Lethal pursuit

Private-inquiry agent Cyrus Barker is on the mend after the explosive events of Blood Is Blood (2018). His assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, is adjusting to married life with his wife, Rebecca. The title makes a perfect fit for this wild chase through 1892 London and then abroad, as the agents attempt to return a satchel to its rightful owner a satchel that has already caused the death of a government agent charged with protecting it. A mysterious key takes Barker and Llewelyn through dark alleyways and tunnels that lead them to Downing Street for a clandestine meeting with the prime minister. The satchel, they learn, contains an unnamed first-century document desperately wanted by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her Majesty's government wants it safely under the protection of the Vatican. In addition to murderous German agents, there are also a host of other nefarious characters trying to get their hands on the satchel. Even some still-extant Templars get involved shades of The Da Vinci Code. High adventure recommended for fans of Victorian-era thrillers, who will find the rich aroma from Barker's meerschaum pipe thoroughly intoxicating.--Jane Murphy Copyright 2010 Booklist

Early in Thomas's lackluster 11th Victorian mystery featuring private investigators Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn (after 2018's Blood Is Blood), the pair are summoned to a secret meeting, where Lord Salisbury, the prime minister, informs them of the murder of Hillary Drummond, a Foreign Office operative. The day before, Drummond was stabbed with a sword by one of a group of young men wearing blue uniforms on a London street. Salisbury suspects that Drummond's assailants followed him from somewhere on the Continent, but rather than have Barker and Llewelyn investigate the killing, he asks them to deliver a package to Calais. Drummond had secreted a key in his shoe, which led the Foreign Office to a railway locker containing a satchel. While the PM refuses to disclose what's inside, Barker manages to learn that the contents are an ancient manuscript, which may be a previously unknown gospel that a scholar believes contains heretical ideas, such as giving money "generously to the poor." Despite his instructions, Barker delays heading to France and concentrates instead on identifying who may be behind Drummond's death. Action trumps detection in this outing. Series fans will be disappointed. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency. (Nov.)

It should be a simple and prestigious job for two London private enquiry agents: At the prime minister's request, they are to transport a satchel to a courier waiting in Calais. But when the agents are Caleb Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, it's no surprise that mayhem, sabotage, and even murder will ensue.Readers who have followed this lively, intelligent series (Blood is Blood, 2018, etc.) know that nothing is straightforward where the gruff Barker is concerned. And now that young Llewelyn has been made a partner, he too can question the motives behind the request. After all, it's 1892, and spies and political plots are rife across Europe. And if the contents of the satchel are indeed priceless religious manuscripts meant for the Vatican, the agents know others will want them, too. Using everything from ties to the Knights Templar to a savvy gang of street urchins, the duo will have to outguess and outmaneuver every other player. The author is so talented that the novel works both as an enjoyable romp and as a comment on Victorian issues both societal and political. He weaves in historyLondon especially comes alivewithout it seeming like clumps of a school lesson and gives just enough background so that new readers aren't lost in arcane references to past events.Even the most observant reader will be surprised at the final twists and turns and hope for another case soon. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.