Chris Nickson’s DI Tom Harper series continues to reward readers with both the plotting of the mysteries it presents and its examination of a fascinating historical setting: late 19th Century Leeds. The series’ cast of characters represents an interesting array of class status and political leanings, giving Nickson the opportunity to explore the novels’ settings from multiple perspective.

The Iron Water opens with the testing of a torpedo, a new naval weapon at that time. The torpedo brings a body to the surface of the lake in which it’s being tested; at almost the same time, a severed leg is found in the River Aire. While DI Harper explores these two—possibly connected—cases, the people around him are making significant changes to their own lives. Tom’s wife plans to sell her bakeries in order to work more intensively on women’s suffrage; these are bought by the wife of one of Tom’s former colleagues—a colleague with whom he has a very strained relationship. There’s also a mobster determined to buy his way into respectability and the usual cohort of politicians all too willing to make ethical compromises for their own benefit.

If you haven’t started reading this series yet, you’re in for a treat. If you already know DI Harper, you’ll be eager for the treat that’s in store for you in The Iron Water.

An enjoyable, traditional whodunnit' set during the Victorian era with some great characters coming from different walks of life. A good read! I will be trying another in the not too distant future.