5 stars out of 5
What I am fond of, though, is a great story and intriguing characters - no matter what the time period. And there's no shortage of both here, from gruesome murders to wealthy investigator Sebastian St. Cyr, a.k.a. Viscount Devlin, Earl of Hendon and his delightful and competent in her own right wife, Hero.
The year is 1814, and Sebastian, who has been trying to find the mother he was told had died, has traced a woman he believes is her to Vienna (at a time when Napoleon had just been defeated and European bigwigs are meeting in the city to agree on a peace plan going forward). But he's interrupted when he's called to the scene of a back-alley murder - one that's eerily similar to two murders not long ago. But a man was convicted of those two murders and subsequently hanged himself while in jail, so clearly, he cannot have committed this latest one. Meantime, Hero is busy working on a story about the lives of the very young prostitutes who ply their trade in the streets just to survive - a sad but common occurrence back in the day.
From the beginning, Sebastian suspects all the murders are somehow connected; but finding proof - if there is any - is quite another matter. He also suspects that the young man convicted of the two murders is innocent; but here, too, evidence proving that to be true is elusive. The chase takes him from the homes of the wealthy (some of whom are his own relatives) to some of London's seediest and most dangerous places. And clearly, there are forces that will stop at nothing - even bringing harm to Sebastian and his family - to stop him from further investigation.
It is, all told, a thoroughly researched, engrossing tale that's tied to real places and events, a delight to read and a highly recommended book (and series). Many thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
What the Devil Knows by C.S. Harris (Berkley, April 2021); 329 pp.
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