A historical fiction thriller with a strong female protagonist...instantly caught my attention. This novel is book one in Cathy Marsden's adventures. While this is most definitely a historical fiction novel being based in the WW2 Era, I can't say I agree with the thriller label. I found this hard to get into and very slow for most of the story.

I will say I really appreciated the FMC and how not only could she hold her own with all the men in her unit, but she also remained compassionate and human during what, at times, were less than human circumstances. I would be interested to see where her journey takes her.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Gripping
It’s 1941 and a supposedly turned German spy has escaped from captivity and has come to Leeds in order to carry out some destructive orders and it’s up to the Special Investigation Branch to try and apprehend him before he succeeds
I loved this book, it’s fast paced at times but also has a realism that some books miss. The story is told from the view of Cathy Marsden who has been seconded to SIB as a person with a lot of local knowledge and contacts. I really liked Cathy, she has a difficult life that she has to balance but that just made her more real. There isn’t any glossing over her work as a police officer, that of her family life and her difficult relationship with her brother, her feelings for a solider being posted far away and as a fire watch person, there to help protect the city. She has so many different angles that I just felt myself being drawn more and more into the story and the danger of hunting for the spy
So often these kinds of stories are set in London or the South of England so it was nice to read one that is so far away from that in the North of England. I’ve never been to Leeds but the writing and the imagery made the city come to life for me and I think that ado enhanced my enjoyment of this book
As you can see, I really enjoyed this book. A spy story with a difference that has engaging characters and a story that keeps the reader hooked, wanting to know what will happen mixed in with a sense of routine, a combination that shouldn’t work but really does
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a wartime mystery that will keep you reading long past when you have to stop

It will come as no surprise to those who follow my reviews, that I’m a huge fan of author Chris Nickson, so imagine my excitement to discover that there’s a new series to follow.

“No Precious Truth” introduces us to Sergeant Cathy Marsden of the Leeds City Police in the North of England, and is set amidst the air raids of 1941 by the Luftwaffe.

Cathy is a police sergeant, walking a beat and supervising women police constables - until now that is. She’s been seconded to the Special Investigation Branch. Previously the SIB have concentrated on deserters and crimes on the home front.

However, things have taken a chilling turn with the arrival of Cathy’s civil servant brother, Dan. He has travelled 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. Dan brings bad news - one of these spies has disappeared, but it’s known that his destination was Leeds!

Though she doesn’t know it yet, Cathy’s about to put her life in jeopardy as part of a team, trying to protect their beloved city from an escaped German spy with malicious intent, and it’s going to take an incredible amount of time, footwork and brainstorming to try and catch him, because this is one cunning and determined individual!

This is a great historical WWII espionage thriller, with a protagonist that is instantly likeable. Cathy is hard working, intuitive, conscientious, and has a good heart, and I really look forward to what life has in store for her in the future. As ever, a big thumbs up to the author for the huge amount of research that he undertakes - it shows Chris!

I really enjoyed this book. Haven't heard of Chris Nickson before, but will definetly be delving into more of his books, especially if he keeps this series going. I enjoyed the female lead and exploring how it would have been for her as a woman during the war keeping down a job as important as hers. I enjoyed the value she brought to the SIB team. There were other characters I didn't like as much, but that was most likely engineered through how they were written. The story itself was good, but i feel as though there could have been a bigger twist towards the end of the book, something left field maybe. Overall though this was a 4 star read for me!