Barker and Llewellyn are back. I have read all the books in this series and this one did not disappoint.
Barker and Thomas are asked to help the British government deliver a satchel to France. The last person with the satchel was killed. They must outwit the British, the Germans, the Vatican, not to mention old adversaries.
Barker is still recovering from the last mission and is his same crotchety self. Llewellyn has matured and is married to Rebecca.
The first part of the books sets up the action. Both men show their talents. We see all the characters from previous books except for Barker’s love interest.
This was a busy book and I read in two settings. This is the 11th installment, but you could read it without reading the others, but you would miss the backstory and lose some enjoyment.
The writing is excellent, the book is told by Llewellyn which is very enjoyable. He has come a long way in six years, and I will be looking forward to the next one! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy.

A work of historical fiction can fall on many points in a spectrum. When it encompasses many aspects of the chosen era, readers are in for a treat. “Lethal Pursuit” by Will Thomas certainly succeeded in wrapping me in the sights and sounds of late nineteenth century London.

This book was my introduction to private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, and my only dismay was that I had missed the first eleven books. While “Lethal Pursuit” may refer to events or characters from previous books, the references are slight and the story can definitely stand on its own.

THE PLOT is interesting although similar to others (a religious item is found which may have great impact on the world…thus, many people from different factions want to take possession of it). It is the mystery that drives the story, and as more facts are revealed the reader is confronted with multiple solutions. While there are no incredible twists, the solutions presented are clever and satisfying.

THE CHARACTERS demonstrate distinct personalities. Barker has many similarities to Sherlock Holmes though not enough to cause alarm, and Llewelyn is a total opposite to Dr. Watson. In fact, I enjoyed his sassy and in-your-face nature that emerges whenever necessary. Minor characters, depending upon their importance to the story, receive what I thought to be the proper amount of attention. Descriptions of bit players like Soho Vic are definitely entertaining.

THE DIALOGUE AND PROSE help to set the scenes, and I have to confess that I made use of Wikipedia to look up some of the terms that are no longer in use or were only employed in England. Mr. Thomas never slipped, and the atmosphere of 1892 was always consistent.

PACING in the first two-thirds of the book seemed to bog down at times, mostly when some of the description appeared to be unnecessary and only served to slow the plot. However, the last third of the book flew by as the author brought all the strings together and raced to an exciting climax. Overall, the book is so well-written that it is easy to forgive a few slow passages. Highly recommended for those who like their mysteries wrapped in historical fiction. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance electronic copy of this book.

I loved this thrill ride, it's the first book in a long time that kept me up at night wanting to see what would happen next. The story read like a cross between Dan Brown, Arthur Conan Doyle and Clive Cussler. The two main characters were entirely relatable, witty and engaging. The writing was so well done, the layers upon layers of detail in each scene made it easy to put yourself right in the room with the characters without being overwhelming. Just when I thought I had it figured out there would be a new twist to make me question it all over again. I had not read any of the series prior but this book read well as a stand alone; in fact it has convinced me to dig back and read the prior novels in the series.

I am always sad when I finish a Barker and Llewelyn book, and always happy when there is a new one. Will Thomas spins an excellent yarn, and I have yet to read one of his, and I have read them all, which I haven’t liked. “Lethal Pursuit” is the latest, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Cyrus Barker and his former assistant, now partner, Thomas Llewelyn, are private enquiry agents in late Victorian England. This particular book starts with a bang, not an explosion like the last one, but a pursuit of an English agent in London, culminating in a rather gruesome death. The agent has been pursued by an as yet unnamed group wearing blue cloaks. The game is afoot!

I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. I will say that this is an exciting and action-filled book, and it was great fun to read. I am looking forward with great pleasure to the next one, and highly recommend you read this one while you wait.

Barker and Llewellyn are back in their 11th series outing. I continue to enjoy this series, as Barker gets more crotchety, and Llewellyn gains gravitas and experience. In book #11, they are on a mission to outsmart the British, German, and Austrian governments, not to mention the Vatican and to discover the secrets behind a possible missing gospel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"London, 1892 - Cyrus Barker is brought into a game of international espionage by the Prime Minister himself in the newest mystery in Will Thomas's beloved series.

Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn receive in the mail an unexplained key stamped with the letter Q. Barker, recognizing it for what it is, uses the key to unlock an anonymous door in the alleyway, which opens to an underground tunnel leading to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has a small task for Cyrus Barker. A Foreign Office agent stole a satchel in Eastern Europe, but was then himself murdered at Charing Cross. The satchel contains a document desperately wanted by the German government, but while the agent was killed, the satchel remains in English hands. With a cold war brewing between England and Germany, it's in England's interest to return the document contained in the satchel to its original owners and keep it out of German hands.

The document is an unnamed first century gospel; the original owner is the Vatican. And the German government isn't the only group trying to get possession of it. With secret societies, government assassins, political groups, and shadowy figures of all sorts doing everything they can - attacks, murders, counter-attacks, and even massive street battles - to acquire the satchel and its contents, this small task might be beyond even the prodigious talents of Cyrus Barker."

Victorian John le Carré!

This is my first read of what is the 11th in the Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn series by Will Thomas set in the Victorian era in 1892 and it works reasonably fine as a standalone. Cyrus and the much younger Thomas are enquiry agents, detectives that handle a wide range of cases, much to the displeasure of the London Police Commissioner, James Munro. A high ranking Foreign Office agent operating in Eastern Europe, Hillary Drummond, arrives in London having stolen a religious relic in a satchel, apparently the ancient remnants of a gospel, belonging to the German Government. Drummond is murdered but the satchel ends up in the hands of the British government. Cyrus and Thomas are summoned by Salisbury, the Prime Minister, keen to avoid further exacerbating fraught relations with a Germany wanting to expand their influence and power. He wants the enquiry agents to travel to Calais and deliver the satchel to a Monsignor Bello, a Vatican representative, which Cyrus agrees to do for no payment, considering it his patriotic duty.

Thomas is now a fully fledged partner in the business, but his and the irascible Cyrus's relationship is an unequal affair, he has been an assistant for so long, it is clear that it is Cyrus that is in charge. Their relationship has similar echoes to that of Watson with Sherlock Holmes, with a narrative that is delivered from Thomas's perspective. Thomas is now married to Rebecca, a Jewish woman, who is being shunned by her family and community for getting wed to a non-Jew. This is a story of government intrigue, including the likes of Hesketh Pierce from the Home Office, the Foreign Office and Scotland Yard. To complicate matters further, there are a diverse range of characters, all desperate to get their hands on the gospel and they are willing to do whatever it takes, including murder. The enquiry agents find themselved surrounded by danger from numerous quarters, such as a group of blue uniformed young men from Europe, an Austrian antiquities broker, Count Valentine von Arnstein, related to the Kaiser, American evangelist, Daniel Cochran, and the extreme collector, Peter Naughton, Lord Grayle, and others.

The author evokes an atmospheric picture of the Victorian period and the city of London, with rich descriptions that highlight the class distinctions, attitudes to women, and the proliferation of extreme poverty. There is, as there is today, widespread anti-immigrant and refugee feelings, and with the character of Daniel Cochran, the pushing of the offensive ideology of eugenics and racial superiority of this time. This is an entertaining historical mystery, with a great range of characters that grabbed my interest. This is likely to appeal to those who love their historical fiction, particularly that set in the Victorian period. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.

In this book, Cyrus Barker and his newly-minted partner Thomas Llewelyn are tasked by the Prime Minister with the delivery of a religious relic. One courier has already been murdered and the enquiry agents find themselves followed, and sometimes attacked by “CID men, Home Office Gents, members of a German fencing club, a German Agent and at least one suspect”. This was a relatively entertaining entry in the series. It will work as a standalone, but the first few books in the series were better so I would suggest starting there. I preferred Barker in the beginning of the series when he was dispatching villains with the sharpened coins that he keeps in his pockets.

I enjoy the relationship between the protagonists and the period details in the books, so I will continue to read the series. I’ve rounded my rating of 3.5 stars up to 4. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Enigmatic Cyrus Barker and novice Thomas Llewelyn are partners in the most loved, hated, respected, disreputable enquiry agency in London. The description all depends on who you ask. Cyrus Barker doesn’t suffer fools gladly and those who try to manipulate him soon come to understand that when it comes to wily, smooth and sly manipulators, Barker is king. Barker is always three steps ahead in any situation – it is too bad that he doesn’t always share those steps with poor Llewelyn who always seems to be trying to catch up with his mentor.

It seems that Barker and Llewelyn are on everybody’s bad list in this fast-paced tale of spies, theft, and murder. They are called to the Prime Minister’s office and given a simple task – to deliver a package to Calais. However, as they talk, Barker quickly realizes that it isn’t the simple task the Prime Minister would have him believe it to be. Being Barker, and not appreciating being dictated to, he manipulates the Prime Minister into saying that Barker could use his own judgment in the delivery.

Prior to Barker and Llewelyn getting the package to deliver, an agent of the Home Office was murdered on his way to deliver the package to the English government. Barker decides to also solve that murder – since he’s working for nothing anyway, why not give the government their money’s worth.

There are many plots and villains afoot in this story and you’ll have to pay attention to figure out who is who. With all of the murder attempts and the shenanigans of the leader of Scotland Yard – and a successful murder, you’ll be in a whirl parsing out the facts and clues.

I always love it when the bad buys get their just desserts – and this one surely did – but – not before poor Llewelyn was – AGAIN – injured. Seems the poor man stays injured from one book to the next.

This was an enjoyable read and I hope you enjoy it as well. I do have to say that Barker has never really won my favor. I keep trying to like him – and I don’t hate him – I just tire of his arrogance and how he treats Llewelyn. Barker has Sherlock Holmes-like brilliance and deductive abilities – that I have to admire – but – I’m just not fond of his treatment of poor – often hapless – Llewelyn.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Changes are afoot in the lives of Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn. Barker is still healing from the injuries he received in the previous book and can’t pound the pavement like he once did, while our narrator Llewellyn, is still adjusting to a new living situation. Though this has made him immensely happy, there is still a degree of awkwardness that surely cannot continue forever. But even more changes are in store for the two detectives once a note arrives from a mysterious source that leads them to the Prime Minister’s office. There they receive an assignment that pits them against foreign governments, secret societies both from both home and abroad, and agents of the Vatican itself. Barker and Llewellyn find themselves under siege with only their wits and ingenuity to rely upon.

Changes are also in store for the reader, though that is to be expected after ten books. If a series does the same thing in every installment it soon grows stale, no matter how entertaining the main characters are. And so, in Lethal Pursuit, the foundation shifts. Barker must acknowledge that he can’t go on as he always has done, and Llewellyn must take on an even more proactive role in the agency. Said changes are not out of the blue, however. Will Thomas has built an entire infrastructure for his version of Victorian London, and so nothing happens via fate, chance, or deus ex machina. Even the reviled silk socks Barker shouts about on page one have their place, and if a lowly pair of socks fits into the world, one can safely bet on everything else sliding neatly into place.

One thing that has not been altered, thankfully, is the sense of humor that the Barker & Llewellyn books have relied upon since the opening chapter of the first book. Thomas Llewellyn’s life may have changed, but his sense of humor has not.

“Once outside, I exhaled. My employer can be rather… what is the word? Gruff? Rude? Exasperating? Secretive? Ill-tempered? All of that and more. I began to suspect I was underpaying myself.”

The mystery of the story is another element that has not changed. When an English spy is killed a few yards from their doorstep, Barker and Llewellyn are called upon to deliver the parcel the spy was carrying. It had been stolen from one European power, and the British government wishes to place it safely in the hand of another European power before the parcel can disrupt society as they know it. As Cyrus Barker detests being called upon for mere courier duty, he takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of the entire riddle and find out who killed the spy to begin with. In doing so, Barker risks the wrath of everyone around him, from the Prime Minister to the foreign agents looking for the parcel, to a high-level official of the Vatican itself.
But Barker is not without allies of his own, and the long-expected departure of an old friend puts him into a position of quiet power, for secret societies flourish in London’s underworld, and Barker is no stranger to any of them. The real question is how far does his reach truly extend?

Longtime fans of this series will rejoice at yet another wonderful installment in this series, which satisfies the desire to know what happens next in the lives of beloved characters. But readers who are new to the series need not tackle the previous ten books to enjoy the latest installment. Lethal Pursuit quietly reintroduces characters who have been around since book one, and Thomas is too good of an author to spoil his own stories. For a new fan, the bits and pieces of Barker and Llewellyn’s life stories may inspire them to find a copy of the first book and start from there, while longtime fans turn the last page, having been both satisfied and delighted by the ending, with only one question left on their minds: What will happen in the next book?

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this quaint book

this is book 11 in this series...and even though its my first in the series i soon fell into it and got to know the characters really well...

barker and llewelyn are private enquiry agents and in this story they get tasked with taking a document that will ultimately be taken and handed over to the vatican who will authenticate it and keep it safe

along the way there are characters abound.with plenty of action and fights.....who are the good guys and baddies remain to be seen...knight templars and and secret societies abound

have to admit i thoroughly enjoyed this story and will look forward to reading more from this author

The Prime Minister enlists Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn to return a satchel containing a controversial gospel to the Vatican's emissary. The agent who brought the document to England from Germany has been murdered, but his satchel containing the document has been recovered by the government.

England doesn't want the document, fearing an exacerbation of its situation with Germany. An obsessive collector of an Austrian count would wants it as part of his collection. The Vatican wants it returned posthaste.

Cyrus Barker, however, delays getting the document to the Vatican's representative who grows ever more threatening. Barker's delay puzzles Thomas, and the situation is getting dicey.

For his own reasons, Cyrus continues to keep the document from the Vatican's emissary, angering the Prime Minister, the Police Commissioner, the Vatican representative and endangering himself and Thomas.

from description: "With secret societies, government assassins, political groups, and shadowy figures of all sorts doing everything they can—attacks, murders, counter-attacks, and even massive street battles—to acquire the satchel and its contents, this small task might be beyond even the prodigious talents of Cyrus Barker."

Of course, questioning Barker and Llewellyn's dedication is ill-advised... and underestimating the pair is reckless.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Historical mystery. Nov. 12, 2019. Print length: 320 pages.

I try to pick up anything remotely Sherlock Holmes. Will Thomas has a unique partnership between Barker & Llewelyn that mirror Sherlock and Watson. Llewelyn has been granted partnership with Barker's firm and is navigating his being a newlywed. Likable characters with Barker leading the reader to ask "WHY IS HE DOING THAT?" It always becomes clear and makes for a great book at the skills of Will Thomas. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Comments here are my honest opinion."

private-investigators, historical-fiction, historical-research, action, danger, suspense, secret-society, mystery, England

Meet the private investigative team of Barker and Llewellyn and get embroiled in intrigue and secret societies in 1882 England and beyond. A very dramatic beginning is followed by astounding events and associations with misdirections and more twists than a challah. The publisher's blurb is a pretty good hook and no need for spoilers. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press / Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I’m a huge historical mystery fan, and I’ve had my eye on the Cyrus Barker/Thomas Llewelyn series by Will Thomas for quite a while. So I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the latest title in the series, Lethal Pursuit, in exchange for my honest review.

I was a little bit nervous starting out with the 11th title in the series, but it worked out okay. Thomas does a good job of weaving enough backstory into the narrative that I didn’t feel lost or as if I were missing anything too much by not having read the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed this book, and read it over the course of only a couple of days. The writing is crisp and the story moves along at an enjoyable pace. It’s set in the late 19th century, in what we, with hindsight, know is the run-up to the first World War. If I were to try to describe this book, it felt sort of like one of the Sherlock Holmes stories where Holmes is working for the British government, or possibly one of the Agatha Christie stories that are more like spy novels than traditional mysteries. I don’t know if this is traditional for this series, or if earlier titles are more like classic whodunnits, but I was fine with this one the way it was!

Without giving too much away, at the beginning of the story we are introduced to an object that an agent has given his life to bring to England, and the rest of the story revolves around the efforts of Barker and Llewelyn to simultaneously deal with the object at (more or less) the behest of the British government and also figure out who killed the agent. The author does a great job of coming up with an amusing cast of suspects, including an American tent revival preacher, an atheist, a rabbi, a collector, a foreign government, and a few others. I was kept guessing until the end, and there’s a nice plot twist that adds a bit of spice to the end.

I also very much enjoyed the interplay between Barker and Llewelyn. Llewelyn is the narrator, and although he has apparently recently been made a partner in their private enquiry firm, he still plays an Archie Goodwin-esque role. Llewelyn’s new wife, Barker’s major domo, and Barker and Llewelyn’s office clerk also play significant supporting roles.

All-in-all, I enjoyed this title a lot - I don't give many five-star reviews. And I now am going to go look for more titles in the series.

Again, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC…

If you like historical mysteries this is a safe bet. This is my first Thomas book and it was good enough to compel me to circle back to his others. Recommended.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

Lethal Pursuit, Book 11 in Mr. Thomas’ highly enjoyable Barker and Llewelyn series, finds this pair of intrepid Private Enquiry Agents tasked with what would appear to be a reasonably simple task. Deliver a briefcase across the channel and into the hands of representatives of the Vatican. However, as readers of this series will understand, nothing is ever simple when Cyrus Barker is involved. His sole purpose, it would seem, is to confuse those who crave the contents of the case. Everyone, it seems, wants what is contained in that case, and will stop at nothing, including murder, to get their hands on its contents, purported to be an unknown first century gospel.
Lethal Pursuit is a marvelous, extremely enjoyable read. Mr. Thomas has crafted characters that are not only fascinating and entertaining, but that continue to evolve and grow as the series continues. His research is top-notch, his historically references spot on, (yes, I check). His descriptions of Victorian London are so realistic, one could easily imagine walking down Whitehall Street, or walking into Scotland Yard.
I look forward to each new release in this series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

I really enjoyed the book. The characters are interesting and well written. The era is flushed out with detail. The story was expected but fun in a odd way. You can see the beginnings of fascism in Britain. I recommend the book.

The Vatican desires it, the German government needs it, secret societies will kill for it & the British PM…..well, he just wants it gone. What are they squabbling over? A little scrap of paper covered with faded words. Hardly impressive until it’s identified as a previously unknown first century gospel.

The year is 1892 & there are whispers of growing xenophobia in Germany. The new government craves international respect & owning the new gospel will get the world’s attention. But before they can put it on display, it’s stolen by a British spook who hightails it for London. Unfortunately he barely has time to set foot on English soil before he’s murdered quite…um…thoroughly. But he did have time to stash away a satchel which will soon become the hottest item in the country.

The PM is well aware of his country’s cooling relationship with Germany. To him, the gospel is little more than a political hot potato & he decides to hand it over to the Vatican & let them deal with it. The problem is there are different factions keeping an eye on his agents, just waiting for their chance. What he needs is someone unknown to them who can deliver the gospel into the right hands. Hmmm…who ya gonna call?

Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker takes a summons from the PM’s office in stride but his partner Thomas Llewelyn is a basket case. So he’s relieved when they’re told it’s a simple job. Deliver one satchel to waiting Vatican officials. What could possibly go wrong? Ah me, where to begin.

Mysterious men in blue uniforms, snake oil preachers, masked assassins, a Hapsburg heir….it seems everyone & their Aunt Martha comes out of the woodwork to foil their plans. But if you’re a fan of the series, you know Barker always has a few dozen aces up his sleeve. Luckily we get to go along for the ride as he & Thomas risk their hides in another clever, twisty adventure.

As usual Thomas is our narrator & he tells the story in a pacy, descriptive style injected with dry humour. Victorian London provides an atmospheric setting & I enjoyed catching up with all the regular cast. Thomas finally married Rebecca & she has a larger role in this outing. Unfortunately not everyone in the Jewish community is happy with her choice. She’s basically been shunned & there’s a certain irony in how she & Thomas are treated in light of Germany’s emerging mistreatment of Jews.

Real life events are mixed into the story & it’s kind of spooky to recognize the political machinations that will culminate with the Great War in just a few years. Barker is recovering from injuries he incurred in the last book but is otherwise on top of his game. He’s as devious & enigmatic as ever, much to Thomas’ frustration. Just wait ’til you find out how he delivered the gospel. Genius.

It’s a smart, well plotted mystery full of colourful characters that add so much to the narrative. Their personal relationships & situations have evolved over the series & there are more changes in store. These books are on my annual read list & I’ll be waiting on the next one. Kudos to those responsible for another gorgeous cover.