I admit that when my father first handed me Will Thomas’s novel Some Danger Involved, I was a bit skeptical. The story of a young man who finds himself the new assistant to a mysterious, enigmatic, brilliant detective in Victorian England? Somehow, I thought to myself, I think I may have read this story before. But, at the urging of my dad (and thanks again!), as well as the terrific title (I’m a sucker for a great title, and how awesome is Some Danger Involved?) I started reading and immediately fell into the Thomas’ world. As I did, one thing became immediately clear. This was not a Holmes pastiche–it was a brilliant mystery in its own right, and apart from the Victorian setting and penchant for pipe smoking, Cyrus Barker was definitely his own man.

Some Danger Involved

The first Barker-Llewelyn mystery begins with our narrator, Thomas Llewelyn’s first meeting with his mysterious “enquiry agent” employer, Cyrus Barker. As the story opens, it’s immediately clear that Will Thomas doesn’t have much interest in the upper gentried world that dominates a lot of Victoriana. Instead, we learn right away that Llewellyn is a man who has hit rock bottom. He’s a convict, a widower, and spends his last bit of money treating himself to some bread and butter–all he can afford–in the hopes that he can find a job before he commits suicide. Obviously he doesn’t, as he is hired by Cyrus Barker after a series of tests, both mental and physical, which reveal Llewelyn’s skills and the curious nature of his employer.

After being hired, the story moves directly into the central mystery–the crucifixion of a Jew in the middle of London’s East End, a killing proudly advertised by anti-Semites. From there, Will Thomas takes us and Llewelyn into the fascinating world of London’s Jewish community of the Victorian era, examining their customs and culture of the time–as well as the challenges the community faced as the result of a massive influx of Eastern European Jews–refugees from the pogroms taking place at the time.

Although Some Danger Involved was Thomas’s first novel, it was a gripping mystery with lots of multi-dimensional characters with real motivations and, to my delight, very little anachronism among the characters’ attitudes. Like all of the Barker-Llewelyn novels, Thomas also avoids the trap of keeping around “colorful” characters who don’t behave like normal human beings. In Thomas’ books, even the eccentrics have understandable feelings and motivations.

To Kingdom Come

The second Barker-Llewelyn adventure takes us out of the mystery realm entirely and moves much more like an espionage novel. After the new Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard is bombed by Irish terrorists, Barker and Llewelyn go undercover and infiltrate an Irish terrorist cell in the hopes of stopping another plot. This is another strong entry in the series, particularly in its treatment of the Irish terrorists. Thomas manages to provide the right amount of balance in portraying them sympathetically while still portraying them as villains. Additionally, the book shows Thomas’ mastery of history as he weaves the interplay of Irish freedom fighters and Continental anarchists together–groups that did actually work together during that point in history. Just fascinating stuff.

The Limehouse Text

The third book in the series and my absolute favorite, The Limehouse Text opens with a bang and gets faster paced as it moves along. This book finally takes Barker and Llewelyn into the heart of the Chinese community in London, of which bits and pieces had been seen in earlier books. (It is revealed early on that Barker grew up in China and is multilingual.) The McGuffin of the book is the eponymous text, which is purported to be a secret martial arts training book teaching deadly techniques. But that’s all handwaving to give Will Thomas an excellent excuse to explore the interplay of Eastern and Western culture in the 19th Century. As always, Thomas eschews simplistic portrayals in favor of much more complex character interactions which pay real attention to the customs of the cultures at the time. Plus, it has an awesome fight scene as it’s centerpiece.

The Hellfire Conspiracy

In The Hellfire Conspiracy, Will Thomas uses the common mystery trope of the serial killer as a springboard for an examination of the interaction between the upper classes of London society and their exploitation of people in the lower classes–especially women. Taut and thrilling, as well as having an overwhelming sense of dread, The Hellfire Conspiracy is satisfying as a serial killer story alone, but the complex socioeconomic overtones add a much richer feel to the novel. Additionally, in this novel we learn much more about Llewelyn’s background, including his relationship with his late wife and the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment, both of which tie into the greater themes of class distinctions in Victorian England.

The Black Hand

The fifth and most recent book in the series, The Black Hand returns Barker and Llewellyn to its roots in uncovering the customs and cultures of an immigrant group in London. In this case, it’s the Italians, or more precisely, the Sicilians, as this book deals with the arrival of the Mafia to the shores of England. In the process of giving us some more background and history of Cyrus Barker, the story also dives into the history of the Mafia–some of which is of very topical interest. Of particular interest, too, is the complex underworld that Thomas develops in this book, showing how organized crime evolved in London of the day. It also does an excellent job in exploring how much more dangerous the Mafia truly was when it first came on the scene. The climax of the novel is satisfying and The Black Hand is an excellent addition to the series.

Conclusion

Despite my general love of this series, though, I will admit that it is not without its flaws. For one thing, Thomas’s characters are a bit too didactic. At several points in all of the books, one can find new characters who, at the drop of the hat, are able to detail a precise history of the culture or custom being questioned about. Additionally, there are some recurring minor characters who have been in the series since day one who haven’t been developed at all. Of course, this could be a part of Thomas’s plan, as he’s been revealing histories little by little. In The Black Hand, for example, we are given a heartbreaking look into the life of Jenkins, the clerk at Barker’s office who up until that point had seemed to be little more than a jovial drunk. So my worries on that score may be premature.

Overall, though, those two things are minor quibbles. I would highly recommend the Barker and Llewelyn stories to any mystery lover, lover of historical fiction, or both. Better still, Will Thomas has been churning the books out at a steady one-a-year pace, and I’m hoping that he can keep it up so I can enjoy this series for years to come.