April 17, 2006
Convincing period detail and memorable characters lift Thomas's fast and furious third Victorian whodunit (after 2005's To Kingdom Come
) to feature enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his callow assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. A pawn ticket found among the effects of Barker's previous sidekick, Quong, leads the pair to Limehouse, London's Chinatown, where they discover an ancient Chinese book on martial arts. A number of parties seek the book, including someone willing to kill to gain its secrets. Barker draws on his encyclopedic knowledge of the London underworld and his extensive network of allies to advance the investigation. While the murderer's identity won't surprise many, and Barker's talents, which include mastery of the martial arts, border on the superhuman, Sherlock Holmes fans in particular will be pleased by how well Thomas evokes the Baker Street sleuth and the spirit of Conan Doyle's stories.
Starred review from May 1, 2006
The streets of turn-of-the-century London teem with trouble in this third offering in Thomas' atmospheric series (following " To Kingdom Come," 2005). Stoic Scottish private-enquiry agent Cyrus Barker remains haunted by the mysterious death of his loyal assistant, Quong, who left a tattered pawn ticket among his effects. With his new right-hand man, Welshman Thomas Llewelyn, Barker exchanges the ticket for a rare Chinese text containing secret martial-arts techniques so lethal that others are willing to, well, kill for them. "(It is a rather special manual," Barker explains to a constable at Scotland Yard. "It teaches, for one thing, a way to disrupt the body's internal functions, killing someone without a sign.") With its ominous opium dens and dark-hearted thugs, London's Chinatown district, called Limehouse, is a forbidding place. But Barker, who once served in battle on behalf of the Chinese, is able to navigate it with the help of some influential friends, including tattooed restaurant owner Ho, whose personal history is as unsavory as his establishment's cuisine. Narrated by plucky Llewelyn, the novel features a memorable cast of characters, from a monocled dandy named Woo to tart-tongued shopkeeper Hettie Petulengro, who gives the unsuspecting detectives a spirited dressing-down. A wholly satisfying twist ends this outstanding entry in what is fast becoming one of the genre's best historical-mystery series. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)