Chris will give us an insight into the discoveries, surprises and difficulties of writing books set in the past.

Chris Nickson is a fiction writer, with his books predominantly set in Leeds. His historical crime stories have seen him kill quite a few people in Leeds, in the1730s right through to the 1950s!

In October, join Chris for the paperback launch of The Faces of the Dead where Sergeant Cathy Marsden investigates the death of a local gangster in WWII Leeds.

Chris will give us an insight into the discoveries, surprises and difficulties of writing books set in the past. We’ll hear about the inspiration for his novels, his writing process, and his use of Leeds as a creative backdrop to turn history into fiction. He’ll also be telling us more about his future plans and an exciting new book coming in January 2027.

A Farsley Lit Fest Event 2026. The event includes a book signing.

“Historical mysteries don’t get much better than this.” – Publishers Weekly

“I’d love to see these books attract a larger audience – I can easily see them being adapted for television.” – Best-selling Author & also on the Farsley Lit Fest Line-up – Joanne Harris.

About the Book

Leeds, 1944. Cathy Marsden’s happiness at her boyfriend Tom’s brief leave from the army and marriage proposal is short-lived as she embarks on a new case in the Special Investigation Branch.

Eric Carr, a local gangster, is dead after crashing his car on the outskirts of Leeds. Not only that, but an alarming discovery is made in the boot: weapons, including guns, stolen from a US military base, to be sold on the black market.

Was the crash simply an accident, or something more sinister? One thing’s for sure – Eric’s death has set a chain of murder and gangland chaos in motion. As the number of people disappearing increases, and men start dying Cathy must work out who is pulling the strings, and why.

About the Author

Chris has made a living as a writer since 1994, initially as a music journalist, specialising in world and roots music.

Chris’s first novel, The Broken Token came out in 2010, featuring Richard Nottingham, Constable of Leeds in the 1730s, and a series followed. 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 on the Year.

Chris is also the writer of the Tom Harper novels (set in 1890-1920), the Simon Westow books (set in 1820s), the Cathy Marsden thrillers (set in 1940s), the Dan Markham noir mystery series (set in1950s) and the John the Carpenter mysteries, set in medieval Chesterfield.

Description supplied by the event organiser.