i really enjoyed reading this, it was a great read and I regret not reading the books before it. I really enjoyed the way the author writes and look forward to more from the author.

LETHAL PURSUIT (HistMys-Baker/Llewelyn-England-1892) – VG
Thomas, Will – 11th book in series
Minotaur Books – Nov 2019

First Sentence: The express from Dover was still coming to a stop when Hillary Drummond leapt onto the platform.

A man is found murdered on a train newly arrived at Charing Cross Station. In his shoe is the key to a railway locker containing a satchel. It is 1892; the threat of war is in the air. Enquiry agents Barker and Llewelyn are tasked by the Prime Minister to deliver the satchel to Calais as it contains a document, an unnamed first century gospel. With the satchel sought by secret societies, political groups, and the German government, Llewelyn is perplexed by Barker's delay in fulfilling their assignment considering it places them under repeated attack.

Rarely are prologues necessary. However, Thomas' prologue captures and captivates one immediately with suspense, danger, intrigue, and yes, death. With the receipt of an old brass key, stamped with the letter "Q," the characters go—"Down the rabbit hole." One cannot help but smile at their destination, and Llewellyn's admiration of what he sees there is understandable.

Thomas' voice is enviable. Even during a serious scene, he makes one smile with the simplest line even when in a serious situation. It is only a part of what makes reading him such a pleasure. His dialogue is a pleasure to read—"The things you know, Thomas!" "Yes, well, the more I know, the more I know how little I know."

Characters are Thomas' strength. It is nice to have a series with characters who have developed over time. Still, for those who have not read the previous books, one won't feel lost as Thomas provides well-presented introductions to the characters. Llewelyn's wife, Rebecca, deals with the conflict of being shunned by her family for being married to a gentile. Their marriage and commitment adds a nice touch and humanness to the story—"There was still something strange about being separated from Rebecca for more than a few hours. It was like slow asphyxiation." A scene between Llewelyn and his father-in-law is particularly well done.

Thomas conveys mood well, in this case, it is that of a man adrift. A significant change is made in the roles and responsibilities of Barker, Llewelyn, and others ensure a shift in future books.

The backdrop of Victorian England makes the plot particularly effective. The drums of war are beating in the distance, the underlying anti-Semitism, and the inclusion of an Evangelical preacher from the United States advocating eugenics. There is action and suspense, but also serious subjects which require consideration.

"Lethal Pursuit" maintains one's interest from the beginning to an ending that is clever in so many ways, including the ultimate question—"Why do evil men prosper?" This is more than an average historical mystery. Thomas is an author to add to one's list.

There have been ten earlier books in this series although this is the first one that I have read.  It pairs two investigators, who as is often the case in fiction, are somewhat mismatched.  The case that they are involved in has elements of the build up to poor relationships with Germany prior to WWI and an important religious document that must be located.  The detectives are involved with important British political figures including the PM as they race to restore order. 


This title is a solid addition to a series.  I think that I need to go back and meet these detectives earlier in their careers.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good and solid Series, with good settings, a adventures Storyline.
It is really exciting and I had a great Time reading this book

First I'd like to offer my thanks for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts. This is the first Barker & Llewelyn title for me and just a bit of a miss. I did not connect to the characters and found the early chapters a bit slow paced and plodding... which was disappointing as the opening started so brilliantly fast-paced. I think I would have found the story more engaging overall if I had read some of the previous titles and "knew" the starting characters. This is not to say the book was awful (it's not) but I felt really disconnect from it as a whole.

It is 1892 and the two Private enquiry agents receive a key which sends them to see the Prime Minister. He has asked them to deliver a very old text which could be the first before Matthew and Luke. It is to go to the Vatican. There was a man killed over this and more are trying to get to Mr Barker and Me Llewelyn to acquire the text. The story takes us through all that happens with the two men from start to finish. Will they be able to compete the assignment or not?

Barker and Llewellyn is one of my favorite mystery series. I can't wait for each new book.

I love the changes that are happening in the books, as the character's lives progress, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the day that Llewellyn takes over as an Inquiry Agent in his own right, with his own book. (He has already had some lone adventures, but I never get tired of seeing him put his thing down, and kick some butt.) That said, I do have some favorites in the series, and although this one is pretty good, its not a favorite, because there is a sense of melancholy, as some things come to an end, and I wasn't expecting that.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Victorian Mystery Thrillers.

The first Barker & Llewelyn that I did not enjoy - the plot is OK, and the looming clouds of WWI and German nationalism add a frisson of realness to what is otherwise a fantasy mystery series, but I find the Rebecca/marriage plot so GD BORING, especially as, to me, Rebecca reads like an insufferable prig. I can't stand that character and I found the novel sort of dragging its feet whenever she appears. Let's hope we step away from the marital home and into the Whitehall offices much, much more in subsequent books. A recommend, but with a definite shrug.

Barker and Llewelyn engage in a Lethal Pursuit in 1892 Victorian England as they are engaged by the Prime Minister and the Catholic Archbishop to convey a first century version of the Gospels to Jesuits who would take it to the Vatican. Bodies start dropping; German spies and biblical scholars line up to try to get the manuscript; Barker makes use of street urchins and university linguists to look into the murders and protect the treasure. Fast action and excellent plot. Read this historical thriller.

"Once again, for me, this book was not the first in the series. Thus, reading it was a bit complicated without knowing the backstory and relationships between characters. Author carried on narration from one book to the next without stopping to explain much.
However, the story is interesting, suspense is intriguing, characters are well worked through. The relationship between characters is likeable.
Readers get immersed in 19th centry Whitehall, London with its high offices and secret societies. One is left guessing till the very end, will they won't they. Will Thomas and his boss Barker deilver the manuscript. Is this manuscript genuine? Who is the main villain?
Lethal Pursuit is one of those novels where the good guys are menace to the powers that be, where main characters are not liked by all. Reader is led to identify with characters and feel for them but is given enough space to step away and keep one's distance.
I'd love to read previous books in the series. The language, the dynamic, the voices are nicely done and caught my interest. "

Lethal Pursuit takes place in 1892 in London, where private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his newly-appointed partner, Thomas Llewelyn, live and work. After the stabbing of a Foreign Office agent near Whitehall, Barker and Llewelyn are
engaged by the prime minister to deliver a mysterious package to Calais, France. It sounds simple but, as the two private enquiry agents discover, there are others who are interested in the package and its contents, and will stop at nothing to obtain it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book by Will Thomas. It is interesting and entertaining in a number of different ways. The historical aspects are well-written and well-researched, the characters are varied and unique, the descriptions are colorful, and the dialogue, especially between Barker and Llewelyn, is crisp and original. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but I was able to figure out the players and their basic backgrounds fairly easily. It only made me realize that I’ve been missing a great series and I should start from the beginning in order to enjoy it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I've been a fan of Will Thomas' Barker & Llewelyn mysteries from the very first book, Some Danger Involved. I always learn something about Victorian London, the slalom course of action and mystery is often hair-raising and always enjoyable to read, and the characters are just plain fun.

While Cyrus Barker is a larger-than-life character, young Thomas Llewelyn is our narrator. He's learned a lot over the years he's been with Barker, and I love his tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Thomas can always make me laugh.

The story in Lethal Pursuit is a corker, one of the best howdunits I've read in a long time. You see, when the Prime Minister wants Barker to take the mysterious document to Calais, Barker will not agree until he is given the leeway to do the job as he sees fit. The Prime Minister doesn't see any particular problem in allowing this-- no one disobeys him after all-- but longtime readers of the series know that a wild ride is about to begin. And what a ride! With so many different groups after the document, Barker has to be a master of misdirection, and that's exactly what he turns out to be.

Now I'm left wondering what on earth these two private enquiry agents will get up to in the next book in this series. I can't wait!

Lethal Pursuit is the 11th book in the Barker & Llewelyn series by Will Thomas. I haven't read the first ten books, but I'm a new fan of historical mysteries and this one sounded quite intriguing. I thought I would be totally lost, but this book stood alone extremely well. I will admit I enjoyed this one so much I want to read all the prior ones; I'm very interested in seeing how the relationship between Barker and Llewelyn developed.

The story starts with a bang as a British spy is on the run, pursued by Germans who are trying to retrieve an important document he stole from the German government. He is brutally murdered, but is able to thwart his pursuers before he dies. Barker and Llewelyn, private enquiry agents, are summoned by the Prime Minister. They are tasked with returning the document, a previously unknown gospel, to its previous owner, the Vatican. Sounds simple enough, right? But apparently, things are never simple in the world of Barker and Llewelyn. Barker has his own ideas that don't exactly jive with those of the Prime Minister. What follows is an exciting story of secrets, intrigue, possible war, religion, eugenics and secret societies.

The partnership of Barker and Llewelyn is quite interesting. Though Thomas was recently made a partner, he still seems to be treated as an assistant; Barker makes decisions without telling Thomas about them. I thought both characters were great, but I especially liked Thomas; I felt an affinity with his sarcastic comments. There were so many twists and turns I never figured out whodunit, which is hard to pull off. The history was absolutely enthralling. I can't wait to read more about this exciting duo!

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

I received a free electronic copy of this British PI novel from Netgalley, Will Thomas, and Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am more than pleased to recommend Lethal Pursuit to friends and family. It is a historical British spy and PI tale to keep you guessing. Will Thomas is a spymaster to keep you coming back for more.

Lethal Pursuit is the 11th novel written by Thomas that showcases curmudgeon Cyrus Barker & newlywedded Thomas Llewelyn. Our story begins on the tenth of January, 1892, in the London high streets. Within ten or fifteen pages and 50 feet of the offices of Barker & Llewelyn, we have experienced the death of 34-year-old British spy Hillary Drummond, (though he had cached the secret artifact in his keeping at the Charing Cross Station), and another ten or twelve pages bring our protagonists B & L into the picture, they discover a hidden passage leading directly to the office of the Prime Minister, and they are assigned a case for the government - to transfer said unnamed artifact into the hands of the Catholic Church in Calais.

The historical picture of London, the travel experiences, the clothing, the politics are all true to history, and the energy level stays high. The Back-and-forth between Barker and Llewelyn reminds me fondly of that between Nero Wolfe and Archie.

Enthralling fast paced read!

London 1892, a man is stabbed to death just near Whitehall. Various packs of mysterious young men dressed uniformly in blue coats and caps with swords have been seen.
Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are led via a convoluted route to visit the Prime Minister. As part of that journey involves tunnels, Thomas is not enamored. “Down the rabbit hole,” he jokes, but it appears he has a fear of enclosed spaces and is not so sanguine about this part of things.
The mysterious man was a Foreign Office Agent. Barker and Llewelyn are not to look into his death but are to deliver a package and it's mysterious contents to France. And even here Barker is very careful about the phrasing of his agreement. In the words of a well loved Bard and a famous sleuth, "The game is afoot!"
Barker's nemesis, Commissioner James Munro of the London Metropolitan Police, comes into play with a large amount of acrimony and petty antics on Munro's part. Of course in the end that particular bird comes home to roost, but not after some high jinks and awkward moments for the government.
But Munro's just one of many interested in Barker and Llewelyn's movements. The list includes the German government, various branches of the British government (talk about loose lips sink ships!), powerful and wealthy pundits, the Vatican and various other political and religious groups. Oh, and to cap it all off, the Knight Templars!
I was fascinated by the dissertation on fencing and sword play, including Mensurites, apparently, "a style of fencing in Eastern Europe, taught mostly in universities and schools ... Also known as ‘academic fencing.’" ... And yes, this becomes another important tidbit!
This was my first Barker and Llewelyn encounter, and although a reading of previous novels would be an asset, I didn't find my lack of knowledge of their history in any way deterred me from my reading enjoyment, which I'd first put at a four star rating but on reflection have decided to five star it. Although I must say this later novel has spurred me on to investigate their past.

A St. Martins Press ARC via NetGalley

1892 London. Enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and his partner Thomas Llewelyn are employed by the Britsh P.M. to act as couriers and deliver a stolen satchel and its contents, to Calais and there hand it over to Monsignor Bello of the Vatican. But the package is wanted by various people who will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Can Barker succeed.
A very enjoyable well-written historical story, a well-plotted mystery with its well-developed characters.

Barker and Llewelyn are hired by the Prime Minister himself to transport an ancient manuscript to Calais. Sounds easy enough! Except Barker seems more interested in investigating the death of the man who brought the manuscript to England in the first place…

January! 1892! Hillary Drummond, recently arrived to England from Germany (somewhat newly united! Kind of!) is on the run from some blue uniformed youths after the satchel he’s carrying, which contains this book’s MacGuffin an ancient, and very valuable manuscript. Drummond almost, almost makes it to the Home Office when, gasp! He’s run through with a sword. Then he walks into traffic and is run over by a cab.

Or, as it’s known in London traffic: Tuesday.

Meanwhile! Llewelyn is a happily married man, as he loves to mention roughly every two pages. Along with being a happily married man (did he mention that he’s married now? Because he is) he’s also now a partner in Barker’s Detective Private Enquiry Agency. Barker has been moving a bit slower since his leg injury during the events of Blood is Blood, but, instead of treating Llewelyn like a full partner, Barker continues to treat him like an assistant. Which rankles Llewelyn a bit but hey, at least he’s married to the love of his life Rebecca. Only they still live in Barker’s house - he’s renovated the first floor for them and everything. Anyway, Barker and Llwelyn receive a summons from Prime Minister himself! The British government has the MacGuffin, and they want nothing more than to have the manuscript sent off to the Vatican archives and forgotten. But Barker is more interested in the mystery of who killed Hillary Drummond and why. Rather than immediately deliver the manuscript to Calais like the Prime Minister asked them to do, Barker hangs onto it. See, this manuscript is, apparently, a new gospel. Which is important because…reasons?

This manuscript is so valuable, the people after it are willing to kill for it. Which puts Barker & Llewelyn in an awkward position. Even more awkward is the fact that Rebecca’s family, who seemed so cool in the last book, have now decided to shun her for marrying Thomas, a gentile. As usual, Barker & Llewelyn are caught between a rock and a hard place. Can they deliver the manuscript safely to the Vatican? Can Thomas repair the relationship between himself and his in-laws? Will Rebecca ever learn how to make a decent Pain au chocolat? Will we ever, ever meet Thomas’s massive Welsh family? Will Rebecca ever demand to get to know her small army of brothers- and sisters-in-law? Will Barker ever propose to Philippa? Will I ever learn the difference between various sects of Christianity? Find out tomorrow in Barker & Llewelyn: Lethal Pursuit! Same bat time, same bat channel!

I love this series. I am well and truly hooked. Barker & Llewelyn are a more down-to-earth Holmes and Watson. There is just the right amount of action, historical detail, and mystery to satisfy any Sherlockian desperate for some 19th century English mystery. I don’t know of any other book series, save Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series, where I’ve stuck around past the 8th or 9th book. So many books! Not enough time for serieses! I mean, sometimes I entertain the thought of binging all 900,000 Discworld books, but there are so many other things I’d like to read, too…I wish I were a faster reader. Better yet, I wish I could be like the Doctor and just flip through a book and absorb all its contents at once. That’d be awesome.

Still. I adore Barker & Llewelyn - I will absolutely be there for any book they’re in, even if the series goes the full Anne Perry and goes on and on for like, 20+ books. I’m here for it. And I am on pins and needles for the next book. I really, really, really want Thomas to reconcile with his family in Wales. I want Barker to actually acknowledge that Philippa Ashleigh is his girlfriend. I JUST WANT MORE, DAMN IT!

Lethal Pursuit
(Barker & Llewelyn #11)
by Will Thomas

Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: November 12th 2019 by Minotaur Books




Goodreads synopsis:
London, 1892—Cyrus Barker is brought into a game of international espionage by the Prime Minister himself in the newest mystery in Will Thomas's beloved series.

Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn receive in the mail an unexplained key stamped with the letter Q. Barker, recognizing it for what it is, uses the key to unlock an anonymous door in the alleyway, which opens to an underground tunnel leading to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has a small task for Cyrus Barker. A Foreign Office agent stole a satchel in Eastern Europe, but was then himself murdered at Charing Cross. The satchel contains a document desperately wanted by the German government, but while the agent was killed, the satchel remains in English hands. With a cold war brewing between England and Germany, it's in England's interest to return the document contained in the satchel to its original owners and keep it out of German hands.

The document is an unnamed first century gospel; the original owner is the Vatican. And the German government isn't the only group trying to get possession of it. With secret societies, government assassins, political groups, and shadowy figures of all sorts doing everything they can—attacks, murders, counter-attacks, and even massive street battles—to acquire the satchel and its contents, this small task might be beyond even the prodigious talents of Cyrus Barker.


***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Barker & Llewelyn series by Will Thomas.

This story is told from the perspective of Thomas Llewelyn in much the same way as Sherlock Holmes is told via the perspective of John Watson. Except Thomas here is much more an active part of the story. The Prime Minister wants Barker and Llewelyn wants to return a gospel thought to be what prompted Mark and Luke’s account in the Bible to be given back to the rightful owner.

Lots of people want this document for various reasons and the chase is on once Barker and Llewelyn get their hands on it. I thought the ending was quite inventive for that time in Victorian England. But I wasn’t happy about the way Barker went through with his end game. By the time the book reached its conclusion I was totally invested in Thomas, his Jewish wife who had been shunned by her family and the circumstances they found themselves in.

I am being deliberately vague since it is the journey in this book that makes it so good. If you like historical fiction set in Victorian England or just love Sherlock Holmes, I ask that you give this book a go. It is quite worth the read. I now need to go back to book one and read the saga from the beginning.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

How have I never heard of the Barker & Llewelyn mysteries before now? This is book 11, and I have just discovered them; but now I am thoroughly hooked. These “enquiry agents” are Will Thomas’ version of Holmes and Watson, and I adore them, quirks and all.
Lethal Pursuit is historical mystery at its finest. Filled with elegant detail of the Victorian era, the story transports you until you are so steeped in a Sherlockian world you find yourself never wanting to leave.
And just when I thought I’d figured it all out, just when I was sure what would happen next, the author tossed another twist in to keep me guessing and turning more pages. Love that!
If you enjoy historical mystery, if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you must read Will Thomas’ Lethal Pursuit. I look forward to starting the series from the beginning! 😉
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

It was the first book I read in this series and was more than happy I got this ARC because it was a great discovery.
It's an engrossing and entertaining read with a well crafted plot that kept me hooked till the end.
I loved the well researched historical setting, the well thought cast of characters, the humor, and the fast paced and action packed plot.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.