Brighton, England, 1811.
The beautiful wife of an aging Marquis is found dead in the arms of the
Prince Regent. Draped around her neck lies an ancient necklace with
mythic origins--and mysterious ties to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount
Devlin. Haunted by his past, Sebastian investigates both the
Marchioness's death and his own possible connection to it--and discovers
a complex pattern of lies and subterfuge. With the aid of his lover,
Kat Boleyn, and a former street urchin now under his protection,
Sebastian edges closer to the killer. And when one murder follows
another, he confronts a conspiracy that threatens his own identity...and
imperils the monarchy itself.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin is called to investigate
the murder of a beautiful woman found in the arms of the Prince Regent by Lord
Jarvis. Jarvis’ loyalty is to Prince George, the monarchy, and England. Jarvis
is not a fan of Sebastian but recognizes his outstanding investigative
skills. If the Prince is accused of
murder, it could start riots and flame anger with the aristocracy. Jarvis is willing to put his dislike of
Sebastian aside to keep peace and the status quo. Initially, Sebastian is not interested in
Jarvis’ plea for help until Jarvis shows him that the murdered woman is wearing
Sebastian’s dead mother’s necklace.
Sebastian is determined to find the murderer, but he is more
interested in why Lady Anglessey is in possession the
necklace. Sebastian remembers the
necklace his mother the day her ship went down at sea. How did the necklace
survive when his mother didn’t. It is
his desire to solve this mystery that convinces Sebastian to find the murderer.
Kat Boleyn is now Sebastian’s mistress. Tom the young street urchin who helped
Sebastian in the first book, holds the position as Devlin’s tiger. Both characters are eager to help Sebastian
wade through the political intrigue to find the clues to both mysteries.
Like the first book in this series, I
could not stop reading. The characters
are captivating. The political climate
of the time makes me wonder how people lived with so much inequity. The
murder is complex and filled with the politics of the era. But, for me, watching Devlin discover family secrets
makes this story more emotional than the first.
As I finish book 2, I immediately
search the library for book three. I’m
hooked on the way Ms. Harris tells these stories. When one question is answered about Devlin
and his past, another question appears.
This is a must-read for mystery and/or historical lovers.
5 STAMPS
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