Them Without Pain - Simon Westow #7

 

 

Them Without Pain is the seventh Simon Westow historical mystery by Chris Nickson. Released 3rd Sept 2024 by Severn House, it's 239 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is such a skillfully written series. Protagonist thief-takers (bounty hunters/private investigators) Simon and his partner Jane (and protege Sally) are employed to find stolen silver cups a servant has taken from a wealthy employer. Intertwining murder and general skullduggery soon render the straightforward task much more difficult and dangerous.  There's a real and palpable sense of the setting and narrative menace throughout much of the book and the writing is very high quality and engaging. It is redolent of the time period (1820's) and setting (Leeds and environs) without sacrificing readability.

It's written around a framework of actual events so skillfully that it's difficult to tell when fact shades over into fiction. The author is technically competent and (happily) quite prolific. There are now 7 books extant in the series, making this a good candidate for a long binge or buddy read. Although the mystery and denouement are self-contained in this volume, the backstories and relationships between the characters have developed over the duration and readers who read them out of order should expect spoilers for the earlier books.

The books -are- quite realistic and this one is no exception. The author has a very realistic writing style and describes the less salubrious facts of life in the early 19th century unflinchingly. This book deals with the stark, brutal, and all-too-often short lives of the inhabitants, even relatively financially well-to-do. 

Four and a half stars. Definitely one for lovers of well-crafted mysteries. Heartily recommended to fans of Hambly's Benjamin January and Peters' Cadfael (although different time periods and settings, obviously). It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition or home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.