“London, 1812. The
brutal slaughter of eight young prostitutes in a house of refuge near Covent
Garden leaves only one survivor—and one witness: Hero Jarvis, reform-minded daughter of the
Prince Regent’s cousin, Lord Jarvis.
When the Machiavellian power broker quashes any official inquiry that
might reveal his daughter’s unorthodox presence, Hero launches an investigation
of her own and turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help. Still struggling to come to terms with the
loss of his lover, Kat Boleyn, and the resultant estrangement from his father,
Sebastian is at first reluctant to agree.
But the callous violence of the murders—combined with the opportunity to
provoke his archenemy, Jarvis—prompts him to act.
“Working in uneasy alliance, Hero and Sebastian focus their
efforts on one particular victim of the carnage: Rose Jones, the terrified nineteen-year-old
girl, with the unmistakable accent of a gentlewoman, who died in Hero’s
arms. As they unravel a dangerous thread
of lies and deceptions, Hero and Sebastian follow a trail of clues leading from
the seedy brothels and docksides of London’s East End to the Mayfair mansion of
a noble family with dark secrets of its own to hide. Risking both their lives and their
reputations, the two must race against time to stop a killer whose ominous plot
threatens to shake the nation to its very core.”
This is another May read that I'm finally getting around to posting...
Here we have yet another installment of the Sebastian St.
Cyr Mysteries, and this one definitely did not disappoint. This book takes place several months after
the conclusion of Why Mermaids Sing
and we find Devlin still grasping to come to terms with the life altering
revelation at the conclusion of the last book.
His life and his love are forever changed and he isn’t sure how or if he
can move on from the woman he was so certain he would marry – the woman he’d
loved for years. He’s taken to living
the life man who has nothing for which to live.
He drinks himself into a stupor, eats and sleeps very little, and has
become a shade amongst men. To add to
this, he is unable to face or forgive his father for his secrets and Devlin
blames him for the demise of his hopes and dreams. It seems that nothing can wrench Devlin free
of his despair…until Hero Jarvis, daughter of Devlin’s enemy, seeks out his
assistance.
Though we lose Kat as a foil to Devlin’s point of view, we
gain Hero’s unique perspective. She is,
in fact, the catalyst for the investigation contained within this plot. Reform-minded Hero is busy working on a
theory that most prostitutes do not pursue their lifestyle willingly or out of
some lack of morality, but, rather, that extenuating circumstances force them
to sell their bodies or risk death or injury.
She’s busy interviewing a woman who has sought refuge in a home set up
by the Quakers as a way to help get women off the streets and train them for a
new way of life. While performing her
interview, the home is invaded and the women are killed. Hero and the woman she knows as Rose are able
to escape to the alley, but Hero is the only one to leave alive. Hero knows there is more to the attack than
it seems. When her father brushes off
her concern and makes her promise not to go to Bow Street, Hero realizes
there’s only one man to whom she can turn.
She seeks out Devlin and, using his animosity toward her father to her
advantage, she convinces him to assist in her investigation. Though reluctant at first, Devlin finds some
solace in the familiarity of investigating the brutal murders. What he discovers involves deep dark secrets
of a noble family, a woman who was not who she seemed to be, and a nefarious
plot against the government which could have horrible consequences. He quickly recognizes the asset he has in
Hero’s quick mind and determined nature.
Though they are at odds most of the time, both know they have a powerful
ally in uncovering the motive and murderer(s) in one another. It becomes apparent that the person who
committed these crimes is willing to continue to kill in order to cover his
trail and Devlin knows this means Hero’s life could be in grave danger. She refuses to heed his warnings, determined
to crack the case and see justice. This,
unfortunately, brings both Devlin and Hero to a point where neither of them may
see the light of day again. And, if they
happen to survive by some miracle, their lives will forever be changed.
This fast-paced plot was well-written with a ton of twists
and turns. Each time I thought Hero and
Devlin were moving forward in their investigation, there were still more layers
to come. Though the plot wasn’t my
favorite in the series – I didn’t find it as captivating, though I’m uncertain
why – I thought the interplay between Devlin and Hero was particularly
interesting. They never got along well,
so asking them to work so closely together provided some entertaining
repartee. Hero is a strong woman determined
to remain self-sufficient and undeterred by the pressures of both her father
and society. She is headstrong and very
intelligent, which makes her a very good foil for Devlin. Though he’s always recognized these qualities
in Hero, even Devlin seems surprised with just how much she’s able to
contribute to the investigation.
Together, they slowly unravel the mysteries of “Rose” and
the complex underworld of London’s prostitution houses. The network of cutthroats and chillingly
calculating proprietors, lies and secrets make for a difficult journey for
these two investigators. Their jobs
aren’t easy and a multitude of traps and danger lie in wait for them.
The conclusion was explosive and one I could not
predict. I really look forward to seeing
how this will influence upcoming books in the series. I ardently hope that we’ll get to see more
interactions between Hero and Devlin!
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