Another excellent entry in the Barker and Llewellyn mystery series. Fans of Sherlock Holmes looking for more action will love this series. Told from the perspective of Thomas Llewellyn, assistant and now junior partner, of Barker. Barker has an interesting back story that is told in bits and pieces of the previous books of the series but it is not necessary to read the books in order for the individual cases but would make the characters personal relationships make more sense.

In Heart of the Nile, a museum volunteer working at night makes a priceless discovery then promptly goes missing. His wife asks Barker to find him and bring him home. Unfortunately they find the man has died and he has family ties that could be another reason for murder. Can Barker and Llewellyn sort through the clues and find the murderer, bringing him to justice?

This is one series I recommend a lot to our library patrons.

So I liked the concept of this book (a take on Sherlock and Holmes just with two different characters) and I thought that the mystery was fun but ultimately not something I would pick up again. That is quite possibly due to coming in at book 14 of a series. The writing was good and even coming in so late, enough background information was given about Barker and Llewelyn that I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. My biggest critiques are:
I didn't really like Llewelyn's little aside comments and opinions (he was the POV for this book). I didn't feel like they added anything to the story and became a bit annoying as the book progressed.

The women characters are basically non-existent or are shrieking anytime they're in the scene.

The end of the book felt rushed. The build up to the climax of solving the crime was ok but it all ended really quickly and I felt wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked/wasn't hinted at throughout the book. Maybe I just missed the clues.

I think this is a good read if you are already a Barker and Llewelyn fan and like Sherlock Holmes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC of Heart of the Nile!

Heart of the Nile was an interesting story. Though a little slow and difficult to get into, it captivated me and definitely kept me guessing at everything throughout the book. I expected nothing that happened. Given that this book is a mystery - I loved it! The characters, being well developed, make the story flow once you break the ice so to speak, and just WOW! Admittedly, I have not read other books in the series. However, after reading this book, I intend on reading the other books!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to review Heart of the Nile. 2.5 starts rounded to 3.

I looked to review this book as I enjoy mysteries and I really like all things Egypt and turn of the 20th century as a time period is my jam. This book howerver, is not for me. I had not previously read and books in the series and I don't think I will. There is clearly a depth of chracterization that has been built up over time and I think this entry in the series is likely to appeal to those who have read previous installments.

I found the lack of women (particularly in the first half) to be off-putting. I know the client is a woman and we also meet three other women. The only one with any character development is the client and her arc is non-sensical. I am avoiding spoilers. What really made this not for me was a discussion of the Rosetta stone where a character who would actually know said the British should keep the stone because they found it. Llewelyn rebuts this so it isn't the colonialism that bothers me - it is how things were done - but the that the British did not find the Rosetta stone. They took it from the French as part of a peace treaty in 1801. A few pages later the originally murdered person was described as having been shot but he was stabbed. This made me feel stabby.

A decent read, but not my thing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!
4.5-5 out of 5
I was very happy to see this book available on Netgalley - I really love Will Thomas' Barker and Llewelyn books.
As always, the streets and buildings of late-Victorian London are beautifully described, adding a visual layer to the story.
The novel takes place over Christmastime, and involves some interesting Scots customs courtesy of Cyrus Barker (who is usually more of an enigma!). Llewelyn, as always, provides a narration that is coloured by his particular sense of humour and opinions.
There's a theft at the British Museum, and a murder, and a mummy-mad Lord of something-or-other.
There's chases through the streets and dives of London, and a tragic love story, and lots of food.
A great adventure story, and could probably be read on its own, fans of the series should enjoy it a lot.
For fans of good historical mystery, Sherlock Holmes' London, detective duos, atypical plots.

Another strong entry in the adventures of the Barker and Llewelyn Enquiry Agency, this one centering on the craze in the late 1800s for all things Egyptian. A volunteer who was working with a mummy at the British Museum goes missing -- why? What had he found? Who wants it? Barker and Llewelyn roam a cold and snowy London, looking for answers. It's a well-plotted mystery that comes to a satisfying end.

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for providing an advance copy.

I just love this series! Heart of the Nile does not disappoint. Barker and Llewelyn are at it again and the Bristish Musuem is where it begins. Will Thomas is such a great storyteller and if you have not picked up this series, you are missing out.

Hopping into this series at book 14.

Mystery and murder are afoot when a missing ruby causes chaos in London. Told through the eyes of one of two private detectives, this story takes the reader all over the city and into the company of various acquaintances, friends, and enemies.

Presumably most of the characters were introduced in previous books, which I found to be positive as each character’s background wasn’t needed to further this story.

If you’re looking for a good, not quite cozy, mystery, this book might serve you well!

This reminds me of an odd blend of two of my favorite mystery series of all time. Elizabeth Peters had a wonderful victorian egyptology series that had a single volume take place in London dealing with the British museum and of course there's a strong element of Sherlock Holmes as well. Very funny and witty, a good thing for detective duo lovers and mystery bookclubs. I adore this book and I've never read another one in the series so I might have to go find more!

Another delightful installment in this series. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for reaching out to offer me an advanced reader copy. My biggest complaint? We'll have to wait another year for the next book!

In this continuing adventure of the Barker and Llewelyn Enquiry Agency, they are called upon by Mrs. Addison. Her husband, Phillip, didn't return home after his volunteering at the British Museum. As the pair work toward finding him, it turns out that when he was cataloging a mummy in the archives, he found something unusual. Unfortunately Phillip was found murdered and it made them more determined to find his killer. As they traveled a wintery London gathering information, Barker started to put all the pieces together to unmask the murderer.
An intriguing and well plotted murder mystery with all the familiar characters and diverse locations and people.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-galley of "Heart of the Nile".

This was another great entry in the Barker & Llewelyn series, it had what I enjoyed from the previous entries. It was a joy to continue this series, it had what I was expecting and enjoyed the characters again were what I was looking for. Will Thomas has such a great concept for a series and did what I was looking from the description.

"Barker hates to make a mistake in reasoning. He holds himself to a higher standard. He turned and entered the building, knocking at the first door in the hall. There was no answer. He tried another and fared no better. However, a thump at the third brought an occupant almost immediately, a young woman of perhaps thirty years in a delicate condition wielding a broom."