BLOOD IS BLOOD is the tenth
book in the Barker & Llewelyn historical mystery series by Will Thomas. Although this is the first
book I've read in this series, it will not be my last. I don't believe that
you need to have read the previous books in this series to appreciate
and enjoy BLOOD IS BLOOD, but
you'll want to give them a whirl afterward. Thomas Llewelyn is one half
of the detective duo with the forbidding but brilliant Cyrus Barker.
When Barker is injured during an assault on their offices, it's up to
Thomas to lead the investigation and find the person responsible. I love
stories in which a detective is handicapped in some way and forced to
solve a crime without his partner, and BLOOD IS BLOOD is a riveting yarn.
Added to the pressure of taking on a major investigation on his own,
Thomas has a wedding fast approaching, and his partner's long-lost
brother to manage. These different threads intersect with interesting
and often calamitous results. Since Barker and Llewelyn have thwarted
a number of criminals over the years, Thomas has quite the gallery of
rogues to track down and interrogate. As Thomas and Barker's brother
hunt down possible suspects and motives, Thomas is plagued and
taunted by a mysterious woman who seems to play some part in the
destruction of his office and the attempt on his life. Will Thomas
weaves together an engrossing story as Thomas tries to sort through
all the possible connections, outright lies, and red herrings in order to
find the guilty parties and make it to the altar on time.
BLOOD IS BLOOD is a gripping bit
of storytelling with a determined detective and a wide assortment of
fiends. Will Thomas balances the sense of danger with a character-
driven mystery and a brain teaser for readers. This is a great book for
fans of Golden Age detective stories and the historical true crime books
by Harold Schechter. I eagerly await the next Barker & Llewelyn book by Will Thomas.
When a bombing injures Cyrus Barker, it's up to his partner
Thomas Llewelyn—with the help of Barker's long-lost
brother—to find the person responsible before it's too late.
In 19th century London, Cyrus Barker and his associate
Thomas Llewelyn are renowned private enquiry agents,
successfully employed by the highest levels of Her Majesty's
government as well as private citizens. Their success,
however, has led to their acquiring a powerful group of
enemies, many of whom are determined to have their revenge.
At least one of those enemies is responsible for a bombing
of their offices that puts Cyrus Barker into the hospital
and endangers Thomas Llewelyn's rapidly forthcoming
nuptials. To add to the confusion, Barker's long-lost
brother Caleb turns up on the rubble of their doorstep not
long after the not-quite-fatal bombing.
Warned about him by Barker, Thomas reluctantly accepts
Caleb's help both with a new case that comes in as well as
trying to pinpoint which of Barker's enemies is making a
move against them. As Thomas works his way through their
enemy list, someone else is winnowing down that list: one by
one those enemies are dying.
With time running out—and his bride-to-be reconsidering
their marriage—Llewelyn must (with the sick-bed bound
Barker's help) uncover the killer and the plot before it's
too late.
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