Audiobook9 hours
Fatal Enquiry
Written by Will Thomas
Narrated by Antony Ferguson
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Some years ago, Cyrus Barker matched wits with Sebastian Nightwine, an aristocrat and sociopath, and in exposing his evil, sent Nightwine fleeing to hide from justice somewhere in the far corners of the earth. The last thing Barker ever expected was to encounter Nightwine again-but the British government, believing they need Nightwine's help, has granted him immunity for his past crimes, and brought him back to London. Nightwine, however, has more on his mind than redemption-and as Barker and Llewellyn set out to uncover and thwart Nightwine's real scheme, they find themselves in the gravest danger of their lives.
Author
Will Thomas
Will Thomas is the author of the Barker and Llewelyn series, a series of mystery novels set in Victorian England. The first novel in the series was nominated for a Barry Award and a Shamus Award, and won the 2005 Oklahoma Book Award. He lives with his family in Oklahoma.
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Titles in the series (11)
The Limehouse Text Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Some Danger Involved Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Kingdom Come Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hellfire Conspiracy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy of Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Old Scores Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Black Hand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hell Bay Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fatal Enquiry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blood Is Blood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lethal Pursuit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Fatal Enquiry
Rating: 4.196428571428571 out of 5 stars
4/5
112 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A sinister character from Cyrus Barker’s past, Sebastian Nightwine, is back in London and up to no good. Somehow, he has gotten the blessing of the British government and seems to be unstoppable in his quest to do … what? Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewellyn need to find out what he’s up to and, whatever it takes, stop him. But before Barker and Llewellyn get started, they find themselves the subjects of a manhunt by Scotland Yard. Barker has been wrongly implicated in a murder and someone has put a huge reward on his head. Barker’s home and office are being watched, his bank accounts frozen. He and Llewellyn are without the resources that usually make them a formidable team of “enquiry agents.” Now they’re back in the rough-and-tumble world they came from and it’s up to them to survive and thwart Nightwine.I’ve read all but one of Will Thomas’s books … and it’s been a long time since the last one. I’m glad he’s back again with his great cast of characters, smooth and witty writing, and intricate plots. He’s a writer whose harder-edged stories are created without resorting to wall-to-wall profanity. And he manages to portray a violent world without scaring the bejeezus out of readers who usually tend toward the cozier end of the mystery spectrum. Review based on publisher-provided, Early Reviewer copy of the book’s bound galley.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Continuing adventures, yes, but this book also reveals back story that deeply enriches the reader's relationship with Barker and Llewelyn. I wasn't totally on board with Thomas' casting, so to speak, of the murderer in this enquiry; this character doesn't feel believable to me. However, my overall state of enamor with this series continues. :)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After exposing Sebastian Nitewine a number of years ago, forcing his nemeses arch to flee London,, howeve, Nitewine returns with a pardon from the British Government, who believe Nitewine has valueable information needed for national security . Through his manipulation, Barker is falsely accused of murder and sent on the run. Nitewine also as a bounty placed on Barkers head. With all of London on the lookout for Barker, can he again foil Nitewine? An excellent Victorian mystery.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a very good mystery. Twists and turns through out the entire story.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewellyn face a foe from Barker’s past. Sebastian Nightwine is a master criminal who has gained a pardon from the government as they believe he has information they need for National Security. Barker is sure that whatever Nightwine is selling, it is not because he has been reformed and is now concerned about protecting England. Barker is determined to learn the truth about Nightwine’s motive as well as the validity of the information he is offering officials. Yet, Nightwine has a plan for Barker that results in Barker becoming a fugitive and wanted by the police. Barker with the assistance of Llewellyn must learn the true criminal plot while staying one step of the police and attempting to clear their names.I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and was thrilled to read the latest book in the series. This book provides a different view of Barker as he must use the experiences of his past to stay ahead of Nightwine. This includes contacts and costumes that Llewellyn has never seen or met. While Barker seems in his element (even though he is outside his normal roles in society), Llewellyn seems lost both by Barker and the situations they find themselves in. Of the two, Llewellyn is the most personable even though at times, he is the one character with the worst understanding of what is happening. Llewellyn is used to being considered one of the good guys and struggles as he and Barker deal with the “criminal element.” Even though Llewellyn knows that he does not always have the best grasp of events, his innocence makes him more appealing.I cannot wait until the next book is released.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the long awaited follow up to 2008's "The Black Hand" featuring enquiry agent Cyrus Barker & his trusty sidekick Thomas Llewelyn. All the books are set in victorian London, a bustling progressive city where the class system is being slowly eroded by the rise of industry & a growing presence of labour unions.
Like the others, this story is told by Thomas who has been with Barker for about two years now. He's a Welshman whose past is riddled with poverty & tragedy, making him appreciate the clean sheets & regular food that come with his job.
As the books progressed, Thomas (and the reader) slowly learned more about his mysterious boss' colourful background. Barker ended up in London after many years in the Far East & some friends from that time have followed him here like Ho, the scary restauranteur & Etienne, his temperamental chef. One figure he never wanted to see again is the Honourable (hah!) Sebastian Nightwine.
In a previous book, we met Nightwine, a sociopathic criminal unencumbered by morals. Barker worked tirelessly to gather evidence for Scotland Yard but ultimately, the class system won out & Nightwine's social status rendered him untouchable. He sold off his illegal business to Seamus O'Muircheartaigh, an intimidating Irish rebel & hightailed it to parts unknown.
This book begins as Insp. Terrence Poole comes by with the bad news. Nightwine is back.....and still untouchable. He's arriving by steamship armed with diplomatic immunity & Poole's job is to protect him from Barker.
Although stumped by Nightwine's return, Barker is thrilled to have another shot at him. Before he can make plans, he & Thomas receive more shocking news. Someone delivered a package containing ricin to Seamus' office, killing several people & leaving Seamus at death's door. Then they hear Lord Clayton has been murdered & Scotland Yard names Barker as the killer. Is someone taking out all of Nightwine's enemies?
In the blink of an eye, Barker & Thomas are on the run, cut off from friends & associates. No place is safe as a huge manhunt ensues, incited by the offer of a healthy reward for their capture.
And we're off. We follow Barker & Thomas as they hide out in seedy areas of the city, constantly on the move while trying to uncover the plot to ruin Barker. Returning characters include Mac (Barker's majordomo), Andrew McClain (boxer/missionary), Vic (street urchin/informant) & of course Harm, the pekingese dog from hell. Along the way, Thomas ends up in jail (again!), Barker is challenged to a duel & both will have to deal with a mysterious & beautiful young woman adept in the art of poisoning. But not all of the main characters will survive as the body count rises.
As usual, we're not privy to all of Barker's machinations so we get to be just as surprised as Thomas as details are revealed & the case is resolved. On the last page is a nice little twist that may hint at what's to come in the next instalment.
The author has done a great job of slowly revealing Barker's past & here, we learn how he met Nightwine 25 years ago & why he hates him (Man, did I want to see this guy get what he deserved). The characters are well developed & feel like real people. If you've read previous books, it's like catching up with old friends & you'll mourn the loss of one of the regulars.
The city itself becomes a character with gritty descriptions of the poor areas as well as its' fabulous landmarks. The dialogue is true to the time & infused with dry wit, particularly the conversations between Barker & Thomas. You don't have to be a faithful reader to enjoy this as a victorian murder mystery but as with any series, it's a richer experience if you know the histories of relationships & events.
Many have compared Barker & Thomas to Holmes & Watson & yes, they also solve mysteries in victorian London. As with MRC Kasasian's books & numerous steampunk series, the era provides a vibrant setting. But it's the characters that keep you coming back....or not. I like these two & have enjoyed watching their relationship evolve. Hope I don't have to wait another 6 years for the next one. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Will Thomas’ FATAL ENQUIRY is the sixth book in his Baker and Llewlyn series. If you haven’t read any of the books in the series, it’s not necessary to do so in order to enjoy FATAL ENQUIRY. Thomas does a good job minimizing history from other books and at no point do you feel lost reading a book in an already established series.We have good character development. Cyrus Baker is a gentleman enquiry agent and he’s a bit quirky. We don’t get to fully know him, but it’s easy to see that he’s not an easy man to work for. His assistant is Thomas Llewlyn who was once in jail for a crime and now devotes his time assisting Baker on cases. I had trouble with Llewlyn and wasn’t sure what to think of him. Though he narrates FATAL ENQUIRY , he’s a mystery and he’s very protective of his secrets as well as that of Baker’s. We have a few other secondary characters that are important including Terence Poole, an inspector at Scotland Yard. Then there’s Sebastian Nightwine, Barker’s former friend and now enemy. Nightwine remains shrouded in mystery throughout the novel and even now can’t really tell you what type of man he was. The real treat in FATAL ENQUIRY is Nightwine’s daughter and I won’t go into detail about her because I want you to meet her and make your own assumptions.As I mentioned, narrative is first person via Llewlyn and he’s a trustworthy narrator though at times he’s a bit naive. I liked this because we as a reader know nothing about Baker and Llewlyn’s world. As a narrator, Llewlyn does a good job giving us details but still he holds back and I’m not sure if this is typical of Thomas’ writing or it’s just apparent in this book. In any event, I also came in expecting to either have Baker’s narrative or it be written in third person narrative. I admit, it was a bit of surprise to see it was Llewlyn we were getting and it was refreshing!I debated with the rating between a three and four and in the end, decided on a three. While I enjoyed Llewlyn as a narrator, I wanted to know Barker more. I realize it’s difficult to get to know established characters once you pick up a book midway through series, but at times it felt that even Llewlyn doesn’t know Baker despite working for him. Then there’s the overall mystery; as far as mysteries go, this one had the potential to be intriguing, but instead it was a dead bore. Honestly, I would have liked to have seen more of the supposed wickedness of Nightwine. What I liked about FATAL ENQUIRY was Thomas’ use of historical figures. I always enjoy it when authors do this and it makes their world a little more real. Also, it is easy to see how much research Thomas must have conducted and I know some people tend to shy away from such books, but Thomas doesn’t overwhelm the reader with historical tidbits.If you’re a fan of Victorian mysteries, you may want to check out Will Thomas’ series. Overall, FATAL ENQUIRY was an okay read and sometime in the future I’ll go back to check out the first in the series and see if I’m interested in reading more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the latest adventure of Cyrus Barker and his sidekick Thomas Llewelyn, Barker's archenemy Sebastian Nightwine (whom Barker bested in [Some Danger Involved]) returns to London under the protection of the British government, and suddenly the private enquiry agents are charged with murdering a lord and scarcely manage to evade arrest. With Barker gone to ground and bodies starting to stack up all over town, Llewelyn is on his own to try and bring the evil Nightwine to justice before Barker is killed. This was a bit bloodier than the earlier books in the series, but I have to say I enjoyed it more than any except the first. Highly recommended, but please do read the previous five books in the series before tackling this one, as there is a lot more action and, thus, less character development in this one than in the first ones.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a win-win for me! Not only did I get picked for an ER book but it is a Will Thomas book! He is one of my favorite historical mystery writers and this 6th entry in his Barker and Llewelyn series was terrific. If you enjoy a romp though Victorian England with a Holmes and Watson flavor then this series is for you too! I recommend starting with the first book and getting to know the characters. In Fatal Enquiry, Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, are being hunted throughout London by Barker's arch-enemy, the very nasty Sebastian Nightwine. Humor, interesting characters, fast paced plot and great descriptions of Victorian London. This is the perfect Summer read! Highly recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sherlock Holmes has his Professor Moriarity as an archenemy, and Cyrus Baxter, hero of the series of novels by Will Thomas, has his Sebastian Nightwing. They clash in the latest Baxter adventure, "Fatal Enquiry."Set, as the Holmes stories are, in Victorian London, the story opens with Baxter being warned by Scotland Yard not to interfere with Nightwing during his London visit. Baxter hadn't even known his rival was coming to London, but he wonders why the Yard is protecting a known master criminal. So, of course, the brawny Baptist does interfere and soon finds both himself and his associate, Thomas Llewelyn, our narrator, wanted for murder and with a price on their heads.In hiding, the two enquiry agents soon become separated, and Llewelyn is on his own for much of the story. He falls into the hands of Nightwing's daughter, Sofia, who turns out to be as deadly as she is beautiful. Baxter returns to save the day in a final (or is it?) confrontation with Nightwing.Like the other books in the series, which began with the well-received "Some Danger Involved," "Fatal Enquiry" proves to be an enjoyable read that combines interesting characters with a page-turning plot.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed "A fatal enquiry" by Will Thomas. I will definitely go back and start at the beginning of the series. Baeker and Llewelyn are great characters and remind me a llot of Sherlock and Watson.Thanks Librarything.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cyrus Barker, private enquiry agent with his assistant Thomas Llewelyn are back in the sixth novel in the series where this time the crime is personal.Inspector Terence Poole, Scotland Yard, warns Cyrus that Sebastian Nightwine has returned to England with enough influence to get Cyrus jailed if he confronts Nightwine on his arrival at the docks. Cyrus and Sebastian were once friends but twenty years ago Nightwine was responsible for Caleb’s death, Cyrus’ older brother, during a revolution in Shanghai, China. Cyrus and Caleb were the sons of missionary parents. While Caleb was away at school, cholera swept through the village and the missionary parents were killed. Cyrus, unable to find his brother, lived on the streets until he was able to join the military where he finally found his brother Caleb. Captain Sebastian Nightwine had been sent to China after being expelled from Sandhurst Military Academy for unnamed offenses. He was a capable leader and always returned from raids with the spoils of war. Caleb warns Cyrus that Captain Nightwine had a reputation as a man who butchered women, children and the elderly and enjoyed the killing. Soon after, Nightwine took Caleb on a raid as an interpreter and Caleb was killed. As Cyrus tells Thomas the story, Inspector Poole calls and warns Cyrus to flee for Scotland Yard has a warrant for their arrest which Cyrus feels that Nightwine instigated.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a great book! I was very excited to receive this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers as I had previously read one of Will Thomas's other books in the same historical mystery series featuring Barker and Llewelyn. Like his other books, Fatal Enquiry was extremely well-written and drew me in the mystery immediately. I enjoyed the character development and additional back story provided for both Barker and Llewelyn. The mystery itself was very intriguing and an exciting adventure. There were a few moment where I found I had figured something out before the characters, but I did not find that it detracted from the story whatsoever. Thomas's writing is brilliant and does a great job of providing a very fast-paced plot but also providing enough atmospheric details to make the reader feel as if they are part of the story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I was beyond excited to get an ER copy of this book, and it did not disappoint! When his mentor and employer, Cyrus Barker, suddenly finds his arch-nemesis welcomed back to England with open arms, Thomas Llewelyn finds his entire world turned upside down. Events happen at a fast and furious pace, and Thomas keeps his readers with their hearts in their throats as they stay up late to find out what happens to these two beloved and fascinating characters. I especially loved getting more insight into Barker's past, and getting more glimpses into Barker and Llewelyn's relationship. Thomas is back to fine form with this entry in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It's been a very long six years since the last book in this marvelous historical mystery series, and I was thrilled when I learned of Fatal Enquiry. Barker and Llewelyn are two of my favorite characters, a sort of Victorian Era John Ceepak and Danny Boyle (wonderful characters created by Chris Grabenstein). More of Cyrus Barker's mysterious past is unveiled in this book, and although young Thomas Llewelyn is still a bit naive-- and still has an eye for the pretty girls-- he gets the chance to have some control over the investigation this time around. Has he learned anything? That's up to you to find out.Author Will Thomas certainly hasn't lost his ability to bring Victorian London to life with its various ethnic neighborhoods and colorful characters. Following Barker and Llewelyn through these mean streets is a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the nose. If you enjoy books with atmosphere, look no further.Nightwine's schemes are just the sort of magic that overconfident government officials would line up for, and it was a treat to watch Barker and Llewelyn dodge Scotland Yard, informants, and paid assassins in order to learn what the man was up to-- and to come up with a plan to stop him.Characters, atmosphere, action, and humor. I was so pleased to be back in Barker and Llewelyn's London, and I think you'd enjoy spending some time there as well. Although it would be better to start at the beginning of the series to get all the nuances of the characters and their relationships, it's not necessary. Fatal Enquiry stands alone very well. Now that I've read the latest adventure of these private enquiry agents, my only question is-- when's the next one?