I love these detectives! Thomas and Barker are a great team. Even when Barker is laid up with an injury. :) Barker’s brother Caleb was a trip. I love the relationship between Rebecca and Thomas, I keep hoping that Barker and his lady get together soon. This twisting plot line kept me guessing right up till the end. I look forward to future installments.

This neatly gritty story pulls you into this 17 century scene in London England. It will drag you along to solve the mystery of who trying to kill these characters. Never endless reading through to the end will make you keep going till you can’t stand it no more.

Another smashing hit by Will Thomas! I fall in love with these characters more and more with each book. This book was filled with so much adventure and danger and bombs and hospitals! It kept me on the edge of my seat and a longing to hang out with my two favorite inquiry agents in 19th century London!

This is another great entry in one of my favorite mystery series. Cyrus Barker is in a coma from a bombing and Llewelyn needs to find the bomber with just a few short days until his wedding. This is an unusual twist....Barker is the owner of the agency, but now its up to Llewelyn to solve the crime. Unexpectedly, Caleb Barker, Cryus's brother shows up to give him a hand. Llewelyn has heard previously from Cyrus that he's not to be trusted. Llewelyn is overwhelmed looking at the agencies enemies to see who might want to kill them, worried about his upcoming nuptials and wondering what Caleb is doing in London. It comes together in another wonderful installment in this series. Will Thomas continues to be spot on with this plots, pacing and characters to make the tenth installment in this series as engaging as the first. I received this book in return for an honest review from NetGalley.

I enjoy this author. He has created likable characters with both a history and a future. I always wait to see how they will grow and progress through whatever difficulty is created for them. This story is no exception. The main character Cyrus Baker is caught in an explosion as is the secondary character Thomas Llewelyn. Mr. Barker is hurt more severely allowing Thomas to become the main character for this tale. Thomas Llewelyn has been trained and on the job for 6 years but he has personal doubts as to his ability and he is getting married in a week. To add a secondary complication Cyrus is visited by his brother Caleb who he hasn’t seen for many years and Caleb wants to help with the investigation. Suspects come and go, Caleb interferes with everything, the wedding looms closer and danger abounds for all the cast of characters. The story never slows down and you are wondering along with everyone else what is actually happening. And when everything is tied up to a satisfactory conclusion you still don’t want it all to end. This is the kind of book I like to read. I want to know about the characters because they become old friends and I have a vested interest in their lives. I can’t wait for the next book.
Note: I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Barker & Llewelyn stories are really very good. I stumbled across this series and did not have a lot of hope for it, if truth be told. I am happy to report I was wrong. I read Blood is Blood - the 10th book in the series first and had to go back to the beginning. The characters are enjoyable and well constructed.

Llewelyn is a bit of a sarcastic git at times, but his perspective on the events and his employer bring the reader truly into the story.

Barker is a different sort who knows more than would be expected in real life. The one puzzle, for me, is how does Barker have a Scotish accent when he grew up in China? While he was born in Scottland, he would not have heard the pronunciation to pick it up so obviously. Just a thought...

A near impossible accent aside, Blood is Blood is a fine tale and heartily recommended.

Fans of the Barker and Llewelyn mystery series are happy the wait is over. Thomas Llewelyn and Rachel Cowan are just days away from their wedding. Having met in book one and overcoming many of the societal and religious obstacles they look forward to a life together.

When a targeted blast destroys they agency and seriously wounds Barker, can Thomas run an investigation on his own and wrap it up before his wedding and honeymoon? Caleb Barker the long lost brother from America arrives on the doorstep for a visit, unannounced and on the run from British authorities. Caleb offers to help but his methods may prove harmful and illegal.

The offices of Cyrus Barker are bombed and Barker is seriously injured. Thomas Llewelyn desperately wants to solve the case before he and Rebecca Cowan are married. Scotland Yard is willing to assist the investigation because they know it reflects badly on them when people in London are bombed. Cyrus is either in hospital or convalescing, so the whole investigation falls on Thomas' shoulders. He pulls together a list of suspects and begins to follow the trail. Interestingly enough, Cyrus' brother, Caleb, shows up, straight from the Wild West of the US; he is a Pinkerton agent and is in England for a case. Cyrus is willing to help Thomas, but only up to a point; he has his own kettle of fish to fry. As the list of suspects narrows, Thomas and Rebecca face some powerful enemies. Another interesting entry in this series, which is marked by excellent historical detail and good character development.

Blood is Blood is the tenth installment in this fabulous Victorian London mystery series. The characters are wonderful and the mystery is well written. I can not wait to read more from this author.

First Sentence: I detest Mondays with all my soul.

Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn have become highly successful enquiry agents. But with success comes enemies. With only a fortnight before Thomas is to marry Rebecca, a bomb destroys their offices. With Barker in a coma, it is up to Thomas to uncover the villain. When a contractor goes missing, his wife comes to Barker & Llewelyn for help. Help appears unexpectedly in the shape of Barker's brother, Caleb who has been in America as a Pinkerton agent. Can Thomas solve the cases and prevent his fiancée from canceling their wedding?

What a great opening. It is one with which anyone who works can identify, and the introduction to Thomas is delightfully self-deprecating and unusual, which is a nice change. The inclusion of information on Cyrus Barker, Thomas' employer, is neatly done, and very succinct background of Thomas is provided. It is also the calm before the surprising storm which dramatically alters the tenor of the story. The introduction to Barker's inamorata, Phillipa Ashleigh, certainly makes an impression—"It was the sound of a woman's boots clicking in fury. Every man on earth is acquainted with the sound, it is instinctual."

Assembling the list of suspects is an effective way of acquainting, or re-acquainting, readers with previous cases in the series. A delightful reference is made to the address of their new office. With the case of the missing builder, it is very well done by the author that one is allowed to be suspicious very shortly before Thomas comes to the same realization. It's a clever way to make the reader feel directly involved in the story, and the first major twist is a corker.

What an apt description—"Ah, the Wealden murders." He replied. "Three men dead in a display of firearms, all Americans. It is as if they come from the womb with a gun in each hand." It is not easy to convey the action and danger of hand-to-hand combat in words, yet Thomas does a very credible job of making it real, visual, and with plenty of action. One certainly doesn't want for excitement or plot twists. They come one after the next in swift succession.

It's hard not to like the advice Caleb offers Thomas—"'A woman prefers a man who is confident.' 'I hadn't considered that.' 'And when she talks, listen, by god. She feels she has important things to say. Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't, but listen anyway.'" And Phillipa is such a wonderful character. She's the woman one would like to be and offers sage advice to Thomas when trying to win back his fiancée—"Don't shave; it shall make you look desperate. She'll complain, but she'll like that. Give her all the control."

The relationship between Thomas and Barker is truly that which draws one to the series. We know how the two men met, yet much of the appeal is Thomas' desire to grow and please Barker, not in a subservient way, but in the way of one who wants to earn the regard of someone greatly admired. As for Barker, he respects who Thomas is and who he has become, and that, in spite of everything, Thomas is—"still keen as you ever were."

It's amazing what one may learn—"There are a dozen of types of rain in London…"—and who knew about the difference between a noose with a Marwood ring rather than one without. One theme which is somewhat unusual for a story such as this is religion and faith. It is there not in a preachy way but in the best representation of it.

Will Thomas created an excellent reveal of one character's true purpose, the surprising appearance of an historical figure, and a very lovely ending.

"Blood is Blood: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel" is another wonderful read in an excellent historical mystery series filled with wry humor, suspense, great characters, and a wonderful sense of time and place. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the books in order.

BLOOD IS BLOOD: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel (HistMys-Barker/Llewelyn-London-1890) –VG+
Thomas, Will – 10th in series
Minotaur Books – Nov 2018

Bill Thomas in Blood is Blood immerses the reader in criminal Victorian London. Cyrus Barker and his associate Thomas Llewelyn survive the bombing of their office, but Cyrus is badly wounded. Thomas teams up with Pinkerton agent, Caleb Barker, brother of Cyrus, to track down who from their past is trying to kill them. There is a confusion of enemies out to get them, Caleb is a loose cannon, and Thomas is getting ready for his wedding. Fast action. Great villains.

As the British would say, a bloody good classic detective novel! If I heard one of them saying that, I'd agree.



It all started with an assistant who despises Mondays. Things always go wrong on that particular day of the week for him. Sure enough, he's stressing about his upcoming wedding, his office gets bombed, causing his employer to be seriously injured. While Llewelyn tries to clean up and assess the damages, his employer's long lost American brother shows up unexpectedly causing them to have a scrappiness which, in my opinion, is hilarious between a British and an American. So far, not the greatest Monday for Llewelyn along the week following that day as he tries to come up with possible suspects who would want to harm Barker, his boss.



There have been twists and turns, and surprises which kept me on my toes. The Scotland Yard area and London along with the buildings were pretty descriptive where I was easily lost in that era. There is a bit of Sherlock theme going on but I thoroughly enjoyed it.



"Nobody sells snake oil like a snake."

"Could you translate that from American to English?"





"A paragon of citizenship"

"YOU do talk posh, Mr. Llewelyn." He said.



Those are just couple of many banters between Llewelyn and the American that had me cracking up as a case gets solved.



So, the question of this story is, Will this assistant be able to solve this brutal crime just in time before his wedding on his own, while his employer is laid up in the hospital recuperating? There were so many elements thrown his way including a shocking incident which may call off his wedding for good.



Just wanted to say the title was just perfect for this novel.



I was very delighted to be kept on my toes while reading this novel. Extremely entertaining. Imagine my delight when I found out there are other Barker and Llewelyn novels! I intend to read those and I hope the upcoming novels of those two beloved detectives in the future.



I received this interesting ARC from St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books through Net Galley. Thank you!

"Blood is Blood" by Will Thomas, Minotaur, 320 pages, Nov. 13, 2018.

In this 10th installment featuring 19th century London Private Enquiry Agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, Thomas is preparing for his wedding to Rebecca Cowan, a widow.

"I detest Monday's with all my soul," Thomas says. He and Barker are in their office when an explosion occurs. Someone dynamited the building. They both survive, but Barker is seriously injured.

Caleb Barker arrives from America. The two brothers haven't seen each other in many years. He works for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, so he is willing to help Thomas investigate. The American Embassy wants to get Caleb out of the country before he causes trouble.

The list of suspects is a long one. Barker has put many people in prison. Llewelyn is visited by Camille Archer, who claims her husband has gone missing. Suspicious of her story, he follows her, but she gives him the slip. Is she somehow involved in the bombing?

Although this is a series, "Blood is Blood" can be read as a stand alone novel. Will Thomas' storytelling is excellent and filled with attention to detail. He brings 19th century London to life.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Advanced Readers Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Barker and Llewellyn” is a delightful series. Don’t be afraid to dive in at #10. Thomas gives you enough context to understand the detectives’ history, but not so much that it is a tedious rehash of past stories if you are up to date.

Thomas Llewelyn is about to be married. Trouble is, his office with Barker has been blown to bits, with Barker in it, and it is up to him to find out who from their past wants them dead. There are almost too many candidates to consider. In addition, Barker’s brother, a Pinkerton detective from America shows up with some additional shady history.

“Blood is Blood” is a fast moving, action packed, almost cinematic historical mystery.

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

“Blood is Blood” is the latest chapter of the marvelous Barker-Llewelyn series by Will Thomas, and it is as excellent as the earlier books. This is one of my favorite series, and I always eagerly look forward to the next book. Will Thomas has never let me down. Thomas must do exhaustive research for his books. I never find anachronisms, nor does he put a foot wrong writing about Britain, although Thomas himself is American.

I don’t like spoilers so I am not going to give any. But I am not giving anything away by saying that at the very beginning of the book Barker’s office is blown up, although he and Llewelyn both live through it. Barker is injured and in the hospital, leaving Llewelyn to run around collecting clues, and taking more on himself than usual. Add to that the fact that Llewelyn is about to be married, and Barker’s long-lost brother turns up, and there is a lot going on.

In case I haven’t been clear, you cannot go wrong with this series. From the first book to this latest one, they are all just wonderful. If anything, the books are getting better, which is not always the case with long-running series. If you like mysteries or detective books, and enjoy historical fiction, you cannot go wrong with this book, which I heartily recommend. If this is your first Thomas book you have the great good fortune of having a wealth of books to which to look forward, and I envy you for that!

With Barker in the hospital, this is the first time that young Thomas Llewelyn is in total charge of an investigation, and-- wouldn't you know it-- it's a case in which both their lives are in grave danger. He needs help, but the only help he can get is from Barker's brother, Caleb, who seems to have spent most of his time in the United States-- much of it as a Pinkerton agent. This could be good news, but Caleb has a nasty habit of disappearing all the time, and the U.S. Embassy is after him and Thomas doesn't know why.

Blood Is Blood is a very strange and complex mystery, with danger appearing unexpectedly from any and all directions. Will Thomas knows how to make readers wish they had eyes in the backs of their heads. I did enjoy the mystery very much, and it wasn't easy to determine if Caleb Barker was a good guy or a bad one. The only small problem I had with the story is that-- even after six years and everything he's been through-- I thought Thomas Llewelyn didn't perform all that well as the one in charge of the investigation. He took too many things at face value and as a result, put those closest to him in danger.

But that is a small irritation in this latest book in one of my favorite historical mystery series. Will Thomas always puts me right in the heart of Victorian London with his fast-paced, heart-thumping mysteries and strong main characters. Once again, I'm left waiting to see where he takes me next. Wherever it is, I know I will enjoy the journey.

Nicely done Victorian mystery with a great odd couple pair in Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn. This starts literally with a bang, when their office is bombed and Thomas finds himself trying to figure out who tried to kill them. Then, Cyrus' brother Caleb - the proverbial long lost - turns up and Thomas reluctantly accepts his help as he goes through their old cases in the hope that he can find the person who hates them so much. There are some fun smaller characters here, not the least of which are the women in their lives, Rebecca and Philippa. There are some twists, some turns, and some entertaining vignettes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd only read the book immediately preceding this one and Thomas gave be enough info to both catch me up and launch me forward. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

In this latest installment of the Barker & Llewlyn, Cyrus Barker is injured when a bomb explodes under the office. Cyrus is in the hospital and Thomas is on the job to solve who wanted his boss out of the picture permanently. To make matters worse, Cyrus' brother Caleb has arrived on the scene from America. He claims to be in England on Pinkerton business, but Thomas has his doubts. When a group of rough shirts break into Thomas' fiance Rebecca's home, Thomas is forced to shoot them. In shock from the reality of the violence of being a private enquiry agent, Rebecca seems to be ready to call off the wedding. Thomas needs to find out who is after Cyrus, find out what Caleb is really up to and win back Rebecca's heart in time for the wedding.

This is an exciting book that adds new depth to Thomas's character. We learn more about Cyrus' background, as well as get a glimpse into some of the other minor characters' lives. Recommend to libraries who have a strong patron base who love historic mysteries.

How in the world have I managed to miss this author and this series? This is basically the tenth book in the series because I think one of the others was a .5 book. I loved the characters of Barker and Llewelyn as well as the other members of the ensemble cast. The book is well plotted and well written and even has a bit of humor.

Cyrus Barker is a self-made man whose parents were missionaries. They died during a cholera epidemic in China when Cyrus was still young. This book didn’t spell out all of his history, but he made his fortune from captaining a merchant vessel that ran from Hokkaido to Singapore. Afterward, he started the Barker Enquiry Agency and has done remarkable well – often solving cases that Scotland Yard can’t. He’s a gruff bear of a man that most folks walk on tiptoes around. Six years ago, his assistant was killed during an investigation and after winnowing through many applicants, he hired Thomas Llewelyn. That was a shock to everyone because Thomas definitely appeared to be the least qualified applicant.

I didn’t learn as much about Thomas Llewelyn in this book. Evidently, he had been a scholar and had a number of dead-end jobs and finally served eight months in prison for theft. This book doesn’t actually say, but I think he was convicted on a false accusation by a peer. Thomas seems to be a very good investigator who works on intuition and methodical investigation.

I liked the secondary characters in the series and would be interested in reading more about them. There is Jenkins, the alcoholic slacker who is their clerk; Mac who is their majordomo at their residence; Rebecca, a lovely widow, who is Llewelyn’s betrothed and Philippa, also a widow and in a relationship with Barker. Other recurring characters seem to be from Scotland Yard and a lawyer turned enquiry agent who works directly across from Barker’s agency.

The book begins with Llewelyn telling us – “I detest Mondays with all my soul. I always have.” That is a portent for his day! As he and Barker have settled into their shared office for the day’s work, Llewelyn hears something and feels a bit of a jolt. There had been an explosion at a nearby building a while back that had shaken their offices, and this felt much the same. Then, he is shocked to see Barker sink through the floor – followed by his desk, the file cabinet and ending with Llewelyn’s desk, chair and finally Llewellyn. The entire office floor and all of its contents had fallen down into the basement. Llewellyn had enough time to recognize what was happening and managed to get into his roll-top desk and pull the thing closed, so he wasn’t seriously injured. The same was not true for Barker. He was buried under six feet of all sorts of rubble, including his huge heavy desk. Barker’s worst injury seemed to be a shattered leg that would put him out of commission for quite some time. Thus, the investigation into the explosion falls directly and solely onto Llewellyn’s shoulders.

Obviously, someone wants to bring Barker and by association Llewelyn down. They don’t want to just cause problems, they want serious physical injury – maybe even death. So Llewelyn begins going over old cases where the perpetrators had threatened Barker and there were several of them. As Llewelyn investigates each of those cases, more and more things happen – not just to Llewelyn, but to those they hold dear. There are red herrings, twists, turns, and revelations before the final solution. It is a great mystery.

An additional wrench-in-the-works is the appearance of Barker’s estranged brother. Each had actually thought the other had died. Caleb Barker had gone to America (from China) when he was very young – maybe eighteen or so. He is Cyrus’ older brother. In his first appearance, Llewelyn thinks he has found a full-sized, living, breathing American cowboy. He was a full head taller than Llewelyn and was wearing a brown slicker, wide-brimmed hat, long mustache and he had a gun belt on his hip. It turns out that Caleb works for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in America. Even though he is Barker’s brother, neither Barker nor Llewelyn trusts him. Actually, I liked him and can’t wait to see what happened to him when he returned to America.

I love historical mysteries – they are my absolute favorite – but – I like romance in them as well. Is there a genre called historical romantic mysteries? Anyway, this book actually had Llewelyn and Rebecca’s wedding in it. I wonder how that will work out with future stories. I’d love to see both Rebecca and Philippa take roles in investigations in the future.

Some of Llewelyn’s thoughts that I thought were witty:
--“It is necessary to moderate the intake of sunlight between one’s lashes after imbibing freely the night before.”
--“One can sulk for an hour or so, but brooding can take days.”
--“It was the sound of a woman’s boots clicking in fury. Every man on earth is acquainted with the sound;”
--“Pie cannot fix everything, of course, but it has never ruined anything either.”
--“Could you translate that from American to English?”

I certainly recommend this book, but you should be aware that it is written in the first person.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

It took me a while to figure out.. this was a series.. and not the first of a series. I think the readers will want to begin with the first book in the series. If one hasn't read the prior books.. they will be confused.