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Richard Nottingham #2
Cold Cruel Winter
Second in the highly-acclaimed Richard Nottingham historical mystery series 1732. Richard Nottingham, Constable of the City of Leeds, is grieving the death of his daughter, but he must rouse himself from his lethargy when the body of wealthy wool merchant Samuel Graves is discovered, his throat slit, the skin razed from his back. Why would the killer want Graves’ skin? When Nottingham receives a slim, bound volume entitled The Journal of a Wronged Man he discovers the shocking answer – and it hurls him into a desperate battle for survival against a ruthless killer with old scores to settle.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
34 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Chris Nickson
69 books181 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 30 reviews
September 20, 2018
1732 Leeds ? Interesting time and place . This was a rather slow-moving police procedural with a tormented Constable as the protagonist . Surprisingly it kept my attention throughout and I was satisfied at the ending . This author and series was recommended to me by a librarian friend that moved a distance away , but still suggests material for me . Thanks Andie !
January 6, 2012
It's not just that I used to be married to the Leedsman author that makes me say this is a scintillatingly good read. And I have a hard time with most historical mysteries (for example, I eventually gave up on Anne Perry even though I quite liked her books for awhile). The authors of such tend to adopt a serious, rather plodding style. Chris's first book in this series started out with a bit of that plodding nature but soon broke out of it. My only reservation, the only thing that keeps that final star, is that the women are kind of cut and paste, so very good and kind (except for one) and warm, with the fire and a mug of small ale always to the ready for their men. Still, highly recommended.
November 27, 2011
Nice book. I enjoyed the author's depiction of the grittiness of historical Leeds in the winter. The story took back seat to the setting, and, in this case, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that
April 4, 2013
This is the second in the Richard Nottingham series. A thoroughly enjoyable read...even better than the first one...'the Broken Token'.
October 9, 2018
The winter of 1732 in Leeds, England was particularly brutal. People are dying of illness and freezing temperatures. City constable Richard Nottingham is no exception - he has just buried his beloved daughter. Still grieving, he is shocked to find the body of a local merchant who has been brutally murdered and skinned. The skin from his back has been removed very skillfully and "Richard soon finds out why, the killer sends him a book covered with the skin of the victim. The killer lists the reasons why the merchant had to die and then says there will be three more books to come. One book for each man the killer feels ruined his life. Richard discovers that he will be victim number three and knows he must act fast to stop a madman. An excellent book. I will definitely read more of this series.
May 2, 2018
I am enjoying the subsequent books in the series too, but this one is definitely the most intense and worth reading. Like all of the other books, this one is very well researched and provides a strong atmosphere of the 1700s. But this one has a more complex plot, with a mass murder, not just more routine crimes and provides even more suspense. I found it hard to put down at midnight.
Richard Nottingham is a very strong protagonist, well rounded and interesting in many ways. His relationship with his family, and grief about a daughter who died, really make him a credible character.
I did not read the first book in the series, but of the four I have read, this one is the best. I strongly recommend this series to those who love historical fiction/mystery.
Richard Nottingham is a very strong protagonist, well rounded and interesting in many ways. His relationship with his family, and grief about a daughter who died, really make him a credible character.
I did not read the first book in the series, but of the four I have read, this one is the best. I strongly recommend this series to those who love historical fiction/mystery.
January 12, 2025
The 2nd in the Richard Nottingham series. Chris Nickson writes in such away that makes you care a great deal about each of the characters in the story, even some of the bad ones. The troubles and sadness they experience becomes your troubles and sadness. A lot of crime stories can be complicated to follow but as in the first book you can follow every part of the manhunt with ease and understanding. Another excellent book that gives you a chill.
January 4, 2019
Emotional story
This is an emotional story , and seems to capture the essence of life on edge in 1700s England. It is graffic in its descriptions and the characters seem very real. It is all very realistic and often tragic.
This is an emotional story , and seems to capture the essence of life on edge in 1700s England. It is graffic in its descriptions and the characters seem very real. It is all very realistic and often tragic.
November 3, 2018
These are fun reads. Nottingham and his assistants along with the rest of the cast of characters are interesting, as is the way of meting out justice in 18th century Leeds, England.
July 6, 2019
Good read.
Believable characters and good plot.
Believable characters and good plot.
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April 18, 2020Constable Richard Nottingham, Leeds, 18th century, Book 2,
September 24, 2022
I enjoyed this the 2nd in the series as good as the first. Interesting storyline.
October 25, 2014
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12939930
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It is set in 1732 and features Richard Nottingham, a Constable of the city of Leeds.
I have read other mysteries set in the past and have found many irritating in their attempts to have people speak as they did then. Much of the written word in the 1700s was not the same at all as the spoken word. Yet many writers will take the flowery speech of the past writings and have all of their characters using it. I believe that people spoke plainly, or at least so that they could be easily understood, and that books reflecting the past should have characters speaking clearly as well.
This novel reflects the time in the living conditions, the technology, some beliefs.
Nottingham's elder daughter had died and he is still grieving when his attention is taken by a strange murder: a man who is killed and then has had the skin off his back taken, neatly. What manner of killer he is?
Nottingham and his crew settle on a suspect and their suspicions are confirmed by the man himself. Although Leeds is a small city, it is still difficult to locate one person in it who does not want to be found. From correspondence by the killer and yet another murder, Nottingham realizes he is in a race against time to prevent additional deaths.
The plot is well-enough plotted, even if a bit far-fetched (most fictional serial killers are far more logical than real ones), but what I enjoyed were the private, personal touches. I felt a connection to Nottingham and a desire to read more of the series.
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12939930
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It is set in 1732 and features Richard Nottingham, a Constable of the city of Leeds.
I have read other mysteries set in the past and have found many irritating in their attempts to have people speak as they did then. Much of the written word in the 1700s was not the same at all as the spoken word. Yet many writers will take the flowery speech of the past writings and have all of their characters using it. I believe that people spoke plainly, or at least so that they could be easily understood, and that books reflecting the past should have characters speaking clearly as well.
This novel reflects the time in the living conditions, the technology, some beliefs.
Nottingham's elder daughter had died and he is still grieving when his attention is taken by a strange murder: a man who is killed and then has had the skin off his back taken, neatly. What manner of killer he is?
Nottingham and his crew settle on a suspect and their suspicions are confirmed by the man himself. Although Leeds is a small city, it is still difficult to locate one person in it who does not want to be found. From correspondence by the killer and yet another murder, Nottingham realizes he is in a race against time to prevent additional deaths.
The plot is well-enough plotted, even if a bit far-fetched (most fictional serial killers are far more logical than real ones), but what I enjoyed were the private, personal touches. I felt a connection to Nottingham and a desire to read more of the series.
June 15, 2024
Overall, this was a good read.
I enjoyed the setting. I especially appreciated that Nickson created many (male - see below) characters of complexity with depth of feelings, thoughts, and decisions. I thought the mystery was solid, and enjoyed how Nickson interwove the story lines through the political and social context of the times.
As from book #1 I remain disappointed in Nickson's treatment of the female characters. Once again, the women were slotted into stereotypical categories, and exist pretty much only in relation to the male characters of the book. Also, I have to ask, how much bread does the Nottingham family eat? Apparently, every hour of every day Notthingham's wife (Mary?) makes bread. And there was no mention of her selling it so I have to ask, how much do they eat?!?
I found the book, again similar to book #1 to be a bit heavy-handed. I get that it was a cold, cruel winter; it's right there in the title. So, I didn't need to be told every couple of paragraphs how cold it was, how difficult it was to move around in the snow, and how the winter was going to kill even more people, especially among the poor. Yes, all of those are important factors, and ones that I care about, but hammering on about it every couple of paragraphs was WAY too much. Similarly, there was much too much navel gazing by all of the male characters in the book. Yes, I appreciated they had depth of feelings, but I had no need to be told about the same feelings, over, and over, and over, every few pages in the book. The least Nickson could do would be to tell us what some of the women were feeling.
Overall, this book was a good read. It had more first-book-itis than a second book of a series should have, but I will give book #3 a chance to see where it goes.
I enjoyed the setting. I especially appreciated that Nickson created many (male - see below) characters of complexity with depth of feelings, thoughts, and decisions. I thought the mystery was solid, and enjoyed how Nickson interwove the story lines through the political and social context of the times.
As from book #1 I remain disappointed in Nickson's treatment of the female characters. Once again, the women were slotted into stereotypical categories, and exist pretty much only in relation to the male characters of the book. Also, I have to ask, how much bread does the Nottingham family eat? Apparently, every hour of every day Notthingham's wife (Mary?) makes bread. And there was no mention of her selling it so I have to ask, how much do they eat?!?
I found the book, again similar to book #1 to be a bit heavy-handed. I get that it was a cold, cruel winter; it's right there in the title. So, I didn't need to be told every couple of paragraphs how cold it was, how difficult it was to move around in the snow, and how the winter was going to kill even more people, especially among the poor. Yes, all of those are important factors, and ones that I care about, but hammering on about it every couple of paragraphs was WAY too much. Similarly, there was much too much navel gazing by all of the male characters in the book. Yes, I appreciated they had depth of feelings, but I had no need to be told about the same feelings, over, and over, and over, every few pages in the book. The least Nickson could do would be to tell us what some of the women were feeling.
Overall, this book was a good read. It had more first-book-itis than a second book of a series should have, but I will give book #3 a chance to see where it goes.
November 4, 2015
I want to talk about the women of these novels- the women are very important. Shoehorned into fairly rigid roles, these women nevertheless are unique and different. Lizzie, the former prostitute who really really wanted a family to nurture; Rose, the one-dimensional perfect daughter who no one is really going to miss anyway; Emily, precocious, intelligent, flawed; Charlotte, conniving and wicked; young Frances, doomed to death for circumstances beyond her control. All interesting...although the majority of their stories involve waiting at home for their menfolk, so I can quite understand Emily's frustration from the first book. Even so, they're not...very fleshed out as characters, are they? Nottingham's wife, in nearly every scene, is kneading bread. Um. After a while it becomes simply unbelievable, because no matter what time her husband walks in the door, she's kneading bread. Wtf...?
Nickson thus far doesn't really explore his characters, does he? Sure, he tells us how they're feeling, a big no-no, but do we ever see it? Not particularly.
The mysteries aren't exactly gripping, and the dispassionate way Nickson starts killing off his characters makes you wonder who's next in this emotionless Russian roulette.
I will read the next four books, to be sure- but much like Josh's disappearance, I feel these books aren't exactly going to be memorable.
Nickson thus far doesn't really explore his characters, does he? Sure, he tells us how they're feeling, a big no-no, but do we ever see it? Not particularly.
The mysteries aren't exactly gripping, and the dispassionate way Nickson starts killing off his characters makes you wonder who's next in this emotionless Russian roulette.
I will read the next four books, to be sure- but much like Josh's disappearance, I feel these books aren't exactly going to be memorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2017
Chris Nickson appreciates his Leeds history and writes a very fine mystery. Richard Nottingham, as Constable of this hard and gritty city during a bleak period, is an extremely well developed character who helps the series shine. Nottingham's family and cohorts are equally convincing and believable. A difficult time and place to be alive for many and the author illuminates it well.
The difference between the haves and have nots in England in the 1700s is stark and Nottingham is not on the upside in many ways. He is compassionate and fair with everyone he comes in contact with. The Constable is empathetic because he has walked in these same footsteps and not so very long ago.
Historians take note that every aspect of this tale is researched and accurate. Mystery lovers, the court records and the laws of this period lend a very unique flavor to this fine tale. A must read!
The difference between the haves and have nots in England in the 1700s is stark and Nottingham is not on the upside in many ways. He is compassionate and fair with everyone he comes in contact with. The Constable is empathetic because he has walked in these same footsteps and not so very long ago.
Historians take note that every aspect of this tale is researched and accurate. Mystery lovers, the court records and the laws of this period lend a very unique flavor to this fine tale. A must read!
May 26, 2011
Cold Cruel Winter is the second in the Richard Nottingham series by Chris Nickson. The novel focuses on the events that take place during the winter months drawing the reader into the harsh reality of winter life in 1732 where poor and rich alike had to endure the discomforts that this season brings. A couple of new characters are added to the mix and a couple are taken away but the majority of those that were introduced in the first novel remain. Be prepared to despair, rejoice and commiserate with the characters as you get carried away by the plot for Cold Cruel Winter will capture your every emotion, and then play with them.
August 16, 2014
Another interesting tale set in 1780's Leeds, UK featuring the Constable, Richard Nottingham. I really like this author's easy-to-read writing style and his descriptions really evoke a sense of place and time. It's difficult to give much of the storyline without throwing spoilers out there, so suffice it to say that Richard and his deputy constable John Sedgwick are on the trail of a killer--and after receiving a 'gift' from the killer with his full confession after the death of a local merchant, it's clear that more will die the same way, and Nottingham himself is marked as one of the potential victims. A tale of cold revenge and a twisted psyche.
January 10, 2012
Chris Nickson has done it again with his latest historical mystery, Cold Cruel Winter, starring Constable Richard Nottingham. During the horrible, cold winter of 1732 in Leeds it seems everyone in the city has lost a loved one and that includes the Constable himself, but as the winter starts to end even more evil arrives in the form of a sadistic killer and it's the job of Nottingham and his deputy to find him before he kills again.
Nickson paints a picture so clear you feel the cold and eventually the hope of warmth as winter ends and life moves on. Great read, highly recommend.
Nickson paints a picture so clear you feel the cold and eventually the hope of warmth as winter ends and life moves on. Great read, highly recommend.
January 12, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, in spite of the way home life and the women were depicted. The Constable, his Deputy, and even the Constable's boy all had ministering angels at home. (One point about daughter Emily, though: who the heck does not know how to sweep?!). These of course are not really part of the main story, which revolves around the hunt for a sadistic killer, whose identity -- but not whereabouts -- we learn early on. So it's not a whodunnit type of mystery; it's more about how to find a killer before he kills again.
April 28, 2014
I very much enjoyed reading this novel--the second in the Richard Nottingham series. As with book #1 The Broken Token Nickson does an excellent job making you feel as if you were a part of 18th century Leeds. With this book, I really started to connect with the characters. (I also read it at the end our own very cold cruel winter, so I'm sure that didn't hurt!) The plot was interesting and well paced. I couldn't wait to start Book #3.
October 27, 2014
This book contains one cold cruel winter! And the theme throughout the book is revenge. This book also includes seeing through the killer's point of view, not once of my favorite things, but it was kept short. The story was much more focused on finding the killer for one crime and killers for two other incidents. I hope the spring was beautiful in Leeds after this terrible winter.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 3, 2014
This book is fascinating because it really transports the reader into 1731 Leeds in all its grime, corruption and squalor that is the world of its characters. I love historical fiction and this is top-notch.
November 30, 2015
Pretty well done, and avoids some of the annoying villain tropes. But the women are all interchangeable so whenever the scene shifts, it was hard for me to figure out who was who each time.
And I'm so sick of the hero's fringe being mentioned over and over. Good lord, enough with the fringe!
And I'm so sick of the hero's fringe being mentioned over and over. Good lord, enough with the fringe!
April 3, 2012
love historical fiction! learned a lot about leeds, england of olde.
January 4, 2013
This book is a must read! Five stars is not enough. I look forward to reading the next book by Chris Nickson.
September 23, 2013
Wonderful book. Well done on all fronts.. character development, plot, etc. Cannot wait to read the next in the series.
May 29, 2025
Light historical crime read; fine story, no nonsense ending to wrap it up.
February 15, 2013
This was great, nicely paced and intriguing enough to keep you going.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews