This was a well-done historical mystery that kept me turning the pages.

Our narrator, Thomas Lewellyn, is one half of the private enquiry team of Barker and Lewellyn. He works with detective extraordinaire Cyrus Barker, who was trained growing up in China, where he spent time as a soldier. He is feared throughout London, where he is not afraid of getting into a mess, and the duo gets into plenty of messes.

The team is hired to figure out who is the "dawn gang" that has been breaking into businesses before dawn and stealing whatever they can. As they accomplish this, they come across Dutch, a beggar who has been helping the gang, but she isn't interested in their help. Strange things start happening in London, especially with the caving in of a huge building and the ensuing deaths of 75 people there. Soon after the team is hired to look into the disappearance of a wealthy heiress, and many moving parts may be all connected.

This is clearly part of a series, although I have not read the previous books, and this works perfectly well as a standalone. Everything you need to know is provided, and I already feel invested in the whole group, from Thomas and his family to Barker's other teammates like Jacob Macabbee and Victor Soho. Everyone is given some sort of role, making for a well-rounded and pleasing read. I also love the small Jewish rep that doesn't overwhelm the story.

This is excellent historical fiction that has just enough interesting parts beyond the typical -- Jewish, Chinese, etc. -- to make it stand out. The prose is tight and sharp, and the characters aren't perfect, but they're likeable.

The mystery was mostly easy to uncover, but certain twists were surprising.

Overall I enjoyed this and recommend it. I look forward to the next chapter.

Season of Death by Will Thomas is a Barker and Llewelyn novel, which says it all. The most stunning thing that happened in this story is when an entire district of London fell into the depths, a sinkhole, if you will. The heads if all the gangs were gathered in a meeting deep in an underground vault, when it happened. One might have expected warring over who would replace each of them, but it all happened as kind of a footnote to the bigger story. Lord Hugh Danvers and his wife appeared at the office to request help in finding Lady Danver’s sister, who had disappeared months earlier. At the end, Lord Danvers gave them a photo. It lounged in Thomas’ pocket for several says until the maid discovered it, gave it to Rebecca, and his world imploded. She identified it as a well known courtesan and assumed, he, Thomas Llewelyn, had been cavorting with her. After that thought was quelled, they had one of their first breaks in the case, which was a complicated one.

Clive Barker is a strong and clever man who has lived a full life. He has been everywhere and done everything including taking Thomas under his wing. What that meant was many sleepless night and much doing of unpleasant things. It also meant travel and interviews and standoffs with the police, which then, like now, have corruption as part of everyday life. Most were good men, working hard, but not all. Finding the missing woman was more challenging than it should have been and in doing so, uncovered a network of greed and lack of concern for other people. It was a great story. Worthy of Barker and Llewelyn. Great characters. An excellent and complex mystery. Good pacing and perfect timing.

I was invited to read Season of Death by St Martin;s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #WillThomas #SeasonOfDeath

Season of Death is the 16th book in the historical mystery series Barker & Llewelyn by Will Thomas. I started this series a number of books in, and I immediately fell in love with it. I went back and read all I had missed. This has become one of my favorite series EVER. You would think that after this many books the series would become stale, but it hasn't in the least. In fact, this was one of my favorite books in the series. This volume stands alone, so jump right on in and start enjoying! I also listened to the audiobook along with reading so I didn't have to step away from my book, because for some reason people don't like you reading as you're driving.

It's November 1895 in London, and private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn have seen a lot in their years working together. They've worked from the top for the Crown and down to the bottom for the London Underground. But this newest case is going to be a doozy! A railway tunnel in the East End of London suddenly collapses and kills dozens of people, shutting down services all over the city. While working on a case, Barker and Llewelyn meet a beggar calling herself Dutch, and she informs them that there is an attempt by a powerful aristocrat to take over London's criminal underworld. Their search for a missing heiress and violence at a women's shelter are muddying up the works and keeping Barker and Llewelyn from learning the truth. Barker is in relentless pursuit, and Llewelyn is starting to wonder how a poor beggar seems to know a lot about what's going on.

Barker and Llewelyn are one of my favorite crimefighting duos of all time. Their personalities seem like oil and water, yet they have solved innumerable cases while working with each other. Barker is a stubborn Scot who worked his way up in the world, became rich and started London's premier private enquiry office. And for the love of all that is holy, do NOT refer to him as. a private detective! It's PRIVATE ENQUIRY AGENT. He owns a beautiful home, a garden that's the envy of all, and has worked on investigations for the highest down to the lowest of Society. He's stoic, deadly, a member of the Knights Templar and has a caring heart under a rough exterior. Llewelyn is the son of. Welsh coal miner. After losing his young wife and being set up for theft, he was put in prison. When out he sought a job with Barker and if he wasn't successful, he was planning on ending it all. But he was hired, and years later the men are partners in the agency. Llewelyn has married and has just become a father for the first time. Llewelyn, first and foremost, is a smartass. I absolutely adore him, and the humor between he and Barker always makes me laugh. The story is told from the point of view of Llewelyn. This case turned out to be one of their most difficult. It appears that because of the tunnel collapse, many heads of crime syndicates died, and someone is attempting to take over the underworld. At the same time, Barker and Llewelyn are trying to solve a string of thefts that ended in a murder, plus they are hired to find the missing sister-in-law of an aristocrat. Throw in a beggar woman - she's a "crawler", one of the worst off of beggars because she can't walk - who seems to be quite intelligent though living on the streets and seems to be involved in this complicated mess somehow, and things go from bad to worse. We learn a bit more of Barker's involvement in the Knights Templar, and of his complicated relationships with higher-ups in law enforcement. Meanwhile, Llewelyn is trying to deal with a new baby who cries all of the time, and taking care of a stray dog that's on the verge of becoming part of his family. Barker and Llewelyn are always in physical danger, and that certainly is raised a notch here! The mystery was complicated, and I was totally stunned with the climax. All of our old favorites are still here, such as Barker's Chinese friend Ho (who owns a restaurant, lives to give Llewelyn a hard time, and has his thumb in some illegal pies), Llewelyn's wife Rebecca, Barker's butler Mac, and of course Harm, Barker's dog who has a thing for chewing on Llewelyn. The only regular character not present during the story but was referenced to was Barker's woman friend Lady Ashley. I hope there are many more books for this dynamic duo. My world would be a sad - and dull - place without Barker and Llewelyn!

As I mentioned earlier, I also listened to the audiobook when I couldn't read the book. The audiobook is narrated by Antony Ferguson, who is absolutely magnificent! He captures every nuance of the story and characters, and he IS Barker and Llewelyn. He may be my favorite narrator.

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

November 1895 Barker and Llewelyn are employed by Lord Danvers to find his missing wealthy sister-in-law May Evans who has been missing for six months. But problems arise in their lives which include the collapse of a tunnel which killed all the London gang leaders. Was this an accident. And who is the beggar called Dutch and what is her involvement in events if all.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its interesting and likeable main characters. Who are supported by a cast of varied personalities. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Will Thomas for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Season of Death coming out April 22, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love this author! I’ve only read a few of the books in the series towards the end, but I really enjoy it. I love Victorian murder mysteries. This one definitely had an interesting mystery. I really love the characters. I think they’re great detectives. I would definitely read more books in the series.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Victorian murder mysteries!

After a couple of installments that felt like they were lackluster retreads of plots from earlier books in the Barker & Llwellyn series, I've been happy to discover that the most recent two books have taken a leap forward in their quality, and remind me why I've been following these characters for the past twenty years.

in Season of Death, we find our intrepid enquiry agents, Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn facing a barrage of cases and one disaster that seem at first like they are disconnected events: a violent new gang attacks a string of shops in the East End; an ailing beggar woman provides information to Barker; a sinkhole collapse kills dozens; a wealthy noblewoman arrives at the agency looking for help in finding her missing sister. But while these disparate events seem unrelated, a fatal link runs through it all, and if Barker and Llewellyn can't untangle the mystery in time, they may find that their time is up.

While I might wish that Llewellyn– now a veteran enquiry agent with ten years' of experience under his belt– might be more of a lead in these later stories, I recognize that much of the appeal of the Barker and Llewellyn novels lies in the interactions between the stoic Barker and the quick-witted Llewellyn, and sending the younger detective might throw off the delicate balance that the author has established. Still, knowing that Llewellyn is, by now, a mature man of thirty-four and full partner in the agency is still working as something of a dogsbody for Barker can be a bit frustrating.

And yet their relationship is still so much fun to read, especially now that it seems like the author has gained his second wind when it comes to this series. All the characters are getting older and wiser. Times and technology are changing around them, forcing all of them– even Barker– to change with them. It's been fascinating to see how things like telephones have come to be an important part of their investigations.

I enjoyed every page of this book, and while I guessed how a few of the twists would play out, I didn't predict everything– thanks especially to a few cleverly placed red herrings. An unexpected double-cross at a critical point throws a wrench into the works, and while it was fixed a smidgen too easily for my taste, it did show that even the great Cyrus Barker can't foresee everything.

I usually want books to be a bit tighter in the editing, and thus a little shorter, but in the case of Season of Death, I found myself wanting more. More interactions between Llewellyn and the side characters, a little bit more of the climactic scene, a longer denouement to tie up the loose ends- perhaps five or ten more pages to flesh things out a bit. But on the whole, it's hard to find much of a fault with this book. I had fun reading it from the first page to the last, and I will certainly be reading it again in the future.

Will Thomas fans and historical mystery fans will enjoy Season of Death, number 16 in Thomas’s Barker and Llewelyn series. Scottish Private Enquiry Agent Cyrus Barker and his Welsh assistant Thomas Llewelyn now face their most dangerous mission. Hired by a group of East End London businessmen to stop the Dawn Gang carrying out early morning robberies, the pair convinces a crippled beggar to share a tip enabling them to outfox local police and Scotland Yard. Deciding to help the beggar who tipped them off about the gang’s whereabouts, the pair is warned that trouble will follow.

Hired to find a missing aristocrat and soon confronted by others attempting to take control of the local crime ring, Barker and Llewelyn have no idea what lies ahead. Yet as humorous, chatty Llewelyn, the delightful narrator, reminds readers, they are the little-known pair who once solved the Jack the Ripper case although the professionals and Barker’s desire for privacy have combined to ensure the pair does not receive credit.
What exactly lies ahead? What additional role can the mysterious crippled beggar play? Enter the poverty-stricken, crime-ridden late Victorian London East End of Will Thomas’s Season of Death to find out.

Readers new to Will Thomas can easily start with this latest installment but are next likely to find themselves picking up Some Danger Involved (2004) and following up with the rest of the author’s Barker and Llewelyn series in order.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader egalley of this highly recommended new historical mystery.

I absolutely love the Barker & Llewelyn series, and Season of Death is a fantastic addition that delivers everything I’ve come to expect: excellent writing, intriguing characters, suspenseful twists, and rich historical detail. Will Thomas once again immerses readers in the dark, vibrant heart of Victorian London, a city teeming with street urchins, American heiresses, suffragettes, and scheming lords—and I loved every minute of the journey.

One of my favorite aspects of the series is the seamless way Thomas incorporates real historical facts and events into his fiction. This time, the plot kicks off with the sudden collapse of a railway tunnel in the East End, sending Barker and Llewelyn headlong into a deadly investigation involving a missing heiress, a riot at a women’s shelter, and a beggar woman named “Dutch” who proves far more than she seems. The mystery is layered but never confusing; there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, but not so many that you lose track of the plot.

The writing is concise and purposeful—no unnecessary fluff—and carries just the right touch of dry wit and Sherlock Holmes vibes that I’ve come to adore in this series. Cyrus Barker remains a force of nature: enigmatic, principled, and deeply capable. Thomas Llewelyn’s narration brings the human heart to the story, and their partnership continues to be one of the most compelling in detective fiction.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

I DNF'd after a few chapters as while I was liking the story, I was struggling with the style of writing. It felt, to my brain, like it was switching tenses or something and it felt jarring to me.

I am hoping to try reading it again at a later date to see if it works better for me.

Thanks so much.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to go to the East End of London in 1895 for the 16th book of the Barker and Llewelyn series. I have enjoyed every book in the series and this was no exception. What made it even better was I read the book on my flight home from London, and felt the claustrophobia of the tube system. I have enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop and look forward to many more adventures.

What I love about Thomas's stories is that they always start in one place, appear to chase all kinds of rabbits down (blown up) subway tunnel holes, combing history and fiction to make a riveting story. He always captures me from the first page and I find I cannot put these stories down and always am left eagerly awaiting the next in the series. This story starts with a crime spree, evolves to a missing heiress, and follows the path of an up and coming member of Parliament.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller with twists and turns, I highly recommend this book and the entire series. Each book can be read alone (I started with book #15 Death and Glory and went back to the beginning to read them all. I thank St Martins Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest review.

This latest in a long running series will be just as enjoyable as a standalone for fans of historical mysteries but even more so for those who have been following along the lives and work of Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn. It's 1895 and something is afoot in London's East End, something these two must untangle to solve two different mysteries. It's nicely atmospheric and complex as well as entertaining. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Great read-I'm looking forward to the next one.

London, England in November of 1895 comes to life in the sixteenth book in the Barker and Llewelyn series by Will Thomas. Season of Death features two private enquiry agents, Cyrus Barker and his business partner Thomas Llewelyn. It is set largely in the London East End which was a working class and immigrant area that was rife with poverty, overcrowding, crime, and the associated social issues during this time of the Victorian era.

Hired by merchants to catch the criminals robbing stores at night, they encounter a beggar who provides a lead to them. Meanwhile Sir Hugh Danvers and his wife hire them to find her sister, an American heiress, who has been missing for six months. When the collapse of a railway tunnel kills dozens and shuts down utility and other services across much of the city and a riot at a women’s shelter occur, Cyrus and Thomas are spread thin dealing with the fallout.

Cyrus is competent, stoic, stubborn, crafty, and has his own code of ethics. He supports several charities, including the Mile End Mission women’s shelter. However, he lacks a sense of humor and doesn’t enjoy taking orders. He also doesn’t understand sarcasm. Thomas is the junior partner with a wife and a young daughter who is teething. He seems to have the ability to vex authority figures and doesn’t get along with several people in their circle of acquaintances. He handles the office accounts and writes the reports as well as takes notes during their investigations.

The author has a writing style that quickly brings readers into the well-paced story that is sprinkled with humor. The atmosphere and setting are fabulous in this novel. I could easily visualize the characters and the place as well as the danger that abounded. What starts as a simple investigation quickly escalates into an inquiry into the criminal underworld of the East End. There are several twists and a couple of surprises along the way as well as one or two predictable elements. I enjoy learning something new in historical fiction novels. In this one, readers get insight into police methods of identifying criminals using Bertillon cards. My main quibble is that there was one item that was not brought fully to closure, although there is some insight into what was probably going to happen. Themes include crime, poverty, corruption, murder, domestic violence, women’s rights, and much more.

Overall, this is a moving, well-written, and entertaining novel with great characterization as well as some pivotal suspenseful moments and several action scenes. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Although this can work as a standalone novel, reading the series in order will show character growth and changes over time as well as information on relationships among the reoccurring characters. Readers who enjoy historical mysteries set in Victorian England will likely enjoy this book.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Will Thomas provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 22, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I so enjoyed this book! I admit - I jumped into this series at this book, but it was so easy to do and I never felt behind or like I was missing anything. That being said I will absolutely go back and read the previous books because I loved this one. I am a sucker for the detective duo made of the stoic vet and the funny more relaxed newbie.  This book was a masterclass in weaving together a complex story through careful and smart detective skills, with so many twists and so many AH HA moments that kept me captivated. I am so impressed at how the story was told to bring it all together the way it does at the end.  I loved so many of the characters (and the animals to be honest) and I can't wait for more!

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

This latest book in the Barker and Llewelyn series marks ten years of partnership between Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Thomas grow from a starving, newly-released prisoner, who is down-on-his-luck, into the competent investigator who still values the teachings of the enigmatic Barker. It is a partnership of opposites that just works on so many levels.

Something is afoot in London’s East End, and it is up to Barker and Llewelyn to figure it all out. They currently have two cases on their slate – one case is to find the missing sister-in-law of a London toff who is very powerful and politically connected. The other client is Scotland Yard – and they want to know why the East End has gotten so quiet. What is going on? That becomes an even more important question when all of the leadership of the various gangs, guilds, etc., of the East End are suddenly killed when a large tunnel caves in. Deliberate or an accident? Will there be wars within the different factions until new leaders emerge?

The resolution is well done with all of the threads nicely tied with a series of shorter chapters wrapping them. The heroes and heroines all get their nice rewards, and the villains get equally bad outcomes.

I read the print version and I also listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Antony Ferguson, did an excellent job of making the characters come to life with his smooth delivery. I thoroughly enjoyed his characterizations of the perky Thomas Llewelyn and the gruff Angus Barker.

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

I so enjoy this series as private investigation agents, Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn, are looking into two mysteries - the disappearance of the sister-in-law of the leader of the Tory politicians and a bombing of a East End neighborhood that just happened to kill the leaders of all the various criminal gangs in London. As always, the author depicts 1890s London with lots of interesting details. Llewelyn’s somewhat sardonic narration is always amusing. The characters that they encounter are original and intriguing. The bad guy is appropriately evil.

This series is a must read for me.

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.

It was a pleasure to revisit Barker and Llewellyn and be back in 1895 London in Season of Death. While this is definitely a mystery with lots of action, there are also plenty of opportunities to chuckle along the way. Thomas Llewelyn is the narrator, and he reflects on events and personalities they encounter on the job and on his personal life. He is the assistant investigator for Cyrus Barker, who calls their business a “private enquiry” agency.

The story starts off with action scenes of the duo tracking down and catching a ring of thieves who have been preying on small businesses in the East End. But the main story involves an American heiress who has disappeared. Barker and Llewelyn don’t get the case for several months, so tracking her down is difficult. I loved the glimpses of how both the upper classes and the lower classes lived. Telephones were around but fairly scarce and horse-drawn carriages were the rule. By the end of the book we see a rare “horseless carriage”, so times are going to change quickly!

While Llewelyn is married to a Jewish woman, we don’t get much info about the London Jewish community in this volume. It was tantalizing but left me wanting in that one respect. Barker seems to have had quite a fascinating and varied life before opening his detective agency, bits of which we read about along the way. We also learn a bit about Llewelyn’s interesting backstory.

Note: This is a long-running series but this is only my third (out of 16), so I think you can jump in without having to read all the previous books.

I mostly listened to the audiobook version which was beautifully narrated by Antony Ferguson again. He constantly smoothly switches between Barker’s Scottish accent and other accents throughout the book.

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.

"In late Victorian England, private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn find themselves in the middle of the deadly chaos when powerful forces align to take over London's criminal underworld.

Private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, along with his partner Thomas Llewelyn, has a long, accomplished history - he's worked with all aspects of society, from the highest (including the Crown and the government) to the lowest (various forces in London's underworld). He's been the target of murder attempts, character assassination, bombings and attacks upon his closest associates but never has he and his agency partner Thomas Llewelyn faced such destruction and potential disaster.

The sudden collapse of a railway tunnel in the East End of London kills dozens and shuts down services all over the city. Meanwhile, a mysterious beggar calling herself "Dutch" guides Barker and Llewelyn to an attempt by a powerful aristocrat to take over London's criminal underworld. With a missing heiress and a riot at a women's shelter acting as distractions designed to stop the duo from getting to the truth, Barker must relentlessly fight to reach the truth while Llewelyn wonders how a simple beggar woman can be the catalyst for such destruction."

Yes, who is this simple beggar woman!?!

Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn are private enquiry agents in Victorian Era England. The pair are approached by a high powered couple to find their missing sister/sister-in-law, who is also an American heiress. This leads them into much drama and danger. During the search, they meet a "crawler" - a beggar woman called "Dutch" who insists she doesn't want help, but does lead them to important information. Also during the search, the collapse of an area referred to as Calcutta, brings down all of the heads of the local gangs when the whole area caves in and crushes the tunnel/meeting area below. This takes out the leaders of the literal underworld leaving things in disarray.

As the duo continues along their investigations, they find corruption in more than the obvious places. I found this a bit predictable, and had a good portion of the plot worked out early. I did enjoy the descriptions of the local charitable resources and the bit of detail around the strong willed women, pushing to do the right thing for others.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Will Thomas for the eARC.

Pub Date Apr 22 2025

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Apr. 22, 2025
“Season of Death” is the sixteenth installment of the “Barker and Llewelyn” series by author Will Thomas. I loved the Sherlock Holmes vibes, with Barker being the perfect Sherlock and Llewelyn being his reliable sidekick. Being unfamiliar with the previous fifteen novels didn’t seem to matter, as I was able to jump right in and follow the two detectives on their journey.
Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are hired to find the sister-in-law of an influential politician, even though she has been missing for more than six months and no one seems too eager to look for her. But as Cyrus and Thomas investigate, an underground tunnel in London collapses, seemingly revealing the meeting place of a secret underbelly of London society. With all of that to deal with, their search for the missing woman brings them to a woman’s shelter where a beggar woman leads them on a wild goose chase that turns out to be more fruitful than either of them expected.
“Death” is pretty much nonstop action from the get-go. With three mysteries to solve, all connected in subtle ways, the detectives are busy from the jump. Barker is very clearly neuro-divergent and Llewelyn is a new husband and father, which provides an interesting dynamic. Llewelyn is the main narrator, and both he and his partner are a unique and likable pair.
There are lots of twists and turns to weave together, but this series has clearly been running for a long time and it is clear to see why. The plot is cohesive and flows smoothly, the characters are well developed and the ending provides a reassuring conclusion to all of the plot lines.
It is indicative of the writer’s talent when a reader can jump into a series halfway through and not just be able to follow along, but actually enjoy the ride. Will Thomas has crafted a deliciously addicting series that fans of Sherlock Holmes will devour.