Chris Nickson Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Chris Nickson Biography

Chris Nickson has written since he was a boy growing up in Leeds. At 21, he moved to the US, and spent the next 30 years there, returning to England in 2005, and finally full circle to Leeds. He's made a living as a writer since 1994, initially as a music journalist, specializing in world and roots music. These days there's far less of that, but he still produces a few articles and several reviews a year. He authored The NPR Casual Listener's Guide to World Music, a volume that's now long out of date.

His first novel, The Broken Token, came out in 2010, featuring Richard Nottingham, Constable of Leeds in the 1730s (there was a real Richard Nottingham, and that was his post, although it was probably largely ceremonial). There have been eight books in this series. Cold Cruel Winter was named one of the Best Mysteries of the Year by Library Journal. The audio version of The Broken Token was one of the Independent on Sunday's Audiobooks of the Year.

Emerald City and West Seattle Blues, the first two books featuring Seattle music journalist Laura Benton, are available on ebook and audiobook.

The Crooked Spire is set in Chesterfield in 1361. The other two in the series are The Saltergate Psalter and The Holywell Dead.

Nickson's Victorian series is set in Leeds in the 1890s and features Detective Inspector Tom Harper. Gods of Gold is the first volume, followed by Two Bronze Pennies, Skin Like Silver, The Iron Water, On Copper Street, The Tin God, Leaden Heart, The Molten City, and Brass Lives.

Dark Briggate Blues is a 1950s noir, with enquiry agent Dan Markham, also takes place in Leeds, as does The New Eastgate Swing, the second volume to feature Markham.

Nickson is also the author of Solid Air – The Life of John Martyn, and the Simon Westow novels.

Chris Nickson's website

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