⋙ PDF Free Some Danger Involved A Novel Barker Llewelyn Will Thomas 9780743256193 Books

Some Danger Involved A Novel Barker Llewelyn Will Thomas 9780743256193 Books

Download As PDF : Some Danger Involved A Novel Barker Llewelyn Will Thomas 9780743256193 Books

Some Danger Involved A Novel Barker Llewelyn Will Thomas 9780743256193 Books

I am a bit on the fence about this book... On one hand, the first several chapters were fantastic - so engaging I was unable to lay it down for a moment. The characters themselves, not to mention their often amusing idiosyncrasies, were vivid, and Llewllyn's introduction to Barker was witty and clever. In many ways, it was a gem of characterization, and the author seems to have a gift for bringing them to life on the pages. No cardboard cutouts here, which is an aspect that did not go unappreciated by this reader. There is action and adventure along with a good deal of research and extremely well written prose.

Unfortunately, the mystery aspects were sorely lacking. Having started off strongly, strangely enough, things went downhill shortly after the crime was committed.The investigation itself did have its interesting points and fast paced bits, but this spiraled into a mess of pacing, with clues thrown in with a rather slapdash method - so a good deal of the mystery itself was not exactly compelling. Barker is, at times, a laughably inept enquiry agent, interviewing suspects that otherwise would have no connection to the case save that he seems to have a list of usual bad guys to interrogate. It became tedious extremely fast, to the point that somewhere around the midway mark it lagged off so considerably I was forcing myself to read it piecemeal.

However, around the last 50 pages, the pacing again picked up considerably, though even that was offset by an ending which verged on terrible. The 'climax' scene lasted all of 4.5 pages, and was very amateurishly handled, besides. It actually had the potential to be clever, but due to some sloppy plotting and a poor overall execution of the final scene, to call it lackluster would be an overstatement. Then the author goes on to make the mistake of not ending the story at the point he should have. Instead, it is dragged out unnecessarily for another two chapters when that energy should have been focused on a slightly more dramatic denouement.

And yet, I cannot quite say it was a bad book. It seems like the author got bored about 2/3 of the way in, and would have been a far better read had it been given a good once over by a discerning editor. I still think this is a promising author who just needed more structure to his plot and less extraneous descriptions. For all its flaws, this was worth the read, and I have already ordered the second book in this series.


Tags : Some Danger Involved: A Novel (Barker & Llewelyn) [Will Thomas] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant,Will Thomas,Some Danger Involved: A Novel (Barker & Llewelyn),Touchstone,0743256190,General,Barker, Cyrus (Fictitious character),Great Britain - History - Victoria, 1837-1901,Historical fiction,London (England),Mystery fiction,Private investigators - England - London,FICTION General,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Mystery & Detective General,FICTION Mystery & Detective Historical,Fiction,Fiction - Mystery Detective,Historical mysteries,Mystery & Detective - Historical,FIC000000,FIC014000

Some Danger Involved A Novel Barker Llewelyn Will Thomas 9780743256193 Books Reviews

Llewelyn, just released from prison, is queuing up to apply for a job; he has thrown away the bag that holds all his meager possessions. Not because he is certain that he will get the job, but because he has decided to jump into the Thames if he does not. He is not sure how he could qualify, after all he is a failed oxford student who served a 9 monthly sentence for theft and battery. But nevertheless, he is hired, becoming an assistant to inquiry agent, Barker, because his last assistant was killed in a case.
The plot of this mystery is solid and involves a rich moment in London’s history—a growing sense of unrest and hatred towards the city’s Jewish population. And their first case comes about because a young Jewish student who also teaches is found crucified, and the Jewish community fears the growing unrest.
But that would only justify a 4-star review. This book deserves a 5 because of the rich development of the characters. Barker and Llewelyn are wonderful characters, and Llewelyn in particular is interesting; moreover his development over the book is wonderful to watch.
I read a fair number of historical mysteries, and I haven’t enjoyed one as much as this is some time. I can‘t wait to read the next installment!
As a fan of detective fiction in general, of all sorts of things fin-de-sicle, I was directed to _Some Danger Involved_ by . Set in Victorian London (and not unlike Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's _Sherlock Holmes_), Thomas Llewelyn is our Dr. Watson to Cyrus Barker, a free-lance detective. But Barker is a great deal more mysterious (and less posh) than Holmes, and Llewelyn is more coarse and working-class than Watson, the two are equally charming to Doyle's creations - maybe even more so.

The plot revolves around the murder and public crucifixion of a young Polish Jew. The details of the crime and its motive remain a mystery was this an act designed to sitr anti-Semitism in the East End? could it have been an attempt to show the Jews the "errors" of their ways in an attempt to get them to convert to Christianity? Or was as it done to humiliate the young man without religious intent? As the story unfolds, Will Thomas takes readers on a tour thorugh the seedy and dangerous underbelly of London's East End - a part of the city awash in immigrants from east Europe and Italy as the English struggle to accomodate and assimilate these new groups. As an added bonus, a number of (admittedly minor) hisorical figures cross the paths of our sleuths as they seek answers.

I enjoyed the story - and especially the characters - tremendously, and I look forward to more by Thomas. For fans of period fiction, mysteries or Victorian England, this is a sure hit. Recommended.
All works within this genre have traits and nuances which make them distinct. I happen to appreciate most of these peculiar "takes" but I understand some people prefer to be entertained within a very circumscribed set of approaches which comprise their literary comfort zone. For those who may wonder whether Mr Thomas' work fits their confines, I would say that in Some Danger Involved one can expect to find a very readable story, peopled with interesting characters (awaiting further development), handled throughout with clarity as a chief characteristic. If you are looking for sturm und drang, tortured figures in tortured prose, twists upon inordinate, gratuitous twists, than I suggest you look farther afield. Here you will find a very clear, comprehensible tale well told. The pace is brisk, and can be counted on to carry the reader throughout a relatively fast and easy read. I, a fairly slow and deliberate reader, finished the novel in three or four comfortable sessions, and I found the experience to be a pleasant entertainment.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
EWG
I am a bit on the fence about this book... On one hand, the first several chapters were fantastic - so engaging I was unable to lay it down for a moment. The characters themselves, not to mention their often amusing idiosyncrasies, were vivid, and Llewllyn's introduction to Barker was witty and clever. In many ways, it was a gem of characterization, and the author seems to have a gift for bringing them to life on the pages. No cardboard cutouts here, which is an aspect that did not go unappreciated by this reader. There is action and adventure along with a good deal of research and extremely well written prose.

Unfortunately, the mystery aspects were sorely lacking. Having started off strongly, strangely enough, things went downhill shortly after the crime was committed.The investigation itself did have its interesting points and fast paced bits, but this spiraled into a mess of pacing, with clues thrown in with a rather slapdash method - so a good deal of the mystery itself was not exactly compelling. Barker is, at times, a laughably inept enquiry agent, interviewing suspects that otherwise would have no connection to the case save that he seems to have a list of usual bad guys to interrogate. It became tedious extremely fast, to the point that somewhere around the midway mark it lagged off so considerably I was forcing myself to read it piecemeal.

However, around the last 50 pages, the pacing again picked up considerably, though even that was offset by an ending which verged on terrible. The 'climax' scene lasted all of 4.5 pages, and was very amateurishly handled, besides. It actually had the potential to be clever, but due to some sloppy plotting and a poor overall execution of the final scene, to call it lackluster would be an overstatement. Then the author goes on to make the mistake of not ending the story at the point he should have. Instead, it is dragged out unnecessarily for another two chapters when that energy should have been focused on a slightly more dramatic denouement.

And yet, I cannot quite say it was a bad book. It seems like the author got bored about 2/3 of the way in, and would have been a far better read had it been given a good once over by a discerning editor. I still think this is a promising author who just needed more structure to his plot and less extraneous descriptions. For all its flaws, this was worth the read, and I have already ordered the second book in this series.