The Hellfire Conspiracy (Barker & Llewelyn, No. 4)

A distraught father barges his way into private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker's office at sabre-point, urging them to search for his twelve-year-old daughter who went missing while she was with her mother doing charity work in Bethnal Green, London, in 1885. Barker and his aide, Llewelyn, investigate the case which at first hints at white slavery in young girls, but then points to a serial killer, with the slavers or murderer so far unchecked by authorities because the victims have been of the underclasses. The murders seem connected somehow to the Charity Organization the mother volunteers for... or perhaps to an upper-class conspiracy. There are hints of Masonic intrigues whose reach influences Scotland Yard, and politics (with socialists versus conservatives and tales of legislation being blocked), and with dissolute aristocrats who keep underage prostitutes or who seek their thrills in reviving the decadent rites of the 18th. century Hellfire Club. Barker and Llewelyn also have to deal with (and take advantage of), rivalry between the Yard and the Thames Police. And there are personal issues, when an enemy from Llewelyn's past is encountered and a challenge for a boxing match is issued under the new Queensbury rules The historical details and personages and the complexity of the social and political situations adds greatly to the mystery. The mystery itself felt more like a vehicle to explore the times and the people, although it was interesting in itself. There was also a fair amount of action and suspense in the mix. Barker and Llewelyn are intriguing and sympathetic sleuths, very distinct characters who balance each other very well in their investigation, although Barker is clearly the mentor and Llewelyn the mostly eager student. This is the fourth book in the series, but the first one I've read (yes, bad me, jumping in the middle of it), and it seemed to work fine as a stand-alone. I'll certainly be going back and reading from the start, however, since this seems to be a worthy and enjoyable series, judging from this example.

Will Thomas's "The Hellfire Conspiracy" is set in Victorian London in the late 1800's and is conceived in similar fashion to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventures. Story narrator young Welshman Thomas Llewelyn and his employer and mentor Cyrus Barker are private enquiry agents commisssioned by a distraught Major DeVere of the Royal Horseguards. DeVere's young daughter Gwendolyn has gone missing during a visit accompanying her mother to the seamy, lower class neighborhood of Bethnal Green. The mother Hyapatia is a volunteer at the Charity Organization Society designed to provide aid to the underprivileged denizens of the downtrodden area. Barker and Llewelyn soon learn after consorting with Scotland Yard Inspector Swanson that a rash of serial murders of young girls have plagued the area. The unfortunate victims had been strangled after being ravished, their bodies tossed into the murky waters of the Thames. Barker and Llewelyn receive a series of notes from a mysterious Mr. Miacca, a children's literature bogeyman, claiming resposibility and taunting them. The enquiry agents unwittingly have stumbled into a political firestorm. It seems that local socialists are pushing for legislation raising the age of consent for young women from 13 to 16 years of age. Members of the upper crust long involved in licentious behavior have made a habit of procuring mistresses from among the poor needy inhabitants of the more distressed areas of London, like Bethnal Green. Such legislation favored by a wide array of characters with socialist beliefs, are the bane of the upper class. While setting up surveillance across from the Charity Organization Society, which seems to be the center of all the criminal activity, Barker and Llewelyn are being thwarted in their investigative efforts owing to a lack of cooperation from the police. Thomas has an aptitude for descriptively creating the historical settings of his plots which are populated by a wide variety of charcaters, giving his novels a true feeling that they were penned back in the days of Victorian England.

First Sentence: I recognized the sound, though I had never heard it before. Private Equity Agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn are hired to find the young daughter of a Queen's guardsman. The fear is of white slavers. The police find the body of another young girl who had been abused, strangled and maimed and the hunt is on for a serial killer who is taunting Barker with bad poetry. The biggest problem I had with this book is that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. But who needs sleep when you've a book this good. The story is told by Llewelyn; a young man with a painful past. Barker is fascinating and because you learn about him as Thomas does, and it's interesting to watch bits of his past unfold. I love the historical detail both of life in that period and police procedures. The style is one of a traditional mystery but it takes to the dark side of Victorian London. The story has emotion, danger, politics, humor and I wanted more.

It is 1885 in Victorian London, and private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker is retained by Major Trevor DeVere to find the abductor of his twelve-year-old daughter, Gwendolyn. Major DeVere informs Barker that his wife, Hypatia, was in the habit of bringing her daughter to the squalid East End to witness her work for the Charity Organization Society; Hypatia was hoping to sensitize her spoiled child to the needs of the poor. The little girl resented having to spend her time in this way, and she fled, never to be seen again. In "The Hellfire Conspiracy" by Will Thomas, Barker and his Welsh assistant, twenty-two year old Thomas Llewelyn, are faced with a daunting task--tracking down a sadistic fiend who kidnaps and slaughters young girls and then disposes of their bodies in sewers or in the Thames. The killer sends Barker mocking poems, in which he defies the agent to find and capture him before he kills yet again. Will Thomas, as he did in his previous Barker/Llewelyn novels, skillfully contrasts wealthy Victorians with those unfortunates who live in such places as Bethnal Green. The indigent come to London looking for work and are condemned to life in a "bland, seedy quarter, choking daily on the reek of factories and dung of dust-covered streets." While members of the upper class have servants to do their bidding, the impoverished slum dwellers eke out a meager subsistence in filthy and overcrowded conditions. Some, in desperation, turn to prostitution or petty theft in order to survive. Against this backdrop, it is small wonder that depraved individuals are able to prey on innocent victims with impunity. The varied cast of characters includes the brusque but compassionate Cyrus Barker, the callow and ambitious Llewelyn, a man who has yet to put his tragic past behind him (his wife, Jenny, died two years earlier in horrific circumstances), as well as a host of snitches, dandies, and do-gooders. The police prove to be ineffectual and uncooperative; the Thames Police and Scotland Yard are rivals who refuse to share information with one another. In addition, people of means with high-powered connections pay off and pressure those who are supposed to enforce the law to turn a blind eye to their misdeeds. Barker and Llewelyn have a difficult time trying to locate a criminal who always seems to be watching them and anticipating their next move, and the two agents nearly lose their lives in their search for the murderer. In addition, Thomas comes across his old nemesis, Palmister Clay, who challenges him to a boxing match presided over by "the Marquis of Queensberry himself, creator of the famous rules of boxing." Barker's old friend, Reverend Andrew McClain (Handy Andy), a former heavyweight bare-knuckle champion, has the unenviable task of trying to teach young Llewelyn how to box four days before the dreaded bout. "The Hellfire Conpiracy" combines an intriguing murder mystery with black humor, biting social commentary, and well-rese

I loved the latest from Will Thomas. This one has all the hallmarks of the previous books in the series - suspense,interesting scenes from Victorian London, inclusion of historical figures from the time period. All of the cast returns as well, including Ho, Mac, Soho Vic and of course, Harm, who unfortunately is out of London for much of this book. I don't want to give away any details, save for the fact this is another good story and I hope more books will follow. Only disappointment is that this edition does not include any "teaser" chapter for the next volume in the series. (One minor point to Mr. Thomas' editors - the phrase is "the black hold of Calcutta", not "the black hole".)