The Crooked Spire

In the year 1360, John, an itinerant carpenter and the hero of Nickson’s promising new historical series, arrives in Chesterfield, where he finds steady work helping to construct a church spire. When John discovers the body of his supervisor, master carpenter Will, inside the church tower, the local coroner investigating the crime considers him a suspect in Will’s murder. John joins the search for the killer after persuading the coroner of his innocence, but he soon breaks an arm in an accident that leaves him unable to ply his chosen trade. Will isn’t the last to die, and John himself falls under threat when he persists in probing the deaths and questioning the building practices that Will’s successor employs. Nickson (Fair and Tender Ladies and five other Richard Nottingham mysteries set in 18th-century Leeds) offers few surprises, but an affable lead and a convincing depiction of late-medieval England make this a satisfying comfort read. [em]Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann (U.K.). (June) [/em]