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!

Still not sure how I feel about this one…

Release date is coming on 4/22/25, so look for it then!

This is book #16 for this series, and it’s the first I’m reading … so it may be due to that?

Llewelyn and Barker are private inquiry agents in search of a missing heiress, and sister-in-law of another heiress. Mae has been missing for six months, and no one seems too interested in looking for her! 😮

As they begin searching for her, multiple things are going on… including a tunnel collapse that kills/injures many…

And then there’s the ‘crawler’ that they meet, Dutch, who gives them some info, but also seems to be very highly placed for a bum…

It all kind of comes together in the end, but I felt like I was ‘in the weeds’ for a good part of the book…

#SeasonOfDeath by #WillThomas and narrated nicely by #AntonyFerguson.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

***** THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! Look 👀 for it on 4/22/25!! *****

Thanks so much to #NetGalley & #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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I had no idea that this book was part of a series and had I not looked at the reviews during my listening I might have never known.
This book is easily understandeable outside of it's mother series but it made me want to read the rest!
The mystery was quite interesting, I spent more time than expected pushing back my "listening limit" for the day to get a little bit more.
The writing style was also excellent, the characters were good and I really enjoyed the way the narrator delivered the plot, it really added to the writing style in my opinion.
A very good book! I am looking forward to more!

This is one of my favorite series to listen to. I've only read 5 books in this series and I always like the books much more when I listen to the audiobooks (of the 5 books, I've listened to 3). Season of Death is book 16 in the series, but they really can be read as stand-alone novels.

I think I like the audiobooks so much because it feels like the main character Thomas Llewelyn is telling you the story. Plus I love the voices Antony Ferguson gives to the characters, especially Barker - I can't get his voice right in my head when I read the books myself.

In the beginning, it seems like they are working on two separate cases but you know they will somehow become intertwined. It was fun trying to figure out how they would connect. There's a red herring early on so that kept me guessing too.

I'll admit that I picked up the series in the first place because I love the covers but I've kept reading it because I like the characters. We get enough of their life stories that it feels like checking in with old friends to see what they are up to now. Thomas with his newborn daughter is adorable in this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/season-of-death-by-will-thomas.html

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 really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of Season of Death by Will Thomas, which is a historical mystery set in Victorian London. The story features “private enquiry” agents Cyrus Barker & Thomas Llewelyn as they investigate a missing heiress, a diamond heist, a collapsed tunnel, and mob turf wars. The characters reminded me a bit of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and there were plenty of plot twists that kept me guessing until the satisfying conclusion.

Despite not having listened to or read previous installments in the series, the story was easy to follow and I don’t feel that I missed out on any pertinent plot points for not having read them. Finally, the audiobook was beautifully narrated by Antony Ferguson who provided a variety of voices and accents for all the characters. I definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves listening to Victorian-era mysteries!

For Barker and Llewelyn, even a career of solving mysteries hasn’t prepared them for this: a riot, a collapsed tunnel, a missing heiress, and a power struggle in London’s underworld—all connected by a mysterious beggar named “Dutch.” Can Barker uncover the truth before it’s too late?

This book has a lot of moving parts, with storylines weaving together through the course of the novel. There’s not much emotion or character development. The novel is action-oriented, gritty, and fairly dark in tone. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Finding a new to me author who can pen a brilliant historical mystery is such a prize! Season of Death by Will Thomas has so many elements of a fun and intriguing historical mystery. A broody private inquiry agent with a witty sidekick who narrates their activities with humor and charm, quirky yet predictable side characters and a plot that is engaging and plausible. I am looking forward to going back to the beginning to learn more about this dynamic duo and how they started. I love the setting of Victorian England where technology is starting to advance, women’s rights are gaining traction, and status quo is continuously being challenged. There is no foul language, no bawdy scenes, or unnecessary violence and graphic descriptions. It is just a good story for the sake a good, creative story.
I had the additional privilege of receiving an audiobook version which really helped the story come to life in my mind. I loved all the accents and nuances of the various characters. The narrator did an excellent job.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

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.

Barker and Llewellyn are back with the sixteenth entry in the series. I've been reading them in order so had to jump a number of books in the series to get to Season of Death. Many of the usual characters from the earlier novels are with us although those of you who have been reading them in order already know about any births, deaths and marriages that have already occurred by 1895, the year this story unfolds. Initially, the collapse of a bridge opens up a very important opportunity for someone with a criminal mind and lots of ambition. Leaders of the major gangs were meeting in a room under the bridge and are no longer with us. There is chaos amongst criminals, to fill a leadership void. Yet, in the midst of chaos, we have a series of meticulously planned and executed jewelry store breaking.

Barker is hired to check around the neighborhood for anything that might point to the culprits when he and Llewelyn run across a woman with a teakettle and looking like a pile of filthy rags. She is what is called a “crawler” among the beggars, one of the lowest of the low who relies on pennies from better off street people. The kettle is to collect old tealeaves. Her name is “Dutch,” and there is something odd about her. When asked about whether she has seen anything that might lead to the thieves, it becomes obvious she has. After some back and forth, she acknowledges she has been made a lookout for the thieves and she shares the location of a burglary in progress. As Barker and Llewellyn break up the robbery, they find a more serious crime, burglars acting unusual and confirm which gang is involved. It is obvious to them that an unknown person is at the helm. They get Dutch to the mission where Barker is on the board. It is something of a domestic violence shelter, despised by men who think it's fine to harm their wives. Dutch should be safe, but some unknown person does not want her to be protected. She's unmarried, so who could it be? The plot twists just enough as usual to be entertaining. The characters continue to evolve but with pasts that influence their conduct. The writing is often humorous and sometimes very sad. What I particularly like about Will Thomas's writing is that I genuinely learn more about history of London and surrounds at the time and even within the back stories of characters. In this case, it meant that I learned about crawlers and understood more about the police system of the era. I love these books and Thomas has maintained the quality and interest consistently. The narrator of this audio edition, Antony Ferguson, is excellent.

Review of Season of Death

I received an early release copy of Season of Death from the publisher for review. As a long-time reader of this series, I highly recommend starting with book one if you're new to it. This allows you to truly appreciate the characters' remarkable growth and evolution throughout the narrative.

It delivers an intriguing story, skillfully weaving a mystery within a mystery. As expected in this historical London setting, the narrative is rich with political intrigue, romantic entanglements( Isn't there always?), and, of course, murder. The author crafts a compelling plot that kept me guessing until the very end.

A note on the audiobook narration: I found the narrator's pacing to be a bit slow at the default speed. To enhance the listening experience, I recommend increasing the playback speed to at least 1.25x or 1.35x. This adjustment made a significant difference, transforming what felt like a lecture into a more engaging narration. While the narrator's voice range was somewhat limited, the increased speed improved the overall flow and enjoyment of the audiobook.

Overall, is a well-written and captivating addition to the series. Though at times it seemed the main character repeated a few lines here and there. Despite the minor narration issue, which is easily remedied, the story's complexity and compelling characters make it a worthwhile read or listen for fans of historical mysteries

#netgalley

A great new addition to the series, I liked this one more than the last installment I read.

The characters continue to be interesting, though if this type of book isn’t your normal genre you may find them a bit dry. The character development in this one was very well done, and I appreciated how different characters were juxtaposed.

This is a great book for fans of Andrea Pemrose.

Thank you for the ARC!

I was a tad nervous going in because I was unfamiliar with the previous novels in the series, but it was super easy to follow! I imagine that a lot of them could be read as stand alone books if you wanted. Loved the Sherlock Holmes vibes. There were enough twists and turns to keep you interested, but not so many that you'd become lost in what was the actual plot. The writing was very concise and didn't have too much fluff. Can't wait to do enmore into this series!

This review is for the audiobook narrated by Antony Ferguson. Barker and Llewellyn have been together as enquiry agents for 10 years now. I enjoy seeing Llewellyn married and with a daughter. Barker is his usual aloof, mysterious self. There's lots of domestic violence in the plot, so beware if that's a trigger. I really felt for poor Dutch, and I'm glad it ended well. Anthony Ferguson is perfect for the book. He sounds just like I imagine Barker and Llewellyn would sound.

Thank you to Macmillan for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Will Thomas' Barker & Llewelyn series is one of my favorite active series being written today. Its hard to believe we are already on Book 16! Thomas's books are full of London atmosphere, interesting historical detail, and characters who continue to be engaging and surprising.

Although Season of Death could be read as a stand-alone, but reading it in series order is rewarding for the character development that has taken place.

Anthony Ferguson's narration in the Macmillan Audio production is terrific. He brings the characters to life without intruding in the story.

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

Season of Death is the 16th Barker & Llewelyn Victorian historical mystery by Will Thomas. Due out 22nd April 2025 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a well established series and the characters are quite finely drawn in a well written whole. The background research is impressive and the descriptions really do call up Victorian London. The story is fictionalized but written around a real historical framework and intertwined so skillfully that it's not always easy to tell where real history shades over into fiction.

The denouement and resolution are well done and satisfying. My only quibble (and it's a fairly minor one) is that the dialogue feels anachronistic in some places. It isn't clunky or awkward, but there is some modern vernacular and a most egalitarian (and non-period) mixing of social classes. The mystery itself is quite convoluted and the climax and denouement were full of twists (most of which are fairly heavily foreshadowed, there weren't any *shocking* reveals).

There are some moderately graphic descriptions of blood and violence (including domestic violence and abuse), misogyny, and racism included, so readers who are very sensitive to these and similar should be aware. All in all it's a very well written and engaging historical mystery.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 33 minutes and is superbly narrated by Antony Ferguson. He has a rich baritone voice and the quick switches in dialogue from Barker's brogue to east London Cockney thugs without a wobble is a thing of beauty. The sound and production quality is high throughout the recording. The narrator's virtuosity with a staggering array of regional accents is admirable and a joy to listen to.

The books are self contained stand-alones, so it's not necessary to have read the books in order to understand what's going on, although the interpersonal developments between returning characters will be somewhat spoiled if read out of order.

High quality historical mystery. Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Barker and Llewelyn are back in this new mystery set in Victorian London.

There are a lot of threads that weave together as the enquiry agents face a power vacuum among the criminal elements of London, as well as getting mixed up in the world of Dutch, a mysterious beggar who seems to be connected.

I always look forward to the next Barker & Llewelyn novel, as Will Thomas always manages to take on neglected aspects of Victorian life, and in this case, it’s organized crime. It’s a good solid story with some unexpected twists that keep the reader interested.

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is one of my favorite series, and this title did not disappoint.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Fast-paced and as always great to listen to. There's a lot going on in this book, but all leads to one villain. A missing woman, gang wars, police corruption, so much going on, but not confusing.

#netgalley #SeasonofDeath