Anatomy of Evil - (Barker & Llewelyn Novel) by Will Thomas (Paperback)

About the Book

HISTORICAL MYSTERIES. Cyrus Barker is undoubtedly England's premiere private enquiry agent. With the help of his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, he's developed an enviable reputation for discreetly solving some of the toughest, most consequential cases in recent history. But one evening in 1888, Robert Anderson, the head of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), appears at Barker's office with an offer. A series of murders in the Whitechapel area of London are turning the city upside down, with tremendous pressure being brought to bear on Scotland Yard and the government itself. Barker is to be named temporary envoy to the Royal Family with regard to the case while surreptitiously bringing his investigative skill to the case. With various elements of society, high and low, bringing their own agenda to increasingly shocking murders, Barker and Llewellyn must find and hunt down the century's most notorious killer.

Book Synopsis

"Readers rejoice and scoundrels take heed--the streets of Victorian London just got a little safer. Newcomers are sure to be absorbed into these warm, witty, and richly atmospheric historicals, and devotees will not be disappointed." --Library Journal

Private Enquiry Agent Cyrus Barker takes on his biggest case ever in Will Thomas's Anatomy of Evil--the attempt to find and stop the killer terrorizing Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper

Cyrus Barker is undoubtedly England's premiere private enquiry agent. With the help of his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, he's developed an enviable reputation for discreetly solving some of the toughest, most consequential cases in recent history. But one evening in 1888, Robert Anderson, the head of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), appears at Barker's office with an offer. A series of murders in the Whitechapel area of London are turning the city upside down, with tremendous pressure being brought to bear on Scotland Yard and the government itself.

Barker is to be named temporary envoy to the Royal Family with regard to the case while surreptitiously bringing his investigative skill to the case. With various elements of society, high and low, bringing their own agenda to increasingly shocking murders, Barker and Llewellyn must find and hunt down the century's most notorious killer. The Whitechapel Killer has managed to elude the finest minds of Scotland Yard--and beyond--he's never faced a mind as nimble and a man as skilled as Cyrus Barker. But even Barker's prodigious skills may not be enough to track down a killer in time.

Review Quotes

"[A] classic detective duo.... The best fun in this Big Boys' Adventure Book is observing [protagonist Cyrus] Barker in action." --Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review on Fatal Enquiry

"Readers will relish the appealing characters, clever twists, and colorful vision of late 19th-century London." --Publishers Weekly on Fatal Enquiry

"Well-crafted and immersive, this a great addition [for] Thomas' fans, as well as those of Alex Grecian and Anne Perry's." --Booklist on Fatal Enquiry

"Recommended for historical mysteries enthusiasts, Anglophiles, and Sherlockians. Fans of Alex Grecian, Anthony Horowitz, and Charles Todd should take special note." --Library Journal (starred) on Fatal Enquiry

"Readers rejoice and scoundrels take heed--the streets of Victorian London just got a little safer now that Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are back on the case! ... Charming... powered by well-developed character dynamics and a delightfully idiosyncratic cast of characters. Newcomers are sure to be absorbed into these warm, witty, and richly atmospheric historicals, and devotees will not be disappointed." --Library Journal (starred review) on Fatal Enquiry

"A page-turner [with] a more physically imposing Holmes and a more intellectual Watson." --Kirkus Reviews on Fatal Enquiry

"With Fatal Enquiry, Will Thomas brings us a sixth entry in the suspenseful Barker & Llewelyn series set in the streets and back lanes of Victorian London. Throw in a beautiful and mysterious woman, a dead nobleman, and accusations that Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn made him that way, stir well with Barker's oldest enemy Sebastian Nightwine, and you have a can't-miss winner." --Historical Novel Society on Fatal Enquiry

About the Author

WILL THOMAS is the author of the Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn series, including The Black Hand, The Hellfire Conspiracy, The Limehouse Text, To Kingdom Come, and the Shamus and Barry award-nominated Some Danger Involved. He lives in Oklahoma.