The Black Hand - by Will Thomas (Paperback)

About the Book

From award-winning author Thomas comes the latest adventure of Victorian enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his apprentice Thomas Llewelyn, who must save London from an invasion of the Sicilian mafia.

Book Synopsis

"This atmospheric historical thriller is as good as it gets" (Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of I Shall Not Want) in the evocative Barker and Llewelyn series as mysterious murders hint at a dark conspiracy in the heart of London.

When an Italian assassin's body is found floating in a barrel in Victorian London's East End, enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn are called in to investigate. Soon corpses begin to appear all over London, each accompanied by a Mafia Black Hand note. As Barker and Llewelyn dig deeper, they become entangled in the vendettas of rival Italian syndicates--and it is no longer clear who is a friend or foe.

Review Quotes

"I've read every book in the series, and loved them. If you love Sherlock Holmes, historical mysteries, or just a good, rousing adventure, you'll love these books, too." -- Laurell K. Hamilton

"Stunning, witty, informative, thrilling -- how often do you get all of those in one book? If you blended the authenticity of Conan Doyle, the research of Caleb Carr and the sheer readability of someone like Grisham, you'd have some idea of the bliss of The Black Hand." -- Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and Priest

"This series is a constant pleasure. Barker and Llewelyn are two of my favorite sleuths, and their Victorian London evokes images of damp fogs and gaslights and muted footsteps on cobblestone streets. What mystery lover could ask for more?" -- Sharon Kay Penman, author of Time and Chance

"Will Thomas's The Black Hand is what Conan Doyle would write after taking tea with Lee Child. The Barker & Llewelyn series transports you to the fog-shrouded, gaslit streets of Victorian London, then sweeps you away like the Thames at flood tide. This atmospheric historical thriller is as good as it gets." -- Julia Spencer-Fleming, Edgar finalist and author of I Shall Not Want

"With his four Barker and Llewelyn novels, Will Thomas has worked his way up on my personal list of When's the Next One? So I was overjoyed (although not surprised) to find The Black Hand easily living up to the previous adventures of this unlikely, stimulating, colorful pair of investigators. Which leaves me with the question, when's the next one?" -- Laurie R. King, author of Touchstone

About the Author

Will Thomas is the author of the Barker and Llewelyn series, a series of mystery novels set in Victorian England. The first novel in the series was nominated for a Barry Award and a Shamus Award, and won the 2005 Oklahoma Book Award. He lives with his family in Oklahoma.