‘Them Without Pain’ by Chris Nickson

Published by Severn House,
3 Sept 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-4483-1440-9 (HB)

The story is set in Leeds in May 1825. Simon Westow is a thief taker who is employed to track down stolen goods and retrieve them, although whether he turns over the thief to face justice depends on his employers, many of whom prefer confidentiality to the satisfaction of judicial punishment. Simon’s current client, Sir Robert Foley, is one of those who prefer discretion: his valet has stolen four antique cups crafted over a century ago by a Leeds silversmith, Arthur Mangey. Mangey was a superb silversmith but came to a sad and shameful end when he was executed for coin clipping, which was a treasonable crime.

This is the second time Simon has heard mention of Mangey recently, because the silversmith’s house is due to be demolished and Porter, the Leeds constable, has invited Simon to be present. Simon is mildly interested and plans to attend. His wife, Rosie, and his new young assistant, Sally, are not interested in exploring the house prior to its demolition and so Simon invites his former assistant, Jane, to join him. Jane had been his valued assistant for many years but some time ago she decided she no longer wanted to live the violent, demanding life of a thief taker, although she promised to help Simon at any time he needed her. Until recently Jane had been content with this decision, and she is still happy living on the money she saved in the modest house of her dearly-loved, elderly friend Mrs Shields. However, recently Jane has been haunted by horrible dreams stemming from her earlier life as a destitute child living on the streets, surviving by her sharp wits and equally sharp knife. Jane has learned to read, and she is fascinated by history, and she is happy to accept Simon’s invitation.

Outside the building, Porter introduces Simon and Jane to Mr Armistead, a scholarly gentleman who has studied Mangey and is convinced that there is a secret room beneath the building. This proves to be correct, and they discover the hidden room and break into it, but it is obvious that the secret room was not such a secret after all because in the room they discover the corpse of Foley’s valet but no sign of the stolen silver cups.

It is Porter’s job to track down the murderer, but Simon still has to find the missing cups. The best way he can think of achieving this is to discover who knew how to access the secret room. Sally, his new assistant, had also been a child barely surviving on the streets, but unlike Jane she has no desire to learn to read. Simon asks Jane to read through all the notes Mr Armistead has made about Mangey to see who else knew about the secret room and whether any of Mangey’s descendants live in or near Leeds and she agrees to do so. Although initially daunted by the task, Jane soon begins to enjoy it.; far from despising her lack of knowledge, Mr Armistead is kind and welcoming and eager to share his information with her.

Out on the streets Simon has always been swift and skilled with a knife and confident in his ability to defend himself but now he is plagued by uncertainty and fear. Twice in as many days Sally has to save his life by her alertness and knife-skill and Simon begins to second guess himself and worry about what will happen to Rosie and his sons if he is killed. The death of the valet is only the start of a vicious deluge of violence and murder, which engulfs Leeds. For both Jane and Sally the hunt for revenge soon becomes deeply personal and for Simon, still crippled by self-doubt, doing his job becomes even more dangerous.

Them Without Pain is the seventh novel in the series featuring Simon Westow. It is an excellent addition to a superb series that portrays without flinching the sordid crime and violence of life in 19th century Leeds but also shows the kindness and decency of many of its people. Simon can be a ruthless opponent, but he is also a loving husband and father and a good friend who treats his assistants with respect and generosity. Both Jane and Sally have the iron determination that allowed them to survive when many other children died, and they have the highly honed instincts which can sense the presence of evil. They can kill without hesitation or regret, but they can also be kind, loving and generous. In Them Without Pain all the characterisation and scene setting are excellent, and the plot is complex and cleverly crafted. This is a brilliant, fast-paced, historical novel which I recommend. 
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Chris Nickson was born and raised in Leeds. He is the author of the Richard Nottingham books, historical mysteries set in Leeds in the 1730s and featuring Richard Nottingham, the Constable of the city, and his deputy, John Sedgwick. The books are about more than murder. They're about the people of Leeds and the way life was - which mean full of grinding poverty for all but the wealthy. They're also about families, Nottingham and his and Sedgwick, and the way relationships grow and change, as well as the politics, when there was one law for the rich, and another, much more brutal, for everyone else. Chris has penned a further six series, and to date has published 31 books. For full details visit his web site. In addition to this Chris is also a music journalist, reviewing for magazines and online outlets

http://chrisnickson.co.uk/

Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 8 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. interview

www.carolwestron.com
To read a review of Carol latest book click on the title
Death and the Dancing Snowman