Rating: 
Summary: Some Danger Involved: A Novel
Review: Thought it was great. Went to the library to look for other books by the same author, and found out this was the first. Excellent reading. I hope there will be many, many more.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning Debut
Review: Will Thomas (as he tells us in an Author's Note to his engrossing debut novel, SOME DANGER INVOLVED) is a book reviewer for various organizations and a speaker on Victorian crime fiction. It should be noted that he is apparently too modest to present himself as an expert on such matters, though such a conclusion is inescapable after reading this fine work, the first of what will hopefully be a long-running series. While Victorian London has primarily been the province of cozies lately, SOME DANGER INVOLVED explores the grittier and seamier side of that place and time, with riveting results.SOME DANGER INVOLVED introduces "enquiry agent" (which is now known as a "private investigator") Cyrus Barker to the world of detective literature. The story, however, is told through the eyes of Thomas Llewelyn. As the novel begins, Llewelyn is responding to a cryptic classified advertisement in The London Times seeking an assistant enquiry agent who turns out to be the idiosyncratic, brilliant Barker. Llewelyn is hired (his job interview is worth the price of admission all by itself) and he is almost immediately swept into a world of which he had no prior knowledge. His first case with Barker begins but a few days after his hiring, when a rabbinical student bearing a strong resemblance to classical interpretations of Jesus Christ is found murdered by crucifixion in London's Jewish ghetto. Anti-Jewish sentiment is running hot in London at the time, and Barker and Llewelyn do not suffer from a lack of suspects. Barker's investigation is not limited to London's main thoroughfares; the back alleys of the city are explored, and the duo investigates both the well-heeled and the downtrodden in their natural habitats. Barker and Llewelyn encounter the early Italian Mafia, a eugenics professor who teeters on the brink of madness, and a host of other fascinating and unforgettable characters --- some of whom are also employed in various capacities by Barker. When a second murder appears, with a Jewess as the victim, the tragedy ironically and ultimately provides the break in the case that leads to the revelation of the identity --- and the motive --- of the murderer. SOME DANGER INVOLVED is more than a historical mystery, however. We also come to know through this fine first novel the fascinating backgrounds of Barker and Llewelyn. Llewelyn's background is a study in contrasts, given his attendance at Oxford College and unfortunate residency in Oxford Prison, where Barker's hardscrabble childhood and scarred appearance is at odds with his wealthy trappings. While comparisons to Holmes and Watson are inevitable, given the setting, the subject matter and the principals, SOME DANGER INVOLVED is far more than a pastiche or tribute to Conan Doyle's work. Thomas dips deeply into Victorian London, and also provides his readers with interesting and insightful knowledge and observations regarding Jewish culture. More tales of Barker and Llewelyn are apparently planned; more would be most welcomed. Recommended, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Holmes and Watson. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: A Promising Debut
Review: Will Thomas' "Some Danger Involved" is an interesting and mildly entertaining mystery novel set in late 19th century London. In an unapologetic remake of the proven Holmes-Watson formula, Thomas' Holes, Cyrus Barker, takes on as assistant a young and downtrodden Welshman, Thomas Llewelyn. The enigmatic Barker, an English aristocrat with mystical oriental influences, and the naïve but determined Llewelyn team up to solve the murder and crucifixion of a promising young rabbinical student in London's east-end Jewish ghetto. If you enjoy a bit of history with your fiction, you'll find Thomas' Victorian London well researched and informative. The customs of life within the Jewish community add a unique flavor to the mystery, while contemporary views of race and religion - eugenics - provide a fascinating backdrop. The actual murder, however, takes a back seat to the novel's setting and culture, and also to the budding friendship between Barker and Llewelyn. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the hardcore murder mystery fan may find the suspects more suited to the game of "Clue" than to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Nonetheless, "Some Danger Involved" is an impressive and enjoyable debut, and hopefully the first in a series featuring the Carter-Llewelyn team.
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