Thomas F. (hardtack) -
Yet another excellent mystery from Thomas about this "enquiry agent" duo. This time it's about a poisoner who leaves them mystified and struggling with all the traps the poisoner has laid out. And it seemed like every time I had ID'ed the criminal, that person got killed. In the end it was someone no one suspected and it wasn't the two main protagonists who dropped the dime revealing the criminal.
I forgot Llewelyn was allergic to wasp venom---and I don't think I'm giving much away here---but when he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled it out again with a dozen wasp stingers embedded in his hand....Well, that was a bit much. I'm speaking of course as an entomologist, as I really doubt placing a hand into a pocket would have resulted in such. And because the wasps were dead, they wouldn't have been able to contract the muscles necessary to force their venom to flow. At least the author got it right that wasps don't have barbed stingers, which means that---unlike bees---wasps can sting over and over without dying. I not only know this professionally, but also from too many instances of personal experience.
And, to counteract an urban myth, bees can sting more than once without pulling the stinger from their bodies, resulting in their deaths. Bees can extract their stingers when stinging invaders to their hives, like other insects or small animals. However, when it is a large mammal, like a human, the motion of the prey usually results in the barb being pulled out of the bee.
My apologies to those who have this book WLed, but my copy will be returned to my county library.
I forgot Llewelyn was allergic to wasp venom---and I don't think I'm giving much away here---but when he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled it out again with a dozen wasp stingers embedded in his hand....Well, that was a bit much. I'm speaking of course as an entomologist, as I really doubt placing a hand into a pocket would have resulted in such. And because the wasps were dead, they wouldn't have been able to contract the muscles necessary to force their venom to flow. At least the author got it right that wasps don't have barbed stingers, which means that---unlike bees---wasps can sting over and over without dying. I not only know this professionally, but also from too many instances of personal experience.
And, to counteract an urban myth, bees can sting more than once without pulling the stinger from their bodies, resulting in their deaths. Bees can extract their stingers when stinging invaders to their hives, like other insects or small animals. However, when it is a large mammal, like a human, the motion of the prey usually results in the barb being pulled out of the bee.
My apologies to those who have this book WLed, but my copy will be returned to my county library.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I've enjoyed Will Thomas's excellent series from the very first book, Some Danger Involved. I've learned a lot about the different areas of Victorian London, and I've enjoyed watching young Thomas Llewelyn mature and his cheeky sense of humor become more sharply honed. The mysteries are always good, strong exercises for the little grey cells, too.
From standing beneath Big Ben as it tolls the hour to finding out why the typical Englishman dislikes plainclothes police officers, readers are firmly treading the streets of London in the 1890s, and I have to admit that Fierce Poison is one of my favorite books in the series. The "Mad Pie Man" poisoner is truly frightening, and Llewelyn's reaction to one of the victims and her flower pots is profoundly moving. There was a time or two when Barker or Llewelyn touch something or enter a place and I wanted to shout "Put that down!" or "Don't go in there!" -- but happily, Thomas manages to keep readers on red alert without overusing that thriller staple.
Barker and Llewelyn continue to be one of my favorite private enquiry duos, and as young Thomas's life continues to change, I'm certainly looking forward to their next adventure. If you're new to the series and not sure you're intrigued enough to begin at the very beginning, you should be able to read Fierce Poison without confusion. The author does provide enough of the characters' backstories. But... don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting more.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
From standing beneath Big Ben as it tolls the hour to finding out why the typical Englishman dislikes plainclothes police officers, readers are firmly treading the streets of London in the 1890s, and I have to admit that Fierce Poison is one of my favorite books in the series. The "Mad Pie Man" poisoner is truly frightening, and Llewelyn's reaction to one of the victims and her flower pots is profoundly moving. There was a time or two when Barker or Llewelyn touch something or enter a place and I wanted to shout "Put that down!" or "Don't go in there!" -- but happily, Thomas manages to keep readers on red alert without overusing that thriller staple.
Barker and Llewelyn continue to be one of my favorite private enquiry duos, and as young Thomas's life continues to change, I'm certainly looking forward to their next adventure. If you're new to the series and not sure you're intrigued enough to begin at the very beginning, you should be able to read Fierce Poison without confusion. The author does provide enough of the characters' backstories. But... don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting more.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
