education and have a successful future. Jane lives with an old lady who befriended her. Jane is also reaching out for education and feels empowered by her new ability to read and understand numbers.
Simon continues to investigate the grave robbers, also known as the Resurrection Men, and is horrified by the realisation of how many bodies have been stolen and sold to hospitals for teaching purposes. Rosie used to work with Simon before the twins were born and, now the boys are getting older, she wants to start work again. The theft of Gwendolyn’s body has touched her heart and she is determined to help with the investigation. She is sure that Mrs Parker is in some way involved with the grave robbers and she wants to make sure that all of those responsible for the desecration of the dead are brought to justice.
Simon and Jane move in on the grave robbers but it is a frustratingly slow process and it becomes clear that these are ruthless and dangerous men who will resort to murder without a second thought. Nevertheless, the thief takers will not give up until the guilty are caught and punished, whatever the cost to themselves.
The Dead Will Rise is the fifth story featuring Simon Westow, Rosie and Jane. It is a superb series, which grows stronger all the time. The protagonists are interesting and engaging and they grow with every book. The plot is complex with several twists. There is a slow, simmering build-up of tension and the setting is realistic with many subtle, authentic details. This is a page-turner which I wholeheartedly recommend.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)
March 17, 2023
Simon Westow is a ‘thief taker’ a strange amalgam of bounty hunter and debt collector. If you were robbed of something of value then the best chance of recovering the goods would be to engage a man like Simon and that would be his principal concern. If he is successful then he may also manage to apprehend the thief and bring them before the magistrate for a form of summary justice.
The plot centres on the heinous crime of grave robbing. Foul and backbreaking ‘work’, a crime against society but not one that would result in the noose, for it was only a misdemeanour not a felony. To be a felony they would need to sell valuable possessions of the corpse. So, a disgusting crime but a low risk one unless they follow Burke and Hare and murder to provide corpses. When the body of a ten-year-old girl is stolen from a Leeds graveyard Simon is approached to locate those responsible, not his usual target but the disgust of his wife persuades him to get involved.
Whilst this is a Simon Westow novel it is not all about him the hero, as strong, at times deadly women are there front a centre. There is Jane the victim of appalling abuse in her childhood, destroyed as a girl who is being rebuilt as a young woman with the affection and counsel of Mrs Shields. Mrs Shields is the wise and cautious mentor she needs, as Jane is now able to handle herself in dangerous situations and is skilled with a knife to deadly effect. Able to be an everybody or a nobody she manages to blend into the background when working, her empathy with and generosity to the downtrodden, of whom she considers herself one, is a valuable source of information from the street. We also see her developing as a person too as she is learning to read with the guidance of Mrs Shields and with Rosie’s help basic mathematics.
Rosie is also keen to resume work with Simon and be in the thick of the action. Their twin boys are eight and Simon acknowledges that another pair of hands would mean they could take on more work. Desperate to be useful on the case, Rosie works on the fringes and proves her worth. Like Jane a woman to be trifled with at your peril.
The chase is across Leeds, not the city we know today, but one where villages and suburbs like Sheepscar and Headingley are distinct from the city itself. It’s clear the author has great affection for his home city as the action criss-crosses back and forth across this canvas. An excellent imagining of what a developing city might have been like 200 years ago.
The storyline ebbs and flows as Simon and assistant Jane become the hunters and the three men eventually identified as the resurrectionists are the hunted. Paths intersect more than once as authorities fail in their duties and jeopardy is faced. Jane suffers great pain and indignity that fuels a desire for revenge, one that threatens to overwhelm her judgement. Knives are sharpened and violence meted out regularly but not graphically portrayed.
The stop-start progression builds to a dramatic finale, one where answers are found, and justice is served but of a hollow kind as wrongs cannot be put right.
The plot centres on the heinous crime of grave robbing. Foul and backbreaking ‘work’, a crime against society but not one that would result in the noose, for it was only a misdemeanour not a felony. To be a felony they would need to sell valuable possessions of the corpse. So, a disgusting crime but a low risk one unless they follow Burke and Hare and murder to provide corpses. When the body of a ten-year-old girl is stolen from a Leeds graveyard Simon is approached to locate those responsible, not his usual target but the disgust of his wife persuades him to get involved.
Whilst this is a Simon Westow novel it is not all about him the hero, as strong, at times deadly women are there front a centre. There is Jane the victim of appalling abuse in her childhood, destroyed as a girl who is being rebuilt as a young woman with the affection and counsel of Mrs Shields. Mrs Shields is the wise and cautious mentor she needs, as Jane is now able to handle herself in dangerous situations and is skilled with a knife to deadly effect. Able to be an everybody or a nobody she manages to blend into the background when working, her empathy with and generosity to the downtrodden, of whom she considers herself one, is a valuable source of information from the street. We also see her developing as a person too as she is learning to read with the guidance of Mrs Shields and with Rosie’s help basic mathematics.
Rosie is also keen to resume work with Simon and be in the thick of the action. Their twin boys are eight and Simon acknowledges that another pair of hands would mean they could take on more work. Desperate to be useful on the case, Rosie works on the fringes and proves her worth. Like Jane a woman to be trifled with at your peril.
The chase is across Leeds, not the city we know today, but one where villages and suburbs like Sheepscar and Headingley are distinct from the city itself. It’s clear the author has great affection for his home city as the action criss-crosses back and forth across this canvas. An excellent imagining of what a developing city might have been like 200 years ago.
The storyline ebbs and flows as Simon and assistant Jane become the hunters and the three men eventually identified as the resurrectionists are the hunted. Paths intersect more than once as authorities fail in their duties and jeopardy is faced. Jane suffers great pain and indignity that fuels a desire for revenge, one that threatens to overwhelm her judgement. Knives are sharpened and violence meted out regularly but not graphically portrayed.
The stop-start progression builds to a dramatic finale, one where answers are found, and justice is served but of a hollow kind as wrongs cannot be put right.
March 26, 2023
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Dead Will Rise is the fifth Simon Westow historical mystery by Chris Nickson. Released 7th March 2023 by Severn House, it's 291 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is such a skillfully written series. Protagonist thief-takers (bounty hunters/ private investigators) Simon and his partner Jane are employed by a wealthy businessman and tasked with finding the resurrectionists who have stolen the body of his employee's daughter. They're outclassed in terms of power and deceitfulness by influential men in Leeds and are in danger of losing their freedom and lives throughout the book. There's a real and palpable sense of the setting and narrative menace throughout much of the book and the writing is very high quality and engaging. It is redolent of the time period (1820's) and setting (Leeds and environs) without sacrificing readability.
It's written around a framework of actual events so skillfully that it's difficult to tell when fact shades over into fiction. The author is technically competent and (happily) quite prolific. There are now 4 books extant in the series, making this a good candidate for a long weekend binge or buddy read.
The books -are- quite realistic and this one is no exception. The author has a very realistic writing style and describes the less salubrious facts of life in the early 19th century unflinchingly. This book deals with the stark, brutal, and all-too-often short lives of the inhabitants, even relatively financially well-to-do.
One of the main characters, Jane, has a very sad back-story, and much of the plot of the book revolves around her past, her present, and her (scarily competent) redemptive development. I love her character, but she's often quite frightening. I was impressed by the author's ability to write a young female character and do it very well. There are emphatically no perky anythings here, no bodice ripping, and absolutely zero flirty eyelashes to be found.
Four and a half stars. Definitely one for lovers of well-crafted mysteries. I would heartily recommend it to fans of Hambly's Benjamin January and Peters' Cadfael (although different time periods and settings, obviously).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Dead Will Rise is the fifth Simon Westow historical mystery by Chris Nickson. Released 7th March 2023 by Severn House, it's 291 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is such a skillfully written series. Protagonist thief-takers (bounty hunters/ private investigators) Simon and his partner Jane are employed by a wealthy businessman and tasked with finding the resurrectionists who have stolen the body of his employee's daughter. They're outclassed in terms of power and deceitfulness by influential men in Leeds and are in danger of losing their freedom and lives throughout the book. There's a real and palpable sense of the setting and narrative menace throughout much of the book and the writing is very high quality and engaging. It is redolent of the time period (1820's) and setting (Leeds and environs) without sacrificing readability.
It's written around a framework of actual events so skillfully that it's difficult to tell when fact shades over into fiction. The author is technically competent and (happily) quite prolific. There are now 4 books extant in the series, making this a good candidate for a long weekend binge or buddy read.
The books -are- quite realistic and this one is no exception. The author has a very realistic writing style and describes the less salubrious facts of life in the early 19th century unflinchingly. This book deals with the stark, brutal, and all-too-often short lives of the inhabitants, even relatively financially well-to-do.
One of the main characters, Jane, has a very sad back-story, and much of the plot of the book revolves around her past, her present, and her (scarily competent) redemptive development. I love her character, but she's often quite frightening. I was impressed by the author's ability to write a young female character and do it very well. There are emphatically no perky anythings here, no bodice ripping, and absolutely zero flirty eyelashes to be found.
Four and a half stars. Definitely one for lovers of well-crafted mysteries. I would heartily recommend it to fans of Hambly's Benjamin January and Peters' Cadfael (although different time periods and settings, obviously).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 28, 2023
Chris Nickson is a former music journalist, and has rubbed shoulders with the Great and The Good across the history of rock music, but in these latter days he has earned a considerable reputation as a historical novelist. His books are mostly centred on Leeds, and they cover different historical periods from the 1730s to the 1950s. His latest book features Georgian thief-taker Simon Westow. Back then, there was no organised police force; the only legal officials were parish constables, who tended to be elderly, infirm and incompetent. Westow is more like the 20th century concept of a Private Eye; he recovers stolen property and catches criminals - for a fee.
Here, he has an unusual assignment; Local factory boss Joseph Clark asks him to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Gwendolyn Jordan, the daughter of Harmony Jordan, one of his employees. The crime of body snatching is unique in that it involved acts of criminality carried out in the name - some might argue - of a greater good, that being anatomical and medical research. Westow wastes no time on moral philosophy, and with his assistant Jane he sets out to find the Resurrection Men.
Jane is, for me, the most compelling character in any of Nickson's novels. Raped by her father, disowned by her mother, the teenager has made her living on the streets. Not in the conventional sense by selling her body, but by employing preternatural skills of awareness of danger, cunning and speed of thought; most fearsome of all is the fact that she will use her knife without a moment of compassion or hesitation. She is a stone-cold killer, as many men - now dead and buried - would testify, were they still able to.
Westow's case load becomes more complex when he and Jane are summoned to the elegant mansion of the infamous Mrs Parker - infamous because she is renowned in Leeds for marrying a series of wealthy men, who then die, leaving her with an ever expanding fortune. Just for once, she has been bested. A lover has swindled her out of £50 - over £5000 in today's money - and she wants recompense.
When the usually invulnerable Jane is bested by one of the thugs involved in the corpse trade, and is hurled from a bridge, she is lucky to escape with cuts and bruises. Her pride is hurt more, though, and she vows vengeance. Eventually the elusive Resurrection Men are tracked down, but Westow and his wife Rosie are convinced that there is one big player in the racket left to catch, and this leads to a thrilling - and unexpected - end to the case,
Nickson's narrative voice is totally authentic: Simon Westow, his family, and others in his world live and breathe as if they are they were standing with us in the same room. He makes the Leeds of April 1824 as real and vivid as if we had just stepped down from the York stagecoach. The Dead Will Rise is published by Severn House and is out now.
Here, he has an unusual assignment; Local factory boss Joseph Clark asks him to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Gwendolyn Jordan, the daughter of Harmony Jordan, one of his employees. The crime of body snatching is unique in that it involved acts of criminality carried out in the name - some might argue - of a greater good, that being anatomical and medical research. Westow wastes no time on moral philosophy, and with his assistant Jane he sets out to find the Resurrection Men.
Jane is, for me, the most compelling character in any of Nickson's novels. Raped by her father, disowned by her mother, the teenager has made her living on the streets. Not in the conventional sense by selling her body, but by employing preternatural skills of awareness of danger, cunning and speed of thought; most fearsome of all is the fact that she will use her knife without a moment of compassion or hesitation. She is a stone-cold killer, as many men - now dead and buried - would testify, were they still able to.
Westow's case load becomes more complex when he and Jane are summoned to the elegant mansion of the infamous Mrs Parker - infamous because she is renowned in Leeds for marrying a series of wealthy men, who then die, leaving her with an ever expanding fortune. Just for once, she has been bested. A lover has swindled her out of £50 - over £5000 in today's money - and she wants recompense.
When the usually invulnerable Jane is bested by one of the thugs involved in the corpse trade, and is hurled from a bridge, she is lucky to escape with cuts and bruises. Her pride is hurt more, though, and she vows vengeance. Eventually the elusive Resurrection Men are tracked down, but Westow and his wife Rosie are convinced that there is one big player in the racket left to catch, and this leads to a thrilling - and unexpected - end to the case,
Nickson's narrative voice is totally authentic: Simon Westow, his family, and others in his world live and breathe as if they are they were standing with us in the same room. He makes the Leeds of April 1824 as real and vivid as if we had just stepped down from the York stagecoach. The Dead Will Rise is published by Severn House and is out now.
March 21, 2023
The title should sound familiar to most people. “The dead will rise again” is to quote the bible literally and invokes the Abrahamic concept of how the dead will be brought back to be judged on the day of judgment. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this implies the book may have a supernatural bent to it; it most certainly doesn’t. To invoke G. K. Chesterson, the crime novelist, in order to stay a crime novelist, must not hit above the body, and so our dead men stay dead men in this book.
The Dead Will Rise is a historical mystery set in Leeds in the 1820’s. It’s the 5th book in the Simon Westow Mysteries series by the author and came out on the 7th of March and was published by Severn House. It focuses on two characters, Jane, a teenage girl with a dark past and Simon, the local thief taker or PI. Simon and Jane are called to investigate the disappearance of little girls body from her grave, at a hand of some resurrectionists.
This was, unfortunately, a more common occurrence than one would imagine. Medical schools in the UK were only allowed to use the bodies of convicts (which weren’t very many) and so body snatchers (or resurrectionists) would steal dead bodies from the grave in the night to sell onto a medical school to make a bit of money. Opening up a grave was not considered a serious felony under the law and so thieves also knew that they themselves, at worst, would be imprisoned for some time. Medical schools rarely asked where the bodies came from, and it was hard to track down body snatchers, meaning most people just got away with it.
That being said, Simon and Jane take on this case knowing that the girl was wearing a £2 dress that made this a theft with more serious punishment. As they go on they realize more powerful people are involved and there are more bodies that have been stolen and are attacked.
I liked the book and the slightly spooky vibe. You don’t know who is responsible and how things will turn out in the end. Jane is a phenomenal character and I loved how she wanted revenge so badly. I lowkey want to read the other books in the series just to get a bit more about her. However, I’m not sure I appreciate the deaths at the end of the book and how they were done. They didn’t make sense to me. I would read this author again!
The Dead Will Rise is a historical mystery set in Leeds in the 1820’s. It’s the 5th book in the Simon Westow Mysteries series by the author and came out on the 7th of March and was published by Severn House. It focuses on two characters, Jane, a teenage girl with a dark past and Simon, the local thief taker or PI. Simon and Jane are called to investigate the disappearance of little girls body from her grave, at a hand of some resurrectionists.
This was, unfortunately, a more common occurrence than one would imagine. Medical schools in the UK were only allowed to use the bodies of convicts (which weren’t very many) and so body snatchers (or resurrectionists) would steal dead bodies from the grave in the night to sell onto a medical school to make a bit of money. Opening up a grave was not considered a serious felony under the law and so thieves also knew that they themselves, at worst, would be imprisoned for some time. Medical schools rarely asked where the bodies came from, and it was hard to track down body snatchers, meaning most people just got away with it.
That being said, Simon and Jane take on this case knowing that the girl was wearing a £2 dress that made this a theft with more serious punishment. As they go on they realize more powerful people are involved and there are more bodies that have been stolen and are attacked.
I liked the book and the slightly spooky vibe. You don’t know who is responsible and how things will turn out in the end. Jane is a phenomenal character and I loved how she wanted revenge so badly. I lowkey want to read the other books in the series just to get a bit more about her. However, I’m not sure I appreciate the deaths at the end of the book and how they were done. They didn’t make sense to me. I would read this author again!
March 10, 2023
Body snatching isn’t something only to be found in horror movies. During the early years of medical school this was how some surgeons received cadavers on which to practice their skills. In Edinburgh, Scotland (where I went to college), the names of Burke and Hare would become synonymous with the act just four years after when this book is set. Except they often hastened the availability of a body if you know what I mean. The Dead Will Rise was inspired by actual events in Leeds. No one is murdered for their bodies, but it doesn’t bode well for anyone who gets in the way of the body snatchers.
This is the fifth title in the Simon Westow Mystery series, and with each installment we get deeper into the complex lives of the main characters. Simon is a husband and father, fiercely protective of his two sons and wanting them to have the advantages of life he never had at their age. At the same time, however, his job skirts around legality. Thief-takers aren’t always trusted, Westow’s contacts aren’t always on the level, and he’ll shed blood if he must. His associate, Jane, is like a lion who’s been wounded yet continues to stalk her prey through the streets and alley ways of 19th century Leeds.
Chris Nickson’s Regency era novels have always been different to the Jane Austen-inspired writings set during the same period. He calls his books Regency Noir. What’s interesting this time, is that he has Jane reading Austen. She gets “caught up in the story of the Bennett sisters,” whose lives are “utterly different to her’s.” These scenes when she’s reading are moments of levity in an otherwise dark tale.
Despite the darkness, however, it’s a compelling story with many tense and breathtaking moments which made it difficult to put down. It’s my opinion that Chris Nickson has created another winner, and I’m already looking forward to book six.
Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.
This is the fifth title in the Simon Westow Mystery series, and with each installment we get deeper into the complex lives of the main characters. Simon is a husband and father, fiercely protective of his two sons and wanting them to have the advantages of life he never had at their age. At the same time, however, his job skirts around legality. Thief-takers aren’t always trusted, Westow’s contacts aren’t always on the level, and he’ll shed blood if he must. His associate, Jane, is like a lion who’s been wounded yet continues to stalk her prey through the streets and alley ways of 19th century Leeds.
Chris Nickson’s Regency era novels have always been different to the Jane Austen-inspired writings set during the same period. He calls his books Regency Noir. What’s interesting this time, is that he has Jane reading Austen. She gets “caught up in the story of the Bennett sisters,” whose lives are “utterly different to her’s.” These scenes when she’s reading are moments of levity in an otherwise dark tale.
Despite the darkness, however, it’s a compelling story with many tense and breathtaking moments which made it difficult to put down. It’s my opinion that Chris Nickson has created another winner, and I’m already looking forward to book six.
Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.
March 7, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review The Dead Will Rise. All opinions and comments are my own.
It’s quiet at the moment. Simon Westow, thief-taker and his assistant Jane are taking a short break from their work. Life is good for now. Until it isn’t, of course. And soon a sad and sordid tale will come a’calling for Simon, Jane and even Rosie, Simon’s wife, in The Dead will Rise, the fifth in the series set in the smoky and soot-filled city of Leeds.
The story involves body-snatching, which is not considered much of a crime (not yet, anyway, that will come in time), as terrible as it is for the families. What Simon finds is that the body of a child has been taken, and a distraught father wants him to find the perpetrators. It’s a difficult case, without clues and without anything to go on. So, when another job comes to their attention, a “missing person,” it’s a chance to bring in some extra money in the meantime, he believes. How these cases intersect is testimony to the author’s ability to weave a complex and absorbing tale, dark and depressing for all that, but one that will draw you in on every page.
The city is once again a character, shadowy, noisy, choking with soot, growing with houses and thus more people. It’s getting harder to find someone. And both Simon and Jane do a lot of looking.
Author Chris Nickson shows the two sides of his main characters, the family side, the domestic side, and even for Jane her simple side, how her reading is improving. The hunt is interrupted by these moments. The author breaks up the tension in this way, and it works.
There is resolution, of course, and a reckoning. The Dead Will Rise is another sterling effort by Chris Nickson, who knows how to bring a story to life, even an unpleasant one.
It’s quiet at the moment. Simon Westow, thief-taker and his assistant Jane are taking a short break from their work. Life is good for now. Until it isn’t, of course. And soon a sad and sordid tale will come a’calling for Simon, Jane and even Rosie, Simon’s wife, in The Dead will Rise, the fifth in the series set in the smoky and soot-filled city of Leeds.
The story involves body-snatching, which is not considered much of a crime (not yet, anyway, that will come in time), as terrible as it is for the families. What Simon finds is that the body of a child has been taken, and a distraught father wants him to find the perpetrators. It’s a difficult case, without clues and without anything to go on. So, when another job comes to their attention, a “missing person,” it’s a chance to bring in some extra money in the meantime, he believes. How these cases intersect is testimony to the author’s ability to weave a complex and absorbing tale, dark and depressing for all that, but one that will draw you in on every page.
The city is once again a character, shadowy, noisy, choking with soot, growing with houses and thus more people. It’s getting harder to find someone. And both Simon and Jane do a lot of looking.
Author Chris Nickson shows the two sides of his main characters, the family side, the domestic side, and even for Jane her simple side, how her reading is improving. The hunt is interrupted by these moments. The author breaks up the tension in this way, and it works.
There is resolution, of course, and a reckoning. The Dead Will Rise is another sterling effort by Chris Nickson, who knows how to bring a story to life, even an unpleasant one.
February 7, 2023
Though Simon Westow, the thief taker, is the protagonist, there are lots of strong, competent and intelligent women in The Dead Will Rise. Jane, Simon's fellow detective, his wife Rosie, Mrs. Shields who teaches Jane to read, and all the many female shopkeepers in the town of Leeds make this an adventure with lots of ladies. Lots of stabbings, too. Lots and lots of them. I expected the novel to start splashing blood all over me.
This story of a thief taker (a detective who locates stolen objects) chasing down body snatchers who have stolen a little girl's corpse is exciting enough that I read late into the night. Then I had disturbing, stabby dreams, but that's okay or I wouldn't read stabby blood-splashing books.
I had one tiny little problem solely because I'm obsessive about history, even little, tiny minor things. The Dead Will Rise takes place in 1824. The author, Chris Nickson, had one of the villains don a "biilycock" on his head. I didn't know what that was, so I looked it up. A billycock is a bowler hat created in 1849 by Thomas and William Bowler. Okay, maybe the bad guy wore one twenty-five years before they were created. The rest of the book is so good that I'll overlook the haberdashery mistake.
The author also adds some of the history of "resurrection men" and the lax laws that made body snatching a misdemeanor. I always appreciate history added on to the end to tell me what kind of society the characters were living in.
Thank you to Netgalley and Severn Books for allowing me to read and review The Dead Will Rise.
This story of a thief taker (a detective who locates stolen objects) chasing down body snatchers who have stolen a little girl's corpse is exciting enough that I read late into the night. Then I had disturbing, stabby dreams, but that's okay or I wouldn't read stabby blood-splashing books.
I had one tiny little problem solely because I'm obsessive about history, even little, tiny minor things. The Dead Will Rise takes place in 1824. The author, Chris Nickson, had one of the villains don a "biilycock" on his head. I didn't know what that was, so I looked it up. A billycock is a bowler hat created in 1849 by Thomas and William Bowler. Okay, maybe the bad guy wore one twenty-five years before they were created. The rest of the book is so good that I'll overlook the haberdashery mistake.
The author also adds some of the history of "resurrection men" and the lax laws that made body snatching a misdemeanor. I always appreciate history added on to the end to tell me what kind of society the characters were living in.
Thank you to Netgalley and Severn Books for allowing me to read and review The Dead Will Rise.
March 9, 2023
Westow and Jane have a case of grave concern – body snatching!!! Someone (or ones) is raiding the graveyards of the fair city of Leeds and the surrounding suburbs and exhuming dead bodies – but why??! Modern day cadavers are meant to smell unpleasant so I can only imagine what one from the 1800s would be like 🤢🤢
As what appeared to be a resolution to the case coming about half way through, I wondered what Nickson had in store for the rest of the book. Little did I expect a number of curveballs coming my way as he added twists and turns and a few fisticuffs to the investigation.
It’s been a couple of books in the series since I met Westow and Jane and I can see the dynamic change between the pair. Jane is more confident and more independent despite it only being two years between the settings of my reads. That said, a lot can happen in two years. But I loved seeing this growth in Jane.
Nickson has again curated a world of some familiarity for this Leeds resident to explore but it’s not the city that I know and love. It’s a city on the up with its growth (oh wait Leeds is growing now). It’s a city that isn’t the sprawling metropolis it is now. He doesn’t pull any punches and shows how brutal the 1800s could be. I’m not normally one for historical settings for my crime fiction but there is something Nickson does that really appeals and I’ll be returning to 1800s Leeds to investigate more!
As what appeared to be a resolution to the case coming about half way through, I wondered what Nickson had in store for the rest of the book. Little did I expect a number of curveballs coming my way as he added twists and turns and a few fisticuffs to the investigation.
It’s been a couple of books in the series since I met Westow and Jane and I can see the dynamic change between the pair. Jane is more confident and more independent despite it only being two years between the settings of my reads. That said, a lot can happen in two years. But I loved seeing this growth in Jane.
Nickson has again curated a world of some familiarity for this Leeds resident to explore but it’s not the city that I know and love. It’s a city on the up with its growth (oh wait Leeds is growing now). It’s a city that isn’t the sprawling metropolis it is now. He doesn’t pull any punches and shows how brutal the 1800s could be. I’m not normally one for historical settings for my crime fiction but there is something Nickson does that really appeals and I’ll be returning to 1800s Leeds to investigate more!
February 6, 2023
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.
July 17, 2023
First Sentence: It was a balmy evening for early spring; after ten and still a faint, lingering hint of warmth in the air.
Joseph Clark is a wealthy engineer. After discovering the buried body of his employer's beloved daughter, Catherine Jordan, has been stolen, he hires thief-taker Simon Westow and his team to find the men. Simon discovers there is a gang of body snatchers who have stolen several corpses. It is up to him and his assistant Jane to find the Resurrection men who are stealing the bodies.
Nickson brings his characters to life, making you know and care about them, particularly Jane whose character is developed more with each book. Her landlady, Mrs. Shields, may not help solve crimes, but she adds so much to the story.
For those of us who love historical mysteries, one can’t go wrong with Nickson. His research and detail are first-rate. One should also read the books afterward.
THE DEAD WILL RISE is a well-done book in an excellent series. Nickson truly takes one to industrial Leeds, not ‘prettying up” the period or the city.
THE DEAD WILL RISE (PrivEnq-Simon Westow-Leeds, Eng-1824) -
Chris Nickson
Poisoned Pen Press, Mar 2022, 288 pages
RATING: VG
Joseph Clark is a wealthy engineer. After discovering the buried body of his employer's beloved daughter, Catherine Jordan, has been stolen, he hires thief-taker Simon Westow and his team to find the men. Simon discovers there is a gang of body snatchers who have stolen several corpses. It is up to him and his assistant Jane to find the Resurrection men who are stealing the bodies.
Nickson brings his characters to life, making you know and care about them, particularly Jane whose character is developed more with each book. Her landlady, Mrs. Shields, may not help solve crimes, but she adds so much to the story.
For those of us who love historical mysteries, one can’t go wrong with Nickson. His research and detail are first-rate. One should also read the books afterward.
THE DEAD WILL RISE is a well-done book in an excellent series. Nickson truly takes one to industrial Leeds, not ‘prettying up” the period or the city.
THE DEAD WILL RISE (PrivEnq-Simon Westow-Leeds, Eng-1824) -
Chris Nickson
Poisoned Pen Press, Mar 2022, 288 pages
RATING: VG
March 13, 2023
Every now and then a book comes along which I enjoy so much I simply cannot put it down. This is one of those! It is book 5 of the series featuring Simon Weston and read well as a stand-alone. It is the early 19th century in Leeds and Simon is a thief-taker. He acts for clients who have had something stolen and on finding and returning the missing items he gets paid. He is ably assisted by wife Rosie and young colleague Jane. The three main characters are well fleshed out, as is the gruesome detail of the actions of the resurrection men known as body snatchers.
Briefly, Simon is approached by Joseph Clark to find the body of the 10 year old daughter of one of his employees, whose body has been dug up and removed from her grave. There are body snatchers at work. Simon is facing the hardest task of his life to find the Resurrectionists whilst keeping the three of them safe, particularly Jane who is rather adept at getting herself into dangerous situations!
Historical fiction at its finest, as a result of the authors research and knowledge of Leeds from the period in question, which gives the reader a vivid insight into life and social living conditions. Nothing is left to the imagination. A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading more adventures from the intrepid trio!
Briefly, Simon is approached by Joseph Clark to find the body of the 10 year old daughter of one of his employees, whose body has been dug up and removed from her grave. There are body snatchers at work. Simon is facing the hardest task of his life to find the Resurrectionists whilst keeping the three of them safe, particularly Jane who is rather adept at getting herself into dangerous situations!
Historical fiction at its finest, as a result of the authors research and knowledge of Leeds from the period in question, which gives the reader a vivid insight into life and social living conditions. Nothing is left to the imagination. A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading more adventures from the intrepid trio!
March 26, 2023
1824 and the Industrial Revolution means that Leeds is expanding rapidly. When a 10 year old girl's body is taken from a cemetery in Leeds, the employer of the father hires Westow to find the men responsible.
Westow is determined to ensure that the men are caught and punished even though at this time it is a minor offence. The gang are clever and one is particularly brutal plus there also seems to be a link with a rich society woman from humble beginnings. Can Westow and Jane catch the gang before they strike again?
This series is one of my favourites, set in Leeds as the city starts to grow into the thriving industrial metropolis of the 19th century. Here the crime is committed early and the book is really about the hunt for the gang and the bringing of them to justice. There is a lot more focus on Jane, Westow's sidekick and her development through reading juxtaposed with her readiness to kill. The plot is tight and writing not too flowery, all in all a great, quick read.
Westow is determined to ensure that the men are caught and punished even though at this time it is a minor offence. The gang are clever and one is particularly brutal plus there also seems to be a link with a rich society woman from humble beginnings. Can Westow and Jane catch the gang before they strike again?
This series is one of my favourites, set in Leeds as the city starts to grow into the thriving industrial metropolis of the 19th century. Here the crime is committed early and the book is really about the hunt for the gang and the bringing of them to justice. There is a lot more focus on Jane, Westow's sidekick and her development through reading juxtaposed with her readiness to kill. The plot is tight and writing not too flowery, all in all a great, quick read.
April 1, 2023
Chris Nickson's Simon Westow series continues to delight.
I strongly suggest reading this series in order. Westow, his wife Rosie, and their assistant Jane are fully developed characters with significant back stories by the time we arrive at this fifth-in-series.
The often violent streets of early 1800's Leeds are the setting for this story. Corpse stealing has spread to Leeds, and Westow has been hired by a wealthy industrialist to find the villains.
Nickson's attention to detail and historical accuracy are on full display again. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I strongly suggest reading this series in order. Westow, his wife Rosie, and their assistant Jane are fully developed characters with significant back stories by the time we arrive at this fifth-in-series.
The often violent streets of early 1800's Leeds are the setting for this story. Corpse stealing has spread to Leeds, and Westow has been hired by a wealthy industrialist to find the villains.
Nickson's attention to detail and historical accuracy are on full display again. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 18, 2023
A mystery that covers the crime of body snatchers in the early 1800s. This crime was only considered a misdemeanor because bodies were not considered property. But Weston, the thief-catcher and his hard as nails sidekick, Jane, find a loophole when they learn that one of the body snatchers sold a dress from a 10 year old girl’s corpse. The dress was considered property. A wealthy engineer who employs the father of the 10 year old hires Weston to find the despicable opportunists who stole her bodies for hefty sums to medical facilities so that interns could have real cadavers in their training. Money was no object for the thief catchers as their donor wanted some closure for his employee’s loss and was reviled by the very act of body snatching - not to mention that of a ten year old child! The twists and turns in their pursuit was exciting and frustrating. However, in the end, the wealth of the engineer and the relentlessness of the thief takers bring satisfying closure to a gruesome group of opportunists.
October 10, 2023
Another series I am coming at backwards and hoping to find the other books. The good thing is that it reads great as a stand alone.
I have no idea what Leeds was like back then but I am convinced by Nickson’s vivid descriptions. Jane is a fascinating character and believable as shown in her wish to be better educated.
The storyline moves swiftly and is realistic although I found part of the denouement a bit rushed and convenient.
There are plenty of twists and very often it seems to be “sorted” with 100 pages still to go.
I will certainly be chasing up the thief taker, much as I devoured the authors earlier series.
I have no idea what Leeds was like back then but I am convinced by Nickson’s vivid descriptions. Jane is a fascinating character and believable as shown in her wish to be better educated.
The storyline moves swiftly and is realistic although I found part of the denouement a bit rushed and convenient.
There are plenty of twists and very often it seems to be “sorted” with 100 pages still to go.
I will certainly be chasing up the thief taker, much as I devoured the authors earlier series.
February 7, 2023
I loved this book, the fifth about Simon Westow, his family and Jane his assistant. The complex relationship between Simon and Jane are an example of how well the author paints the human interactions as a picture of their characters. The description of the very miserable conditions lots of people endured on the bottom of the ladder in those days in Leeds. It reminds me of the musical ‘Les Misérables’. The story is of theft, lies, murder but I will let you find out for yourself. Enjoy !
February 15, 2023
Chris Nickson's historical mysteries are always well researched and gripping. They're a good way to travel back in time to Leeds in another age.
This is one is the best in this series and I read it in two sitting as it's page turner.
Solid mystery that kept me guessing, vivid historical background, an excellent groups of characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
This is one is the best in this series and I read it in two sitting as it's page turner.
Solid mystery that kept me guessing, vivid historical background, an excellent groups of characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
February 18, 2023
" Thief-taker Simon Westow is used to finding stolen goods, not stolen bodies . . . Can he hunt down those committing crimes against the dead in Leeds?".......Leeds. April, 1824. Wealthy engineer Joseph Clark employs thief-taker Simon Westow to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Catherine Jordan, his employee's daughter."
As always, Chris Nickson's mysteries are enthralling.. He is the "Voice " of bygone Leeds and I'm always so happy to get a new one.
As always, Chris Nickson's mysteries are enthralling.. He is the "Voice " of bygone Leeds and I'm always so happy to get a new one.
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