Hessman’s Necklace

Nicholas Litchfield

BY the summer of 1957, Ray Stokes, an expert in ‘little matters like burglary, trickery, and cruelty,’ has become the most skilled cat burglar for Chicago mob boss Walter Cartwell. 

Walter is an underworld kingpin who relies on Ray to steal priceless artefacts from the homes of private collectors, and Ray has never let him down. As a result, Walter has amassed an incredible private museum filled with rare and precious objects lost to time.

Now, Walter has become fixated on obtaining a famous emerald-studded gold necklace that was stolen from a museum thirty years ago. It’s rumoured to be in the possession of the ‘eloquent and persuasive’ Reverend Arnold Sinclair, a clergyman in South Boston.

But the ‘boyishly handsome’ reverend is not the virtuous spiritual leader he appears to be… he is, in fact, a ‘habitual thief and philanderer’ with a ‘beautiful mistress,’ a ‘church vault full of lost treasures,’ and an ‘endless supply of money and merchandise and willing buyers.’ Readers who enjoy retro thrillers featuring unique characters, witty dialogue, relentless suspense, and exciting action will be captivated by Hessman’s Necklace, an exceptional noir novel by author Nicholas Litchfield.

This is the third novel by Litchfield (pictured left), a writer currently living in Western New York but whose roots trace back to the UK. In addition to penning gripping novels, Litchfield has written insightful introductions to twenty-three fiction collections, exploring the shadowy realms of noir and mystery from the notorious eras of the 1940s, ‘50s, and ’60s.

His latest book is an enthralling caper set in the late 1950s against a backdrop of gritty streets, diners, and seedy motels, and featuring an unscrupulous scoundrel who readers can’t help but root for.

Our roguish protagonist, Ray, has a reputation as a ladies’ man. Walter considers him ‘a sort of aphrodisiac’ to women, noting that ‘the Chicago River is mostly made up of the tears of broken-hearted young beauties who still pine for you.’ As such, Walter believes Ray is the ideal person to send to Boston to exploit a potential flaw in the reverend’s trafficking operation… Merriam Woolcroft, the church secretary. Outwardly, Merriam is a ‘sweet, angelic-faced young woman who seems right at home in a place of worship’ and Walter reckons that a man with Ray’s guile and charisma should have her swooning into his arms within days of meeting him. After that, he assumes it will be only a matter of time before she reveals enough information to lead Ray to the necklace.

However, Walter is no expert on women and as soon as Ray leaves the familiar streets of Chicago, the journey to find the famed necklace becomes fraught with peril. Sinclair’s trafficking operation is far more elaborate than Ray could have ever imagined and Merriam proves to be very different from the women he’s used to, revealing layers of complexity he hadn’t anticipated. As Ray digs deeper into her personal life, the more obscure things become. With unexpected developments and danger closing in on him, one thing becomes clear… trying to steal a woman’s heart is far more perilous than cracking safes or silencing alarms.

Litchfield’s thrilling narrative builds to a genuinely surprising and heart-pounding climax and readers will find themselves racing through the pages to discover the fate that awaits Ray and Merriam amid all the chaos. Fast-moving and stylish, enriched by a cast of cool characters and clever plot twists, Hessman’s Necklace conjures up a vibrant 1950s landscape, brought to life with entertaining wise guys, gun-toting molls, chic fashions and the sleekest cars. Witty, gritty and packed with old-fashioned charm, this is a crime thriller you won’t want to miss.
(Lowestoft Chronicle Press, paperback, £13.95)