It's 1897, and British women (like their sisters "across the pond") are taking on new roles and challenges. Annabelle Harper is among the group of women running for seats on the city's Board of Poor Law Guardians. Not surprisingly in a world where men hold virtually all elected offices, the female candidates meet with resistance. Angry letters are followed by death threats and then a bomb explosion at a hall at which Annabelle is expected to speak. A strong and engaging character, Annabelle's efforts add special appeal to this strong novel and series.

For DI Tom Harper criminal actions are about to become very personal. His wife Annabel has decided to stand for election to the Poor Board in their local area of Sheepscar in Leeds. Unable to vote for Parliament, this is one way in which woman can make their voice heard and Annabel is passionate and strong candidate. However in Victorian England some people don't want women involved in politics and the female candidates for the Poor Board are being targeted. Meanwhile former colleague Billy Reed has moved to Whitby but the actions of local criminals there may also be linked to Leeds.
I really enjoy the Tom Harper novels for many reasons. Firstly, the settings in Yorkshire and particularly central Leeds. Secondly the way that Nickson manages to combine an entertaining historic detective novel with a really well-researched social history. Here the focus is on woman's campaigning and their efforts to gain a voice on behalf of the poor.

I’ve been a fan of the Tom Harper series from the get-go. This series offers a historical version of the police procedural mystery, detailing law enforcement practices from that late 19th Century. Harper, the central character, has an interesting back story and is dealing with progressive hearing loss that he fears will threaten his career. His wife is a successful business woman running for a post as a Poor Law Guardian. The female candidates for this position have been receiving threatening letters warning them that their place is in the home, not the public sphere. These letters are followed by a fatal bombing at the site of a campaign meeting. The story moves back and forth between the investigation of the threats and murder and the election battle Harper’s wife is fighting.

Excellent historical mystery crime novel highlighting restrictions placed on women by law.

Tom Harper is a police superintendent in Leeds in the late 1800s. His wife Annabelle would be a powerful politician today. However, in 1897 all she can do along with six other women is run for the city of Leeds Board of Poor Law Guardians. Tom and his wife have a good relationship with understanding and love and they have a daughter Mary.

The women face enormous pressure in these prejudiced oppressive times. When they fight for their rights, they draw attention to themselves from men who do not approve of women’s rights. Some men are more dangerous and determined to put an end to any women’s rights at all. The threats start with letters warning the women to stop this practice and go back to being in their place - at home.

Once the threats take the shape of a bomb and live being threatened, Tom needs his skills as a policeman to protect his wife and her team. His investigative abilities also have to be used to find the perpetrator because the hall’s caretaker was killed in the bomb blast. Fortunately there is some evidence left in the aftermath that he can use for his investigation.

As Tom continues his investigation, the threats develop and become more frightening including threats of rape and death. It gets worse when Tom Harper’s daughter Mary is also in grave danger. Tom’s entire team gets involved with a greater sense of urgency to find the perpetrator they believe is a well-educated man. As this ‘war’ on women’s rights intensifies, one of the women’s husband is killed.

In spite of this, Annabelle whose character is built up very well continues her speeches and work. Harper’s character is of a man who perseveres under great pressure also builds up consistently and exponentially as the novel unfolds. The characters are excellent and their portrayal assists to understand that time in history.

An excellent historical crime novel including the development of women’s rights.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

It’s 1897 and the people of Leeds are about to go to the polls to vote for a new Poor Law Guardian. For the first time, women have decided to stand for election, leading to unrest amongst those who feel that a woman’s place should be in the home. When the women begin to be attacked, Superintendent Tom Harper has a particular reason for wanting this man off the streets – one of the candidates is his own wife, Annabelle. As the threats become worse, and deadly explosions begin to rip through the venues where the women are speaking, the detectives know they must find the culprit before more lives are lost.

The Tin God is the sixth in the Tom Harper series and is a very timely one with it being the 100th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in the UK. One of the things I have always enjoyed about this series is the prominence the author gives to the female characters, so often overlooked in books set in this era. We have seen Annabelle Harper’s strength in previous books but, here, she really comes into her own when her own life is threatened. Chris Nickson really brings home how turbulent these times must have been with these forward-thinking women being met with resistance from those firmly stuck in the past.

It is always fascinating to read how the police force of that time solved cases without any of the modern techniques used today, relying instead on pounding the streets, looking for clues. Despite the slow search for a breakthrough, the plot moves on at a fast pace with bombs, murders, attempted abductions, attacks… late Victorian Leeds is not the safest place to live! There is also a sub-plot involving Billy Reed, an inspector now living and working in Whitby, who is investigating a smuggling ring. I do hope, at some point, we see Tom and Billy working together again back in Leeds.

The Tin God is a great read and I highly recommend this series to anyone with an interest in historical crime fiction. Although this is the sixth book, it could be read as a standalone.

In 1897 Leeds, Superintendent Tom Harper's wife is standing for election to become a Poor Law Guardian, with six other females. But then the threats start, and then they start to accelerate. Meanwhile Inspector Billy Reed in his new position in Whitby is learning about smugglers.
An enjoyable and interesting police procedural which is easily read as a standalone with some very likeable characters

Societal change can bring out the best, or the worst, in people. There are those who fight to better the world, and those who feel so threatened by even the slightest deviation from their norm, that they resort to malfeasance, and even murder. There is no doubt that women thinking they could stand for election shocked the conscience of this very outwardly (yet often-time hypocritical) conservative society. So begins, "The Tin God," the latest in the Superintendent Harper police procedurals series, by Chris Nickson..... Read the entire review at https://journalingonpaper.com/2018/06/26/book-review-the-tin-god-by-chris-nickson/

“And the guardians and their ladies,
Although the wind is east,
Have come in their furs and wrappers,
To watch their charges feast;
To smile and be condescending,
Put pudding on pauper plates.
To be hosts at the workhouse banquet
They’ve paid for — with the rates.”

Verse two of the celebrated – and often parodied – ballad poem by the Victorian campaigning journalist George R Sims, In The Workhouse, Christmas Day. Most of us older folk know the poem and its melancholy message. An old man is sitting down to his Christmas dinner in the workhouse, but one memory is too much for him, and he angrily relates the tale of his late wife, who was forced to die of hunger on the streets because of the harshness of the workhouse regulations. The relevance of this to Chris Nickson’s The Tin God lies in the first line of the verse above, because the heroine of the story is the wife of Leeds copper Tom Harper, and she is standing for election to the workhouse Board of Guardians.

So? This Leeds in October 1897, and women simply did not stand for office of any kind, and when Annabelle Harper, along with several colleagues from the fledgling Suffrage movement decide to enter the election, it is a controversial decision, because the concept of women migrating from their proper places, be they the bedroom, the withdrawing room or the kitchen, is anathema to most of the ‘gentlemen’ in Leeds society.
Outraged leading articles appear in local newspapers, but someone believes that the sword – or something equally violent – is mightier than the pen, and a homemade bomb destroys a church hall just before Annabelle Harper is due to speak to her supporters. The caretaker is tragically killed by the explosion, and matters go from bad to worse when more bombs are found, and several of the women candidates are threatened.

Superintendent Tom Harper is already involved in investigating the criminal aspects of the case, but when the husband of one of the women is murdered while sitting at his own kitchen table, the affair becomes a hunt for a murderer. The killer leaves a few tantalising clues, and Harper becomes conflicted between devoting every hour that God sends to tracking down the killer – and keeping his wife from becoming the next victim.
Nickson drops us straight onto the streets of his beloved Leeds. We smell the stench of the factories, hear the clatter of iron-shod hooves on the cobbles, curse when the soot from the chimneys blackens the garments on our washing lines and – most tellingly – we feel the pangs of hunger gnawing at the bellies of the impoverished. We have an intriguing sub-plot involving a smuggling gang importing illegal spirits into Leeds, authentic dialogue, matchless historical background and, best of all, a few hours under the spell of one of the best story tellers in modern fiction.

You want more? Well, it’s there. Nickson is a fine musician and a distinguished music journalist, and he cunningly works into the plot one of the more notable musical names associated with Leeds and West Yorkshire, the folksong collector Frank Kidson (above). The killer shares Kidson’s passion for the old songs – if not his humanity and feelings for his fellow human beings – and he leaves handwritten fragments of English songs at the scenes of his attacks.

I have finished The Tin God. This portrait of Victorian Leeds is effectively drawn, from the pollution-filled air of the newly industrialized area of the city, to the description of the streets filled with people, horses, hackneys, and trams, to the police struggling to find their man, working in a world between the old ways and new, modern techniques.

Tom Harper is now Superintendent of police for his sector, but still feels the urge to be on the street especially when his wife is among those targeted by a dangerous criminal. Annabelle is one of several women running for the position of Poor Law Guardians throughout Leeds. She has been a Suffragist supporter and this is her next step. But an unknown man in the city believes that women should remain in the home and has acted with violence against those running for office. This police procedural tells of the investigation, all the twists and turns, as well as their effects on the Harper family.

In a parallel story line, a former colleague has relocated with his wife from Leeds to the coastal town of Whitby. Here we have a separate tale of possible smuggling. This is my first experience reading in this series and I did not find that the two stories gelled well together. Any joining seemed perfunctory and didn’t provide enough history of the characters past relationship for me to understand why the plots were interrelated. The second story was appropriate to the time period in itself.

All in all, I’m of two minds about this book. The descriptions of the place and time seem good and time appropriate. The mention of soot in the air reminded me of life before air pollution laws. But I also feel I missed some sort of edge in the characters or story. Perhaps I wanted more depth from the characters, though what I found was an interesting foundation.

3.5

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Chris Nickson gives another solid installment in the Tom Harper series. Tom's wife Annabelle is running for local office. An assailant who disagrees with women in politics starts to terrorize the women with explosions, attacks and murder. Tom and his assistants are stumped again and again, while a killer goes free, threatening both Annabelle and Tom's daughter. An interweaving thread of folk songs is a nice touch until the killer is unmasked. Although I enjoyed this book, but it felt a little long after Tom and his investigators followed many leads, only to reach dead ends many times. Tom's character continues to develop, and Victorian Leeds almost feels like home every time I open a book of this series.

Leeds and Whitby at the end of the 19th century. Superintendant Harper’s wife Annabelle is standing for election to become a Poor Law Guardian amongst a group of female candidates. There are threats and attacks against them. Sadly, about a quarter in, I had a pretty good idea of where to look for the perpetrator and started screaming at the book for not seeing the flipping obvious. Did not get what the parallel running story about the smugglers in Whitby brought to the table, either.
So, whilst being a good period read, I was a bit underwhelmed.

Tom Harper has moved up in the world. No longer walking a beat in Victorian Leeds, he is now a supervisor, which doesn't translate into more money, just more paperwork. His wife is running to become a Poor Law Guardian, one of the few elected positions open to women at the time. But a hate campaign is being waged against the female candidates; editorials in the paper denounce them for leaving their families behind and then the sabotage starts. When a man is killed in a bombing in one of the halls where the candidates were to speak, Tom Harper and his team have to find a terrorist, who leaves behind scraps of paper containing old folk song lyrics. Meanwhile, over in Whitby, someone is smuggling in brandy and there is a link to Leeds. This is an excellent police procedural series set in a time when women were struggling to come out of their repressed state. Read it for the excellent historical details and good plotting.

1897 - Superintendent Tom Harper of Leeds City Police investigates a series of anonymous threat letters received by the 7 women who were selected to stand for election as a Poor Law Guardian - an election that was funded by Suffrage Society and the Women's Coop Guild. The threat letters escalated into a series of violent bombings when the campaigns continues and none of these women were quitting. The stakes were higher for Harper since one of these women who were running for the election is his wife, Annabelle.

Meanwhile, Harper's old partner, Billy Reed who is a police inspector now in Whitby, is seeking his assistance when he saw an old familiar face, John Millgate, in Whitby. Reed believes there could be potential criminal activity lurking under his watch. As the election day approaching fast, Harper is under mounting pressure from the city to catch the elusive perpetrator before another bomb goes off. He is running out of time. Will he be able to stop the imminent danger before it is too late?

A Victorian police procedural that I enjoyed reading. Engaging storytelling where the author transported me back in time to experience how investigations were conducted during a time without modern technology. Every clue counts and the detectives gave meticulous attention to every piece of information. A lot of hard work and commitment from the team! Truth be told, I was not aware about the existence of bomb squad in the 19th century until I read this book and after I did some research myself. It's an eye-opener for me and refreshing!

Excellent writing as Nickson did a great job in setting the atmosphere and background of this story in an era where women were fighting for their rights. There is definitely suffragette movement vibe in the story - opposition from society who still believes a woman's place is solely at home and is not allowed to vote, and the relentless effort and campaigning by these women which were commendable and inspiring!

There are a lot of characters in this story and at some point I lost track. Although I could connect with all the characters (especially Harper - I adore him!), I wish there is more depth and dimensions in these characters. I would love to know more about them - backstories, personalities - something is lacking in these characters.

The only one issue I have is the subplot with Billy Reed, Harper's old partner. I do not understand the role it played in the whole story. It was somewhat confusing when reading back and forth between these two plots in the story. It took me a while to get used to it. Nonetheless, it was also an intriguing plot where once again Nickson was able to engage me with the meticulous step-by-step procedures taken in police investigations.

This is my first book from Nickson and it will not be the last. The Tin God is book 6 of DI Tom Harper series, but you are still able to read it as a stand alone story and will not be missing out on anything. Albeit a quick read, the suspense and mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end! I find it to be different from other historical mystery/suspense books I've read. If you are into historical police procedural, this is a must read!

***I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Severn House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***

Chris Nickson's Victorian miystery, the Tin God is an adequate historical mystery.

“My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone.”
― Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman


It's 1897 in the city of Leeds in the north of England, and Police Superintendent Tom Harper is about to be tested to the limits when his latest case puts his wife Annabelle centre stage as the victim of a criminal who isn't afraid to kill to achieve his aim of preventing women from holding any kind of official office.

Annabelle is one of seven women who have been selected to stand for election as a Poor Law Guardian, but there are men, (and women alike) who believe a woman's place is in the home, and one man in particular is prepared to stop these women by threatening and terrorising them. It begins with threats, but many believe that's all it will be - empty threats, but when an explosion where Annabelle is due to hold a meeting, ends in a fatality, they realise that this objector will stop at nothing to prevent these women from holding office.

The only clue they have is a message on a piece of paper left at the scene of each attack, and as polling day approaches, the attacks become ever more frightening, and even involve Tom and Annabelle's young daughter Mary.

Tom is extremely proud of Annabelle, she runs a public house as well as caring about, and helping the local community, and he knows that if she gained a place as a Poor Law Guardian, she'd do so much to help these poverty stricken people. Anyone that threatens Tom's wife and daughter had better watch out though, as this is something he won't tolerate!

The author Chris Nickson is Leeds born ( as am I ) and it's clear that he loves his home city and its place in history, as one of the leading lights of industry. He brings the Leeds of 1897 very much to life both in terms of actual historical events of the time and in the sights, sounds, and smells of this great city. I really enjoyed this particular storyline as it demonstrated the struggle that women had, ( and some would say, still have) to be recognised and valued as legitimate candidates for office, and to be considered equal to men.

I make no bones about it - I love Chris Nickson's books - love Tom and Annabelle - love the sense of old Leeds with its cobbled streets, the houses huddled together against the chill whipping off the River Aire, the friendly community, and the good old fashioned policing. Good stuff Mr Nickson!

Although this is part of a series, it reads well as a standalone.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Severn House and the gifted Chris Nickson for my ARC for which I have given an honest review*

"When Superintendent Tom Harper's wife is threatened during an election campaign, the hunt for the attacker turns personal."
It was an amazing book, with two separate story lines being woven in quite seamlessly. I savored it, and read slowly as I hated for it to end.


It was 1897 in Leeds and women in Leeds had been able to vote in some local elections since 1873. Nationally since 1894, ( per the historian-author Chris Nickson), women were being voted to some local offices.


When the book opens, Annabelle Harper and 6 other female candidates were standing for Poor Law Guardian in Sheepscar, and the campaign was three days old. Opposing parties hoped to have some ambitious young men run for those posts instead.


What will transpire rises far above politics and becomes life threatening, even life ending. Bombings of rallies, personal threatening letters, physical attacks and more became the order of the day. The continual violence and threats consumed the entire police department, especially Tom Harper as Superintendent, as his wife was particularly targeted and his young daughter briefly abducted.


The "calling cards" of the perpetrator were excerpts of folk songs about death to women. An expert, Frank Kidson, who was consulted about the folk songs was an actual person.


The second story line or dual mystery added a very interesting dimension to the book, in the person of Billy Reed, formerly assistant to Harper. He is now head inspector at the police department in Whitby,on the coast.


Smuggling has come to his attention with the appearance of "Terrier John" a Leeds character with contacts still there. He collaborates long distance and successfully with Harper about a Leeds connection, adding dimension to this tale.



Chris Nickson is an amazingly skillful author with a love of Leeds,its varied and deep history,and demonstrates it with each book he writes. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC

"Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less." (Susan B. Anthony)

Leeds in October of 1897 is ushering in a genuine stepping forward in regard to women's rights and securing positions in the community. But not everyone in Leeds is open and optimistic to broadening the base of public mindsets. There's someone stirring up deadly consequences for any woman who wishes to "rise above their natural station."

Tom Harper, Police Superintendant of Leeds, is especially proud of his outspoken wife, Annabelle. Annabelle has made her way in the world by becoming a businesswoman and owner of The Victorian, a well-respected pub in the community. Annabelle has now set her sights on running for a position on the Board of Poor Law Guardians who would carefully oversee how much relief individuals would receive and would also monitor inidivuals to the workhouse. She campaigns endlessly in order to make a difference in people's lives. Prior to this, only men held seats on the board.

Even with support from the Suffrage Society and the Women's Co-op Guild, Annabelle suffers indignities brought on by male opposition. And some evil individual has heightened the stakes when bombs have been placed in meeting houses resulting in two deaths. Strangely, torn song sheets have been found near the damaged buildings that imply harm to females in the lyrics.

Chris Nickson adds even more intrigue with a parallel story that includes Inspector Billy Reed, formerly of the Fire Brigade in Leeds and now in charge of the police in Whitby. Billy is onto a network of smugglers spread out in a wave of crime along its shores. When a body washes ashore, Billy knows that he's dealing with more than illegal spirits.

Although this is #6 in the Tom Harper Series, Nickson creates an easily read standalone in The Tin God. This one cuts close to home for Tom when it involves Annabelle and his young daughter, Mary. There's a particular talent here with this author's fine-tuned ability to thread actual historical events into his fiction. This one is quite thought-provoking in reflecting upon those who initially paved the way for women's rights and those, yet today, who stand tall in the face of current roadblocks. This still grows curiouser and curiouser.........

I received a copy of The Tin God through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Severn House Publishers and to the talented Chris Nickson for the opportunity.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Tin God, the sixth novel to feature Superintendent Tom Harper of the Leeds Police.

It's 1897 and the modern world is encroaching on Leeds. Annabelle Harper and six other women are standing for election as Poor Law Guardians in various Leeds constituencies much to the dismay of many men and one in particular who is happy to use violence in his attempts to make them stand down. As the threat intensifies Tom is feeling the pressure to catch him.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Tin God which is an exciting adventure with a despicable malefactor. It is pleasant to take a step back in time and see an investigation with no modern technology and the detectives relying on shoe leather, instinct, informants and hard work. I like the gradual accumulation of information as they slowly but painstakingly work the few clues they have. Unfortunately it doesn't come fast enough to prevent some serious incidents but it does force the perpetrator to think twice. I was a little disappointed that the reader didn't get a better idea of his thought processes and motivation at the end but that's life where the full story never emerges and, anyway, the novel is all about the hunt.

I always enjoy the sense of period that Mr Nickson evokes and The Tin God is no different. Annabelle's campaign speeches resound with the possibility of change but don't ignore the terrible blight of poverty prevalent in the fictional Sheepscar ward. It is interesting that elections are the preserve of the relatively well off and are fought by the middle class, rather than the poor who will be the recipients of their decisions. Not much changes despite that sense of hope.

I like the strong sense of characterisation in the novels. Annabelle is a suffragette, looking to make things easier for her daughter, Mary, in her path through life. She is, however, no airy fairy dilettante being strong, capable and practical with her feet planted squarely on the ground. I cheer at her every move. She is supported in her efforts by her husband, Tom. I'm not sure how likely this is for the times but it makes for good reading. He is another strong character. He's not as enthusiastic about being Superintendent as he might be as the paperwork and meetings take him away from investigative work but this threat to his wife and family gives him the opportunity to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in.

There is a subplot in the novel with Tom's old friend, Billy Reid, now a police inspector in Whitby investigating an old face from Leeds. I'm not sure why it is included as it is fairly simple and straightforward, perhaps just to keep the characters in the reader's mind.

The Tin God is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.