What a delightfully convoluted mystery! I have read and loved each of the thirteen books in the series – and each new book is better than the last. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of Barker but he has definitely mellowed – and now, the mighty Barker is beginning to feel his age and he doesn’t like it a bit. Llewelyn has also nicely matured into a formidable investigator on his own. This book is a great addition to the series with non-stop action, an intriguing mystery with a maze of clues and suspects that will keep you guessing right up until the last.

Thomas Llewelyn and Cyrus Barker are at their detective agency when a man rushes in, says “Help Me” to Barker, and drops dead on the office floor. He is a relatively young man, did he have an apoplexy? No, it turns out he was poisoned and Barker insists they solve the case even though they won’t be paid for it. They will cooperate and work alongside Scotland Yard, but the cunning murderer is well ahead of both the detectives and Scotland Yard.

The murdered man is a former solicitor and newly elected member of parliament. Was he murdered because of his stance on a bill before parliament? Could someone involved in one of his legal cases bear a deadly grudge? Or, is it something else entirely? As they are investigating everything in the man’s background, an entire family is found murdered – poisoned. Then, a servant is murdered – and several attempts are made on the lives of Thomas, Cyrus, and their staff – even Barker’s beloved Koi fish are killed in the fish pond.

When the murderer was revealed, I was in total shock – and that just never happens. The murderer had absolutely no scruples, no morals, no compassion, no remorse, and no conscience, so I was really, happy to see how things ended up. Sadly, I almost understood his motivation for one of the murders, but the others were just beyond the pale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and did not put it down from beginning to end. The writing is excellent, the characters are compelling, and the mystery is riveting. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

This was a good read. I hadn't read any of the earlier books in the series, and still felt like I could keep up with who everyone was and what was going on - but I was aware it was a series book, and didn't feel there was clunky exposition that would have dragged down a reader of the series to catch up a new reader.

This is a mystery about a poisoning, obvious in the name. It kept me guessing and brought the reader all around London in the 1890s, which was enjoyable. It didn't fall into the "copy of Sherlock Holmes" trap, which it could easily do, and presented a more multicultural and multiclass and generally nuanced view of London than Conan Doyle did - much appreciated.

I'd recommend this book.

I received a free eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Deadly poisoner wreaks havoc!

Well the unrelenting action here had me on the edge of my seat and scratching my head. Truly a mind boggling maze that became even more complicated as I flipped each page. This time the two Victorian private investigators, Cyrus Baker and Thomas Llewellyn have become involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a clever and unscrupulous killer.
When a potential client drops dead in their office from poisoning, and his last words to Baker are ‘Help me!’ Well you know that’s just what Baker and his partner Llewellyn will do, even if the great man Gladstone hadn’t subsequently asked them to investigate.
Cyrus and Thomas, indeed their household and office employees become targets for this cold blooded maniac who had little regard for the collateral damage they inflicted.
Finding the poisoner will challenge the pair in ways that cut to the quick.
When the poisoner was finally disclosed I was stunned. I was compelled by the killer’s motivation but repelled by their absence of conscience for the swathe of destruction that trailed in their wake. Fierce indeed was their motivation and fierce the execution of their grievance.
A gripping read!

A St Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley ( )

I've enjoyed Will Thomas's excellent series from the very first book, Some Danger Involved. I've learned a lot about the different areas of Victorian London, and I've enjoyed watching young Thomas Llewelyn mature and his cheeky sense of humor become more sharply honed. The mysteries are always good, strong exercises for the little grey cells, too.

From standing beneath Big Ben as it tolls the hour to finding out why the typical Englishman dislikes plainclothes police officers, readers are firmly treading the streets of London in the 1890s, and I have to admit that Fierce Poison is one of my favorite books in the series. The "Mad Pie Man" poisoner is truly frightening, and Llewelyn's reaction to one of the victims and her flower pots is profoundly moving. There was a time or two when Barker or Llewelyn touch something or enter a place and I wanted to shout "Put that down!" or "Don't go in there!" -- but happily, Thomas manages to keep readers on red alert without overusing that thriller staple.

Barker and Llewelyn continue to be one of my favorite private enquiry duos, and as young Thomas's life continues to change, I'm certainly looking forward to their next adventure. If you're new to the series and not sure you're intrigued enough to begin at the very beginning, you should be able to read Fierce Poison without confusion. The author does provide enough of the characters' backstories. But... don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting more.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )

For quite a while now, my favorite series of historical mysteries has been Will Thomas' Barker and Llewelyn novels. The novels are set in London in the late 19th Century and go well beyond the predictable plots and characters featured in too many such series. Private enquiry agents Barker and Llewelyn both have complex back stories, and, even after years of working together, neither has fully revealed himself to the other. There's also a first-rate cast of secondary characters, who are such an unusual mix that I can't begin to describe them all. Suffice it to say, I'll hang out with this crowd any time I can. More good news: the mystery itself is complicated, with a truly surprise (at least for me) ending.

If you read historical mysteries, this is a series to dive into enthusiastically—and with 13 volumes so far, there's lots to enjoy. Pick up Fierce Poison or any of the other volumes in the series and you'll have hours of first-rate reading ahead of you.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. ( )