A new Chris Nickson novel is always well worth waiting for and his latest book The Dead Will Rise does not disappoint. It reacquaints us with thief taker Simon Westow, his wife and former partner Rosie, and his assistant Jane. Jane’s childhood of abuse at home and destitution on the streets has left her with her own individual deep-rooted sense of justice. More than able to handle herself on the often-dangerous backstreets of Leeds she can connect with others in her former situation where others cannot.
A clash of worlds
It is set in the changing world of 1824, where old and new combine and often clash. These divisions are highlighted early in the novel where people such as Joseph Clark: one of a “new breed of men, an engineer, his life wrapped in numbers and measurements … All of it exact, calculated to the tiniest fraction of the inch”, live in the same environment as Jane,who, uneducated as a child, is constantly “reading words. Anything at all, everything she saw. She was eager for them”.
Nickson’s latest mystery enters the dark and dangerous world of the resurrectionists or body snatchers who are now active in rapidly industrialising Leeds. It is another example of the changing world where science, education, and ordinary lives clash. One where medical schools need bodies for research and anatomy lessons, and would not appear to be too worried about how they are acquired.
A dark turn for Westow
Westow has been asked to investigate and recover all types of stolen goods in his career, but this is a completely new and disturbing departure for him. Asked by Joseph Clarke to find the stolen body of his employee’s young daughter, he is initially reluctant to take on the case, but the circumstances compel him to investigate. In a society where the theft of the funeral gown or a dress is considered far more serious than that of a body, it is not an easy task.
The hallmark of Chris Nickson’s writing has always been his attention to detail. His research is meticulous, and if you could travel back in time to a bygone Leeds you would certainly be able to use his books as a guide. They are not though a dry list of facts and locations. He uses his research to recreate the dark, murky, and often downright dangerous early 19th century streets, bringing them alive two hundred years later.
The quality of his writing evokes the anger and associated emotions that the case engenders. It becomes an almost personal crusade for the team, but most especially for Jane who really comes of age. More than ever, The Dead Will Rise explores the relationships between the three main characters which only adds to what is an excellent new addition to a series by a brilliant writer at the peak of his craft. It is dark, it is disturbing, but it is also hugely enjoyable.
