TO THE DARK

A thief-taker, his family, and his helper are all endangered when he takes on a new case.

Leeds may be getting ever more industrial and unhealthy in 1823, but for Simon Westow, it’s home, the place where he makes a good living and where Jane, his enigmatic helper, has found peace living with Catherine Shields. When local thief Laurence Poole is found murdered, Jane and Simon, who’d just recovered stolen goods from him, quickly search his room and find a notebook written in code. Lazy, venal Constable Williams hates Simon but hires him anyway to find Poole’s killer. Jane, who’s used to slipping unnoticed through the city, finds herself trailed by Martha, a near-starving young girl who’s so eager to learn from her that she agrees to watch for Jane’s deadly enemy. Once a friend deciphers Poole’s notebook, it leads Simon to two cavalry officers stationed at the local barracks. Since Poole is dead and his fence has left town, the officers are seeking an alternative to deal with. Simon gradually encourages them to consider him. Meantime, his wife, Rosie, finds that the soldiers are badly in debt, and Jane turns up an amazing find from a friend of Poole's: an exquisite and priceless Book of Hours. As Simon plays a dangerous game with the officers, hoping to lure them into a trap, Jane’s doubts about Martha deepen.

Another cleverly detailed mystery thick with historical atmosphere and nuanced characters.