Customer Reviews

The Black Hand: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Escalated violence, extortion, weapons smuggling, murder and vendettas." This is the recipe for the future inquiry agent Cyrus Barker envisions should the Sicilian Mafia succeed in their current bid for dominance in the 1885 London crime scene. Aided by his youthful and faintly acerbic sidekick Thomas Llewelyn, Barker is first awakened to the threat when called to assist the Thames Police with a recent murder: a barrel has surfaced bearing the dead bodies of an Italian assassin and his wife. Soon after, a prominent businessman is found dead, a sharp object inserted in his ear, into his brain. As the authorities request Barker's expertise with these violent murders, threatening notes appear bearing the Mafia signature, the Black Hand, messages indicating each recipient is a target. One such subject is an Italian import from Paris tasked with teaching the latest method of criminal investigation, one that uses photographs and precise body measurements to categorize criminals. (In competition with fingerprinting, another investigative tool in its infancy, Bertillon's System will eventually lose credibility as an accurate technique.)

The violent methods of the Mafia are unprecedented in Victorian London's lexicon of criminal enterprise, local agencies, Scotland Yard, the Thames Police, the Home Office currently overwhelmed with the usual unlawful activities of the population. They turn to Cyrus for a solution, under the aegis of the Home Office. While the Sicilians are distinct from other Italians, so are law-abiding Sicilians different from the Mafia criminals who have threatened the balance of the city with ever more frequent and deadly attacks. Nonplussed by the ramifications of the ruthless Black Hand, hallmarked by vendettas and bold assassinations, Barker realizes that a serious confrontation looms, that he must gather whatever ragtag forces available, London street gangs, five French brothers and volunteer dock workers. Barker's hasty alliance with varying factions assembles in common purpose, prepared to face a fearless enemy and defeat the takeover.

London law enforcement has yet to benefit from the fruits of revolutionary investigative techniques. Cyrus Barker is a sophisticated man of the world with eclectic interests, standing boldly against a landscape littered with the usual criminal elements, the docks a haven for discontent as laborers compete for jobs. Barker and his man, Llewelyn, are familiar faces from the author's other mysteries featuring the duo, the urbane and somewhat foolhardy assistant with a curious nature and willingness to follow his employer into the maws of hell if necessary. Compulsively readable, Thomas captures a fascinating era, the world on the cusp of dramatic change, an intrepid team schooled in the gentlemanly arts, resorting to other methods when appropriate. In this case, extreme measures are required: "How long before the Italians are against the Irish, and the French against the Chinese... one man wishing to be head... through murder and intimidation?" It's up to Barker and Llewelyn to negotiate this treacherous contretemps. And with Barker, nothing is what it seems. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

Thomas' new novel, "The Black Hand" is number 5 in the Cyrus Barker/Thomas Llewelyn series. In this installment, the two enquiry agents are hired by the government to try to thwart the establishment of a group of Sicilians known collectively as the Mafia from infiltrating the British underworld. There are also fears that these troublemakers will begin a reign of extortion, murder and other nefarious deeds. Several people have been found dead and the manner of their deaths is known to be those used by the Sicilians. Somehow these people have to be stopped, and soon, especially since the criminals hit very close to home for our heroes. The author also gives his readers a very brief history of the Mafia (up to that time, of course), which was very interesting.

I've really enjoyed all of the Barker/Llewelyn series, and while I enjoyed this one, it wasn't my favorite of the five. I figured out the plot twist pretty early on, which kind of disappointed me, and it just seemed a bit flat storywise, not as exciting as some of the previous novels in the series. . Overall it was still a pretty good read; the reader learns more about the enigmatic character of Cyrus Barker, which is a plus.

I'd recommend it, but I strongly urge readers who may be considering the series to start with the first one, Some Danger Involved, and to read through the books in order. Now, I wonder how long I'll have to wait for the next one?

When the Barker and Llewelyn series started it seemed to be an unabashed cousin of Holmes and Watson. As the series has progressed, however, Mr. Thomas has developed his two heroes with distinct personalities of their own. Additionally, the reader is given a history lesson of London, 1885, in every book.

Although this is a series, each book stands alone. There are a few references to prior cases, but nothing the reader needs to know about to understand or appreciate the goings on in this book.

In the Black Hand, Barker and Llewelyn are up against a new threat to law and order in London - the Mafia. They are teamed up in a conspiracy to fight the new criminals and especially the Mafia's new leader. Although the plot does not have as many twists and turns as prior ones, Barker's willingness to break the law to enforce the law adds tension to the plot.

The best part of this book, relative to the others, is the maturation of the characters. As the series has progressed, Barker, Llewelyn and their entire supporting cast has gained in depth and personality. Llyweleyn's sardonic humor comes through and another member of the household is given a life away from Barker.

The characters are a pleasure to revisit and the plot good as always. I can't wait for the next installment. I do worry, though, that Mr. Barker will run out of ethnic groups in old London, having now done in the Italians, Jews, Irish and Chinese. I have faith that with his knowledge of Victorian London the next installment will surprise and impress - again.

This is a very good mystery, with terrific characters set in a wonderful historic backdrop. Highly recommended.

Will Thomas' Barker & Llewellyn Victorian murder mystery series is beyond the shadow of a doubt, the best out there in the gaslight and cobblestone genre. And it seems that not only are the reading public fans saying this, but many very popular other mystery authors are touting it as well. With every installment the characters get more developed, the stories more intriguing and exciting. The author has an incredible talent of blending the ingredients of mystery, murder, action, adventure, history, ethnic culture, and humor, so well, that you simply can't lose by picking up one of his books. And once you pick one up, you can't put them down.

From the very first book in the series, Will Thomas creates a rather mysterious and elusive character for his lead hero, Cyrus Barker, who is rather a bit like Sherlock Holmes only more colorful, a lot more shady, and with more tricks up his sleeves. With each added novel in the series the author slowly gives us more and more tidbits of information on Barker's past. Each book makes you more curious as to who he is, what he was in his past, and how his mind works while detecting London's more difficult crimes. In the previous four books we the readers not only got great mysteries to unravel, but were allowed superb insight into various ethnic neighborhoods and inhabitants dwelling amongst London' various members of both elite and gutter-life population. We've been introduced to the Jewish community, the Irish mob, the Chinese quarter and with this newest book Black Hand, the Italians and Sicilians who make up the organized criminals of the Mafia. I have learned many new facts and have been introduced to a lengthy menu of compelling information about daily life in Victorian London at this time while reading this series. One can't help but wonder just what these books will teach us next.

I found this installment even better than the first four because the author finally throws us a bone, and sprinkles a few awaited crumbs of Barker's past that we fans have been hungering for, yet still dangles threads not revealing all. Barker's sidekick Thomas Llewellyn also gets a boost in Black Hand, finally getting to use his hard earned defensive training skills to kick some butt and to shine a little brighter in Barker's black glassed eyes. As he hardens into his new life as Private Enquiry Agent, he gets tougher, smarter and sassier as he conquers his own demons of the past. As always, in the Barker & Llewellyn adventures, The Black Hand had a great deal of Some Danger Involved, a lot of mischief and mayhem, quite a lot of belly-laughing sarcastic humor, and a host of background regular characters that are quite loveable and unique in their own right. You will find yourself waiting for their arrivals as well, cheering the whole cast of players on as they band together to battle for good against evil. Checking the author's website, I find he is hard at work penning book six leaving me with much anticipation, counting the days until it hits the press. The Black Hand was Fantastico!

As any reasonably serious reader knows, one of the disadvantages of having an author whose next release you're always anxiously awaiting is that once the new book comes out, you tend to devour it quickly. You savor the experience, but then, almost before you know it, are left asking, once again, "How long until the next one?"

That's the experience I'm having this morning after reading "The Black Hand" during evenings and travel times on an out-of-town trip. Can this really be the fifth Barker and Llewelyn mystery already? The characters continue to intrigue, Llewelyn particularly continues to mature as a person and as a character, and Will Thomas continues to impress not only with his research, but with his ability to take us deep into the economic and ethnic subcultures of 1880s London. Each of the Barker and Llewelyn novels have been an intriguing balance of the somewhat-familiar (late nineteenth century London, at a time when Sherlock Holmes is in the early stages of his own career) and the very unfamiliar (the worlds of the Irish, Chinese, Jewish, or in this case Italian urban underclass). Thomas' ability to maintain this balance is one of the remarkable features of the series.

For all its merit as a story of murder and mayhem (have the other books been quite as bloody as this one? I can't entirely recall), "The Black Hand" is a particularly noteworthy milestone in the relationship of our principal characters themselves. For one thing, we learn more about Barker the man and his mysterious background than in any volume since he was introduced. Llewelyn, for his part, is visibly maturing -- a fact Barker acknowledges in a way fans may find touching. As Barker becomes less of a man of mystery (if only slightly) and Llewelyn grows in confidence and ability, it suggests an interesting new dynamic for -- one hopes and assumes there will be -- later volumes.

Most of my review has been in the context of "The Black Hand" as part of a series, and that's certainly how it works best. But it also works well as a standalone murder mystery and I think fans of the genre will enjoy both the twists of the tale and the distinctive narrative viewpoint. As well, of course, as the author's ability to synthesize a huge amount of information into a convincing but not overwhelming level of period detail. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Each book in this series is a delight for those who enjoy a good thiller, mixed with "fish-out-of-water" humor. But this one is the best. You need to read the other books in the series though in order to get the most out of this book. Once you do that you come to know why Llewelyn seems alternately at home in his job as Barker's assistant, and completely lost as Barker's assistant. This book also adds to the depth of the characters like Mr. Ho and Mac. But best of all, you'll learn what the immigration of Italians meant to London, and the Italians struggle to overcome the crime that others wanted to graft onto their new life.

I couldn't put the book down. Love the English mysteries and being able to travel all over England. I hope that Will Thomas has a new book in the wings.

If you're not familiar with Will Thomas and the Barker/Llewelyn series, "The Black Hand" is, like the Holmes/Watson classics which it mimics, an entertaining mystery set in Victorian England - the "Miller Lite" of fiction - a "less filling" little gem of a novel that still "tastes great".

Thomas sets the hook early in this one, as a barrel containing the putrified corpse of an infamous and feared Sicilian assassin is fished from the Thames. Fearing the threat of violence rising in proportion with the growing Sicilian - and Mafia - population working London's east-end docks, England's "Home Office" calls in the cagey curmudgeon Cyrus Barker to work clandestinely to defuse the issue. With his trusty and plucky young apprentice Thomas Llewelyn faithfully at his side, the duo hansom-cabs around London gathering clues and narrowly escaping their own deaths while bodies pile up around them.

So this is neither great literature, nor the strongest entry in the series, but it is a more than adequate pastime, and a neat slice of London's rich history. Thomas surely has a passion for the period and it's colorful cast, and Barker/Llewelyn will overlook a rather pedestrian plot and somewhat forced climax in lieu of the continued development on the protagonists, as Thomas doles out a bit more background and history of the pair. Indeed, much of the allure of Barker and Llewelyn is the somewhat mysterious history of the man in the "dark-tinted eyeglasses", as the author cleverly distances Barker from the obvious comparisons to Sherlock Holmes, while setting up well for the inevitable sequel. As should be expected, Thomas keeps his story lively with his own brand of cynical tongue-in-cheek humor - an uncannily authentic British sense of humor from a guy who reportedly lives in Oklahoma.

In short, a must read for fans of the series, and while "The Black Hand" certainly stands on its own, the uninitiated would do well to find a copy of "Some Danger Involved" and start there.

Private enquiry agent Clive Barker and his twenty-two year old Welsh assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, take on the Sicilian mafia in "The Black Hand," by Will Thomas. The year is 1885. At a meeting with Inspector Poole of Scotland Yard and Inspector Dunham of the Thames Police, Barker and Llewelyn receive a piece of startling news. Two dead bodies have been found--those of Giorgio Serafini, the best assassin north of Naples, and his wife, Isabella. They were shot, stuffed in the barrel, and tossed into the river. In addition, Sir Alan Blesdoe, Director of the East and West India Docks, was killed when someone inserted a sharp object in his ear, penetrating his brain. Robert Anderson, of the Home Office, recruits Barker to look into the sudden increase in crime all over London. Barker's mission is to find the ringleader who has fomented discontent among the Sicilian dockworkers and planned all of this mayhem.

Thomas, in the year and a half that he has been in Barker's employ, has learned a great deal, including various styles of hand-to-hand combat (such as Chinese boxing, Japanese wrestling, and stick-fighting), how to detonate explosives, and how to hone his powers of observation. He will need to be in top form when he and the "Guv" are pitted against a gang of fanatical and violent adversaries. Barker knows that to win this conflict he will have to call in favors and gather men as vicious and cunning as his enemies.

"The Black Hand" is an exhilarating adventure, in which Will Thomas includes well-searched tidbits of Italian history. As always, the author populates his novel with a cast of colorful characters. Victor Gigliotti is an Italian restaurateur and the powerful leader of a faction known as the Camorra (the late Serafini had been his bodyguard). Gigliotti is rightfully concerned that an all-out war is about to break out between his men and the Sicilians. When someone close to Barker is stabbed and nearly killed, Cyrus is galvanized into planning his counterattack. He would love to get his hands on a shadowy figure named Marco Faldo, who may be behind the recent outbreak of violence, but no one knows what Faldo looks like or where he may be hiding. In a more romantic vein, we meet the lovely and well-to-do widow, Mrs. Philippa Ashleigh, who is Cyrus Barker's lady love. Thomas is all ears when Mrs. Ashleigh relates some fascinating anecdotes about Cyrus's exploits in China, where he grew up as the son of a missionary. The book concludes with a few clever surprises and a rousing confrontation between our heroes and their bloodthirsty foes. "The Black Hand" is another satisfying installment in this entertaining and well-written series of historical mysteries.

I've never read one of Will Thomas's books before. He's got this series of books, involving a pair of characters who are "Private Enquiry Agents" in 1880's London. The narrator, naturally, is an apprentice of the main detective, a guy named Cyrus Barker. Barker's an enigmatic guy who used to captain a ship, and has various skills from a life spent abroad. The narrator, his apprentice Thomas Llewellyn, is a former thief who Barker for some reason befriended, and the two of them together have adventures.

This is the latest entry in the series, where Barker and Llewellyn confront the Italian Mafia, Sicilian organized criminals who have infiltrated the small Sicilian population and are causing trouble, killing those in their path. Along the way, Llewellyn gets instruction in the Italian art of knife-fighting, meets a lady friend of Barker's, and the two men work their way through the London underground, chasing after the elusive Sicilian bad guys.

While this is a good story, and the atmosphere is terrific, I'm afraid the mystery is a bit thin. I guessed the twist in the plot rather easily without even trying, and frankly there isn't really much of a mystery anyway. I did enjoy the story, though, and will look for other books in the series.