WHO CRIES FOR THE LOST

5 stars out of 5

True story: Back in the day when I took History 101 class in college, I hated it so much that I marched out of my last class and headed straight for the registrar's office to change my major to something - anything - that didn't require me to take another history class (I'll spare the rest of the details, but suffice it to say it turned out very positive). And for the most part, I avoid historical novels of any kind. So what am I doing reading books in this series? Well, surprisingly (especially to me), enjoying the heck out of them.

I'll chalk most of that up to the tremendous talent of the author, who pulls together intriguing, entertaining stories in my favorite mystery/thriller genre while weaving in relevant, well-researched and equally intriguing and entertaining details about the time period (in this case, the fairly early 1800s). Right off the bat, there's a dead guy; but not just plain dead, mind you, nor just any old guy. The corpse has been mutilated, and he's now on the exam table of Paul Gibson, who serves as a sort of medical examiner and conducts autopsies. Identifying the corpse turns out to be the easy part; he's the ex-husband of Gibson's current lover, Alexi Sauvage (to be fair, she claims to have been tricked into the marriage).

Gibson is a good friend of series "star" Sebastian St. Cyr, a.k.a. Viscount Devlin, an investigator who at the moment is recovering from a recent wound that nearly did him in. Wishing that he could join his comrades to fight Napoleon as he drives his troops to Waterloo, Sebastian decides to do some sleuthing in the hope of finding the killer. Early on, he gets help from his pregnant writer-wife, Hero - whose father, Lord Jarvis, is on the suspect list - as are any number of women the dead guy has "seduced" over the years including Alexi. On top of that, the man - Major Miles Sedgewick - apparently was "into" the history of witches and the occult and an island that was used for prisoners and all manor of torture.

Add in a previously secret list of prominent and not-so-prominent Londoners who at one time were spies for Napoleon, and Sebastian and Hero have their work cut out for them. Other bodies that start to pile up - some mutilated, others not - create even more confusion to confound the usually competent investigators. Worst of all is that suspicion falls mostly on the his friend, the medical examiner, and his lover - so it becomes a race to find the real killer before they're carried off to the gallows. All told, it's another exciting, nail-biting adventure, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review another pre-release installment of this terrific series.

Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. Harris (Berkley, April 2023); 352 pp.

WHAT THE DEVIL KNOWS

5 stars out of 5

A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of reading the first (for me) of the many books in this wonderful historical thriller series. So when I had a chance to request a pre-release copy of this one, I wasted no time doing so. And once again, I loved it - this coming from someone who isn't fond of history in any format.

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.

WHO SLAYS THE WICKED

5 stars out of 5

Choosing the word "enthralled" to describe my feelings toward this historical mystery - especially since it's full of murder, mayhem and some very nasty people - might seem a bit strange, but that's exactly how I felt from the first page to the last. It's also my first of 14 books in this series, so another prime emotion I felt when I finished is sadness that I hadn't read the predecessors. What an attention-holding, well-written book!

It's also well-researched, and that adds substantially to the "flavor." Set in London circa 1814, the story is greatly enhanced by descriptions of the city, what was happening elsewhere in the world (Paris had just sent Napoleon packing, for instance) and terminology appropriate to the time. The characters spoke and acted the way I'd expect from that time period - although I must say that Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife, Hero, are far less stodgy than their family and friends (which only made me like them all the more). 

As this one begins, Sebastian is called in to help find out who murdered and pretty thoroughly mutilated Lord Ashworth, a man who not long ago married Sebastian's young niece Stephanie. Ashworth has a long history of abusing anyone who tickles his fancy (or refuses to) - most notably children and young ladies - so while no one owns up to the murder, neither does anyone express sorrow that he bit the dust. That widespread attitude, of course, makes the suspect pool grow as each new clue is revealed; the consensus, though, is that the killer is female (with Stephanie, who recently gave birth to twins but is estranged from Ashworth, at the top of the list).

Sebastian desperately hopes to prove her innocence, but first he must convince himself. Complicating matters is that other dead bodies are turning up, thought to be somehow connected to Ashworth's murder. Besides that, a Russian delegation, including a snobbish high-ranking princess, is in town for what may be nefarious purposes - and before long, entanglements with Ashworth are unearthed and members of their entourage are added to the suspects' list as well. The more Sebastian digs in, the more it becomes clear that the hole he's creating may be the perfect size for his own grave. 

This story stands alone well, although there were a few allusions to people and events that no doubt would be better understood by those who read previous books. Also, the fact that some of the characters were called by different names or titles here and there was a bit confusing to me at times(Sebastian is also known as Viscount Devlin, for example). But honestly, none of that really got in the way. I found this book absolutely delightful - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Who Slays the Wicked by C. S. Harris (Berkley, April 2019); 352 pp.