Category: Mystery
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN-13: 9780743296403
Series: Barker & Llewelyn, #4
Pub. Date: July 2007
Date Read: July 2008
“Commingled with this family atmosphere is every kind of vice you can imagine. The bawdy houses are studded all through the Green, like currants in a scone. Whitechapel wears its evil openly, but while Bethnal Green has an air of respectability, it is no less vice ridden. Small wonder the constables walk their beat here in pairs.”
In this fourth entry of the Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn series the enquiry agents are hired to find a girl who has gone missing in the East End. The child’s mother and father, Major Trevor DeVere fear the worst, that their girl has been nabbed by white slavers.
As the duo begin their investigation Barker believes that they aren’t looking for white slavers at all but for a serial killer who is roaming the streets of Bethnal Green and has killed five girls. Soon they start receiving letters signed by a one Mr. Miacca who is taunting them at every turn.
To get to Mr. Miacca though Barker and Llewelyn have to confront local politicians who stand in their way, a charity organization which may be involved and finally they must get to the members of the Hellfire Club, a group of powerful aristocrats who it is said practice satanic rituals.
As if this weren’t enough, a figure from Llewelyn’s past makes an appearance and Llewelyn finds his focus on the investigation split between a desire for some revenge and way to put some of his memories to rest.
Author Will Thomas weaves a story filled with real historical figures and facts and brings to life a less enchanting image of the Victorian era. Perhaps the part I was somewhat disappointed by was that we actually don’t get as much of the Hellfire Club as I expected.
What I really liked though and what will keep bringing me back to the series is the character development. In the first book we meet a young Thomas Llewelyn who doesn’t know anything about investigations, or even self-defense, but through the books he’s grown as a person and an investigator. Most of all, I like how Cyrus and Thomas have started forming more of a partnership rather than just a employer/employee relationship.