Murder has jarred London’s elite. The sons of prominent families have been found at dawn in public places, partially butchered, with strange objects stuffed in their mouths. Once again, the local magistrate turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help. Moving from the gritty world of London’s docks to the drawing rooms of Mayfair, Sebastian confronts his most puzzling—and disturbing—case … disturbing—case yet.
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“Sometimes our worst dreams don’t come when we’re asleep.” (quote from the book)
I could not put this book down! I flew through the pages needing to find out who all were involved in the murder of first born sons and why. Horrifying and compelling to say the least. And Sebastion St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, was like a dog with a bone on this one. Sir Lovejoy, Kat Boleyn Tom his tiger, and Lord Jarvis and his daughter, Hero, all help in one way or another. I’m quite enjoying Sir Lovejoy’s character and the rather unique Hero! All in all…Amazing!
“You’d be surprised at the threads that can bind one man to the next, across all levels of society. Or one woman to the next.” (quote from the book)
Yes, and this is definitely prophetic, because I didn’t see one of subplots coming to such a head! Though, I had wondered how it was going to be resolved. The other is still weaving its way through the series.
Yes, still loving this series and can definitely highly recommend it!
a solid 4 stars
This is book 3 in the Sebastian St. Cyr historical fiction/mystery series. It is an excellent series and I highly recommend it to lovers of this genre. Sebastian is the only surviving son of the Earl of Hendon, and has the title of Viscount Devlin. He often helps a magistrate friend, Sir Henry Lovejoy, solve murders. Sebastian served in the army on continent, specializing in military intelligence and has skills and contacts that come in handy when investigating crime.
This book takes place in the fall of 1811, when someone is murdering the sons of some London’s most prominent families. Sebastian does solve the murders, but there are several twists and turns in the plot which comes to a satisfying end.
Some other characters in the book:
Kat Boleyn, Sebastian’s lover
Tom, a pickpocket lad who Sebastian has hired because of his ability to shadow people and discover secrets
Paul Gibson, an Irish Doctor friend from Sebastian’s army days.
Lord Jarvis, the power behind the Regency
I read this library book in 3 days
READ THIS SERIES!!! absolutely fantastic!! if you love historical mysteries this will knock your socks off! dive in.
Although a little hard to get into at the beginning, it’s well worth reading. Ms. Harris draws wonderful complex characters managing unusual, dangerous, and sometimes heart-breaking, situations.
5+ Stars!!
Personally, this was the best book in the series, so far. I’ve only read the first three and have had no desire to discontinue, but this book solidified my love for all things Sebastian St. Cyr and his cunning band of cohorts.
I have to be all in when reading these stories, because there’s always so much to pay attention to – the numerous suspects and the facts surrounding the steady disentangling of the mystery. In Why Mermaids Sing, the murders, withheld secrets, and the actual facts were some of the most intriguing and yet, only one of the reasons this book became a favorite. The other was the increased development of Kat Boleyn’s character and her involvement with Sebastian. The various twists and turns, as well as the angst were completely unexpected and heartbreaking. I ate it up. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. If not for the mystery, then for the next exciting development in Sebastian and Kat’s ongoing saga.
If you enjoy historical fiction then you should read this series by C.S. Harris. Great stories!
This one definitely had me guessing until the end. Don’t want to give plot away, but story was fast paced and gruesomely interesting – couldn’t put it down. Lots of period detail, and great characters, opening many possibilities on “who done it”, because everyone had a good reason. Although this worked fine as a stand-alone, there was a lot of personal history alluded to in the back stories that could have deepened the character relationships, so I plan to go back and read the preceding stories to bring myself up-to-date. While this one tied up most ends for a satisfying finish, it did leave some threads out there for another story so I get the impression this series will go on. 🙂
A treat for historical mystery lovers. And the motive behind the murders is among the most unique I have ever read.
The author has done a magnificent job of creating a complex character and a page turning plot. I typically don’t go for mystery/crime novels but I have been hooked and now have 4 more in this series on order.
I’ve found a new favorite author. I’ll definitely be looking at his other mysteries set in Regency England.