The Limehouse Text: A Novel
by Will Thomas
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Book Summary Information
Author: Will ThomasEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-07-04
ISBN: 0743273354
Number of pages: 337
Publisher: Touchstone
Book Reviews of The Limehouse Text: A Novel
Book Review: Victorian London, the Limehouse region and Chinese martial arts. Good reading!
Summary: 4 Stars
My copy of this book is the hardcover edition which I must admit I ordered accidently. I'm very glad I did. The nicely embossed dust jacket of this book adds another dimension to the reading experience. I find that cost is such an important factor in publishing books now that often readers are not given the tactile experiences that add to the rich experience of the printed word. I was feeling kindly toward the book even before I started reading because the publishers had gone to the trouble to make me like the material I was holding in my hand. A lot of thought had obviously gone into the presentation of this novel.
This is, as I'm sure you know by this time, the third installment in the adventures of Cyrus Barker, a Victorian private enquiry agent born in Scotland, and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, a Welshman. The nationality of Barker seems to be questioned often throughout the novel but he always describes himself as a Scot. I began my exploration of this series with the third book and did have a little trouble finding my feet with the characters in some instances. Llewelyn often thinks about the time he served in prison and yet no explanation is ever given by the author of why Thomas was imprisoned. Perhaps this information has not been revealed in any of the other books either, but I would have liked some information about why he was jailed and much more of what led up to him becoming Barker's assistant. Also, the fact that he is a widower is mentioned often but not much more than mentions. Of Barker himself, very little background information is revealed but it is obvious that the author is building his backgound very slowly in order to keep him a mysterious character.
The plot is actually quite simple, Barker's previous assistant was killed approximately a year ago and his murderer has never been found. Now, an important clue has come to light and Barker, Llewelyn and the many characters introduced set out to uncover or keep covered the facts of the case. My enjoyment in reading this book was in the Victorian atmosphere depicted and the regions of London which are concerned. Most often writers of period mysteries tend to keep their characters firmly entrenched in the best neighborhoods, among the best people. Mr Thomas has not done that and so he has provided himself with a rich vein of material to keep this book interesting. My knowledge of the Limehouse section of London was practically nil. Now, through vivid descriptions, I can "see" the area much better. The descriptions of Chinese martial arts techniques provided me with another topic which was new to me. The solution to the mystery itself, well, I have a few quibbles about that but not enough to keep me from buying the first two books in the series. I have no problem with the "lets gather all the suspects in one room for the solution" style of mystery writing. I do have a problem when I get the feeling that the author just might have decided on Character A being the murderer over Character B as he was putting the words on the paper. Still, as I have said,I did go and order the first two books so it must not have bothered me that much.
I rated this book as a 4 star book when I would have rather given it 3.75 stars. It was interesting, the writing was very good, the Victorian London atmosphere was well depicted, the Chinese martial arts subject was new and unusual. All of those things were deserving of a very high 3.75 star rating. I just couldn't bring myself to drop it down to a plain 3 star book, it's much too good for just a rating of "average".
Summary of The Limehouse Text: A Novel
In The Limehouse Text, Barker and Llewelyn discover a pawn ticket among the effects of Barker's late assistant, leading them to London's Chinese district, Limehouse. There they retrieve an innocent-looking book that proves to be a rare and secret text stolen from a Nanking monastery, containing lethal martial arts techniques forbidden to the West. With the political situation between the British Empire and Imperial China already unstable, the duo must not only track down a killer intent upon gaining the secret knowledge but also safeguard the text from a snarl of suspects with conflicting interests.Prowling through an underworld of opium dens, back-room blood sports, and sailors' penny hangs while avoiding the wrath of the district's powerful warlord, Mr. K'ing, Barker and Llewelyn take readers on a perilous tour through the mean streets of turn-of-the-century London.
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