It's 1811, and the threat of revolution haunts the upper classes of King George III's England. Then a beautiful young woman is found raped and savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient church near Westminster Abbey. A dueling pistol discovered at the scene and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experience in the Napoleonic Wars.
Now a fugitive running for his life, Sebastian calls upon his skill as an agent during the war to catch the killer and prove his own innocence. In the process, he accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including the enigmatic beauty Kat Boleyn, who broke Sebastian's heart years ago. In Sebastian's world of intrigue and espionage, nothing is as it seems, yet the truth may hold the key to the future of the British monarchy, as well as to Sebastian's own salvation....
Mystery, thrillers, suspense
are my first love when it comes to selecting books to read. While I read a fair number of historical
romances, I am new to historical mysteries, so I am pleasantly surprised by how
much I enjoy What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris. It is exactly what I need while in lockdown
for this Covid virus. There are fifteen books in this series
initially published in 2005 with What Angels Fear through 2020 with Who Speaks
for the Damned.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount
Devlin recently returned from the war with France. He isn’t well regarded by Lord Jarvis, the
cousin and chief advisor to the Regent King Prince George. When a woman is found raped and murdered,
Jarvis corrals his spies and henchmen to arrest and prosecute Devlin. Sebastian knows the only way he can save
himself is to solve the murder.
It is very interesting to
travel down the streets of 200-years-ago London. Ms. Harris is brilliant at creating the
scenes of the haves and the have nots.
The smells and sounds of the wealthy aristocracy are incredibly different
from the poor, crowed, stench of the tenements of the masses.
It did not take long for me to
fall in love with these characters, especially Sebastian St. Cyr. Sebastian is a larger than life character. He is very much a mystery himself. He has a loving heart, who recognizes the failures
of the class system of his time. I love the young street urchin that hooks up
with Sebastian to help him solve the murder.
He is a sweet character who stole my heart.
Sebastian is suffering with
PTSD as we call it today. His nightmares
from the war, what he did and what he saw causes him pain. His decision to go to war in the first place
are explained. His love of an actress,
Kat Boleyn, who dumped him because his father Earl Hendon didn’t approve. Even Jarvis, a villainous character is
interesting and all add depth to the story.
These characters, the setting,
and the murder mystery are all nicely developed and intertwined to make for an
edge-of-the-seat reading experience.
Every turn of the page reveals a new lie, deceit at the highest levels
of society, and characters layers and layers of baggage to peal off in this and
the coming books of the series. I highly
recommend What Angels Fear.
Not only is it an excellent mystery, the setting will have you wanting
to know more about the era. I couldn’t
help but do a little research about Regency England and Prince George. I will read more of the series immediately.
5 STAMPS
For more information about C.S. Harris and purchase links.
BUY
THE BOOK
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