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SO RAN THE ADVERTISEMENT IN THE "SITUations vacant" column of The Times for the fourth day straight. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
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Customer Reviews
The lead characters are Private Inquiry Agent Cyrus Barker and his new apprentice, Thomas Llewelyn. The title comes from the advertisement Barker placed in the newspaper when seeking to replace his previous assistant. "Some danger involved in performance of duties." turned out to be not only true, but somewhat understated if Llewelyn's difficulties are anything to go by. This series is set in Victorian London and this first adventure involves the inquiry agents in a particularly unusual manner of presenting the corpse of a young Jew in the middle of a Jewish ghetto. Was it meant as a warning to the thousands of Jewish immigrants who have crowded into London from all parts of the world? Or was there a personal message being delivered here? Mr Thomas uses his extensive knowledge of London during the reign of Queen Victoria to transport the reader to all parts of that glorious city. We even get to meet Lord Rothschild, of banking fame.
Having been a fan of period mysteries for many years I can say that I enjoyed this book very, very much. In fact, I was so involved in following the action taking place that I forgot to look for the villain and was extremely pleased to be surprised by Mr Thomas' skill in hiding that villain from me. All of the quirky characters gathered around Cyrus Barker are completely fleshed out by this author. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the food, the squalor, the luxuries, all are described in vivid detail. I had begun my reading of this series with another book, "The Limehouse Text", and so I know that the books can be read out of order. But, if at all possible, it would make you understand later books so much better if you do start with this book, the first in the series. The backgrounds for Barker and Llewelyn are given here, they were not so completely explained in "The Limehouse Text" and I had questions after reading that book. Now I know the answers to my questions.
This is not a "cozy" mystery. There is action, danger, personal injury, and mingling with all types of people who would never grace the pages of a "cozy" mystery. Cyrus Barker has been a world traveler and his past life shows itself in his friends, enemies, and allies. The world of the Chinese inhabitants of London figure prominently in both books I've read so far. This book concentrates on the Jewish areas of the city with a nasty little side trip into the Italian section. My advice, clear some free time, sit back and enjoy this book in particular or any other book in this series. I've found a wonderful author to add to my list of favorites.
The plot of the series revolves around eccentric detective Cyrus Barker and his young widowed assistant Thomas Llewellyn as they navigate pre-1900 London, both above and below. The charcterisations are superb and once you start reading the whole world dissappears, and that is the only danger for the reader when picking up this book.
The plot is enriched with details of Jewish culture, and presses the importance of tolerance, showing that prejudice is a form of ignorance. There are many cultural diversities present in this book, and this is a theme I am assured will be continued ( as told by the writer himself).
Written by an american author and set in Victorian England, there is no angle that has not been explored, making this one of the most emotionally involved reads of my life. You can't help feeling for Llewellyn, whose perspective the novel is drwan from, and the mystery that is Cryus Barker becomes shrouded in even more uncertainty as the plot goes on.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether an old hat at mystery reading, or a first timer like myself. Can't wait for the next installment!
Calling something "a good first novel" is somewhat qualified praise. In fact, "Some Danger" is a good novel period, and one many more-often-published writers would be proud to have under their belts. It's a well-crafted story with engaging characters, but what I was particularly struck by was the solid framework of research on which Thomas hangs his story. London of the late 1800s is familiar enough to us to feel comfortable ... until we are jolted by a sight, or a saying, or an attitude that's disorientingly unfamiliar. Mastering that would be challenge enough. But Thomas then adds, in this novel, the *additional* foreignness (to most readers, I'd imagine) of London's Jewish community and gives us a thorough and believable portrayal of that, from top (Lord Rothschild) to bottom (East End slum-dwellers). It's all a very impressive job: about the only clear error I could find was several references to the "Royal Army" (while several units have "Royal" in their names, the organization as a whole is called the "British Army"). But this is, I admit, a pretty small point.
Of course, this isn't a history text. It's a novel, and the center point is the characters of Thomas Llewelyn and his new employer Barker, the private enquiry agent. Barker is an intriguing invention in his own right, but it's Llewelyn who draws you in and takes you along on the ride. As the first novel in a series, this book struck me as weighed more toward character-development than mystery-resolution. But now that I know whodunit, perhaps I'll re-read the book and follow more closely the way Thomas wove together the strands of his murder tale. This is certainly a book that would replay more than one reading.
But first, I intend to move on to "To Kingdom Come" and, fresh out in print, "The Limehouse Text." For several years, I've said that San Antonio mystery writer Rick Riordan is the only novelist for whose next work I'm always anxiously waiting. I'm happy now to name Will Thomas as the only *other* novelist whose next work I'm always looking forward to -- and happier still that his next two novels are already sitting on my shelf waiting for me.
The Jewish Board of Deputies retains Barker to investigate the crucifixion murder of Jewish student Louis Pokrzya by perhaps the brutal Anti-Semite League. Barker leads his recruit through the Jewish ghetto where few want to talk with a person seemingly of authority out of fear of governmental reprisal even if the two sleuths have no such credentials. Meanwhile the case provides Thomas with an on the job training through the various dangerous ethnic underground factions teeming in the London ghettos with several folks wanting the sleuths silent and others just despising or fearing outsiders.
If it sounds like Holmes and it reads like Holmes, it must be Holmes. Wrong!! Instead SOME DANGER INVOLVED pays homage to Holmes, but also furbishes a delightfully refreshing Victorian mystery starring two wonderful protagonists. Barker in many ways is as enigmatic as Holmes and Llewelyn is the chronicler like Watson. However, this team is clearly different and their journey into the London ghettoes is fast-paced, vividly alive, and filled with action and awe as Barker introduces Llewellyn to a mini globe inside the city. Their camaraderie as they share foreign cuisines inside an exciting who-done-it makes for a wonderful Victorian mystery tale that brings to life a unique segment of late nineteenth century London.
Harriet Klausner
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