*** REVIEW *** WHAT REMAINS HEAVEN by C.S. Harris

 

Kindle Edition, 337 pages

Published (first published October 14th 2009)

Original Title

What Remains of Heaven

ASIN; B002SV36YQ

Edition Language: English

Series: Sebastian St. Cyr #5

 Sebastian St. Cyr's search for the killer of the controversial Bishop of London leads him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of Whitehall to the well-guarded secrets of his own family's past.

Sebastian’s Aunt Henrietta and the Archbishop pull him into another murder investigation in What Remains Heaven.  This time the victim is the Bishop of London.  His body is found in an old crypt the church is excavating.  They uncover a missing person in the crypt too.  While on the trail of the murderer, Sebastian uncovers more secrets about his past and the present.  Hero is pulled into the investigation too.  The Bishop is her friend and confidante.  There are secrets that Hero doesn’t want Sebastian to know about her.  Sebastian suspects her duplicity, and he continues to dig.

I enjoy this series—a lot!  In What Remains Heaven C.S. Harris takes the readers on a complex, multilevel murder mystery that includes past and present scandals though which Sebastian must maneuver.  The politics of the era plays a big role in the mystery.  Like every book in this series, we travel the roads of London, as they exist at the time.  

Once again, Sebastian gets in some dangerous situations that increases the suspense and angst. The character development, especially Hero Jarvis is exceptional.  Hero and Sebastian are in some funny scenes that bring a bit of levity to the dark murders.  The more we see Sebastian, the more his kind and loving nature is revealed.  A true champion for justice Sebastian makes hard decisions even when it isn’t an easy choice. 

The only negative for me is the continued back and forth on Kat’s background.  I’m not sure why the author decided to take Kat and Sebastian through these trials.  It seems unnecessary and tiresome for this reader.  My hope is that Harris is now weening us off Kat, but I’m afraid she will return more than I care to see her.  

What Remains Heaven is another excellent addition to this series.  I am invested in these characters and need to devour more in the series as soon as I can.  Great characters! Great writing.  Interesting historical information.  I’m off for more.

4.5 STAMPS