Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Death and Glory: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel on NetGalley.

Published: 04/23/24

Stars: 3

Okay.

Over the past several months I have learned I love to watch and truly dislike reading this time period, the Victorian Era. Going forward I will do my very best to not request books set in this period.

My rating is the outlier. The dialogue was simple. The characters are too polite. These things work on PBS, but not in books for me.

If you enjoy the Victorian Era give this or any of the other 14 books in the series a try.

Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, along with his partner Thomas Llewelyn, has a long, accomplished history - he's taken on cases for Scotland Yard, the Foreign Office, and even the crown itself, fulfilling them all with great skill and discretion. None of those cases, however, are as delicate and complicated as the one laid before him by a delegation of men who, thirty years before, fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. These men want to revive the Confederacy with a warship promised to the Rebels from the British Government in 1865. To get it now, they're threatening to reveal the long-secret treaty with the Confederacy. Barker is hired to use his connections to discreetly bring their threats to the Prime Minister.

With a web of prominent, if secret, supporters throughout England ready to through their support to their efforts to wage war anew on the United States, the delegates are just waiting for the warship to begin their plans. But some of the men are not who they claim to be, and the American government has their own team watching, and waiting, for the right moment to take action.

As this fuse on this powder keg of a situation grows ever shorter, it's up to Barker & Llewelyn to uncover the real identities and plans of these dangerous men. (GoodReads)

I’m not sure why but I just didn’t connect well with this one. I didn’t like the individuals representing the “South”. I mean, it was a terrible time in USA history but there was almost too much speculative overlap. I appreciated the author’s note about the historical facts, but I would have been in the “he’s dead” camp and not “he faked it.” If you don’t know what I mean, read a Civil War biography, you’ll learn.

I was happy to see Llewelyn’s character growth as well as his good news. I can’t wait to see how Barker handles everything, though I would expect him to be adaptable.

Overall, I rate this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I never realized the Civil War caused such world wide involvement. In this story 2 English inquiry agents get tangled up with Americans still fighting for the South. The agents are interesting and clever characters that carry this book right along. I highly recommend reading it.

1894 London. It is nearly 30 years since the end of the American Civil War, and four men claiming to represent the Confederacy approach Barker to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister, claiming a have copy of a treaty between Britain and the Confederacy. But are they who they say they are and what do they really want.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable and interesting main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's seldom you'd see an historical fiction where the story line would restart the Civil War with expectations the South could win this time. In fact, it's so unique, I kept reading long after my alloted "hour or two" to see what would happen next. While I'd not choose this type of story everyday, it was definitely worth my reading time and the headache the next day.

Death and Glory by Will Thomas is a Barker and Llewelyn mystery taking place in Victorian England where they are private inquiry agents. The two live in Barker’s home, primarily for convenience, along with Llewelyn’s wife Rebecca. This is definitely a conspiracy theory book wherein men claiming to be representative of the Confederate States of America arrive and request that Barker arrange a meeting for them with the Prime Minister. They are taken aback but do as requested only to discover that these men want to take possession of a battleship that the Confederate government had commissioned and paid for before the war ended. Since it had never been delivered, they wanted it now. The prime minister wasn’t so sure. Things escalated as it became the belief of Llewelyn that two of the men, rather than being who they claimed to be, were, in fact, John Wilkes Booth and Jesse James. They also claim to hold a treaty between England and the Confederacy which, if brought to light, would be an embarrassment and could harm relations with the United States.

Barker and Llewelyn are an odd pair, Barker having spent his life in heroic pursuits, while Llewelyn is basically a home body. Rebecca is a Jewish, a fact which bothers neither of them, but will bother the wider society. They keep a low profile. Rebecca’s mother does not like Thomas Llewelyn; she thinks her daughter could have done better. These Southerners were charming men, if dangerous. Their idea to revive the Confederacy, and along with the slavery, have gained support both in the United States and in England. They presented a huge challenge to the enquiry agents, which put them in danger, as well as leaving them confused. This “blast from the past” has proven to be a challenge, especially since much of Llewelyn’s research is coming from dime novels. They are a great pair: both well-written and interesting. The mystery of the men’s; behavior turned out to be challenging and difficult. Thanks Will Thomas! I love Barker and Llewlleyn!

I was invited to read Death and Glory by St Martins Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #WillThomas #DeathAndGlory

Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, along with his partner Thomas Llewelyn, has a long, accomplished history - he's taken on cases for Scotland Yard, the Foreign Office, and even the crown itself, fulfilling them all with great skill and discretion. None of those cases, however, are as delicate and complicated as the one laid before him by a delegation of men who, thirty years before, fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. These men want to revive the Confederacy with a warship promised to the Rebels from the British Government in 1865. To get it now, they're threatening to reveal the long-secret treaty with the Confederacy. Barker is hired to use his connections to discreetly bring their threats to the Prime Minister.
With a web of prominent, if secret, supporters throughout England ready to through their support to their efforts to wage war anew on the United States, the delegates are just waiting for the warship to begin their plans. But some of the men are not who they claim to be, and the American government has their own team watching, and waiting, for the right moment to take action.
As this fuse on this powder keg of a situation grows ever shorter, it's up to Barker & Llewelyn to uncover the real identities and plans of these dangerous men.
This is the first book of the Barker & Llewelyn series that I have read. It has made me want to go back and read the whole series. It has showed us a relationship between the U.S. and Britain where a ship was bought by the Confederacy but never delivered because of the end of the Civil War. I now look forward to reading the series in order. If you love mysteries about U.S. and Britain relationships then you will love this book.

This is a wonderful series that I have listen to on audible and this one is just as great as the rest!

A dynamic duo, Barker & Llewelyn are at it again. What makes this series so well rounded is the historical information woven in with the fiction. The characters are memorable and always a lot of action and suspense.

Pulled in from the beginning with a few twist and turns make this an excellent addition to the series!

I was introduced to Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, enquiry agents, in Some Danger Involved, the first book in this series, and I have been a fan ever since. Death and Glory is the fifteenth book in this series but can be read independently. The American Civil War has been over for thirty years when Barker and Llewelyn are approached by four men introducing themselves as Confederate officers. They have been denied an interview with the Prime Minister and ask Barker to use his influence to arrange a meeting. The Confederacy had purchased a warship from Britain, but never took delivery before the war was over. They possess a signed treaty between Britain and the Confederacy that they will publicize if the ship is not delivered, destroying relations between England and America. After their meeting, Barker offers his services to the Prime Minister to discover the extent of their plans. The four officers arrived in England with a number of followers who trail the enquiry agents and are prepared to commit murder for their plan to succeed. After the war thousands of members of the Confederacy settled in Mexico, Cuba and South America and they are now raising funds to retake the lands that they lost in the war. The warship is only the opening move in their plans. Counterfeiting, forgery, kidnapping and a train robbery keep the action moving as Barker and Llewelyn work under cover to stop them.

Llewelyn and his wife Rebecca have been living with Barker and his butler Mac, but this entry in the series brings good news to the couple and it is time to settle into their own home. Barker continues to be a man of mystery. A sea captain in China, he still finds pleasure in sailing and has introduced Llewelyn to the sea on occasion. They have worked with Scotland Yard and the British government, which has earned Barker contacts with the highest levels of government. With well developed characters, the appearance of historical figures and a desperate chase, this is Will Thomas at his best. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur for providing this book for my review.

A Confederate Challenge, 1894!

Detectives Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn have their hands full with the surfacing of a thirty year old document, a Treaty, testifying that Britain sold an iron warship to the Confederacy during the war between the North and the South.
Barker and Llewelyn find themselves ensconced in International politics. If the Treaty is legitimate, the British Government is in an unenviable position.
Survivors, ex- soldiers, have been plotting for decades to fund a war from the countries they had escaped to—Mexico, Cuba, Brazil and Columbia. The war of Northern Aggression will be redefined and the Confederacy restored.
Now they are raising money and marching on towards their goal of taking the warship which they will use as a model to build more cheaply in the countries they now reside in. An amarda of iron ships will rise and threaten the newly established United States order.
(Thomas’s research is amazing!)
We have armed insurgents hiding out in London, a group of well heeled southern gentleman pursuing ownership of the ship, a train robbery, and other measures of skullduggery. Complicit wealthy merchants and members of the ton are raising money for the cause at a by “invitation only” Ball. The Prime Minister and the shadowy parts of the government are worried! The PM has obtained the services of the partners.
Cyrus and Llewelyn have there work cut out trying to make head or tail of this politically charged investigation.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I always enjoy any entry in the Barker and Llewelyn detective series. The characters are original and interesting and the plots are always intriguing. This latest book is no different. The two detectives get involved in a crazy sort of plot involving former Confederates hoping to launch a rebellion to take back the United States about 30 years after the defeat of the South.

It reminds me a bit of some of the more fantastical Sherlock Holmes plots. It was fun to suspend disbelief and go along with all the plot twists. It does get a little convoluted and then gets wrapped up rather suddenly. The author mixes in real characters who would have been around in England in the mid-1890s with his fictional creations. I had to pause a few times to go read up on some of the real figures who play roles in the story.

If you’ve read the previous books in this series, all the familiar side characters show up and play a role. If you haven’t read any of the earlier books, I recommend that you give yourself a treat and immediately set about doing so.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Death and Glory is the 15th book in the phenomenal series Barker & Llewelyn by Will Thomas. I discovered this series shortly after I began reading historical mystery and thrillers. This series is what made me fall in love with the genre, and it is now my favorite. I started in the middle of the series, but each mystery basically stands alone, so dive in. I went back and read all I missed; I also get the audio books to savor at a later date. This review is actually for both the book and audio book; it's nice to switch to audio while driving. While this book is not my favorite of the series, it's still a solid story and definitely worth reading (and/or listening to)!

Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his partner Thomas Llewelyn have worked cases for many prominent groups - the Foreign Office, Scotland Yard and even the British Monarchy. Their newest clients, however, they never could have imagined. A group of men who fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War thirty years ago show up at their office. Their goal? They want to revive the Confederacy with a warship promised to them from the British Government in 1865. In order to get that ship, the delegation is threatening to publicly reveal Britain's secret treaty with the Confederacy. Barker and Llewelyn are hired to bring their threats quietly to the Prime Minister. There are a number of prominent - and rich - Brits who are willing to donate funds to wage war against the United States again, and the delegates are just waiting for their warship. But are they really Confederates as they state, or grifters, or even something else? The Americans also have teams watching and waiting for the right time to strike. Barker and Llewelyn certainly have their work cut out for them with this case!

This was a fun change of pace for this series, something totally different from their previous cases. I was thoroughly without a clue as to the real identities of the delegation members. They claimed to be members of the Knights of the Golden Circle, a fraternal organization based upon the Masons in the Southern United States during the Civil War. The Ku Klux Klan was their military arm. This group wanted to repeal the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and acquire more land to increase the number of Confederate states. (This part, of course, is actual history.) I won't ruin the surprise of who the U.S. Treasury actually thought these men were! The most interesting of the delegation was St. Ives, a man who would experience every available vice. He even wore a vial of poison around his neck, just in case... He seemed quite fond of Llewelyn's company. Robert Todd Lincoln, the real oldest son of President Lincoln and a minister to Britain for the State Department, also makes an interesting appearance. The story was great, though the end seemed a bit anticlimactic to me. The series has great stories, but it's the characters that keep me coming back time and time again. Barker is a Scotsman with a mysterious past who became the premiere private enquiry agent in London. (Do NOT call him a detective !) He lived in China, is the Captain of the Osprey, teaches antagonists classes, smokes meerschaum pipes, and doesn't kid around. Oh, and he has a garden which is the envy of all. His dearest friend is Lady Philippa Ashleigh, a lovely, wealthy, connected and influential widow. She tries to keep Barker from taking everything so seriously; the key word here is "tries". My favorite character is Thomas Llewelyn, a young Welshman who was at his lowest when he was hired by Barker years ago. Now he is a partner. I just adore his snark, which sometimes goes above Barker's head, as he takes things literally. And I just adore a man who loves books! He's such an endearing character, and the stories are told from his point of view. He is married to Rebecca, a pretty Jewish widow; their lives have just reached a turning point here, as they have had some extremely happy news. I'm looking forward to following their journey. Beloved supporting characters Mac the butler, Ho the restaurant owner and Harm the dog are all still here, which makes me extremely happy. This is a series you will want to devour!

This audio book, as well as the preceding books, is narrated by Antony Ferguson. I believe this talented man may be my favorite narrator ever, and that's saying a lot because I have some I really love. He perfectly embodies the characters of both Llewelyn and Barker. I also like that he doesn't attempt to make the females sound like Monty Python members impersonating women; he gives them a believable softer voice. I hope he continues to narrate the series for as long as it lasts...and I hope that will be a long, long time!

I received an ARC of this book and audio book courtesy of the publishers and NetGalley. I have received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Will Thomas for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Death and Glory coming out April 23, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love this series! I haven’t read all of them, but I think it’s a really fun historical series. The Civil War time setting is a really fascinating time period to me. I love the detectives. I think they’re a fun duo. I also loved to see more of their home lives. The whole plot felt like espionage, so I loved it. I’m definitely excited to read more of this series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys American Civil War era murder mysteries!

Death and Glory is the 15th book in the Barker & Llewelyn mystery series but you don't have to read the previous books in the series. This is only the 4th book I've read in the series.

The series is set in 1890s London so I was surprised when men claiming to be Confederate soldiers appear in Barker's office.

While my American history classes spent a great deal of time on the Civil War and Reconstruction, I realized I knew ( or remember) very little about what happened to high-ranking Confederate soldiers. The men claiming to be Confederate soldiers have been living in Cuba, Mexico, and Brazil. I had to look it up, but apparently, about 10,000 Confederates left the U.S. after the war and lived abroad in mostly Brazil but also in Cuba, Mexico, and Central America.

I've never considered what other countries were doing during the Civil War or if either side sought allies from other nations.

In Death and Glory, these men claim that a treaty was signed during the war which among other things gave the South a battleship. Nearly 30 years later, they have shown up to claim the ship that they had paid for. The mystery that Barker and Llewelyn are trying to solve is multi-pronged: who are these men really, why do they want a battleship, and is all of this subterfuge concealing a larger plan.

While Barker and Llewlyn are interesting characters, the Southerners are quite colorful characters.

I mentioned in my review of Heart of the Nile that I really like listening to this series as an audiobook. And I wish I had received the audiobook for this book because I think it would have been fun to hear the narrator do the Confederate southern drawl.

If you like to solve the mystery then this isn't quite the novel for that. It is more like the reader is along for the ride and should enjoy the company of the characters. For me, I do enjoy being with the characters. We get to see as much of their personal life as we do their work life.

If you like historical mysteries with great characters, then this is the book for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Wednesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/04/death-and-glory-by-will-thomas-review.html

Barker and Llewellyn are back with another interesting adventure. I should start by pointing out that while this is the 15th book in this long-running historical mystery/thriller series, I’ve only read one other so I feel this would be fine as a standalone or as your first foray into this series.

I was particularly interested in this book because of the idea of former members of the Confederacy still scheming and trying to get support in England in 1894 - and it was indeed a fascinating premise. The author’s note at the end was also illuminating.

There are many opportunities to smile and laugh along the way. Barker and Llewellyn have some great banter between them. With Llewellyn having married a Jewish woman, we also get small glimpses into the London Jewish community and the discrimination they face by “society.” The men who purport to represent the Confederacy are well-drawn individuals, one of whom is constantly intoxicated, either from drink or drugs or a combination of both. They have arrived with a treaty they say was signed with Britain many years ago.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Antony Ferguson, with many different characters and accents.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn find themselves dealing with a very different sort of case when a group of Americans show up wanting their assistance to enforce a 30 year old agreement between the Confederate States of America and Great Britain. Seems that 30 years on, these men want to revive the war in the US and they want a ship to do it with. This is peek into a corner and it's a bit unsettling but it is undeniable, of course, that there are, even today, those that support the Confederacy. I've been a fan of this series not only for the mysteries (which this isn't really) but for the characters, which grow in in installment. This is no exception but those who haven't read the preceding novels will be fine with this as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Currently one of five finalists for the upcoming Oklahoma Book Award in Fiction for Heart of the Nile, Will Thomas has gifted readers with yet another Barker and Llewelyn Victorian mystery, Death and Glory (#15 in the series). The book is set in 1894 London with Enquiry Agent Cyrus Barker in his fifties and partner Thomas Llewelyn thirty.

The novel’s Preface opens with what appears to be a murder—a hit and run in which a horse-drawn carriage runs down a 92-year-old man, who had played a leading role in the Civil War’s Trent Affair. Although I immediately started a Google search, Will Thomas does eventually explain everything readers need to know about this historic incident called the Trent Affair. Following the Preface, the story shifts to protagonists Barker and Llewelyn, contacted by a group of four former Confederate soldiers seeking an audience with the Prime Minister. Holding an old contract for a British built warship, the Confederates have arrived to collect the ship paid for thirty years earlier but never received, the war having ended before the ship’s completion.

From here, the author picks up the pace, adding a variety of characters, raising questions about the contract’s authenticity and the Confederates’ identity. Briefly telling of their lives in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America following the Union victory, the expat Confederates have arrived in London for larger purposes than claiming the ship. The British are watching the Confederates. American officials, under the direction of United States Minister to England Robert Todd Lincoln, are watching the Confederates and the British. Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn find themselves in a tight spot as they cozy up to the Confederates in the line of duty.

Barker and Llewelyn fans and historical mystery lovers should pick up a copy of Death and Glory. Readers can easily start with this fifteenth in the series but are likely to next pick up Some Danger Involved (2004), Will Thomas’s introduction to Barker and Llewelyn, and follow up with the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur/St. Martin's Press for an advance reader copy of this highly recommended new novel.

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Old soldiers never die, and some never give up
This fifteenth in the Barker and Llewellyn series continues to provide a clever mix of historical events with the investigational efforts of the protagonists. The historical event that provided the background for Death and Glory was especially intriguing. The year is 1894, and a group of Confederate patriots who escaped to other countries after the war are in England attempting to equip themselves with a warship to resume their battle for independence. They engage Barker to get them an audience with the English prime minister. That seems straightforward enough, but the implications for international diplomacy are far from simple.
Most Americans do not think much about the activities of former leaders and warriors of the Confederacy after the end of the Civil War, so the idea was intriguing but not really surprising. Some of the events and people alluded to are real, such as the Trent Affair, which occurred in 1861, and Jubal Swindell, whom we meet in a very dramatic prologue. Some of them MIGHT have been real, but we are not sure about their identity…. There is a helpful author’s note at the end to give some enlightenment about what was historically true in the book; it was interesting, and I wish it had been longer.
The idea of these men persisting in pursuit of the patriotic goal for three decades was fascinating. Their characters never really came alive for me, though. And although there is a lot of action, the actual plot was surprisingly not very engaging. In addition, some things were left unsettled at the end of the book, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Although I very much enjoyed the early books in this series, for some reason book 4 was the last I read, so as a result I was not up on some significant events in the Barker’s and Llewellyn’s lives. It is not absolutely necessary to read the books in order, but I would recommend it. I plan to go back and fill in some gaps.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and the publisher

Death and Glory, by Will Thomas
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book

Late Victorian private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Lewellyn make their latest appearance in Death and Glory, the 16th book in this series. It is 10 years since they began working together, and though Lewellyn now is married, they continue to live in Barker’s gracious house, surrounded by many of the people who have accompanied them from their first outing.

Like its predecessors, Death and Glory is a rather tall tale of mystery and action, filled with characters having uncommon skills and resources, both physical and financial. Set in 1894, this time the plot revolves around the efforts of a group representing themselves as the survivors and heirs of the American Confederacy. Based on a supposed 1865 treaty between the Confederate and the British governments, they lay claim to an iron-clad ship from England, aiming to re-ignite the War of Secession. Barker and Lewellyn are hired by the British Prime Minister to learn as much as possible about these men and their plans.

The story is engaging, if a little far-fetched: how many men can survive a 15 ft. fall onto cobblestones and the next day take the helm of a large Chinese junk fitted with European locomotion? Thomas Lewellyn can, and similarly, Barker remains in action despite varied physical attacks.

Written with light humor, there seem to be unnecessary characters who make short appearances, complicating an already busy plot, but one that fans of this duo will enjoy.

Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are private enquiry agents in England, during the Victorian era. They take all types of cases and have developed reputations for doing good work and being honest.

They are approached by 4 men who represent the Confederate States of America. Yet, the War Between the States has been over for years. The men request that Barker and Llewelyn introduce them to the Prime Minister.

The goup includes a strong leader, a drunken dandy, a large bully and a young man who seldom speaks. The reason for the need of an introduction is the fact that Britain owes the Confederacy an ironclad ship and the men are ready to take the ship.

I have not read any of the other books in this series. But, I had no problem following the action, learning of relationships and hearing about previous events.

Thomas is the voice for the story. He is an admirer of his heroic, older partner. He is a precise story teller who has no problem describing his own shortcomings. Actually, the described shortcomings are only in his estimation of himself.

The book is action packed. The plot is well developed. The characters are complete human beings. Barker is the only character who is an enigma. Thomas understands him, but Barker is not big on sharing.

Barker and Thomas are very thorough investigators. They are smart and brave and humorous. The description of hanging on the side of a building is scary and funny at the same time.

The story includes a little about the private lives of both Barker and Thomas. But, the majority of the story is about playing cat and mouse with the Americans. There are dangers. There are mysteries within the mystery. And it is evident that taking a life is not a problem for the men from the Confederacy. After all, they were soldiers in a War.

The story introduces possibilities that the ship could cause relations between Britain and the United States government to be strained. That possibility is one of the reasons the Prime Minister wants to be kept up to date on events. In fact there are many people who are interested in the outcome.

This is a terrific story.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.