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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another fantastic addition to the exquisite Sebastian St. Cyr series. C.S. Harris is an absolute master in crafting a multi-layered mystery with the perfect blend between (nail biting) suspense and more lighthearted moments. I love Hero and Sebastian and their extended family. The historical background is great, as ever. Also learned more about The Year Without a Summer, a historical event hereto unknown to me.
I feel said right now, because it will be another year before I can check in with Sebastian and Hero again.
I feel said right now, because it will be another year before I can check in with Sebastian and Hero again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Murder
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“When the War is Over” always seemed like a melancholy song to me, but it was running through my head most of this book because Who Will Remember? addresses what comes of the soldiers and sailors who came home from the Napoleonic War, a country unstable economically after the war, and also a whole world reeling under ‘The Year Without Summer” when a giant volcanic event occurs on the far side of the world. CS Harris took this multi-layered historical backdrop and wove in a clever murder mystery for Sebastian and his friends to solve.
Who Will Remember? is the twentieth book in this lush and fabulous historical murder mystery series. There are subtle side plots carrying through the series and great character and relationship developments so that this series really should be read in order.
Sebastian learns of a bizarre murder when an Irish youth comes for him when the boy learns the crumbling old chapel he took shelter in from the rain was already occupied by a murdered man. Sebastian and Sir Henry Lovejoy begin their investigation with the largest piece of evidence is a strong tie to the Tarot deck. Their victim is apparently a saint to most people- Sebastian excluded. He suspects any man who would show the vindictiveness toward his wife who left him for another man can’t be all that saintly. Not long into the investigation, Sebastian suspects that though his old army pal, Hugh might be everyone’s chief suspect, the list of people who would be happy to see Preston dead will fill pages.
The magistrate’s office is getting pressure from the Crown to tag someone for Lord Preston’s murder, Hero is working on her interviews and writing up of the plight of the displaced and often homeless beggars who were recently soldiers and sailors saving their country from the Tyrant, and a French assassin for the Bourbon crown is busy leaving dead French about who displeased them. If that were not troubling enough, Sebastian suspects the man who is his real birth father is on that assassin’s agenda. And, where in all this does the attack on his wife fit?
As usual, I was happily immersed in the blend of history and mystery and the lives of now well-beloved characters from start to finish. The historical backdrop is carefully researched and presented so that its fascinating and lends depth to the plot without overpowering the story while the mystery itself offers a gritty, tension building to a nailbiter climax.
All in all, another gem for the series that I can’t praise enough. Now, I must wait for the next installment with high anticipation knowing there are a couple exciting bits I hope are revealed.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4 stars for book 20 in an entertaining historical fiction mystery series. I have read all of the previous books in the series. While this book can be read as a stand alone, you will better understand the characters if you read the previous books in the series.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin(the British do love titles!!) is independently wealthy thanks to his father the Earl of Hendon. Because of this wealth, he assists a local investigating magistrate, Sir Henry Lovejoy, without pay in solving murders. Both men are dedicated to finding out the truth, and not covering up embarrassing secrets of the wealthy and powerful aristocracy.
The blurb sets the scene: "August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim—Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent’s boon companions—was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. "
Devlin becomes involved in this murder because a young teenager comes to him, telling Devlin that he has seen the body, but does not trust the authorities, since he lives on the street. Devlin has a reputation among the poor for honesty and fairness. Lovejoy and Devlin do solve the murder, but not before more people die. Devlin is also attacked, but miraculously survives. He is almost always attacked in every book.
The author makes clear that Britain treated its poor despicably. This includes some graphic descriptions of the treatment of disabled veterans, frequently denied pensions.
The author has done a great deal of research into this time period, describing not only the suffering of the poor, but also the habits and activities of the wealthy.
One quote on a dress worn by Devlin's sister: "She wore a long sleeved gown of silver Merino crepe trimmed around the hem and up the front with a cable of black silk crepe; a silk-trimmed black cloak lay over the chair beside her."
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group Berkley for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#WhoWillRemember #NetGalley
Pub Date Apr 15 2025 |
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin(the British do love titles!!) is independently wealthy thanks to his father the Earl of Hendon. Because of this wealth, he assists a local investigating magistrate, Sir Henry Lovejoy, without pay in solving murders. Both men are dedicated to finding out the truth, and not covering up embarrassing secrets of the wealthy and powerful aristocracy.
The blurb sets the scene: "August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim—Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent’s boon companions—was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. "
Devlin becomes involved in this murder because a young teenager comes to him, telling Devlin that he has seen the body, but does not trust the authorities, since he lives on the street. Devlin has a reputation among the poor for honesty and fairness. Lovejoy and Devlin do solve the murder, but not before more people die. Devlin is also attacked, but miraculously survives. He is almost always attacked in every book.
The author makes clear that Britain treated its poor despicably. This includes some graphic descriptions of the treatment of disabled veterans, frequently denied pensions.
The author has done a great deal of research into this time period, describing not only the suffering of the poor, but also the habits and activities of the wealthy.
One quote on a dress worn by Devlin's sister: "She wore a long sleeved gown of silver Merino crepe trimmed around the hem and up the front with a cable of black silk crepe; a silk-trimmed black cloak lay over the chair beside her."
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group Berkley for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#WhoWillRemember #NetGalley
Pub Date Apr 15 2025 |
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
review to come
review to come