Hardcover, 341 pages
Published
November 4th 2008
by NAL
Hardcover
(first published October 16th 2008)
Original Title
Where Serpents Sleep
ISBN:0451225120
(ISBN13: 9780451225122)
Edition Language
English
Series
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 powerbroker 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.
Working in an uneasy alliance, Hero and Sebastian follow a trail of clues leading from the seedy brothels and docksides of London's East End to the Mayfair mansions of a noble family with dark secrets 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.
Where Serpents Sleep is the fourth novel in C.S. Harris’
Sebastian St. Cyr series. In this story,
Hero Jarvis, the daughter of Sebastian’s enemy, Lord Jarvis one of the most
powerful men in England, asks Devlin to help her solve a murder.
A murder occurs while Hero is doing interviews with a group
of prostitutes. The killers are ruthless
killing everyone in the house except Hero, who barely escaped. Lord Jarvis is determined to search out and
kill the men; however, Hero wants justice for the women. Her admiration of Sebastian’s skills has her
swallow her pride and request that he teach her how to go about tracking the
men down. As Hero and Sebastian follow
the clues, they find themselves in dangerous and deadly situations. Their hazardous
encounters and close working relationship create a bond of friendship between
these two unlucky associates.
Hero is a woman before her time. I love this character. She is determined to
be independent in a time when women are expected to marry, birth an heir, manage
the household, and exist as property of a husband. Hero is a scholar and writer. She spends her free time in the library or
traveling around London doing research.
She champions causes to help the poor.
She has strong opinions against marriage, and never plans to take that
step. Her path is both a source of deep pride
and frustration for her father.
Sebastian’s character continues to develop. I love the hero of this series. The more we learn about him, the more I like
him. He is suffering deep emotional pain
in this book after all the reveals of the previous one. Hero coming to him for help pulls him out of
his alcoholic stupor, and gives him a purpose.
The more he learns of the slaughter, the more focused he becomes.
These two make an unusual team. Mostly they are combative, but there is an air
of admiration underneath their sparring.
They learn more about one another as they work together. It is enjoyable to watch their mutual
admiration grow. The setting of Regency
England is an interesting backdrop for the series. It adds depth and anxiety at times. I don’t know what to say except that this
series gets better and better with each new book. Where Serpents Sleep is another must
read. I could not put the book down.
5 STAMPS
Available from most book stores
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