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reikista's review
5.0
Sebastian investigates a murder of a well-connected gentleman, whose head was severed from his body.
Learn about the burial of the Stuarts and collectors’ habits.
Learn about the burial of the Stuarts and collectors’ habits.
mamap's review against another edition
4.0
I do enjoy these books and I do enjoy these characters.
It was so sad to have Jamie die! I disagree! I was really hoping they would start working together to both become "heroes" of justice.
Annoying that we now have to wait to find out more about Devlin's father.
Stanley Preston has been decapitated and none of it makes sense - because things are rarely as they seem.
It was so sad to have Jamie die! I disagree! I was really hoping they would start working together to both become "heroes" of justice.
Annoying that we now have to wait to find out more about Devlin's father.
Stanley Preston has been decapitated and none of it makes sense - because things are rarely as they seem.
ktaylor1164's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy this series, as Harris does a great job with characterization, and her research seems meticulous without overcoming the story (some historical mysteries feel like they are beating me over the head with "random detail I'm including just to show you how much I know," but not so here). Hero continues to be one of my favorite aspects of the series, though we don't see her as much as I'd like here.
cassandra67b07's review against another edition
5.0
When you are reading a long-running historical mystery series it's hard to review them without revealing too much of the mystery plot, but this was one of my favorites in the series for a few reasons that might be a bit spoilery:
* Jane Austen is in the book! And it's so cleverly woven in too. There are references to all of her novels including Sanditon which was the novel left incomplete at her death. References to my favorite author and her family are always welcome, but when she herself is part of the plot even more so.
*Devlin's family mysteries continue to intrigue. I wanted to know more about Jamie Knox and was sorry about this resolution.
*Hero remains a fascinating character and I'm waiting for the tension between her father and Devlin to come to a head. Poor lady though-colicky baby, nursing, and still going out and doing research. RESPECT.
*I expected the villain of the book to continue for a few more episodes but perhaps there is more to this story? I think I have 4 books left and then I will be caught up!
Spoiler
* Jane Austen is in the book! And it's so cleverly woven in too. There are references to all of her novels including Sanditon which was the novel left incomplete at her death. References to my favorite author and her family are always welcome, but when she herself is part of the plot even more so.
*Devlin's family mysteries continue to intrigue. I wanted to know more about Jamie Knox and was sorry about this resolution.
*Hero remains a fascinating character and I'm waiting for the tension between her father and Devlin to come to a head. Poor lady though-colicky baby, nursing, and still going out and doing research. RESPECT.
*I expected the villain of the book to continue for a few more episodes but perhaps there is more to this story? I think I have 4 books left and then I will be caught up!
Spoiler
pkadams's review against another edition
3.0
Yay! Another St. Cyr novel. This one centers around a grotesque series of murders and the missing head of Charles I. Mystery was excellent the maudlin behavior of Gibson, St. Cyr's sidekick was depressing and the grappling of Devlin with his humanity and desire to protect his family, though understandable, was not interesting and as a result took me longer than I expected to read!
constantreader471's review
4.0
I want to thank the publisher for sending this book in return for an honest review, through the Goodreads Giveaway program. I enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down once I was halfway through. This book is a tale of historical fiction, which takes place from March 21-31, 1813, London, England. A wealthy plantation owner's body is found, with the severed head a short distance away. The local magistrate calls in Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin and Earl of Hendon.
Devlin has a talent for solving murders and does not charge the magistrate.
Devlin's old enemy, former army officer Lord Oliphant, is one of the suspects. Not until the end did I find out the identity of the murderer and it was a surprise. The plot moved along well and the characters were believable. This is book 10 in the series, and I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series, but it read ok as a semi stand alone. I plan to read more of this series. This book is a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Update September 29, 2017: I passed this book on to family, one of whom liked it so much that he purchased kindle versions of books 1-9.
Devlin has a talent for solving murders and does not charge the magistrate.
Devlin's old enemy, former army officer Lord Oliphant, is one of the suspects. Not until the end did I find out the identity of the murderer and it was a surprise. The plot moved along well and the characters were believable. This is book 10 in the series, and I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series, but it read ok as a semi stand alone. I plan to read more of this series. This book is a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Update September 29, 2017: I passed this book on to family, one of whom liked it so much that he purchased kindle versions of books 1-9.
cammmiam's review against another edition
3.0
With a newborn son at home, the consequences should Sebastian encroach upon too many dangerous toes is higher than ever. But will that stop this viscount from pursuing justice for those murdered in London? Never.
The newest installment of this Victorian mystery series brings a case in which a collector of curiosities is found murdered by means that include decapitation. Stanley Preston’s connections include relation to the current Home Secretary, yet the movement of the man during his final days is the most important. Preston could be cantankerous, enough so that he had argued in public with many -- therefore the list of suspects is high, and even includes the brother of the novelist recently taking society by storm: Jane Austen.
Do not let the name drop fool you, however. Jane Austen does not play a prominent role in this story. She exists as a friend of the murdered man’s daughter, and there are illusions given to the names of characters in her works -- that is all, and I confess to being disappointed in her minimal appearance. Instead, the majority of the story focuses upon slave plantations in Jamaica due to how it connects many of the characters and the motives behind actions. From my perspective, this was not the most engaging of Sebastian’s mysteries; the guilty party was easily determined and I could not take much interest in the connecting dots.
Thankfully, Sebastian’s personal life also played a large part in this installment. While there is his newfound role as a father, there is also the confrontation he must face with the man who placed him in an awful position during his time in the army. There is also further development in the mystery of the connection between Sebastian and Jamie Knox. The end of this book causes me to be hopeful that he and the readers will get some answers; there is even the prospect the next book will take our characters out of London for the time being to learn these answers and perhaps solve a mystery in another setting.
As always, this book could be read as a stand-alone; although I do recommend you give the entirety of the series a good look. Sebastian is a great character, and while Hero and Gibson were not given as much of a role as I would have liked this time around, there are still more compelling arcs for the trio on the horizon.
The newest installment of this Victorian mystery series brings a case in which a collector of curiosities is found murdered by means that include decapitation. Stanley Preston’s connections include relation to the current Home Secretary, yet the movement of the man during his final days is the most important. Preston could be cantankerous, enough so that he had argued in public with many -- therefore the list of suspects is high, and even includes the brother of the novelist recently taking society by storm: Jane Austen.
Do not let the name drop fool you, however. Jane Austen does not play a prominent role in this story. She exists as a friend of the murdered man’s daughter, and there are illusions given to the names of characters in her works -- that is all, and I confess to being disappointed in her minimal appearance. Instead, the majority of the story focuses upon slave plantations in Jamaica due to how it connects many of the characters and the motives behind actions. From my perspective, this was not the most engaging of Sebastian’s mysteries; the guilty party was easily determined and I could not take much interest in the connecting dots.
Thankfully, Sebastian’s personal life also played a large part in this installment. While there is his newfound role as a father, there is also the confrontation he must face with the man who placed him in an awful position during his time in the army. There is also further development in the mystery of the connection between Sebastian and Jamie Knox. The end of this book causes me to be hopeful that he and the readers will get some answers; there is even the prospect the next book will take our characters out of London for the time being to learn these answers and perhaps solve a mystery in another setting.
As always, this book could be read as a stand-alone; although I do recommend you give the entirety of the series a good look. Sebastian is a great character, and while Hero and Gibson were not given as much of a role as I would have liked this time around, there are still more compelling arcs for the trio on the horizon.
pkadams's review
3.0
Yay! Another St. Cyr novel. This one centers around a grotesque series of murders and the missing head of Charles I. Mystery was excellent the maudlin behavior of Gibson, St. Cyr's sidekick was depressing and the grappling of Devlin with his humanity and desire to protect his family, though understandable, was not interesting and as a result took me longer than I expected to read!
snakeling's review
4.0
This one is a dive into the ghoulish world of collectors, and I must say I'm glad the books aren't illustrated. The presence of Jane Austen was an unexpected delight. I also enjoy the sideplot of Hero's interviews with the poorest of the poors of London: they open a window on an often overlooked part of the past.