Tag: rusted souls

Big, Big, Big News

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, simon westow, tom harper4 Comments

I know I’ve been quiet for a while.

No real apologies. After the intense pressure of arranging and putting on the exhibition, then taking it down again, I needed some time to decompress and focus on what I really do – write novels.

I’ve been busy there, which brings me to the really big news. The first part is that I finished going through the proofs for The Scream of Sins, the next Simon Westow novel, which will be published in March. If you thought the last couple of books in the series were dark, they’re like a day on the beach compared to this. Honestly, I’m immensely proud of it, and the redemption it finds.

Here’s the blurb:

Leeds, October 1824. Thief-taker Simon Westow’s job seems straightforward. Captain Holcomb’s maid, Sophie, has stolen important papers that could ruin the family’s reputation, and he’s desperate for their return. But the case very quickly takes a murderous turn, and it becomes clear the papers are hiding a host of sins . . .

During the search, Simon’s assistant, Jane, hears a horrific tale: men are snatching young girls from small towns for use by the rich. Those who are unwanted are tossed onto the streets of Leeds to survive among the homeless. With the help of an unlikely, deadly new companion, Jane will do everything to discover who’s responsible and make them pay.

Can Simon and Jane recover Holcomb’s letters and get justice for the stolen girls? It becomes a battle that might result in them losing everything . . . including their lives.

And here’s the cover:

The second piece of news is that I’ve signed a contract for, and completed, another Westow novel, called Them Without Pain, due in September next year. I’ll say it’s based on a true incident, and leave it at that for now.

Enough, right? Not quite. People have asked what I’ll do next, how that there will be no more Tom Harper books. I’ve started a new series, set in Leeds in World War II and featuring Police Sergeant Cathy Marsden of Leeds City Police. She lives with her parent on the Gipton estate, and has been seconded to something new, the Leeds squad of the Special Investigation Branch (the SIB really existed), so she’s working in plain clothes. I’m working on the book, greatly enjoying coming to know Cathy, the men she works with, her friends and family. That one is set to appear in June 2025. 2025…it’s science fiction.

In the meantime, I’ve had more people contact me about Rusted Souls than any other book I’ve written. Tom and Annabelle have touched a lot of people, and I thank you all. They’re both still alive within me. You can always buy the book for Christmas. It’s even better from an independent bookshop, too.

A Book, A Launch, And An Exhibition

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, gods of gold, skin like silver, tom harper, two bronze penniesLeave a comment

Just over a week until Rusted Souls is officially published. But what’s in a date? People are already buying it and reading it and I feel honoured by the effect Tom and Annabelle have on people: “There were times when I held my breath and yes, times when I cried. An outstanding ending chapter to an outstanding saga. You create characters that not only become “family” to you but who become very real people to your readers as well.”

That feels like one of the best tributes possible.

Now I have to hope all of you feel the same when you read it. Please, buy it if you can. If you can’t, ask your public library to order in a copy. It means a lot to me to have people read this one.

If you can, then come to the book launch at Chapel Allerton library in Leeds. It’s Thursday, September 14. Free, and even some wine, but do book a place – the link is in the pic. Places are minited, the library is small.

Rusted Souls, indeed, the entire eleven books of the Tom Harper series, are the basis for the exhibition A Copper’s Eye: Tom Harper’s Leeds, 1890-1920, which is less than a month away now. I think – hope – I’m on top of things. And I’m still organising the event on October 2, going through everything on show, and with some special guests.

Again, it’s free, but book you’re place right here. Hand on my heart, they’re going quickly (17 in less than a week with no announcement).

Meanwhile, I’m also working through the publisher’s edit for the next Simon Westow, out next spring. No rest for the wicked, indeed.

A Week Of Big News – Literally

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, tom harper4 Comments

Definitely been quite a week for me, Tom and Annabelle, and Rusted Souls. The first part I’ve known for a little while, but had to wait until it was published.

Booklist, one of the big US trade magazines, put out its review of Rusted Souls. Both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews had given it starred reviews – could it do the treble? Not quite, although it’s everything but. How about this?

“Nickson’s excellent historical police procedural shows what
policing was like before computers, surveillance cameras, and national crime databases, and
while readers may find the pacing slow in the first part of the story, they will soon be utterly
gripped by a riveting, very human, very heartbreaking story with suspense, fast-paced action,
vivid characters, and an unexpected tearjerker of an ending in this last book of Nickson’s
magnificent Tom Harper series.”

Wow, right?

That’s the kind of thing to make a heart sing. But then, on Saturday, the Yorkshire Post published a two-page feature on me, Rusted Souls, the Tom Hraper series, and the upcoming exhibition I’m preparing based on the books, called A Copper’s Eye: Tom Harper’s Leeds, 1890-1920. Quite something.

Don’t forget that Rusted Souls is out next month (but shops are selling it already). If you can afford it, I’d greatly appreciate you buying a hardback or ebook of it. If not, your library will gladly order it it for you.

Thank you – and I’m still over the moon.

The Week Of Wonders

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, gods of gold, leeds, simon westow, tom harper, two bronze pennies2 Comments

It’s been quite a week – well, a week and a half, really. Today I’m just going to stop and catch my breath, because I feel I’ve been going full tilt.

It all began with my publisher sending me the review for Rusted Souls from Publishers Weekly, one of the big US literary trades. A good review in the trades can certainly boost sales. So I’d been waiting nervous, even though the book isn’t out until September 5. And…it was a starred review. What I’d been dreaming and crossing my fingers to have.

“It all culminates in a knockout conclusion that showcases Nickson’s unique blend of intricate plotting and well-rounded character development.”

Wow.

Then a meeting with Leeds Libraries to finalize details for the exhibition A Copper’s Eye: Tom Harper’s Leeds, 1890-1920. It’s going to run in the Family History Library at Leeds Central Library from September 25 to October 7, with photos from the Leodis archive, artefacts and more to illustrate the real incidents and people from the books. The event will have a few guests to spotlight items, plus a recorded song by Jennifer Reid (Gallows Pole), who’s set a poem by Leeds socialist politician Tom Maguire to music.

Then another review from the US trades, Kirkus Reviews. I was overwhelmed when they gave it a starred review, sating “The 11th and final installment of Nickson’s Tom Harper series ties up all the loose ends and breaks your heart…an excellent procedural paints a painfully accurate portrait of dealing with dementia.”

I was floating – I’m sure you can imagine.

Then, on eBay, I discovered a token for the Green Dragon Inn, in Leeds. In the Simon Westow novels, Jane lives in a cottage with Mrs Shields located behind Green Dragon Yard. What could I do? I bought it.

The real highlight came last Friday. I’d discovered online that a former English teacher of mine would be visiting my old school, and an old classmate happened to have his email. The teacher is someone I’ve long wanted to thank, because he was the first to encourage my writing. I emailed, and he remembered me. Not only that, he told me that way back then, he’d sent some of my poems to a New Writing programme on Radio Leeds, although nothing ever happened.

By the time we briefly met on Friday at the school, he was halfway through the second of my books that he’d read, and I gave him two more. And finally I had a chance to say thank you to a teacher who helped change my life.

Finally, yesterday I was interviewed for a piece about Rusted Souls, the Tom Harper series and the exhibition for an article to appear in a few weeks in the Yorkshire Post. Details to follow…

You can pre-order Rusted Souls in hardback – here is the cheapest price, with free UK postage. If you haven’t started the series yet, the first two books, Gods of Gold and Two Bronze Pennies, are under £3 on Kindle in the UK.

Going Back With Tom Harper

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, tom harper2 Comments

Enjoyed the heat and glorious sunshine of Whitby last Saturday. Being there set me thinking of Billy Reed, who was an important character in the first seven Tom Harper books. The eighth, The Molten City, opened with his funeral.

He was the former army man who’d fought in Afghanistan in the 1880s, given to drinking and occasional violence. The detective sergrant who worked with Tom Harper in Leeds City Police when Tom was still a detective inspector – at least, until Tom asked him to bend the truth and they fell out. He transferred to the fire brigade, rising to inspector himself, before returning to the police, in charge of the force in Whitby, the place that has always meant peace for him.

He’d married Elizabeth, a widow from Middleton with four children. She’d taken over Annabelle Harper’s three bakeries in Leeds and made a success of them. In Whitby, she ran a tea room by the market place.

Where Elizabeth had her tea room.

The family lived on Silver Street.

They were happy, becoming settled in their new life. Two sisters whod come from the Leeds workhouse lived with a family just down the road. Tom and Annbelle visited to spend a holiday on the coast.

Then Billy dropped dead of a heart attack.

Where Billy died.

The Harpers, of course, attended the funeral.

Being there made me think of the web this series has cast, the people who were a part of it. Who were all very real to me.

You know what? Now the series has ended, I miss them all.

You can pre-order Rusted Souls, the final Tom Harper novel. This is the cheapest price in hardback, with free UK postage. In the first review, Publishers Weekly starred it, saying that “a knockout conclusion that showcases Nickson’s unique blend of intricate plotting and well-rounded character development. Series devotees will be thrilled.” Can’t go better than that.

The Story Behind Rusted Souls

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, gods of gold, leeds, tom harper4 Comments

Let me tell you a story. After all, it’s what I do.

It’s about Rusted Souls, the final Tom Harper book which will appear in a little under three months.

Actually, it’s about the writing of it. What you’ll see in the bookshops and libraries is a long way from how the book originally began. This was the opening of the first version:

The meeting was nearly over when Miss Sharp rushed into the room, her face anxious. Harper stopped talking and nodded as she whispered in his good ear. Barely a moment and she was gone again, leaving him scowling. The door closed behind her with a soft click. The room was quiet, the heads of each police division in Leeds waiting expectantly.

‘The jury’s just delivered its verdict.’ He paused and drew in a breath. ‘You won’t like it. Not guilty.’

He had the superintendents together, the way he did every Monday morning. Now they all began to speak at once, a clamour of voices that twisted together in outrage and fury. Twelve good people and true had decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Harry Ryder of the attempted murder of Constable Albert Hardisty. For Christ’s sake, he thought: the policeman had been shot twice in the back; he’d never be fit enough to return to work. Ryder had been discovered with the pistol in his hand. Yet somehow the jury had found him not guilty.

I wrote the whole book, right down to the ending, then set it aside in September 2021, a long time ago now. I’d intended to let it marinate for a month, then come back and revise it. But a month passed, then another, and still I didn’t touch it.

It took a little while, but I came to realise that Tom Harper needed something better for the end of his career. All that remains of that early attempt is the title, and I’d settled on that long, long ago.

Tom had been a member of Leeds City Police for 40 years. He’d risen from constable to chief constable, a remarkable thing for a man who grew up in the poor streets of the Leylands. His wife was…well, no spoilers.

He deserved to leave with dignity, head held high. Tom Harper deserved his elegy, and that early attempt wasn’t it. It wasn’t a bad book; just not the one he deserved. I knew that everything had to be different. Like this:

Thompson’s secretary waved him through.

‘Close the door,’ the alderman told him. ‘Take a seat.’

‘You wanted to see me?’

Thompson didn’t reply, just gave a nod. Normally he was bluff, loud, rolling over everything in his path like one of the tanks the army had used in the war. Nothing stopped him. He was a big man, florid and hearty, with a large belly and quick, roaring laugh. But today he was hesitant, his body hunched in on itself.

‘Can you keep your mouth shut?’

‘I always have,’ Harper replied. ‘You ought to know that.’

Thompson fixed him with a glare. ‘Then make sure it stays that way.’

‘Why? What’s happened?’ Nothing good, that much was certain.

The alderman took a few breaths before he could bring himself to answer. ‘I’m being blackmailed.’

Whatever Harper expected, it hadn’t been that. Thompson had always seemed too shrewd to leave himself open to anything like blackmail. The kind who planned five or ten moves ahead and always made certain to cover himself. A man who left nothing to chance.

Humiliation showed on his face.

‘We can arrest them, take them to court,’ Harper said. ‘It’s a crime—’

‘No.’ The word came out harshly. ‘No,’ Thompson repeated more softly. ‘Nothing public.’

‘Then it’s going to be difficult. You must realize that.’

‘Of course I bloody do.’ Fire flickered across his face. ‘Why do you think I’ve come to you?’

And so it starts…At heart an elegy, tempered with sorrow and grief rather than fired by anger. An elegy not just for Tom, but also Annabelle, and Mary. And, perhaps, for Leeds, as it begins to recover from the Great War and the Spanish flu.

I hope you like it. For reviewers and bloggers, Rusted Souls is now available on NetGalley. You can, of course, pre-order from your local independent bookshop, or the cheapest price online is here (with free UK postage). I know many can’t afford books, but your library will order a copy for you.

However it reaches you, I honestly hope you like it and how it all turns out. They all deserve grace.

An Exhibition And Event

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, tom harperLeave a comment

As you may know. September will mark the publication of Rusted Souls, the 11th and final Tom Harper novel. Set in 1920, it takes place at the very end of Tom’s career. He’s now Chief Constable of Leeds, but there are still three cases he wants resolved before he walks into retirement.

If you’re registered on NetGalley with Severn House, the book is now available to read. I hope you will, and leave a review; that would be hugely appreciated.

To makr the end of this era, I’m working with the excellent Leeds Libraries on an event an exhibition in early October. The working title is A Copper’s View: Leeds Through Tom Harper’s Eyes, 1890-1920. It’s going to highlight some of the real Leeds history from the books, using photos from the Leodis photo archives and artefacts from different collections. It should be a unqiue glimpse into 30 years of great changes in our city.

There will also be an event in the Family History Library of the Central Library – where the exhibition takes place. I’ll be going through the things we’ve used and how they relate to the books, and to Tom and, of course, Annabelle and Mary. Expect something very personal, including Annabelle’s election as a Poor Law Guardian and the Victoria public house. The exact date is yet to be confirmed, but it’ll be in the first two weeks of April. The should be plenty of places, and it will be free, but you’ll need to reserve a seat. There may even be a couple of special guests. We’ll see.

In the meantime, if you’re not on NetGalley, you can pre-order Rusted Souls. If you’re in the UK, the cheapest hardback price, by far, is here, and includes free postage. It’s good, worth your money, I promise you that. If you haven’t begun the series yet, both Gods of Gold and Two Bronze Pennies, the first two Harper books, are currently £2.84 each for Kindle.

Jenny White: A Leeds Tale

On By chrisnickson2In leeds, story2 Comments

Another video for you this week. But it’s not a piece of Leeds history. Intead, it’s my retelling of a Leeds folktale. For some reason, there are very few that are associated with Leeds, so it’s important to keep telling them and keep them alive.

A warning, though: it’s a story filled with sorrow.

Jenny White

While I’ve got you here…please remember that The Dead Will Rise isn’t even two months old yet, and I’d love for you to buy a copy, or have your local library order it in for you. Then, in September, the final Tom Harper book, Rusted Souls, is coming. It’s not too early to pre-order a copy. But please, at the moment, not from Amazon UK. My publisher is trying to get Amazon to resolve a glitch which has them charging way over the last price for the book. Order it, yes, but from someone else. Independent bookshops are always best!

Coming Soon, Rusted Souls – The Cover

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, tom harper4 Comments

On September 5, and era will end. The 11th and final Tom Harper book will be published.

I thought you might like the first look at the cover (I think it’s a spectacular cover; they’ve done Tom proud) and a blurb of what’s going to happen in the book….

Leeds, 1920. Chief Constable Tom Harper of Leeds City Police has just six weeks left in the role before his well-earned retirement. But even though his distinguished 40-year career is ending, the crime and mayhem on the city’s streets continues.

Council leader Alderman Thompson is being blackmailed. He wants Harper to find the love letters he sent to a young woman called Charlotte Radcliffe and return them discreetly, while elsewhere, masked, armed robbers are targeting jewellery shops in the city, and an organized gang of shoplifters is set to descend on Leeds. As events threaten to spiral out of control, Harper battles to restore justice and order to the streets of Leeds one last time.

Coming In 2023

On By chrisnickson2In annabelle harper, leeds, simon westow, two bronze pennies1 Comment

We’re close to the end of 2022, hard to believe. That means it’s time to take a peek into what the next 12 months promises in books. Well, my books. Before I do, though, I’d like to recommend the best thing I’ve read this year. It’s Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. A modern Appalachian retelling on David Copperfield, it’s both harrowing and redemptive and very beautifully written. Tell them I sent you (and it’s not too late to catch up with Thomas M Atkinson’s Tiki Man, in my estimation the best thing to appear in 2021).

So…

March is set to bring the fifth Simon Westow book, The Dead Will Rise. It’s a series that definitely grows dark; by now it’s living up to the Regency Noir tag I gave it.

What’s it about? Here’s the blurb.

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 bodysnatchers 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?

In case you’re wondering, there really were bodysnatchers in Leeds. But that’s a tale for another time.

Then, next autumn, there’s the big one: Rusted Souls, the eleventh and final Tom Harper. It takes place in 1920, in the aftermath of the Great War and the Spanish flu. It’s 30 years since the series began with Gods of Gold and now Tom has become Chief Constable.

This book mean a lot to me. I’ve spent three decades with the Harpers. They’re family to me, and saying goodbye was hard. I’ve written in the region of 800,000 words about them. Being able to round it properly was important to me, and I feel I’ve done them justice. But time will tell. They’re crime novels, a saga of a family, but also an exploration of a changing Leeds, I think. I’m proud to have written these. No cover design yet

But that’s all for next year. Meanwhile, I wish you and your happy holidays and a peaceful, healthy New Year – and thank you for reading. And remeber – books make great gifts, for yourself as well as others.