The Constant Lovers: A Richard Nottingham Mystery

In Nickson’s excellent third 18th-century historical featuring Leeds constable Richard Nottingham (after 2011’s Cold Cruel Winter), Nottingham looks into the fatal stabbing of an unknown young woman found in a ruined abbey outside town. The victim is only identified as Sarah Godlove, who disappeared a day earlier while traveling to visit her parents, after her despairing husband arrives in search of her. Nottingham can find no obvious motive for the murder, though he suspects Sarah’s unusual circumstances—her parents sold her into marriage for their financial benefit—may play a part. Nottingham, a strong and memorable lead, uneasily accepts a society with different kinds of justice for the rich and for everyone else. This book is a textbook example of what a historical mystery should be, making the attitudes and beliefs of the time comprehensible, and engaging interest even without a crime that somehow poses a threat to the realm. Agent: Tina Betts, Andrew Mann Ltd. (May)