Free from All Danger: A Richard Nottingham Novel

Set in 1736 Leeds, Nickson’s superior seventh Richard Nottingham novel (after 2013’s Fair and Tender Ladies) finds the retired constable in a somber mood on a visit to the graves of his wife and older daughter. Richard’s spirits revive when the mayor asks him to serve in his old position on an interim basis after the unexpected death of the current constable. Richard’s return to duty soon causes tensions with the deputy constable, Rob Lister, his protégé and his daughter Emily’s lover. His immediate challenge is a series of seemingly unrelated murders that places him in the hot seat with the city’s leaders, who fear that the violence will undermine public confidence in them and harm business. When several local pimps disappear, Richard realizes that the players in the Leeds underworld have changed since he left his position. Meanwhile, his nascent efforts to rebuild his family add emotional depth. Nickson is at the top of his game in this fairly clued whodunit. [em]Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann (U.K.). (Feb.) [/em]