To Kingdom Come

To Kingdom Come (2005) Will Thomas

Set in London in 1884.

Unknown Irish bombers have blown up Scotland Yard and several others places in London, as part of their fight for freedom. Because they have threatened another bombing within a month, and because Scotland Yard has been unable to infiltrate the Irish factions, Barker decides to try himself, to keep London from being blown to kingdom come.

“Dunleavy’s an old Irish-American warhorse, who fought as a colonel on the secessionist side during the American War Between the States. He saw action at Antietam and Vicksburg. I was on the opposing side, but after the war, we worked together on an Irish raid into Canada, in an attempt to trade Toronto for Irish freedom. Of course, I sent word ahead and the attack was scuttled. I think Dunleavy still seethes over the losses of the Southern states but having a role in the new Irish government would more than make up for it.

Being who I am, I found the bits about bomb making fascinating. I can’t imagine trying to keep nitroglycerine below 30 using only chips off a block of ice. But then again, that would be why bombers of the time were often missing fingers.

“And what, if I may ask, are your politics?”

“I thought that would be obvious, young man. Like all makers of wholesale destruction, I am a pacifist. The bad thing about war is that it makes more evil people than it can take away, as Kant said.”

For obvious reasons, this bit amused me.

“Soho Vic,” I said to myself. “What names these street arabs have. I assume he was born in Soho?”

“Krakw, Poland,” Cyrus Barker informed me. “His real name is Stanislieu Sohovic.

I’m glad the library finally decided to get the kindle versions of these books, since I’d been wanting to re-read them.
Rating: 7.5/10

Publisher: Touchstone

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