A recent heatwave means crime is largely down across Leeds although an elusive burglar is beginning to cause problems, not least because Detective Superintendent Tom Harper has made some powerful enemies on the council who are waiting for an opportunity to have him replaced. He is soon under even more pressure when he begins to investigate a protection racket but quickly discovers that whoever is in charge of the North Leeds Company is determined to keep their identity unknown. However, the case is more personal for Tom because it's linked to the suicide of the brother of his old friend and former colleague, Inspector Billy Reed. Although a falling-out means the two aren't as close as they once were, relations between them become less strained as Tom endeavours to win justice for Billy and his family. However, the convoluted web of gangsters and charlatans he is investigating thwart him time and again. Meanwhile, back in Whitby, Billy waits for news and in our world of instant communications, it's easy to appreciate the frustrating delays between letters and occasional phone calls.
The Leaden Heart is set two years after Chris Nickson's previous Tom Harper novel, The Tin God (but can easily be enjoyed as a standalone) and finds his wife, Annabelle still in her role as one of the first female Poor Law Guardians in Leeds. The resolute pair are a well-matched couple who are a constant support for one another, and together with their spirited little daughter Mary, they are the engaging moral heart of the series. The city was recently shocked by the murder of two little girls who were thrown into the canal by their father and Annabelle is trying to discover whether the workhouse authorities should have handled the family any differently. It's ultimately a hopeless investigation without any chance of a happy resolution but Annabelle wants steps to be taken to help prevent any further such tragedies. Her frustration is almost palpable at times, particularly when she is frequently impeded by men who take umbrage at a woman overstepping societal boundaries. Still several years before women were given the vote, it's fascinating to see an early feminist in action, and rather poignant to imagine the future Mary having been inspired by the fortitude and courage of her mother.
With the Boer War on the horizon, it's obvious that despite the stagnant weather, change is in the air on a local and national level, both for good and bad. Although Poor Law Guardians like Annabelle are the precursor to the welfare state, there are still too many unscrupulous landlords in a city which is being rebuilt without much care for those swept out of their slums. Chris Nickson adroitly highlights the inequalities of the period and the corruption of the wealthy elite who are as much of a challenge to Harper as the violent street criminals, the Smith brothers who are somehow engaging in a reign of terror without anybody seeming to know exactly who they are. Change is clearly coming for Tom and his colleagues too and his disappointment at losing men to the upcoming war is both personal and professional; he regrets the break-up of his team but more so fears that many will not come home again. Young Sissons then is a welcome addition; the new Detective Constable is sharply intelligent - he enjoys reading Latin and Greek - and endearingly ambitious. I look forward to more from him in the future.
Victorian Leeds is brought vividly to life with the atmospheric sense of time and place superbly rendered throughout. The twists and turns of the gripping plot effectively combine a perplexing mystery about property corruption and violent organised crime with thoughtful social commentary - immersive and exciting, The Leaden Heart is first-rate historical crime fiction. Highly recommended.

Chris Nickson takes us to Victorian Leeds wher Inspector Tom Harper is chasing a series of burglaries when murders connected to property owned by a holding company pops up. Meanwhile Annabelle his wife is trying to improve the support for the poor in Leeds. Several councilors are trying to have Harper fired and he suspects there is a tie to the property holdings. Whenever he finds a lead someone dies. Gritty and honest look at Victorian policing and crime.

THE LEADEN HEART is #7 in the excellent historical series whose protagonist is a Leeds, England, Superintendent of Police at the end of the 19th century--the late Victorian Era. Harper is a man of sound and strong character and high moral integrity and his wifs Annabelle is a Guardian of the Law who tends to women and children living in poverty or worse. Leeds is a prosperous municipality, but that prosperity is confined to a small minority while a majority are poverty-stricken and even the middle-class must struggle. The suicide of a former colleague and friend lead Harper to discover an ugly conspiracy propelled by greed and cupidity.

"The Leaden Heart" by Chris Nickson is the latest entry in the Detective Superintendent Tom Harper series of historical police procedurals, set in 1899 Leeds. Although it is not the heart alluded to in the title, for that is of sorrow, there is a heart in these books. One soon realizes that in between the violence and murder, and police investigations and other mysteries, this particular author is able to infuse his stories with vigor and life using the remarkable people that populate the pages.

Billy Reed, an old friend, has come to town to find out why his brother killed himself. There’s got to be something behind it. The man owned a store. Who is raising the rents so high that his brother, unable to make ends meet, decided that suicide was his only option? Billy’s come to Tom Harper to find answers, and Tom soon realizes that this scenario is playing out all over town. There’s definitely something fishy going on, and a shyster lawyer’s involved, of course. And business people who seem shady, also. The mystery is who is behind it all.

Leeds is changing, growing. Maybe not for the better. A second plot line revolves around burglaries; who’s doing those? Tom Harper must figure this out, too, as his job is threatened because of the crimes.

Now the widow is dead. A warning to others. Murder for sure, it’s determined. There’s more killing, in horrific fashion. Anyone who might be able to talk is under threat. The killers are monsters, and they must be stopped.

Tom Harper is threatened. Now he’s got city councilors calling for his head, for the burglaries and for the murders. But who are they really concerned about? Important men. Rich men. And evil men have minions. And these minions have bosses. Who is worse, though? Little alarm bells are going off in Inspector Harper’s head. Are they going off in yours?

And there are the side stories -- for Annabelle Harper, Tom’s wife, a Leeds Guardian of the Poor, for Billy Reed, as he is a fire chief in a coastal town. Someone is setting fires there, and since it’s a vacation destination, that’s bad for business. (Turns out that’s a wrenching story in itself.) Not fillers, just small stories that move the characters along. With the burglary suspects, dogged police work finds them eventually. Speaking of dogged, the author knows how to lay out his tale with just enough information to keep a reader wanting to turn the pages. I wanted to see these horrible bad guys caught and see those horrible people ostensibly in charge get theirs.

And the war is coming, the one that will be called the Boer War. The training of special constables has begun, as many of the regular policemen are signing up. Harper is losing several of his own good men. There’s more to that, I’m sure, fodder for future stories in the series.

All the while this is happening, Billy Reed is wary of Tom Harper’s investigation, whether anything will really be done. And whether it will matter; after all, his brother and his brother’s wife are dead. Nothing will bring them back. Will justice matter, then? That’s the crux of it – will justice matter? It will for Tom. Chris Nickson will see to it.

A caveat to reading "The Leaden Heart" – as good as this is, it would probably not be a good idea to start the series with this one! There are too many things happening here for a new reader; one should start with the first book, to immerse yourself fin the lives of Inspector Harper and his family and his friends.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

I haven't read the previous books of the series.( To tell the truth, I didn't know when I requested it, that it was a part of the series. )

It is WHY I even considered to skip it - together with the previous sequels - but then I just read the first pages. And...I changed my mind.

I enjoyed the writing style, the story-line (you can read it as a stand-alone BTW), and I finished it within some days. Maybe the plot is a bit...TOO idyllic for a historical novel, and the characters are TOO fictional.

But all in all, it was a nice reading experience, and I can even imagine to stick with this series in the future.

This historical mystery, thriller was a riveting read.

Leeds England, 1899. Burglaries are being committed in a posh neighbourhood and the recently promoted Detective Superintendent Tom Harper, is fast-becoming aggravated with his failure at catching the criminals.

Enter Inspector Billy Reed, Tom’s former colleague. Returning to town for his brother’s funeral, Billy turns to Tom and his squad of police for help when he suspects that his brother’s death, deemed a suicide, was actually an act of foul play. As Billy begins probing further, he discovers a world of corruption that has made victims of many – including his brother.

As crime escalates and the deaths continue, Tom delves doggedly for answers. Intensity builds as Tom’s life, and the lives of his wife and daughter, are put in danger. The increasing pressure from City Council pressing Tom to find the offenders only adds to his frustration and with a small squad of coppers to work with, Tom is working from a tight spot.

Will the murderous offenders be brought to justice before corruption and greed take an irreparable toll?

Set during a time when commercial development was valued at any cost and devastating poverty and brutal crime were rampant, The Leaden Heart is a brilliant mystery, rich in historically accurate depiction.

It is now one of my to-be-read-many-times. Highly recommended.

The opinions expressed in my reviews are my very own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the read of Chris Nickson’s, The Leaden Heart.

It's July 1899 and the crime rate in Leeds has been unusually low. This all changes when Superintendent Tom Harper receives word of a particularly daring burglary at one of the city’s more expensive residences. Meanwhile, his ex-colleague, Billy Reed, is seeking some assistance after the suicide of his brother who was facing an extortionate rent increase. Investigation uncovers a web of corruption involving some of the area’s influential residents. Who are the ringleaders and will Harper be able to apprehend them before the death toll rises?

I’ve always enjoyed reading historical crime fiction, particularly those books set during the Victorian era. In the Tom Harper series, we are now reaching the end of the nineteenth century, a time which has seen great changes for the Leeds detectives. As in all of his books, Chris Nickson has created a very vivid picture of the time, creating characters that feel real and who you can certainly feel empathy for. Again, we see Tom’s wife, Annabelle, taking a central role in the plot, her new position as poor law guardian giving her a platform to help those unable to help themselves. Annabelle has always been my favourite character, her ongoing fight for women’s equality being a great theme running throughout the books. With her daughter, Mary, seemingly being a chip off the old block, I think we are in for some entertaining times ahead!

It was pleasing to see Tom and his old friend Billy attempting to build bridges as they investigated the reason behind the suicide of Billy’s brother. Although this was set over a hundred years ago, the story is all too familiar to many people nowadays with those in power preying upon the poor and less fortunate. It was easy to imagine Harper’s frustration as he faced brick walls when trying to uncover the identities of those involved, especially seeing as he was desperate to close the case for the sake of Billy. The crooks doing the dirty work, the Smith brothers, are a particularly nasty pair, leaving a trail of death and destruction wherever they go. I spent the whole book willing for their capture!

If you are new to the Tom Harper books, please don’t be put off by the fact that this is the seventh book in the series as it can definitely be read as a standalone. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite so far, and I eagerly anticipate what the next installment brings for Tom, Annabelle and the rest of the characters we have grown to love.

This book is great at mixing social themes and a police investigation.
I loved how the author mixes the two and the result is a book you cannot put down and that makes you turn pages as fast as you can.
I appreciated the fleshed out characters, Harper and Annabelle were my favorite, the well researched and realistic historical background that show the really poor and their struggle to survive, and the great plot that flows flawlessly and keeps you hooked.
The mystery was engaging and entertaining, full of twists and turns.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Leaden Heart by Chris Nickson, Severn House, publishing date 1 July, 2019, http://severnhouse.com/book/The+Leaden+Heart/8968

I’ve been reading the Tom Harper series, set in late 19th Century Leeds, since its inception, and it continues to reward. In The Leaden Heart, Harper is now a Detective Superintendent; Leeds remains a grimy, industrial city with a significant wealth gap. When the brother of a former colleague commits suicide, Harper finds that a new kind of crime, involving complex financial dealings, is stretching the skills of his station house. Meanwhile, Harper’s wife Annabelle continues to serve as a poor law commissioner, simultaneously struggling against the mistreatment of the city’s poorest residents while battling with the misogyny of the other commissioners, all of whom are men determined to reject any idea proposed by a woman.

We've gotten to know Superintendent Harper pretty well over the last six books, and this new one is probably the best since the first. Harper finds himself at odd with the local councilors, because of a rash of burglaries in one of the better neighborhoods of Leeds. At the same time there are a cluster of murders among the shopkeepers and small criminals in a poor part of town. Annabelle is dealing with a problem where two little girls are killed by their father because he used his earnings for drink and not the care of the children.

One of the dead shopkeepers turns out to be the brother of Harper's old partner Reed who had left Leeds a few years before to take over the police in a small seaside town of Whitby. When his sister-in-law is also murdered, Harper promises his old friend that he will find the killer(s).

The story plays out well and there are logical and reasonable ways that Harper uses to trace down both the Murderers and the Burglars. It all the use of shoe leather and a continuous use of the resources available at the end of the nineteenth century. Nickson always gives depth to his characters and to the difficulty that he poor had at this time with housing and work places. Every man was out for himself, and the weak and disabled had little chance of a decent life.

The Leaden Heart is the seventh book in Chris Nickson’s historical mystery series set in Leeds, England, centered on Detective Superintendent Tom Harper. It is the first one of the series that I have read, and I was not disappointed.

A good historical novel, with well researched facts and well developed characters, should draw the readers in so much that, when they come up for air, red eyed and disoriented from reading the book non-stop, they believe they may have traveled through time. Most historical fiction misses the mark on history. The Leaden Heart does not. Nickson has done his research well and he has skillfully recreated England as it may have been in 1899.

Detective Superintendent Harper is barely enduring an 1899, blazing hot summer with no respite, only more heat and soot from area factories. When a former Leeds policeman, Billy Reed, asks for his help after his brother in Leeds commits suicide, Harper realizes he is dealing with a cruel protection-racket, one that involves multiple murders and fraudulent, forced property sales. He also learns that the racket may be connected to the highest levels of city government. On top of this, Harper must solve a series of burglaries, while dealing with the loss of policemen as they enlist to fight in the Second Boer War.

As Harper tries to solve the two crime sprees, Billy Reed, now a policeman in Whitby, has an arsonist on the loose. As he tries to find this person, he does so in a turn of the century seaside town, with its fresh, clean air, tea rooms and holidaymakers, ably depicted by Nickson.

If you want to stay riveted to a well written historical mystery novel, and time travel to turn of the century Leeds, read The Leaden Heart.

(In return for an honest review, I was provided a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.)

Whenever I fancy a spot of historical crime fiction - you know the kind I’m talking about - just good old fashioned policing in the days before the advent of technology? well it’s always Leeds born author Chris Nickson who comes to mind, and he never lets me down.

It’s July 1899, and the industrial city of Leeds in the north of England is suffering under the suffocating summer heat, and that in itself is a real rarity in this part of the world. Detective Superintendent Tom Harper and his team have been experiencing a lull in activities as far as the local criminals are concerned, (thought to be due to said heat), but all that changes with a house burglary in an exclusive part of the city, and it will be the first of many.

Friend and former colleague of Tom’s, Billy Reed, now a Police Inspector in the coastal town of Whitby near the North Yorkshire Moors, asks for Tom’s help. Billy’s brother Charlie ( a Leeds shopkeeper) has committed suicide and Billy wonders whether it was anything to do with the papers he discovered relating to huge increases in rent from Charlie’s new landlord. Tom starts an investigation into this new landlord and all indications lead to the North Leeds Company. This is something of a mystery to Tom, this is very much his patch but he’s never heard of this company. As investigations continue, it appears that there are prominent Leeds figures who wish to hide their identity and corruption behind the logo of the North Leeds Company, and they’re happy to use violence and intimidation on the small businessmen of Leeds in order to maintain their secrecy.

Though this is the 7th in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I just love Detective Superintendent Tom Harper and his family. His wife Annabelle plays a prominent part with her quest to help the less fortunate of Leeds, and after her appointment as a Poor Law Guardian she becomes even more involved after the deaths of two little girls in the community. Mary, their daughter makes up the third member of this hard working and caring little family. Tom really has his work cut out trying to find out who’s behind the threats and intimidation, and together with the string of burglaries, he’s driven to the point of exhaustion in his quest to bring them both to a satisfactory conclusion.

Another completely absorbing, and atmospheric read from Chris Nickson, and highly recommended.

I have read several of the books in this series and found this one a bit "worthy" rather than engrossing or moving.

I thought the historical background was well-conveyed, but it was all very unrelentingly grim.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn Hous for the digital ARC.

Leeds, 1899. How can the suicide of Charlie Davies, brother of Inspector Billy Reed now of Whitby, previously Leeds and Tom Harper's team, lead to such a large scale investigation. Leading to corruption, intimidation and murder and links to a company entitled the North Leeds Company. And what of the home burglaries in the area. Superintendent Tom Harper leads his team in the searching out of the truth and the guilty parties.
Easily read as a standalone novel.
An enjoyable well-written addition to this series, with its well-rounded characters.

Another excellent instalment in the Tom Harper series. Along with some familiar and much loved characters (I do have particular fondness for Dr King and it was nice to see Mrs Botham make an appearance), there are some key historical movements in respect of women's empowerment, Finally, as you might have come to expect, there are also some particularly nasty criminals in this novel too.

The Leaden Heart is the seventh of Chris Nickson’s Tom Harper Mysteries, but the first I’ve read. Set in Leeds in 1899, we find Detective Superintendent Tom Harper sweltering in the long, hot summer. Harper’s old friend and colleague, Billy Reed, comes back to Leeds from Whitby for the funeral of his brother, only to discover that it was suicide. The two friends dig into the mysterious circumstances of his death to discover there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, and some powerful men do not want him uncovering the truth.

I really enjoyed The Leaden Heart. I read a lot of contemporary crime fiction so it was a breath of fresh air to delve back into my adopted city’s past and see it through a different lens. Familiar streets and places brought to life through Nickson’s evident extensive research and love of the city gave the story an extra edge for me. It may be the seventh book in the series, but could easily be read as a standalone as I did. That said, I’d be interested to go back and find out more about Harper and his investigations.

It’s a great story too, full of political intrigue and corruption. Harper is a fascinating character, a solid, no-nonsense old school copper with a determination to get to the bottom of what’s going on, no matter the consequences to his reputation. There’s an interesting subplot too featuring Harper’s wife Annabelle, a Poor Law Guardian investigating the deaths of two young girls and trying to change the minds of the men who make the rules but have no time or desire to listen to her.

I’ve not read much historical fiction, but on the strength of The Leaden Heart, perhaps I ought to add a few more to my reading list!

There is simply not enough space to cover all the good that I have to say about this baby. It's the perfect blend of a period police procedural, subtle feminist undertones, and intricate character dynamics. It's punchy, quick paced, and the perfect read for when that quintessentially Canadian spring snow storm leaves you trapped inside for the evening.

Okay. I've been in love with Chris Nickson's writing ever since I had the pleasure of participating in the blog tour for The Tin God, so I will give you the head's up now that I am very, very biased in writing this review! I mean, you (or maybe just I) gotta love when strong, feminist fiction features the kind of swoon-worthy and supportive male leads seen in Tom Harper and Billy Reed. There's nothing steamier than a strong man who dotes on their child, is active in their upbringing, and says to their wife not only are you a successful business owner but I'mma gonna support you in all your endeavours even when society wants nothing more than to hold you down. It seriously makes my ovaries hurt.

Give me more.

Now that I've got the mushy-gushy swooning aside, let's talk about the action. The crimes in Harper's latest mystery are a departure from what we've seen before, with an introduction to white collar crime and political corruption. I loved the mental challenge of following the paper trail, and the frustration of knowing the criminal without having the evidence to pursue them. The addition of the wealthy elite and the legal loopholes throwing up roadblocks at every opportunity had me cursing in frustration, my hackles up every time the councillors tried to pressure Tom at work, and drove me over the edge when those political manipulations bled over into Annabelle's work with the Guardians.

But this baby isn't all paper trails and clandestine meetings in smoky pubs, there's a juicy sub-plot filled with murders, robberies, and good old-fashioned police work. Deeply immersed in gangland brutality and aided by a quirky coroner, these gritty crimes added a health dose of action to an otherwise heady case. Although it broke my heart that these murders revolved around Billy Reed's family, taking the lives of both his brother and sister-in-law, further straining the tenuous start to a repaired relationship between Harper and Reed.

I loved the dynamic in Millgarth as well. With everyone working together as a team, officers having each other's backs regardless of their ranks, and a willingness to acknowledge and play to each man's individual strengths and aptitudes. I appreciated Ash's quick mind, Sission's geeky love of Latin, and Crossley's running interference to protect everyone from the town councillors. I felt Tom's pain as a Superintendent as the Boer War approached, and the reality of having to replace his men with volunteers while the city's at it's most vulnerable.

And Annabelle's arc can't go unmentioned either. It was fun to follow her word as a Poor Law Guardian after her landmark election, and simultaneously disheartening to witness her struggle as a woman making waves in man's world. It's always heartbreaking to see someone wanting to make a difference, but not knowing how, and even more so when those that are meant to be engaged in fixing the problem aren't even willing to have the conversation. And it was timely too, as even though Annabelle's story highlights the still persistent disparity between policy and practice when it comes to aiding those in need.

Beautifully written and packed with period details, Nickson will draw you in and leave you wanting more. Full of twists, turns, and bumps in the road The Leaden Heart is a carefully crafted balance between thrilling crime and interpersonal drama. I'm excited to see what comes next for the Harper, the team at Millgarth, and especially for Annabelle and her fight to change world.

Read it book lovers, this baby is fantastic!

The Leaden Heart is a great mystery that takes place in England at the turn of the century 1899. The author's descriptions of that period is spot on, he has done his research. This is the first I have read by this author,and I have enjoyed his writing and characters.

Note: I read this book thanks to the generosity of Severn House and Netgalley. I’m particularly excited about reviewing this book because it’s my first ever review for Netgalley.

Summary:
It’s July 1899, Leeds, England. Superintendent Tom Harper knows the recent lull in crime can’t last, but he doesn’t expect that it will be broken by a string of daring house burglaries. Nor does he expect to reunite with his old friend Billy Reed after Reed’s brother dies by suicide. When the grieving widow and his brother search financial records, they find evidence that the new landlords are corrupt. However, the development company is unknown, its identity hidden behind laws and legal protection.

Then there’s a murder. And another, and it’s clear that the closer Harper and his men get to finding the killers, the more brutal the killings are. But the killers aren’t acting on their own. Someone is directing them. Someone who is ruthless, brutal, and powerful, and no one’s beyond the reach of their power.

My thoughts:
When a mystery novel opens with the superintendent of police pondering the recent lull in crime, you know that there’s about to be a crime spree. In Tom Harper’s defense, though, he knows that downward dip in crime is transient.

Then the robberies. Then the suicide, which leads to a Pandora’s box of crime that the police have overlooked. It’s a new type of crime, unfamiliar to these late 19th century cops, but all-too-familiar to those of us in the 21st century. Business and money, more intellectual than physical crimes, bloodless until they turn bloody.

This is a strong novel.

My one issue revolves around the opening.
It’s slow(ish). For those who have read previous Tom Harper novels, this is a time to catch up with old friends. Tom and his family. Billy Reed. The investigators under Harper’s supervision and the chief superintendent. It establishes the status quo. That’s fine, but it felt that it took a long time to get to the main conflict.

While this book works as a stand-alone, there were points where I wished for more background on the falling out between Billy Reed and Tom Harper. Their relationship is obviously strained, but I never knew why. As I haven’t read the previous novels, I felt mystified by the tension in this friendship but thankfully this conflict isn’t so prevalent that it ruined my enjoyment of the rest of the book. However, I sensed that if I knew the backstory of the Reed vs. Harper falling out, I might have better enjoyed the parts from Reed’s point of view.

Those things aside, I was impressed by Nickson’s story.

The characters are deep and complicated.
In particular, Annabelle, Harper’s wife, struck me as a terrific character. As a newly elected “Poor Law Guardian”, she’s dealing with a multitude of conflicts, many of which resonate with modern women. (They certainly did for me.)
1. The problem of being the sole female Guardian and the frustration when the men will not listen to her ideas;
2. the strains of balancing family, her business (the pub), and her charity work;
3. the heartbreak of wanting to make a difference but not knowing how.

She wants to “lean in.”

But as many 21st century women (and their predecessors) have found, that’s only possible with a support circle and compromise. And Annabelle is not a woman to compromise her values. Even though her subplot doesn’t have a lot of page time, Nickson writes it with nuance and depth.

Nickson excels at inserting period details.
He describes without slowing down the story. This is a time period in flux (not unlike our own!) and the tension between the old and new permeates the narrative.

Another aspect I enjoyed was that the police detectives work together as a team.
They support each other. When Harper comes under fire from powerful outsiders, his subordinates and his superior back him up. But Nickson doesn’t fall into the trap of everything being A-okay. The tension and conflict come from the outside. The powerful outsiders. The imminent war in South Africa, which will lure many on the police force to join the army, thus draining the force of experienced people. And of course, the obvious threat of dangerous killers on the loose.

The ending is strong.
While there were points in the story that felt repetitive, this reflects “real” police work. The frustration. The loose threads. The hunches, the dead ends, the long hours of tedium followed by seconds of heart pounding action and fear, and the drained emotions at the end of a case. Conflicts in our lives don’t have neatly wrapped up endings with all questions answered. This book doesn’t, either, but there’s enough closure to feel both realistic and satisfying.

A truly enjoyable book. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and mysteries.

4 1/2 stars

Thanks to Netgalley, Severn House, and Chris Nickson for providing a review copy of The Leaden Heart in exchange for an honest review.

Superintendent Tom Harper's friend, Billy Reed, returns to Leeds for the funeral of his brother-in-law, who committed suicide. It is a sad ending for a man who had struggled throughout his life. Then, a few weeks later, Billy's sister dies as well, except the autopsy determines she was murdered. Harper has to get to the bottom of this not only for Billy's sake, but for the rest of Leeds as well. Meanwhile, a burglar is robbing houses in Leeds and the town council is up in arms and threatening to have Harper's job if he cannot find the culprit. It is excruciating hot in Leeds and everyone is feeling the weather. As Harper investigates the deaths, he discovers someone in taking advantage and raising rents and buying up properties that are abandoned when the rents become too high. Who is behind this sudden scam? And who is pulling off the second-story jobs? The clues are few and far between. Set in late 19th century Leeds, this historical series is extremely well-researched. The characters are excellent. England is poised on the brink of the Boer War and this is portrayed well. Recommended for anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction.