No Precious Truth
By Chris Nickson

For a crime book set in Leeds, look no further than Chris Nickson. I’ve had the pleasure to review a few of his books now and they’re so captivating that you want to read more and there are plenty to choose from…
No Precious Truth is the start of a whole new series for Chris Nickson, where history and thriller weave in and out together and merge.

Blurb

Leeds, 1941. As the war rages across Europe, Police Sergeant Cathy Marsden’s life since she was seconded to the Special Investigation Branch has remained focused on deserters and home-front crimes. Until now.

Things take a chilling turn when Cathy’s civil servant brother, Dan arrives from London with a dark secret: he is working for the XX Committee – a special MI5 unit set up to turn German spies into double agents. But one of these agents has escaped and is heading for Leeds, sent to destroy targets key to the war effort. Suddenly Cathy and the squad are plunged into an unfamiliar world of espionage and subterfuge.

With the fate of the country and the war in the balance, failure is not an option, and Cathy must risk everything, including her own life, to stop a spy.

Review

Immersion into wartime Leeds is easily done with this book. Chris Nickson captures the mood and the social and political landscape well. Readers, through this book, walk side by side with the main protagonist, Cathy Marsden. There’s understandably fear in the air and around every corner, especially on the clearest nights, in case the Luftwaffe fly over and take perfect aim. There’s fear of the male family members being the next casualty or worse, death!
The sense of fear that must have been felt in such uncertain times is captured enough that it can be felt.

Cathy Marsden, in the midst of the war, has been seconded to Special Investigation Branch. Her brother in the meantime is trying to capture a German spy, believed to do untold damage to essential factories.

History and Thriller are merged rather well to make an exellent start to a new compelling series.