Today I’m joining the blog tour for No Precious Truth . My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and to the author for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

The first in a brand-new WW II historical thriller series introduces Sergeant Cathy Marsden – a female police officer working for the Special Investigation Branch – who risks her life to protect the city of Leeds from an escaped German spy!

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.

This fast-paced World War II thriller is perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Kelly Rimmer!

Review:

I don’t read historical fiction very often, and it’s novels like No Precious Truth that make me wonder why. Chris Nickson has researched this novel really thoroughly and I found it fascinating to read about and consider the impact of World War II from.a different angle – that of the police.

It was rare for women to be police officers in 1941, when No Precious Truth is set, so I loved being introduced to Cathy Marsden. She has overcome many obstacles to get to where we see her in the novel, and she’s intelligent and determined, as well as incredibly compassionate, both to her family and friends and the members of the public that she encounters in her work.  Her relationship with Dan has an interesting dynamic and I enjoyed following it as the story progressed.

As a resident of Leeds, I found Chris Nickson’s references to very specific geographical locations really helpful. They give No Precious Truth a very clear sense of place and being able to picture exactly where the characters were walking took me right to the scenes as if I were there myself.

No Precious Truth is a cat and mouse chase, and as the story gathers pace, the importance of finding Minuit and the people connected to him becomes much clearer. There is a definite sense of tension, which is heightened by the threat of an attack on the city, and I was really invested in this search the whole way through the novel.

I believe that No Precious Truth is the beginning of a series, so I’m intrigued to see where the author takes Cathy as the series continues.

No Precious Truth is available from Amazon.

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