Thief-taker Simon Westow must save one of his closest friends from a grim fate at the hands of the government in this compelling historical mystery. Leeds, May 1822. Thief-taker Simon Westow owes Davey and Emily Ashton everything – the siblings gave him sanctuary when he needed it most. So when Davey is arrested for sedition and Emily begs Simon for help, he starts asking questions, determined … starts asking questions, determined to clear his friend. Are the answers linked to rumours of a mysterious government spy in town?
Davey’s not the only one who needs Simon’s help. Timber merchant George Ericsson has been ‘hocussed’ by a young woman who spiked his drink and stole his valuable ring and watch. Who is she, and how does she know one of Simon’s assistant Jane’s deepest secrets? The path to the truth is twisted and dangerous. Simon and Jane encounter murder, lies, betrayal and a government terrified of its own people as they attempt to save Davey and find the hocus girl.
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Chris Nickson has several series under his belt. He writes from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The Hocus Girl is 1822 Leeds.
I’ve already ordered the previous book in this series, The Hanging Psalm. Mr. Nickson writes with a slick pen. He doesn’t waste words or slow the action. He is a crisp writer with authentic ambiance. I’m so glad he sent his books across the pond to us.
Set in Leeds, May 1822 and life is a grim existence. Simon Westow suffered greatly as a child and the demons invade his dreams and his battles don’t end there. Leeds is a city of stark contrasts and Simon floats between them working as a thief taker, working for clients to find what has been stolen for a fee. His assistant is a mysterious young woman named Jane with her own dark past. She lodges with Simon and his wife, Rosie. The usual search for what has been stolen shares his time when his friend, Davy, is arrested and charged with sedition. Knowing that Davy is completely innocent, Simon puts himself in danger to clear him and get him released from his dank jail cell.
This is a gritty, well crafted mystery full of political dangers, the upper crust, spies and murder. It’s the second in the series but the first that I have read. It worked well as a stand alone and I will be adding the previous entry, The Hanging Psalm to my TBR list.
This book is second in a series. I started here without reading the first one, but didn’t feel lost. I think the characters seem to have some rich history, but I’m not sure how much of it is actually covered in the first book.
The story is told in alternating points of view of thieftaker Simon and his assistant, Jane. The only thing that bothered me was how quickly the story would switch between Simon and Jane. Instead of going chapter by chapter, the point of view would often switch as much as every few paragraphs. It usually started with a sentence giving you an indicator that the character had changed, but it was still a little distracting that there was no demarcation in spacing or any markers to let you know a switch was happening. Other than that, the book is obviously well-researched, I think the dialogue is realistic for the time-period, and the plot is well-paced.
Jane is a very complex character, probably would have some very interesting diagnoses in today’s world. She works very hard to not have emotions, to do her job without thought or reservations, and to never hesitate if it comes to violence or killing. She resides in the attic of Simon’s family home, but does not interact with the family, and seems determined not get close to or open up to anyone. She has one trusted friend, and keeps those interactions very separate from the rest of her life. She’s also prone to self-harm, cutting herself as punishment for failures and distraction from problems.
Simon is an experienced thieftaker, married, two boys. His wife is retired from the life of thieftaking. They used to work together, so she is very understanding of his work and the dangers that come with it. Occasionally when help is needed she seems to step back into the work she sometimes misses.
Simon and Jane find themselves stretched thin as they fight to free an innocent man, opposed at every turn by corrupt officials and their hired muscle, Jane pursues a foe of her with a secret agenda, and Simon continues to take work to find lost items and protect proprietary secrets.
I enjoyed the story, even if the ending was a little lackluster. I would go back and read the first book and definitely carry on with the series.