At the Dying of the Year (A Richard Nottingham Mystery)
Richard Nottingham, constable of Leeds, is back in another superior historical mystery steeped in suspense and complicated by the misguided social mores of early eighteenth-century England. With a ruthless child killer on the loose, Richard, seriously debilitated by a wound he sustained in his last outing (Come the Fear, 2012), is desperate to unmask the demon preying on vulnerable street urchins. Zeroing in on the culprit, he is stonewalled as the more wealthy and privileged citizens close ranks. Though his tenacity exacts a huge personal toll, he and his deputies are committed to seeing that justice is done. This grim tale is harshly relentless in its honest depiction of crime, retribution, and the collective sins of society. --Margaret Flanagan