Reviews: N

Recent review

‘The Faces of the Dead’ by Chris Nickson
Published by Severn House, 7 April 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-4483-1630-4 (HB) 

It is 1944 and the war with Germany is going more positively for Britain and her allies, because America has entered the war. In Leeds, Police Sergeant Cathy Marsden is still finding that her secondment to the Special Investigation Branch (the SIB) is a satisfying way to serve her country during wartime. Cathy was seconded to the SIB because of her extensive knowledge of the Leeds community, including the criminal elements, and she has consistently provided valuable information to assist investigations. After a slightly awkward start when she first joined SIB, she has been fully accepted as a worthy member of the team by her male colleagues. Cathy has been allowed a week’s leave because her boyfriend, Tom, has just returned after a long tour of service abroad, and her happiness increases when Tom asks her to marry him.

Unfortunately, Cathy’s leave is cut short because she is summoned back by her boss, Sergeant Adam Faulkner. Cathy is surprised that the urgent crime that has curtailed her leave is the death of a minor villain. Eric Carr, and his girlfriend, Nina Cordell, have been killed in a car crash, and even if foul play was suspected, this would be a case for the regular police force, not SIB.

However, all becomes clear when Faulkner explains that, in the boot of the car, there was a large amount of food stolen from the NAAFI, and also chocolate and cigarettes that must have been stolen from the American military stores. This American involvement means that an American military investigator is sent to temporarily join the team. Warrant Officer Frank Graves gets off to a bad start with Cathy when he assumes that she is an office assistant who is there merely to type, file and make drinks. Graves is slightly embarrassed when it is made clear that Cathy is a sergeant, the same rank as the boss of the SIB, but Cathy is unimpressed by his initial attitude, and this makes her feel wary when she is asked to work with Graves. Cathy’s task is to talk to all her contacts and find out all she can about the two accident victims in an attempt to discover how they acquired the stolen goods. She finds this very stressful, especially because she had known Nina, who had worked as a prostitute when Cathy had been a police officer, and viewing the accident scene and Nina’s body had been distressing even for a seasoned policewoman.

With the help of the SIB, Graves manages to identify the American soldier who was responsible for the thefts from the military stores, but the man has deserted and gone on the run. While Graves is determined to hunt down the American thief, the SIB team have a serious situation developing, which threatens to overwhelm law and order in their city. It appears that a minor villain has decided to become a criminal overlord who will rule Leeds, even though this involves eliminating the potential opposition of other small-time criminals. The team are surprised that any of the men they know of are clever enough to run such an operation, and they struggle to identify the villain who has emerged from the ranks. They attempt to prevent brutal murders in the criminal fraternity, even though the criminal always seems to be one step ahead of them. Tension in the local community rises as people lose trust in the police and SIB’s ability to control the situation. Life on the streets becomes increasingly dangerous and Cathy finds herself thrust into taking more responsibility than she had ever expected.

The Faces of the Dead is the second book in the series featuring Cathy Marsden. It has a multilayered, beautifully constructed plot and an engaging protagonist who is part of a diverse and likeable team. The historical background is superb, embracing the weariness and pain of Britain in the last stages of the Second World War, and the strong, determined, female protagonist reveals the challenges facing a working-class woman trying to make her way in a male dominated world. The Faces of the Dead is a fascinating read, a page turner, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron