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Loading... The Blood Covenantby Chris Nickson
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Heart in mouth read! Gripping continuation of the Simon Westow thief taker series set in Leeds. Nickson’s channeled the historical injustices of the time, the brutality of the majority of factory owners and overseers towards the children who worked in the mills, the cheapness of life, the bullying of the powerful who are never called to account. Until they are! Two young factory lads die from injuries received from brutal mill overseers at Seaton’s Mill. Simon is enraged. It brings back memories of his time in the factories. He still carries the marks. Wealthy factory owner Thomas Arden, and his associate, mill owner Seaton have a long relationship, and Simon and his family are in their sights. Jane is as usual slipping around the city. Some strange happenings have her on high alert and she continually senses someone following her. When Simon’s children are targeted Simon, Rosie and Jane become a focused combination of vengeance. Jane comes face to face with her nemesis. It’s not pretty. My heart as always goes out to her. I am overawed by Nickson’s dedication to historical truths about his beloved Leeds, his research and the depth of his visceral reaction to the more unpleasant aspects. This is the icing on the cake that gives legs to this novel. In his Author’s Notes Nickson gives a measured explanation about the source of the energy in writing this novel. “ Simon Westow novels have always been carried along on a wave of anger, and mine was certainly there. It was sparked by the excavation of bodies in the graveyard of the old Ebenezer Chapel. The dead factory children brought from the earth had been starving when alive, always hungry although they and their families worked twelve hours a day. Then the pandemic arrived, and the fury evaporated, replaced by sorrow and the sense of fragility and impermanence of life.” I loved this episode in the lives of this little community. A Severn House ARC via NetGalley Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesSimon Westow (4)
Leeds. November, 1823. When a doctor from the infirmary tells thief-taker Simon Westow about the brutal deaths of two young boys at the hands of a mill overseer, Simon's painful memories of his childhood reawaken. Unable to sleep, he goes for a walk - and stumbles upon the body of a young man being pulled from the river. Simon and his assistant, Jane, are drawn into investigating the deaths, seeking a measure of justice for the powerless dead. But the pursuit of the truth takes them down a dangerous and deadly path. Can they overcome a powerful enemy who knows he stands above the law in Leeds - and the shadowy figure that stands behind him? No library descriptions found. |
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I have always loved Nickson novels set in Leeds and at its heart this is no different. The setting in the early years of the Industrial Revolution is well laid out and the knowledge of the geography of the city is impressive. My only quibble with this book is that it all ended up a bit 'Peaky Blinders' for me - there is a lot of violence and manoeuvring in the last half of the story. It's still great though. ( )