“Regency London, July 1812:
How do you set about solving a murder that no one can reveal has been
committed?
“That’s the challenge confronting C. S. Harris’s
aristocratic soldier-turned-sleuth, Sebastian St. Cyr, when surgeon and
anatomist Paul Gibson illegally buys the cadaver of a young man from London’s
infamous body snatchers. A rising star
at the Foreign Office, Mr. Alexander Ross was reported to have died of a weak heart. But when Gibson discovers a stiletto wound at
the base of Ross’s skill, he can turn only to Sebastian for help in catching
the killer.
“Described by all who knew him as an amiable young man, Ross
at first seems an unlikely candidate for murder. But as Sebastian’s search takes him from the
Queen’s drawing rooms in St. James’s Palace to the embassies of Russia, the
United States, and the Turkish Empire, he plunges into a dangerous shadow land
of diplomatic maneuvering and international intrigue, where truth is an elusive
commodity and nothing is as it seems.
“Meanwhile, Sebastian must confront the turmoil of his
personal life. Hero Jarvis, daughter of
his powerful nemesis Lord Jarvis, finally agrees to become his wife. But as their wedding approaches, Sebastian
can’t escape the growing realization that not only Lord Jarvis but Hero herself
knows far more about the events surrounding Ross’s death than they would have
him believe.
“Then a second body is found, badly decomposed but bearing
the same fatal stiletto wound. And
Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening the life
of his reluctant bride and their unborn child.”
This installment in the world of Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries
was one of my quicker reads by Harris. I
thought the plot twists and sheer number of suspects did a very good job of
keeping the truth behind the murder of Alexander Ross well hidden from the readers,
as well as ensuring a good pace to the plot.
Sebastian is called to Gibson’s surgery after the anatomist
discovers a very suspicious wound inflicted upon a corpse which he obtained
through dubious means. Little does
Sebastian know that investigating the hidden murder will not only reveal
massive secrets within the government, but it also puts Sebastian’s own life at
stake, and that of those he cares about.
Still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Hendon is not his true
father, Sebastian remains firm in his resolve that he’ll not allow his own
child to suffer the stain of illegitimacy – he finally convinces Hero Jarvis to
accept his hand in marriage, much to the chagrin of both their families at odds
over politics and personal vendettas.
Unfortunately for Hero, tying her name to a well-known aristocratic
sleuth means she becomes a target for those trying to dissuade and distract
Sebastian from his meddlesome crime-solving.
Sebastian must manage his perceptive, nosy, hesitant-bride-to-be all
while ensuring his own hide is kept safe as he skillfully maneuvers between
social and political circles. Diplomats,
shipping magnates, ambassadors, military notables, foreign spies, and even the
Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs all rank somewhere amongst his
seemingly-endless list of suspects. He
discovers there are far more lies, subterfuge, and exchanges of gold and
secrets taking place within the Regency government and between England and
other Continental nations during this tumultuous wartime. But which of his suspects is the most likely
to have wanted Ross – a seemingly well-liked gentleman professional, loyal to
both his government and his lovely young betrothed – dead? And what do the United States have to do with
all of it? Whoever it was nearly got
away with the murder…had it not been for Gibson and his body-snatching
contacts.
As the bodies begin to pile up, Sebastian must determine
which – if any – of them are related…and figure out just how many killers are
out there before time runs out. The
ensuing manhunt risks Sebastian’s life and the stability of his own country’s
government.
I found this book to be intriguing and entertaining. It is, of course, another murder-mystery, so
it is certainly not without its gruesome gore.
This is another book that’s not for the faint-of-heart or
weak-of-stomach. The violence and death
aren’t gratuitous, just a present aspect of this series and genre – I just
wanted to provide fair warning so you’ll know what you’re getting into! I didn’t see the ending until it exploded
right in front of me. The twists and
turns kept the author’s aim well disguised and made me want to keep on
reading. The only shortcoming to this
was that I don’t feel like I really, truly appreciated Sebastian’s brilliance
in this book. The beauty of the other
books was watching his mind work out the murders and leads. It’s clear that Harris is capable of
revealing just enough to keep the readers guessing because this is what she
managed to do with the other books in this series. For this book, all the pieces seemed to fall
into place after the fact, so it almost felt too convenient or the thought
process too hidden to actually appreciate from my standpoint. This means that this book was not my favorite
one in this series, though I did still enjoy it. I like the rollercoaster I experience while
reading these books and following Sebastian’s investigations, but I wanted to
feel more “involved” than I did while reading this installment.
I look forward to watching the characters’ various
relationships develop: Sebastian and
Hero, Hendon and Sebastian, Sebastian and Lord Jarvis, even Sebastian and Kat
(who was, for the most part, very absent from this book). One of the greatest successes of this series
is Harris’s ability to weave together hints of romance and very personal
emotions with the murder-mystery.
Happy reading!
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