Fierce
Poison was my introduction to author Will Thomas and his pair of
private equity agents (private investigators in Victorian London). Cyrus Barker
and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn first appeared in Thomas’ 2004 book Some Danger Involved. Although each book
in the series reflects the passage of time, it is not necessary to read them in
order. Each contains enough backstory for the reader to keep up. In Fierce Poison, Barker and Llewelyn have
been partners for ten years.
The pair couldn’t be more
different from each other. Llewelyn has spent time in prison and Barker has spent
much of his life in the Far East. The books are narrated by Thomas Llewelyn and
he infuses the story with many humorous asides, observations, and descriptions.
In Fierce Poison, Roland Fitzhugh, the newest Member of Parliament, arrives
at the equity agent’s door but dies on the floor before he can tell them why he
is there. The agents quickly learn he's been poisoned with a cyanide laced
raspberry tart and Barker is determined to find the culprit even though there
is no paying client. The very next day an entire family in the East End is
found dead after consuming a large raspberry tart. As Baker and Llewelyn’s
investigation heats up, they find themselves the poisoner’s latest target; even
Barker’s dog is at risk.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book,
reading it in two sessions. It is an easy read, the writing is excellent, the
characters well-rounded, and the mystery intriguing. I figured out the motive
for the killings near the end of the book but had no idea which of the unusual
cast of secondary characters was the guilty party. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Book 14, Heart of the Nile is due out in April 2023.
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