-
Some Danger Involved
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 1
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Series: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $27.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
To Kingdom Come
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 2
- By: Will Thomas
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a bomb destroys the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, all fingers point to the increasingly brazen factions of Irish dissidents seeking liberation from English rule. Volunteering their services to the British government, Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn set out to infiltrate a secret cell of the Irish Republican Brotherhood known as the Invisibles. Posing as a reclusive German bomb maker and his anarchist apprentice, they are recruited for the group's ultimate plan: to bring London to its knees and end the monarchy forever.
-
-
Excellent
- By Ms Peach on 01-04-17
By: Will Thomas
-
The Wizard's Butler
- The Wizard's Butler, Book 1
- By: Nathan Lowell
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For five grand a month and a million-dollar chaser, Roger Mulligan didn't care how crazy the old geezer was. All he had to do was keep Joseph Perry Shackleford alive and keep him from squandering the estate for a year. But they didn't tell him about the pixies.
-
-
I LOVED this book!
- By Kristin Butner on 04-24-21
By: Nathan Lowell
-
Mycroft Holmes
- By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anna Waterhouse
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"When I say, therefore, that [my brother] has better powers of observation than I...I am speaking the exact and literal truth." (Sherlock Holmes). This story occurs when Mycroft, an athletic Cambridge graduate, assists the secretary of State. He becomes embroiled in a mystery in Trinidad based on actual history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a huge Holmesian, seven-foot-two tall, basketball's all-time leading scorer, and a US cultural ambassador. Anna Waterhouse is a professional screenwriter and script consultant.
-
-
Finally a good Mycroft story!
- By Sherlock Fan on 09-28-15
By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others
-
Songbird
- Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Sergeant Chris Waters got the call at 05.29 that July morning. This is it, said DCI Reeve, you'll be first there, it's all yours, you're the crime scene manager. Suddenly, after months of waiting and wondering, Waters finds himself in at the deep end, and alone at the scene of a puzzling murder. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives at Kings Lake Central find themselves visiting familiar places and talking to some familiar faces, while old enmities reappear in the incident room. Before this is over, Chris Waters will need to make a career-changing decision.
-
-
Loved it...
- By Kelly on 09-20-19
By: Peter Grainger
-
The Alienist
- By: Caleb Carr
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
-
-
Not for me
- By Karissa Eckert on 10-11-18
By: Caleb Carr
-
Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar
- By: Kate Saunders
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1851, private detective Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she gets an urgent request for her services. Mrs. Rodd’s neighbor Jacob Welland is a reclusive rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for 15 years. Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside.
-
-
If Jane Austen were Victorian
- By TeaMonster on 01-03-20
By: Kate Saunders
-
To Kingdom Come
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 2
- By: Will Thomas
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a bomb destroys the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, all fingers point to the increasingly brazen factions of Irish dissidents seeking liberation from English rule. Volunteering their services to the British government, Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn set out to infiltrate a secret cell of the Irish Republican Brotherhood known as the Invisibles. Posing as a reclusive German bomb maker and his anarchist apprentice, they are recruited for the group's ultimate plan: to bring London to its knees and end the monarchy forever.
-
-
Excellent
- By Ms Peach on 01-04-17
By: Will Thomas
-
The Wizard's Butler
- The Wizard's Butler, Book 1
- By: Nathan Lowell
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For five grand a month and a million-dollar chaser, Roger Mulligan didn't care how crazy the old geezer was. All he had to do was keep Joseph Perry Shackleford alive and keep him from squandering the estate for a year. But they didn't tell him about the pixies.
-
-
I LOVED this book!
- By Kristin Butner on 04-24-21
By: Nathan Lowell
-
Mycroft Holmes
- By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anna Waterhouse
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"When I say, therefore, that [my brother] has better powers of observation than I...I am speaking the exact and literal truth." (Sherlock Holmes). This story occurs when Mycroft, an athletic Cambridge graduate, assists the secretary of State. He becomes embroiled in a mystery in Trinidad based on actual history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a huge Holmesian, seven-foot-two tall, basketball's all-time leading scorer, and a US cultural ambassador. Anna Waterhouse is a professional screenwriter and script consultant.
-
-
Finally a good Mycroft story!
- By Sherlock Fan on 09-28-15
By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others
-
Songbird
- Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Sergeant Chris Waters got the call at 05.29 that July morning. This is it, said DCI Reeve, you'll be first there, it's all yours, you're the crime scene manager. Suddenly, after months of waiting and wondering, Waters finds himself in at the deep end, and alone at the scene of a puzzling murder. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives at Kings Lake Central find themselves visiting familiar places and talking to some familiar faces, while old enmities reappear in the incident room. Before this is over, Chris Waters will need to make a career-changing decision.
-
-
Loved it...
- By Kelly on 09-20-19
By: Peter Grainger
-
The Alienist
- By: Caleb Carr
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
-
-
Not for me
- By Karissa Eckert on 10-11-18
By: Caleb Carr
-
Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar
- By: Kate Saunders
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1851, private detective Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she gets an urgent request for her services. Mrs. Rodd’s neighbor Jacob Welland is a reclusive rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for 15 years. Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside.
-
-
If Jane Austen were Victorian
- By TeaMonster on 01-03-20
By: Kate Saunders
-
A Treacherous Curse
- By: Deanna Raybourn
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can't resist the allure of an exotic mystery - particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.
-
-
I rarely give a book a 5, but....
- By bigdjunta on 04-27-18
By: Deanna Raybourn
-
IQ
- By: Joe Ide
- Narrated by: Sullivan Jones
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores. East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch. They call him IQ. He's a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence.
-
-
IQ way better than OK
- By green ice cream garden on 12-21-16
By: Joe Ide
-
A Gentleman's Murder
- By: Christopher Huang
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1924. Only a few years removed from the trenches of Flanders, Lieutenant Eric Peterkin has just been granted membership in the most prestigious soldiers-only club in London: the Britannia. But when a gentleman's wager ends with a member stabbed to death, the victim's last words echo in the lieutenant's head: that he would "Soon right a great wrong from the past". Eric is certain one of his fellow members is the murderer. But who?
-
-
Ignore the indiscriminate ire. It’s great!
- By Denise Dalrymple on 05-15-20
-
Murder in an English Village
- By: Jessica Ellicott
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
-
-
Must read Historical Mystery
- By Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe on 02-20-18
By: Jessica Ellicott
-
An Accidental Death
- A DC Smith Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story opens with the apparently accidental drowning of a sixth form student in the Norfolk countryside. As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters. As an ex-DCI, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear that some of his superiors wish that he would do so.
-
-
Excellent British Mystery
- By Customer on 09-07-16
By: Peter Grainger
-
The Unquiet Bones
- By: Mel Starr
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. A local lord asks him to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspit. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes.
-
-
Wonderful!!!
- By AKowalczyk on 01-05-20
By: Mel Starr
-
Murder on Black Swan Lane
- By: Andrea Penrose
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both.
-
-
Intriguing mystery with sub par characters
- By Rebekah H on 03-10-18
By: Andrea Penrose
-
The Heiress of Linn Hagh
- By: Karen Charlton
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Northumberland, 1809: A beautiful young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh. The local constables are baffled and the townsfolk cry "witchcraft". The heiress' uncle summons help from Detective Lavender and his assistant, Constable Woods, who face one of their most challenging cases.
-
-
Surprisingly good!
- By Kathi on 08-31-15
By: Karen Charlton
-
Medicus
- A Novel of the Roman Empire
- By: Ruth Downie
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gaius Petrius Ruso is a divorced and down-on-his-luck army doctor who has made the rash decision to seek his fortune in an inclement outpost of the Roman Empire, namely Britannia. After a 36-hour shift at the army hospital, he succumbs to a moment of weakness and rescues an injured slave girl, Tilla, from the hands of her abusive owner. And before he knows it, Ruso is caught in the middle of an investigation into the deaths of prostitutes working out of the local bar.
-
-
Great listen
- By Susan on 08-31-07
By: Ruth Downie
-
Single Malt Murder
- A Whisky Business Mystery
- By: Melinda Mullet
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Abi inherits her uncle's quaint and storied single malt distillery, she finds herself immersed in a competitive high-stakes business that elicits deep passions and prejudices. An award-winning photojournalist, Abi has no trouble capturing the perfect shot - but making the perfect shot is another matter. When she starts to receive disturbing, anonymous threats, it's clear that someone wants her out of the picture.
-
-
A Great Read with Excellent Characters
- By David on 01-22-18
By: Melinda Mullet
-
What Angels Fear
- Sebastian St. Cyr, Book 1
- By: C. S. Harris
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1811, and the threat of revolution haunts the upper classes of King George III's England. Then a beautiful young woman is found savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient church near Westminster Abbey. A dueling pistol found at the scene and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man - Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experience in the Napoleonic Wars.
-
-
An Addictive Series
- By Bibliophile1963 on 10-17-16
By: C. S. Harris
-
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
- By: Theodora Goss
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents' deaths, is curious about the secrets of her father's mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father's former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture...a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes. But her hunt leads her to Hyde's daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns.
-
-
Probably better as a physical book
- By Melissa L on 05-21-18
By: Theodora Goss
Publisher's Summary
An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a position with "some danger involved", he chooses downtrodden Llewelyn, a gutsy young man with a murky past.
As they inch ever closer to the shocking truth behind the murder, Llewelyn is drawn deeper and deeper into Barker's peculiar world of vigilante detective work, as well as the heart of London's teeming underworld.
Brimming with wit and unforgettable characters and steeped in authentic period detail, Some Danger Involved is a captivating novel that introduces an equally captivating duo.
Featured Article: 35+ Quotes About Books That Truly Speak to Bibliophiles
Novels, memoirs, short stories, essay compilations, and more continue to shape who we are and how we view the world, no matter what format—physical book, ebook, or audiobook—we use to absorb and enjoy them. Books are pathways into different worlds and different lives, and one can never be truly bored with a good book. Celebrate your literary love with these quotes about books that will inspire you to dive into your next story.
More from the same
What listeners say about Some Danger Involved
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathi
- 01-13-17
Clever writing!
I really enjoyed listening to this book. Will Thomas has written a story about a clash of cultures in Victorian London that was interesting to listen to because he is a very good story teller who includes many historical and even theological bits of information that take it well beyond a simple period mystery.
Told from the perspective of Thomas Llewelyn, the assistant to the eccentric but brilliant Cyrus Barker, the story focuses on their efforts to find the killer of a young Jewish man, and stop the possibility of there being another pogram against the Jews who inhabit this London ghetto.
I find it somewhat interesting as well, that the author has given his own name to the assistant who is initially desperate for any sort of job--indeed is contemplating suicide because he sees no way to go on living--but quickly becomes a character with a lot of fortitude and intelligence and who develops the most over the course of the book.
I nearly marked the stars down a bit because there are a few anachronisms (mostly in language that probably would not have been true to the times) that were a little pesky, but the overall story was so engaging that I decided they didn't make that much difference. A good story, a good mystery and good narration. That's worth 5 stars to me.
160 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Blue Dragonfly
- 01-03-17
Introduction to a great historical mystery series
Would you consider the audio edition of Some Danger Involved to be better than the print version?
Yes, though the print version was excellent, too. I have waited a long time for this to come out in an audio version. I hope more of the series will become avialable on audio.
What other book might you compare Some Danger Involved to and why?
It is pretty unique. The closest I can think of is Alex Grecian's "Murder Squad".
What about Antony Ferguson’s performance did you like?
Wonderful performance! He really had the accents and characterizations down perfectly. You really feel as if there are many different people speaking.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Well, no, because I like to savor it.
Any additional comments?
This initial book, written some years ago, is actually an introduction to the variety of characters that appear again and again in the series. They are unique, mysterious, enigmatic and interesting. Though this first story may have disappointed some in its outcome, they get better and better as the series goes on. I particularly liked Will Thomas' obvious research into the details of the problems of this historical period that are not unlike what goes on in our world today with its religious and racial prejudices and its economic woes. The story is told from the point of view of a new young assistant to the enigmatic Cyrus Barker. Though he has never been a detective's assistant, he learns the business from a unique character who works his way through his cases with an intuitive thought process and an understanding of human nature and the criminal mind. Don't give up on this series based on your opinion of the first book. They just get more intriguing. I hope that Audible will be able to provide more than just the first two in the series, in the future.
84 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- OPENCO
- 02-21-18
Enjoyable and comfortable
The story was a typical, period detective tome. The beauty is in the character development. It is also refreshing to enjoy a story without graphic language. This author understands strength if story does not rely on strong verbiage. Bravo!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Book Gobbler
- 05-03-17
NOT TERRIBLE, BUT...
This one fell sort of the mark for me. The first few chapters introducing the two main characters were the best. The writing was crisp, and both characters were unique in there own way. Also the book showed glimpses of humor that was very promising. My knowledge of the Jewish community is limited so I appreciated the insight he imparted. However, half way through, I came to feel that it occupied too much of the book. The author seemed to become preoccupied with the topic and went off on long tangents. Then there was all the diatribe about religion. I purposely avoid books with regards to religion as my views on that subject are very personal. Some content on religion is okay but there was quite a bit, and my mind began to wander.
The mystery was half-baked at best. Don't bother trying to figure this one out , because there weren't any viable clues left for us readers. However, I did very much enjoy the developing relationship between Barker and Llewelyn, and if the mystery was tighter I feel this series would have had more potential. Some reviewers said the series got better and better with each book. With that in mind, I won't be opposed to trying another book in the future.
122 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- EricinHuntersville
- 08-10-17
Very enjoyable book & performance
I won't say this is the best book I've ever read or listen to. However, it was very enjoyable and flowed very well. The performance was excellent and I would recommend this book.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Audible Addict
- 07-31-17
Interesting history of London but no characters
The development of character was as thin as air making it impossible for me to get into this book. No there there despite what was clearly a lot of research. Too bad!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- itinerant
- 12-21-16
derivative but original
In the Holmes tradition, but with enough variation to make it interesting. An interesting story that taught me about race relations I hadn't thought about before, with characters both predictable and surprising. Pleasant ambiance, more like Nero Wolfe than Holmes . . .
22 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- justthisonce
- 03-18-17
Didn't do it for this mystery fan.
I listen to a lot of mysteries including classics, more contemporary ones, cozy ones, etc.
This just didn't do it for me. I made it through a little more than half and ended up returning. As others have mentioned, the mystery seemed secondary to the relationship between the apprentice and the old hand. And while this works in some, it didn't here. Seemed forced.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LibbyListener
- 12-15-16
Very interesting story
I've enjoyed listening to this mystery and will be watching for more titles by Will Thomas. The characters are very well rounded and believable. The loss of one star for performance is that I felt Mr Barker's voice should be deeper and gruffer, but the accents were spot on. I liked the variety of people throughout the story, their various areas of expertise, quirks and how they handle unexpected events.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 01-07-17
Great New Series
This is the beginning of a what I hope to be a great new series. The narrator does a great job with my only complaint being the narration of Irish characters which to be truthful is a quirk with me. DO NOT LET THAT DISSUADE YOU FROM A GREAT BOOK!
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rosie
- 09-18-17
Shame about the narrator!
Not a bad book if it had not been for terrible narrator. Made it tedious.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Simon
- 12-01-16
Resonant Echoes of the Past
I think it's fair to say that the concept of an inscrutable detective, or as Mr Barker would remind us "Enquiry agent" seen through the eyes of an assistant in Victorian London is not exactly brand new. However, it has not often been done this well.
"Some Danger Involved" introduces us to the enigma that is Cyrus Barker seen through the eyes of his sometimes hapless but actually quite talented assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. The book moves mostly at a reasonably sedate pace successfully evoking a very atmospheric period London at both its best and worst. Will Thomas introduces us to an extremely rich cast of characters while demonstrating ably his knowledge of the times, the city and in particular the Jewish community who feature prominently.
Barker really does fit the bill and both he and Llewelyn are painted with depth and care. The interview scene I found particularly revealing and enjoyable. The rest of the cast also have genuine colour and the time taken to introduce them does slow the pace but they promise much more to come in future episodes.
Antony Ferguson's narration is very well suited and attuned to what the author is trying to portray. He is particularly good with Barker himself.
The story itself while set in Victorian London is incredibly relevant to today's Britain. The theme of prejudice around immigration really is as old as civilisation and it is quite stunning how these echoes from our past continue to resonate today. Thomas does not fall into the trap of polarising the effects, he recognises the multi-faceted nature of this particular beast.
I understand that this book was five years in the making and the result of all that effort is a top quality novel which appears to usher in a series with characters I could grow to love.
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Liz
- 11-03-19
Don’t
Sadly this is completely spoilt by the narrators terrible accents. Scottish is bearable but the Irish is terrible and the German sounds straight from the shores of the West Indies. I enjoyed the first book, but I can’t complete this one.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kathleen C
- 09-17-17
Pity About the Scottish Accent
Any additional comments?
An interesting book spoiled for me because the main character who was supposed to be Scottish sounded as if he attended the Dick van Dyke school of acting....
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- G. Chandler
- 04-02-17
The Barker and Lewelyn Series.
A very good story well. I look forward to hearing more in this series. The main character is not unlike Holmes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and for any Holmes fans, I'm sure that you will enjoy it too.
Review by 'The book worm'.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- K
- 02-11-17
Jolly enough take on an old formulae
The story was actually very engaging.
Victorian crime novels with a sleuth and his side-kick have started to get a bit hackneyed recently. Presumably many authors are cashing in on the Sherlock Hoes revival. However, this offering is interesting and different enough to easily keep the reader's attention. The Scottish (at least I think he's meant to be) sleuth and his down-at-heel assistant are a nicely conceived characters and the peripheral characters are both diverse and complimentary to the tale.
There's nothing essentially new or inventive in this take on the classic detective novel but it is written slickly and engagingly enough to make it a worthwhile listen.
I must say, though, that the narrater is dreadful. He reads like an automated telephone answering machine and his accents are abominable - his Scottish is barely there but his Irish at one point is indistinguishable from Cockney and his French chef has surely migrated to London via Jamaica. It must really be a good book to keep me listening through this shocker care of narrator, Anthony Ferguson (with a name like Ferguson- you'd think he'd manage the Scottish accent okay).
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- mrs s curtis
- 11-05-17
Great story
This is a great story and read very well except for every foreign accent sounded like a Nigerian,
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- elly gausden
- 02-16-17
Not a bad book but reader terrible at accents
The story is okay, with the odd bit that throws you out of the plot when you can tell the author is American and/or didn't research enough. Most of his historical research is accurate, excellent even, but there's just the odd turn of phrase or situation that isn't right. The persistent idea that lots of people had telephones to hand when the book is set drives me mad, but that said it doesn't affect the plot that much so it's easy to skip over.
The biggest issue is the reader can't really do accents for anyone not English or Scottish. Everyone else sounds like they're from Caribbean.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- BadMedisin
- 09-23-20
Wasted potential
I really wanted to enjoy this. I like the partnership between the detective and the assistant, and the moments of humour between the characters. I feel like eventually the assistant might develop into less of a naive child and start to be interesting.
Unfortunately, the storytelling is patronising, like a really condescending history teacher, and the narration will make your head explode.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steven G Pennell
- 07-23-20
Really enjoyable story
I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the next episode in the series
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dom
- 09-09-20
A strong tale with a weak twist.
The author tried to create a new holmes and watson and succeeded, though the author failed miserably with a plot twist that drew nothing clever from the story itself.
The performance was impressive and along with a decent enough prose has convinced me to give the second book a tentative ear.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 01-08-20
Some danger involved, what a great story.
It has been a long while since I have enjoyed a book so much. The plot and the droll dry humour were excellent. The people and the period in which it was portrayed, were eminently believable. Am looking forward to reading the next in the series. I could quite get addicted to the characters, including the Pekingese.