The ad was placed by Cyrus Barker, an enquiry agent in need of an assistant to assist him in his investigations. A stern taskmaster and a pragmatist, he struggles to find an appropriate candidate for his fascinating yet dangerous profession, or at least he does until he meets Thomas. Who better for the private detective business than a former Oxford scholar who’s done time in prison? Taking the beleaguered young man under his wing, Cyrus and Thomas swiftly begin work on their first case.

The case is a gruesome one: a young rabbinical student named Louis Pokrzywa is found crucified in Petticoat Lane, and the Jewish community fears that his death is a sign of greater persecutions to come. With few leads to go on, Cyrus and Thomas delve into the hidden world of Judaism in London to try to identify Louis’ killer. Unfortunately for them, someone is out to make sure that they don’t and will stop at nothing to keep the truth from being revealed.

Some Danger Involved is Will Thomas’s first novel, and it is a promising start to a new series. The atmosphere for the story is engaging and unusual, and Thomas’s descriptions of Jewish life in Victorian London are particularly well-researched and clearly presented for readers unfamiliar with the subject. Thomas does a very nice job of integrating a wide variety of nascent movements in London at the time, including the rise of eugenics and the Italian mafia. These small tidbits add a nice touch of historical perspective that is both interesting and instructive.

Also worth noting is the wonderful cast of colorful characters Thomas introduces in his story. The characters come alive thanks to the clever depictions and quirky eccentricities Thomas gives to each one. The detecting pair of Baker and Llewelyn is delightful, and their interplay is reminiscent of (though thankfully not excessively derivative of) Holmes and Watson. The interaction between the protagonists and the secondary characters is strong as well, and the humorous spats and disagreements are sure to make readers smile knowingly.

The novel does suffer from an overly modern tone in some places, which is occasionally disruptive to the historical nature of the book. With his straightforward and aggressive style, Thomas’s writing may be somewhat jarring to readers used to other Victorian mystery writers. However, considering the dark nature of his material, this is less of a quibble than it might otherwise be.

Overall, Some Danger Involved is an auspicious start for Thomas’s planned series and should find a ready audience among fans of historical mystery.

--Jessica Plonka