At The Dying of The Year

Richard Nottingham #5

by Chris Nickson

As an atmosphere of fear and suspicion pervades the city, Richard Nottingham and his team find themselves hunting a ruthless child-killer, a monster who preys on abandoned street children, those with no one to care about them, no one to report them missing. The Constable has his suspicions as to who the culprit might be – but how can he prove it when the wealthy and powerful protect their own? He could also do without the interference of the new mayor, who’s taking a close personal interest in the case. Nottingham’s efforts to bring the killer to justice will have tragic consequences for himself and his family.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

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

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

Reviews

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Nottingham Has Become a Reliable and Engaging Friend

The Nottingham series is like a reliable companion - there when you want them, entertaining, and occasionally surprising.

I enjoy Nottingham's noble character, the loyalty of his deputies, and the varied characters that find their way into the well told Nottingham stories. I also enjoy the time period and the setting: Leeds of old.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very upsetting: The crime being investigated in this book is one of the worst imaginable. After reading The four previous books in the series I came to know and love the main characters. Part way through this book something totally unexpected, devastating and tragic occurs, it was so upsetting that I couldn't continue reading for quite some time. A story that was really thought provoking.

[Linda Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has turned into one of my favorite series. Always well researched, and gives a real feeling of time and place. This one was a bit of a shocker. Guess Nickson's readers shouldn't get too complacent about his recurring characters.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really depressing story. Without giving away too much, it's fair to say there is terribly saddening deaths.

[Cybercrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are getting better with each one.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

It broke my heart

[Tamara Barringer · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is too much repetition. It slows the story instead of building suspense.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.

[Brenda Selner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story, but I was really hoping they'd find evidence to convict. Prominent people getting away with murder, nothing new in the world...even today.

[Annette Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Nottingham, constable of 1730s Leeds, has his most distressing case to date: the bodies of some young children have been found and according to the coroner, they had been abused before death. Nottingham and his officers are motivated to find the culprit so that no other child has to suffer what these youngsters did.
In order to find out more, Nottingham goes to the streets (where he once lived himself after the death of his mother, a prostitute) and tries to gain the trust of the children forced to eke out an existence there. From one of these street urchins Nottingham discovers that a man, who dresses in grey and is known as Gabriel, has been promising paradise to the cold and hungry kids who go with him, never to be seen again.
Nottingham is hampered in his investigations by his health - he was almost killed by a knife wound the previous Spring and has only just returned to work. There is a new mayor with whom he clashes and men of power and money who seem to thwart his attempts at every turn.
Chris Nickson writes about 18th century Leeds with confidence and authority. He obviously knows his subject matter intimately, and unlike a less skilled writer, he doesn’t ram his research down the reader’s throat. I was immediately reminded of C J Sansom, one of my favourite historical authors, in the way that Nickson uses little details to bring the era to life.
Nottingham is a complex character: he is a man of honour and high morals, but he isn’t a saint and this makes him more real and likable.
The subject matter - child sexual abuse and murder - is handled very sensitively and we are never made privy to the details and so never made to feel like voyeurs.
My only criticism of the book is that I would have preferred a more ‘tied up’ ending. But perhaps it more accurately reflects life which is rarely tidy.
This was the first of Chris Nickson’s Nottingham books I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I’m already looking forward to the next installment and will be reading the back catalogue to catch up.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very glad that I was able to review this book, it was a wonderful read. I have already downloaded another in the series and know how many are left.

Chris Nickson said on a blog that Leeds is in his DNA and I know exactly what he means by that. His whole persona was developed from those who came before him in that city and locale. Richard Nottingham's character is a tribute to the author's innate knowledge of 18th century Leeds and its citizens.

The children of Leeds, from that time period, grip the heart of Nottingham, the Constable of Leeds. He was one of them and the events make time stand still for him. That child lives within him and his cohorts.

He and they turn the city inside out to try to find "Gabriel", the man who promises anything to young orphans who barely eke out an existence. They are thwarted at every turn by the powers that be in the city who worship tradespeople or anyone with money and power. Their families are targeted and victimized.

The Constable's honor and principle keeps him on the high road. His co-workers are not bound by those same principles ..not this time!

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth in the Richard Nottingham mystery series set in England in the 1730s, this particular title deals with the poor and nearly forgotten residents of the village of Leeds. Without any sort of social support system in place, children were many times left on their own to scavenge for food, living in abandoned dwellings amidst squalor and filth. Not surprisingly, a number of them were taken advantage of and very few adults stood up for them in any way. The second theme has to do with the rich and powerful in the town which at the time was becoming known for its wool trade. The two themes intersect, being woven, as it were, through the book, as we also learn about the markets, clothing, and other details which bring the story alive.

[D.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advance review copy of this book. It is by far the best in the Richard Nottingham series to date though it should be sold with a box of tissues! It wasn't so much the killings (which are as heart rending as in previous books) but the small acts of kindness sprinkled throughout the book which had me openly sobbing. The ending of the book is unexpected but perfect, and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

At The Dying of the Year is well researched and well written. You truly care about the characters and when they face unbearable sorrow you hurt along with them. The author has the ability to transport you back to this often harsh time in history with all of its sorrow and joy. I have enjoyed all of the Richard Nottingham books and look forward to the next one.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written mystery novel set in Leeds, England in 1733.
I liked this better than his last book and will probably read a few more in the series.
Even though you know who the guilty party is before the book ends, which is an element I
usually don't like in a mystery, this book kept me avidly reading until the end.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, solid historical mystery. However, the focus on child murderers, the murder of one of the main characters, and vigilante justice will probably make this series too bleak and dark for me to return to.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not an author I recall reading before (I do have to refer to my mystery fiction quarterly). I love English crime novels - always a treat. I think because this is a historical crime mystery and didn't quite follow a formula I was prepared for, I was less than enthusiastic about the story.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sniffle, sniffle, sniffle..........waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It's not very often a series mystery gets me to cry, but this one had me sobbing. Can't say more without a spoiler, so I won't. Love these characters and the series in general, set in Leeds in the 1730's.

[Kamini Madansingh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Chris Nickson's best, his description of life in the 1700s is so vivid, you can feel the cold. It was difficult to put the book down once I started reading, very entertaining read.

[Arriann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story and interesting time-and-place setting. I would recommend it.

[Patricia O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Nickson stretches his main character, Richard Nottingham, in this addition to the series. This is a sad book, but it also raises interesting questions about class bias and legal justice.

[Chris Casper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice change of pace for me. Well written mystery.

[Brittany Wouters · Rating 1 out of 5]

...I wondered who he'd knock off next.
:-/

[Lois Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read... Looking forward to more!