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To Kingdom Come

"A talent to watch and enjoy...delightful."
-- S. I. Dunn, The Dallas Morning News

"A thorough delight."
-- Tom and Enid Schantz, The Denver Post

"Colorful London private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his diminutive young Welsh assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, make a welcome return in this sequel to last year's Some Danger Involved...The story is lively, full of convincing historical detail and reveals a few more tantalizing facts from Barker's mysterious past. The wonderful chemistry between Barker and Llewelyn makes the book, like its predecessor, a thorough delight."

-- Denver Post

"Thomas places his cast of likeable even heroic characters within a complex political minefield and the waits for the explosion. Intense and insightful."

-- Booklist

"Last year, Will Thomas' debut novel, Some Danger Involved, introduced readers to Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, a fascinating and fun new detective team...It was one of the best mysteries of 2004...[To Kingdom Come] mostly lives up to expectations. Kingdom opens with a bang, literally, as the new Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard is destroyed by a bomb planted by a fledgling group called the Irish Republican Brotherhood...there's enough of what made Danger so good to keep Kingdom entertaining. Llewelyn says he's growing used to never knowing where Barker is going or in what situation they'll find themselves once they get there. But still he follows. Readers will, too."

-- Detroit Free Press

"...fast-paced, cleanly written follow-up to Some Danger Involved...The action unfolds briskly, and Llewelyn's voice should appeal to boys of all ages."

-- Publishers Weekly

"Having created a pair of appealing protagonists who debuted in his Victorian London mystery Some Danger Involved, Thomas needed to look no further than May 30, 1884-when Scotland Yard was bombed by Irish nationalists-for an actual event around which to build his first sequel...A successful blend of fiction and fact, this is-as expected-expertly researched and skillfully plotted, with satisfying amounts of emotion (with a growing friendship between Barker and Llewelyn) and suspense. For all mystery collections."

-- Library Journal

"Mystery lovers should grab the book and, before opening it, know that the author, Will Thomas, delivers another slam-dunk story about this inquiry agent and his apprentice, Thomas Llewelyn, who unravel intricate mysteries in Victorian England. This second book in (hopefully) a series, is as carefully researched and lethal as the first, Some Danger Involved."

-- Star Newspapers

"Watching Llewelyn acquire expertise in the arcane specialties of stick-fighting and hand-made explosives was absorbing, and I was equally fascinated by the meticulous attention the duo pay to assuming their new identities. The descriptions of the settings, ranging from cosmopolitan London and Liverpool to the desolate Welsh countryside, are masterfully drawn, and the lead characters and their comrades are burgeoning delightfully. This modern take on the Victorian era is utterly believable even when the characters are slightly too skilled to be true, and the running humor (the killer Pekinese, and the surly Chinese chef, for examples) adds colorful and delectable garnishes to this tasty main course."

-- I Love a Mystery

"Oklahoma mystery writer Will Thomas definitely is a talent to watch and enjoy. His second novel, To Kingdom Come, is a delightful detective story set in late-19th-century London. It continues the adventures of enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his youthful apprentice, Thomas Llewelyn, characters introduced in Mr. Thomas' critically acclaimed debut novel, Some Danger Involved."

"In his second novel, author Will Thomas delivers a tense thriller filled with terrorist groups, secret agents and ineffective governments...The author captures each location perceptively while keeping the action racing...In To Kingdom Come, Thomas achieves what the best historical fiction should -- show us how our past is forever repeated."

"The book is a fast paced literary thriller with a nice twist at the end. Thomas's first book, Some Danger Involved, was also an intriguing read."

"Will Thomas in To Kingdom Come re-creates the London of 1884 in which a faction of Irish rebels blows up Scotland Yard...Thomas keeps the suspense percolating. Will the imposters be discovered when they try to pass themselves off as bomb makers? Who's the ringleader behind the conspiracy? And will the prince of Wales get his?"

"To Kingdom Come is set in Victorian England during 1884, but its resonance with contemporary issues makes the story even more insightful."

"The first thing to say, in offering any kind of review of the Will Thomas novel, To Kingdom Come, is I loved this book. I absolutely loved this book. During my time of reading the many great books I have, this is one I happily include amongst their number. Mr. Thomas understands not only the essential writing trait of "showing, not telling", crafting an excellent story with the skill of a master, he also suffuses his world of 19th century England with an authenticity to make you believe it was composed by one of that actual day and age."

"The characters are likeable and the plotting is good. While Cyrus Barker isn't as interesting as Sherlock Holmes, he's a good second."

"To Kingdom Come is another great chapter in the series written by Will Thomas that has quickly become a must read for every devotee of English Victorian mysteries. There is no loss of excitement in this second book, and I wholeheartedly recommend To Kingdom Come to everyone. Arthur Conan Doyle may be gone...long live Will Thomas."

"Thomas' work is earnest, humbly referential, yet polished in its nod to the masters' before, accomplished in its own ventures."