Season of Death

London, England in November of 1895 comes to life in the sixteenth book in the Barker and Llewelyn series by Will Thomas. Season of Death features two private enquiry agents, Cyrus Barker and his business partner Thomas Llewelyn. It is set largely in the London East End which was a working class and immigrant area that was rife with poverty, overcrowding, crime, and the associated social issues during this time of the Victorian era.

Hired by merchants to catch the criminals robbing stores at night, they encounter a beggar who provides a lead to them. Meanwhile Sir Hugh Danvers and his wife hire them to find her sister, an American heiress, who has been missing for six months. When the collapse of a railway tunnel kills dozens and shuts down utility and other services across much of the city and a riot at a women’s shelter occur, Cyrus and Thomas are spread thin dealing with the fallout.

Cyrus is competent, stoic, stubborn, crafty, and has his own code of ethics. He supports several charities, including the Mile End Mission women’s shelter. However, he lacks a sense of humor and doesn’t enjoy taking orders. He also doesn’t understand sarcasm. Thomas is the junior partner with a wife and a young daughter who is teething. He seems to have the ability to vex authority figures and doesn’t get along with several people in their circle of acquaintances. He handles the office accounts and writes the reports as well as takes notes during their investigations.

The author has a writing style that quickly brings readers into the well-paced story that is sprinkled with humor. The atmosphere and setting are fabulous in this novel. I could easily visualize the characters and the place as well as the danger that abounded. What starts as a simple investigation quickly escalates into an inquiry into the criminal underworld of the East End. There are several twists and a couple of surprises along the way as well as one or two predictable elements. I enjoy learning something new in historical fiction novels. In this one, readers get insight into police methods of identifying criminals using Bertillon cards. My main quibble is that there was one item that was not brought fully to closure, although there is some insight into what was probably going to happen. Themes include crime, poverty, corruption, murder, domestic violence, women’s rights, and much more.

Overall, this is a moving, well-written, and entertaining novel with great characterization as well as some pivotal suspenseful moments and several action scenes. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Although this can work as a standalone novel, reading the series in order will show character growth and changes over time as well as information on relationships among the reoccurring characters. Readers who enjoy historical mysteries set in Victorian England will likely enjoy this book.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Will Thomas provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 22, 2025.