8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wolfe in London, September 2, 2006
This review is from: The Limehouse Text: A Novel (Hardcover)
Will Thomas is one of the freshest voices in the mystery field right now. Fine characterization, breakneck plotting, a dazzling evocation of Victorian London, and a funny, energetic first-person narrator, all add up to books that are pure pleasure to read. But one thing I don;t understand is why everyone seems to be comparing Thomas' characters to Holmes and Watson when it's so clear to me that they're more closely based based on Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, the heroes of the greatest traditional detective series ever written in America. Admittedly, the active and deadly Barker is no housebound 300-pounder like Wolfe, but the relationship (and especially the tone of the relationship) pays creative homage to Rex Stout's immortal creations. And since I love Wolfe and Archie, and am a complete sucker for Victorian novels (both the real thing and those written today) and since Will Thomas is a terrific writer in his own right, "The Limehouse Text" knocked me out. One thing I especially like is that Thomas is withholding so much information about Barker: what's his real background? Is he Chinese or part-Chinese? Where did he get his skills? Barker has an enormous, exotic, unexplored backstory, and I'm sure that's going to give Will Thomas material to work with for many books to come. And I'll be buying them as fast as they come out.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book in a great series, April 6, 2007
Private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn discover a pawn ticket in the suit of Thomas' predecessor, Quong, who had been murdered. The ticket leads to a rare book on forbidden martial arts techniques, stolen from a Chinese monastery. Many people want this book and many die, nearly including Barker himself, as he and Thomas try to protect themselves, save the book and discover who killed Quong.
It is always a delight to read the newest book in this series. Will Thomas paints a vivid picture of turn-of-the-19th Century London and the characters in it. Barker is delightfully enigmatic; we learn only bits of him with each book. Llewelyn is an impatient young man who has already seen much of the harsher side of life and yet is still somewhat naïve. The supporting characters, including Ham the pug, are fully drawn and add great dimension to the story. The plot is entertaining and even with the "gather the suspects" scene at the end, I was intrigued to learn how Barker determined the killer. I hope this series continues for a long time to come. If you've not as yet discovered Will Thomas and enjoy a Holmes-style investigator, I highly recommend these.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"We fought against Fate itself.", July 21, 2006
This review is from: The Limehouse Text: A Novel (Hardcover)
Will Thomas's third installment in his entertaining Victorian mystery series is "The Limehouse Text," featuring the formidable enquiry agent, Cyrus Barker, and his faithful young assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. The year is 1885 and the Limehouse is London's Chinese district, which is crime-ridden and dangerous. The text referred to in the title was stolen from the Xi Jiang Monastery in the Jiangsu Province of China and was later brought aboard ship to London. The book is an instruction manual containing secret and highly dangerous martial arts techniques practiced in China, and if the volume should fall into the wrong hands, the consequences could be disastrous. An unknown assailant has already murdered several people in an attempt to get his hands on this prized work.
One day, Inspector Nevil Bainbridge hands over a pawn ticket to Barker. The ticket was found among the effects of Quong, Barker's first assistant who was found dead a year earlier, "shot with a single bullet between the eyes." Barker has long reproached himself over his failure to find Quong's killer, and he thinks that this new development may break the case wide open. Barker has an advantage in this investigation since not only does he speak fluent Chinese, but he also spent years in China as a soldier. He even has a sobriquet, "Shi Shi Ji," which means Stone Lion in Chinese. Barker is an expert in martial arts and a courageous and determined fighter.
Indeed, the pawn ticket does lead to the famed Limehouse text, and the case sends Barker and Llewelyn into a labyrinthine world of intrigue. As always, Will Thomas's thorough research yields rich dividends. One of the main delights of reading this series is absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of Victorian London, with its vivid and evocative atmosphere and flavor. The characters are expertly depicted, including Ho, a Chinese chef with attitude, Mr. K'ing, the powerful and feared overlord of the Limehouse District, Trelawny Campbell-Ffinch, an obnoxious representative of the Foreign Office with a secret life, Bok Fu Ying, Barker's beautiful ward who is devoted to her generous benefactor, and Jimmy Woo, a Chinese man with a plummy British accent who may know more than he is revealing. Barker is a compassionate but tough mentor, and Llewelyn is anxious to please his "Guv." However, neither man is perfect. Barker is vulnerable to attack from other martial artists and Llewelyn's impulsiveness and poor judgment nearly cost both men their lives.
"The Limehouse Text" has exciting and entertaining fight scenes, droll humor, a colorful cast, and a complex and intriguing plot. Llewelyn is an engaging and likeable narrator, and Barker is crusty, tough, and quick-witted. Will Thomas recently said in an interview, "I created the series intending it to have a long run." What good news! I look forward to this talented writer's next book, "The Hellfire Conspiracy," scheduled for release in 2007.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
