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96th out of 738 books
—
1,608 voters
Some Danger Involved (Barker & Llewelyn #1)
by
Will Thomas
An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a p...more
Paperback, 290 pages
Published
March 1st 2005
by Touchstone
(first published 2004)
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In this book, the characters are what drive the story with their quirky behaviors and eccentricities. The plot is quite good and easy to follow, and the atmosphere created by the author is rich. Set in Victorian England, the book is close to a Holmes/Watson combination but the characters have more of an attitude and are much more physical than Conan Doyle's great pair. Having said this, I will add that if readers aren't interested in Victorian mystery stories, then this may not be for them. Howe...more
Thomas Llewelyn is the new assistant of Barker, a private enquiry agent in Victorian London. Llewelyn, himself a recent convict, finds himself overwhelmed by the strange characters surrounding and the habits of his mysterious new employer. Together they embark on a mystery surrounding the crucifixion of a Jewish scholar and teacher in the center of Petticoat Lane, the heart of the Jewish ghetto in London.
This was an amusing read, but not a very gripping one. The mystery is not too compelling si...more
This was an amusing read, but not a very gripping one. The mystery is not too compelling si...more
Jan 20, 2010
Viccy
added it
This is a charming and original historical mystery that introduces two intriguing heroes: the mysterious and ever-resourceful Cyrus Barker and his hapless, but determined sidekick, Thomas Llewelyn. There are currently four more books in the series. The setting is Victorian London and the two men are inquiry agents. Barker, who grew up in the Far East is a martial artist and associates with everyone from the shadiest lowlifes to the lords and ladies of high society. Llewelyn is penniless, a forme...more
Feb 15, 2013
Cris
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery,
sherlock-holmes-readalike
A friend suggested Some Danger Involved as a read-alike for Sherlock Holmes. There are certain similarities in plot and character, but there are marked differences as well.
Some Danger Involved includes more action and violence than appears in most Sherlock Holmes stories. And there's less atmosphere. It doesn't feel like Victorian London to me. (The frequent references to telephone calls and the modern attitudes and language might explain that.)
The mystery was decent and Thomas gave the reader...more
Some Danger Involved includes more action and violence than appears in most Sherlock Holmes stories. And there's less atmosphere. It doesn't feel like Victorian London to me. (The frequent references to telephone calls and the modern attitudes and language might explain that.)
The mystery was decent and Thomas gave the reader...more
Um livro muito interessante e com uma história bastante diferente do habitual. Um assassínio no século XIX com conotações religiosas, em que um judeu é crucificado na principal rua desta comunidade em Londres. Tudo leva a crer que isto é apenas o início de uma guerra entre judeus e cristãos. E é por aí que a história se desenrola, com o investigador Barker e o seu novo ajudante, contratado no início da obra, Thomas Llewelyn, que se apresenta como a personagem principal. A investigação é requisit...more
3.5 stars. After a stint in prison and having lost his wife to consumption, young Thomas Llewelyn has just about lost hope of finding a position in London. He answers an advertisement as an assistant to enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, planning to jump off a bridge later if this last effort proves unsuccessful. Luckily Barker sees Llewelyn's worth and hires him. Their first case involves the murder by crucifixion of a young Jewish scholar.
The best thing about this book is the two lead characters. The...more
The best thing about this book is the two lead characters. The...more
"It's amazing what one bloke can do" - for good and bad
I really enjoyed this first in the Barker and Llewelyn series and I can say without reservation I will read more.
The book was delightful and clever with both action and humor from beginning to end. What a great premise - an ad for an "enquiry agent" (which they prefer to be called) with the enticing line: "Some Danger Involved"!
Llewelyn, especially, was a sympathetic and likeable character, but like some of my other favorite authors - Louis...more
I really enjoyed this first in the Barker and Llewelyn series and I can say without reservation I will read more.
The book was delightful and clever with both action and humor from beginning to end. What a great premise - an ad for an "enquiry agent" (which they prefer to be called) with the enticing line: "Some Danger Involved"!
Llewelyn, especially, was a sympathetic and likeable character, but like some of my other favorite authors - Louis...more
3 likes · like · see review
Plot summary: In Victorian London, Thomas Llewelyn, a man on his very last legs, thinking to throw himself off the London Bridge, answers one last "positions available" ad. He finds himself as an assistant to one of London's best "enquiry agents", Cyrus Barker. They become embroiled in a case revolving around the Jewish community.
I really liked our two main characters here; Llewelyn served as a good and comfortable narrator and Barker was a dirty-fighting good time. I wasn't so comfortable with...more
I really liked our two main characters here; Llewelyn served as a good and comfortable narrator and Barker was a dirty-fighting good time. I wasn't so comfortable with...more
I loved this book! I was so excited when I found out it was the start of a series and not just a stand alone mystery. The characters of Llewelyn and Barker were extremely interesting and enjoyable to read about; I absolutely love them. I liked having the story from Thomas' point of view and how the writing reflected his newness to the field of private enquiry agent. As a reader I felt confused at times because he was confused. I had no idea who was behind it all, but after it was revealed I knew...more
This mystery is clearly very thoroughly researched. The ethnic and social tensions of Victorian England provide a nice setting for crimes far removed from the wealthy circles that the esteemed Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson traveled in.
That being said, experienced mystery readers will figure out "who dunnit" early on, from structural clues rather than ones discovered by the characters. That is, the perpetrator is obvious from the way the author presents characters and plot, long before implicating ev...more
That being said, experienced mystery readers will figure out "who dunnit" early on, from structural clues rather than ones discovered by the characters. That is, the perpetrator is obvious from the way the author presents characters and plot, long before implicating ev...more
Whew - I needed this after finishing my last book! (A Thousand Splendid Suns) I've enjoyed reading mystery/suspense books for a long time & I've just added another author to my list!
I think I 'heard' about this book from my page-a-day book lover's calendar email (if you own one page-a-day calendar you can get another emailed to you everyday). When I checked it out I was intrigued & I haven't been disappointed.
This is the first in a series for 2 characters - Barker & Llewelyn - that...more
I think I 'heard' about this book from my page-a-day book lover's calendar email (if you own one page-a-day calendar you can get another emailed to you everyday). When I checked it out I was intrigued & I haven't been disappointed.
This is the first in a series for 2 characters - Barker & Llewelyn - that...more
Feb 02, 2013
Jamie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery,
victorian
A murder mystery set in late 19th-century London, populated with a sufficient number of quirky and mysterious characters and imparting the requisite history lesson - about the influx of Jews into England following the 19th century pogroms in eastern Europe.
It’s not a bad read, but the book is cozy and facile, and has very little atmosphere. I never believed in the setting. By contrast, Anne Perry’s most tedious novel still leaves me feeling as if I’m bored in Victorian London.
I was disappointed...more
It’s not a bad read, but the book is cozy and facile, and has very little atmosphere. I never believed in the setting. By contrast, Anne Perry’s most tedious novel still leaves me feeling as if I’m bored in Victorian London.
I was disappointed...more
The Barker & Llewelyn series was recommended to me when I requested a new detective series to read; while I like mysteries of any sort, I prefer characters I can follow for a number of books. The themes were unexpected -- a blend of the rougher side of Victorian street life and 19th century Asian culture -- and lent a sort of freshness to the genre. Granted, I will read almost anything Victorian, but the international flavour of it was highly appealing.
I look forward to learning more about t...more
I look forward to learning more about t...more
Interesting and well written book. The interesting part of the book is not the mystery, which is plausible, but the extensive background given on the jewish citizenry of London during Victorian times. It also deals with some religious aspects of the jews and their views of non-jews. Since this is the authors first book he spends sometime given the background of the narrator, but does not give very much informationon the protagonist, Enquiry Agent Cyrus Barker. The author has taken a page from Ho...more
An enjoyable enough debut of a pair of Victorian-era inquiry agent (don't call him "private detective) and his assistant. The fun is in reading about the enigmatic Cyrus Barker through the eyes of his assistant, Thomas Llewellyn and not the mystery itself which turned out to be nothing much. A harsher critic might even call it lacking in imagination. Thomas Llewellyn echoed my own reaction when in the final pages of the book he said that he could not believe that they were "fooled by a false bea...more
Fun fast paced historical mystery. Lots of the reviewers and commentors compare it to Sherlock Holmes. I think a better comparison is one removed - Nero Wolfe and Archie Godwin. Baker, like Wolfe, is an eccentric with a household staff and surrounding friends and helpmates. Though more active than Wolfe, he still spends lots of time just thinking, his hands pressed together. Thomas, like Archie, does some of the legwork, admires his employer and has a droll sense of humor. As the series continue...more
This book is clearly built off of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels. Barker is Holmes and Llewelyn is Watson. It's told from Llewelyn or Watson's point of view. But in this novel, the characters felt more real. I'm not sure if that's because it was written in now instead of the 19th century in which it takes place, so I relate better to the writing style or if the characters and their flaws are more fully developed for Barker and Llewelyn. And, though there was still plenty of brilliant deduc...more
This book was OK. I love pieces set in the Victorian era (Anne Perry etc) and I did enjoy the characters in this book. I found the emphasis on Jewish life in this era to be fascinating and many of the issues with tensions between different races etc to be very interesting. Will Thomas allowed the readers a great introduction to the world of his private inquiry agent Barker and assistant Llewelyn. I loved Harm (the pekinese) and the turns of phrase that Will Thomas used-his love of language was o...more
Honestly, I just couldn't get into this book. I think I should stay away from detective series written by serious Sherlock Holmes fan, as too many of them seem to be trying too hard to write a Sherlock Holmes story without the actual Sherlock Holmes... and all they really ever achieve is a weak imitation.
So here, our Ersatz Watson gets hired by Ersatz Holmes as an assistant, and right away we take a detour from actual plot to spend maybe forty pages finding out how INCREDIBLY eccentric and INCRE...more
So here, our Ersatz Watson gets hired by Ersatz Holmes as an assistant, and right away we take a detour from actual plot to spend maybe forty pages finding out how INCREDIBLY eccentric and INCRE...more
Jul 24, 2012
Matt
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
historical-fiction
An enjoyable and action packed mystery overall. While I had a few problems, I will almost certainly check out the next book in the series.
My problems were twofold, the ending felt false and rushed to me. (view spoiler)...more
My problems were twofold, the ending felt false and rushed to me. (view spoiler)...more
Enjoyed reading this book. The main character of inquiry agent Barker did seem a bit too perfect sometimes. He is a real Renaissance man, raised in the orient and a master of the martial arts, well read and with many important connections across the city of London. However, all of his employees are deeply flawed. His clerk is lazy, his butler/housekeeper a red-haired Jew with a temper, his cook a petulant Frenchman, and his dog is a mean tempered Pekinese. The main character is Barker's new assi...more
Jan 01, 2012
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Maggie, Wealthow, Matt, Victorianists, Mystery lovers, fans of Sherlock Holmes
Recommended to Megan by:
Zayna
This is a wonderful book.
The author is a Victorianist, student of 19th century martial arts, and librarian. His knowledge of the era suffuses the text, so that the elements which make this a historical novel are not thrust in awkwardly but appear naturally, offhand references to Gladstone bags and Liberty wallpaper.
Our narrator is Thomas Llewellyn, a young Welshman who answers an advertisement for an assistant in one last attempt at finding work. Don't worry - the questions raised by the first c...more
The author is a Victorianist, student of 19th century martial arts, and librarian. His knowledge of the era suffuses the text, so that the elements which make this a historical novel are not thrust in awkwardly but appear naturally, offhand references to Gladstone bags and Liberty wallpaper.
Our narrator is Thomas Llewellyn, a young Welshman who answers an advertisement for an assistant in one last attempt at finding work. Don't worry - the questions raised by the first c...more
This was a very enjoyable read! I was intrigued when I read that it was Victorian detective fiction, ala Sherlock Holmes, and indeed the redoubtable protagonist, Cyrus Barker, has his own Watson-like sidekick, Thomas Llewellyn. That is where the similarity ends, however! The characters couldn't be any more different than Sherlock and Watson, a fact for which I am grateful. I've read enough Sherlock Holmes stories written by authors other than Conan Doyle.
Like Conan Doyle's novels, though not to...more
Like Conan Doyle's novels, though not to...more
While the writing style was sometimes difficult for me to work through (I prefer a more straight-forward style), this book was engaging and fun. The characters were well imagined, although sometimes a bit of a stretch. I would recommend this book as a good, light read.
We are introduced to the world of Victorian England through the eyes of Thomas Llewelyn, a down-on-his-luck young man at the end of his rope. As luck would have it, he is the perfect candidate for the help-wanted ad placed by Cyrus...more
We are introduced to the world of Victorian England through the eyes of Thomas Llewelyn, a down-on-his-luck young man at the end of his rope. As luck would have it, he is the perfect candidate for the help-wanted ad placed by Cyrus...more
I can't recall what exactly caught my interest on this book but I'm glad I read it. I do know that I enjoy learning my history through fiction and this added a bit to my knowledge if British history, if only a little.
When I started the book I was expecting a Holmes type book so you can imagine my delight to find elements of pulp heroes like the Shadow and Doc Savage in the makeup of the main character. Barker has "eyes" all over the city and uses several "agents" to help him in his investigation...more
When I started the book I was expecting a Holmes type book so you can imagine my delight to find elements of pulp heroes like the Shadow and Doc Savage in the makeup of the main character. Barker has "eyes" all over the city and uses several "agents" to help him in his investigation...more
I'm home miserable with a cold and possible strep throat, feeling sorry for myself and wishing I had something to think about besides trying to breathe. Then I look next to my bed, and here is this book, just waiting for such a chance.
Thomas Llewellyn is fresh out of Oxford Prison and down to his last penny. He spots an ad for a job in the paper "Assistant to prominent enquiry agent. Some danger involved in performance of duty." Thomas is just desperate enough to answer such an ad. After a rathe...more
Thomas Llewellyn is fresh out of Oxford Prison and down to his last penny. He spots an ad for a job in the paper "Assistant to prominent enquiry agent. Some danger involved in performance of duty." Thomas is just desperate enough to answer such an ad. After a rathe...more
I first found this novel through my mom's Reader's Digest. Then I bought the 'special offer' edition, and the second through fourth books in the series. At some point I donated the first two, bought the last one and then returned it.
That left me with just The Limehouse Text and The Hellfire Conspiracy. Then I visited a used bookstore that carried Some Danger Involved, To Kingdom Come, and The Black Hand.
Clearly, it was fate.
I didn't actually read the whole book last night, I started on chapter...more
That left me with just The Limehouse Text and The Hellfire Conspiracy. Then I visited a used bookstore that carried Some Danger Involved, To Kingdom Come, and The Black Hand.
Clearly, it was fate.
I didn't actually read the whole book last night, I started on chapter...more
SOME DANGER INVOLVED (Historical Mystery-Victorian England) – VG
Thomas, Will – 1st book
Touchstone, 2004-Hardcover
Thomas Llewelyn is desperate to the point where, if he does not get this job, it's off the bridge for him. But he is hired by enquiry agent Cyrus Barker to be his assistant, including room and board. Barker has been asked by Sir Moses Montefiore to investigate the murder and crucifixion of a young Jewish student who bore a resemblance to images of Christ.
*** Thomas has created a marv...more
Thomas, Will – 1st book
Touchstone, 2004-Hardcover
Thomas Llewelyn is desperate to the point where, if he does not get this job, it's off the bridge for him. But he is hired by enquiry agent Cyrus Barker to be his assistant, including room and board. Barker has been asked by Sir Moses Montefiore to investigate the murder and crucifixion of a young Jewish student who bore a resemblance to images of Christ.
*** Thomas has created a marv...more
This Victorian mystery with it's acerbic detective and his devoted naive assistant is a contemporary author's take on Sherlock Holmes. Thomas sets the murder in London's Jewish ghetto which is teaming with refugees fleeing the Russian pogroms. Some Danger Involved was a decent enough diversion -I liked the novel's atmosphere and the voice of its narrator, but found the murder mystery itself disappointing. I am not an avid mystery reader; my exposure is fairly limited. That being said, this was a...more
This was enjoyable to read; the main characters were likeable enough. The minor characters were almost easy to forget. The plot itself was as engaging as I'd hoped for, though the title only promises "some danger" and not "a lot of danger", so I might have set my expectations too high. I liked the writing style, it was scholarly and could easily pass for Victorian dialogue in London in 1884 (so I'm guessing). I'm not sure at this point if I would read another in the series. There was too much dr...more
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Will Thomas, born 1958 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a novelist who writes a Victorian mystery series featuring Cyrus Barker, a Scottish detective or "private enquiry agent," and his Welsh assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. The Barker/Llewelyn novels are set in the 1880s and o...more
More about Will Thomas...
Will Thomas, born 1958 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a novelist who writes a Victorian mystery series featuring Cyrus Barker, a Scottish detective or "private enquiry agent," and his Welsh assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. The Barker/Llewelyn novels are set in the 1880s and o...more
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“To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.”
—
26 people liked it
“Does a bibliophile ever have enough room on his shelves? The answer is obvious: get more shelves.”
—
25 people liked it
More quotes…
Aug 17, 2008 03:34pm
If you decide to read the Thomas Llewellyn books, do read them in order or you'll be lost!
ps/I HAT...more
Aug 17, 2008 04:12pm
Aug 22, 2008 09:27pm