Anatomy of Evil

I’ll admit, I approached *Anatomy of Evil* skeptical of yet another ‘brilliant Victorian detective’ trope—but Will Thomas flips the script by making his protagonist, Cyrus Barker, a man you’d *fear* as much as admire. This isn’t a story about solving a puzzle; it’s about dismantling a web of corruption so entrenched that the law can’t touch it. Barker’s methods are brutal, his morals flexible, and Llewelyn’s first-person narration forces you to grapple with the cost of his mentor’s brand of justice. The plot hinges on a blackmail scheme with tentacles in Parliament and the underworld, and Thomas weaves it with precision, though I’ll warn you: the mid-act lull (a necessary evil for setup) tests your patience before the final act’s explosive payoff. Antony Ferguson’s performance is *exactly* what this material needs. His Barker is a revelation—a voice like aged whiskey, smooth but with a bite, and his delivery of the character’s deadpan threats (“I could ruin you by lunchtime”) sent chills down my spine. Llewelyn’s narration, by contrast, carries the weary charm of a man who’s seen Barker’s worst and still chooses to follow him. My only critique? The production’s audio levels occasionally dip during quieter dialogue, forcing a volume tweak. And while the historical ambiance is rich, a few anachronistic turns of phrase (e.g., “game-changer”) jolted me out of the immersion. But these are quibbles. If you crave a mystery where the detective is as morally complex as the crimes he solves—and where the narration *enhances* the menace—this is your audiobook. Just don’t expect to root for the ‘good guys’ without complication.