Fierce poison

Five stars for the latest instalment in Thomas' popular Barker and Llewelyn detective series set in 1890s London. Influenced by his love of iconic author Rex Stout, Thomas injects his work with elements reminiscent of Stout's detective duo of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, but at the same time, this series--intricately plotted, humorous, atmospheric, and rich in multidimensional characters--is in no way derivative. Barker and Llewelyn's latest case begins when a man comes to their office, begs for help, then collapses and dies. The victim, Roland Fitzhugh, was a barrister and Member of Parliament, and the autopsy shows he was poisoned. Initially, Barker and Llewelyn surmise he was killed by a political enemy or someone he sent to prison. But then a spate of similar poisonings occur, with a poor East End family, one of Barker's servants, and even Barker's dog among the targets. The seeming randomness in the choice of victims is baffling, but when Barker and Llewelyn themselves are nearly killed, they conclude that they've been the poisoner's real targets all along. It takes every bit of their investigative prowess to finally unmask the killer and the tragic motive that set off the poisoning spree. A superb mystery that's sure to appeal to a wide range of fans.

Set in 1893, Thomas's superb 13th whodunit featuring private inquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn (after 2021's Dance with Death) centers on multiple poisonings while riffing on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The PIs are shocked when a stranger appears at their London office, requests water, and then dies after having difficulty breathing. A business card on the body identifies the man as Roland Fitzhugh, a Liberal MP. After the death is reported to Scotland Yard, Barker and Llewelyn learn that Fitzhugh visited there half an hour before his demise to report that he suspected someone had tried to poison him on two occasions. Barker insists on justice for Fitzhugh and gains a paying client in the form of former prime minister William Gladstone, who funds the search for the killer. Another poisoning follows soon after, this time claiming the lives of almost an entire East End family. The leads' friendship enriches a gripping plot that builds to a clever and satisfying resolution. Pastiche-averse Sherlockians looking for a baffling puzzle set in their favorite period will be rewarded. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency. (Apr.)

In 1893 London, Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker is shocked when a newly elected Member of Parliament arrives in his office and promptly drops dead, done in (it turns out) by a cyanide-laced raspberry tart. Barker and partner Thomas Llewelyn are hired by former Prime Minister William Gladstone to determine what happened but soon find themselves targeted by the press-dubbed Mad Pie Man. From the Shamus-nominated librarian author; with a 30,000-copy first printing.