Them Without Pain (A Simon Westow mystery, 7)
The historic tale of Arthur Mangey, a talented silversmith accused of coin-clipping and hanged in 1696, has elicited this excellent crime thriller, set in 1825 Leeds. Thief-taker Simon Westow, and assistants Jane Truscott and young Sally, have their wits tested by solving the novel’s multiple crimes. Four silver cups made by Mangey are stolen by a valet, his body then found inside a secret room when the buildings of Middle Row are demolished. Jane is sent to Mangey-expert, historian Armistead, to research background, but another murder takes place and a third follows in quick succession. Meanwhile, a parallel story runs alongside: one of gruesome murders and beatings. Sally and Jane follow instruction from Westow regarding the silver cups’ crimes, whilst nursing personal vengeance against the other killer.
Despite having not met any of these characters before, I found them easy to fall in with. Jane and Sally are both strong characters, watching each other’s back, working simultaneously with and apart from Westow. Jane’s backstory, which had her taking a sojourn from thief-taker work, is woven in, but the reader can surmise a lot from a little. Now she is faced with the decision to go back to the work, or leave it behind. Sally is a child, but one whose character and lethal strength you can’t help but admire. Nineteenth-century Leeds is a dangerous place; knives are the weapon of choice, and everyone carries one—Westow secretes three about his person. In this episode, we catch glimpses of Westow’s more vulnerable nature, which may take the next book in some intriguing directions. This is a complex multiple-murder mystery set in smoke-filled, murky mid-industrial revolution Leeds; an atmospheric tale made even more so by Nickson’s obvious research on knife-fights, and his evident love and respect for his home town.
