Dance with Death
A Barker & Llewelyn Novel
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
London, 1893: Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are called in to protect Tsesarevich Nicholas from nefarious forces as he travels to England for a royal wedding—inDance with Death, the next mystery in Will Thomas’s beloved series.
In June of 1893, the future Nicholas II travels to London for a royal wedding, bringing with him his private security force and his ballerina mistress, Mathilde Kchessinska. Rumored to be the target of a professional assassin known only as La Sylphide, and the subject of conspiracies against his life by his own family who covet his future throne, Nicholas is protected by not only private security, but the professional forces of both England and Russia.
All of these measures prove inadequate when Prince George of England is attacked by an armed anarchist who mistakes him for Nicholas. As a result, Barker and Llewelyn are brought in to help track down the assassin and others who might conspire against the life of the tsesarevich . The investigations lead them down several paths, including Llewelyn's old nemesis, the assassin Sofia Ilyanova. With Barker and Llewelyn both surviving separate attempts on their lives, the race is on to find both the culprit and the assassin they hired. Taking them through high society (including a masked ball at Kensington Palace) and low, chasing down motives both personal and political, Barker and Llewelyn must solve the case of their life before the crime of the century is committed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1893, Thomas's enjoyable 12th mystery featuring private inquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn (after 2019's Lethal Pursuit) finds London awhirl with preparations for the wedding of Prince George and Princess Mary of Teck. Royal relations from Europe have come to celebrate the nuptials, including Nicholas, the son and heir of the Russian czar. Boxer Jim Hercules, a real-life Black man who served as a bodyguard to Nicholas, arrives at the offices of Barker and Llewelyn asking for their help in protecting the future czar. Their services are hampered by Nicholas's caprices, the Russian secret police, a ballerina with her eye on the throne, and an assassin known only as La Sylphide. Among the many historical figures who enliven the plot are Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl, and William Morris, textile designer and confirmed Socialist. Thomas expertly entwines historical details, exciting action sequences, and a tender love story. This ripping yarn is sure to please series fans and garner new enthusiasts.