Product Description

An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a position with "some danger involved," he chooses downtrodden Llewelyn, a gutsy young man with a murky past.

As they inch ever closer to the shocking truth behind the murder, Llewelyn is drawn deeper and deeper into Barker's peculiar world of vigilante detective work, as well as the heart of London's teeming underworld. Brimming with wit and unforgettable characters and steeped in authentic period detail, Some Danger Involved is a captivating page-turner that introduces an equally captivating duo.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #382993 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-01
• Released on: 2005-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .85" h x 5.32" w x 7.96" l, .55 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Modeled after the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, but with a verve all its own, this debut mystery introduces a likable pair of sleuths and explores the Jewish quarter of Victorian London. Fresh, self-effacing Thomas Llewelyn is a plucky lad down on his luck (he was booted out of Oxford and served eight months in prison for petty theft) when he becomes the unlikely assistant to idiosyncratic Cyrus Barker, a patently Holmesian private detective with an enigmatic background in China. Hardly has Llewelyn settled into his new quarters in his employer's residence when he is called upon to assist Barker in an investigation of the crucifixion death of a young Jewish scholar. The convoluted tale leads through the tightly circumscribed Jewish ghetto, as it appears that the murder may be the overture to a pogrom by vicious anti-Semitic factions. Barker's methods ("You see, I try to throw a web over London and sit like a spider in the midst of it all, my fingers on the strands") and Thomas's tone (" 'I must admit, sir,' I confessed, 'that I doubted you a little' ") may owe much to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but the author's lively, learned tour of the various foreign enclaves of 19th-century London is notably contemporary. Besides initiating Llewelyn into the rigors of detective work, Barker introduces his young associate to a number of exotic cuisines, Chinese and Italian among them. Such period curiosities and the growing friendship between Llewelyn and Barker are the chief delights of this engaging novel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This intriguing first novel introducing the pugnacious Cyrus Barker, whose Holmesian intellect makes him an intimidating "enquiry agent," reads like a grotesque Anne Perry mystery, sans manners. Nothing and no one are as they seem in the cobblestoned dankness of this Victorian London, including the bizarre crucifixion of a young Jewish scholar and the vile suspects who rise to the attention of Barker and his new assistant, the downtrodden Welshman Thomas Llewelyn. The author's brilliantly complex plotting sends detectives and readers chasing clues down the dark alleyways of immigrant Jewish communities and into churches harboring menacing pseudo-Christian hate groups, frantically seeking the maniacal killer whose murders take their twisted inspiration from biblical savagery. The exploration of the chasm between Christians and Jews, the details of Jewish customs, and the vivid period ambience lend philosophical depth to the action. "Some danger" is involved in the investigation, as the title suggests, but Thomas also peppers his debut with plenty of dark humor. Jennifer Baker
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Anne Perry New York Times bestselling author of No Graves As Yet and The Whitechapel Conspiracy A story full of fascinating Jewish atmosphere and authenticity set in Victorian London. An exciting page-turner with two original detectives. I look forward to their next adventure!

Sandra Brown New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Darkness The danger involved in beginning Some Danger Involved at bedtime is missing a night's sleep. Once Thomas's colorful characters and vivid story grab hold, they don't let go. A thoroughly entertaining read.