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chadjames312's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
creeker868's review against another edition
4.0
Historical mystery. I enjoy C. S. Harris' books because of the detail about life in Regency England. The portrayals of the characters and the circumstances they must endure are so real. I know what women faced and endured during this period but the details in C. S. Harris' books bring it into a sharper focus.
rclz's review against another edition
5.0
I love Hero so. Sebastian is great but her addition makes the books oh so much better. Good book, good characters.
rhodesee's review against another edition
4.0
Why Kill the Innocent was a satisfying and intriguing installment in C.S. Harris' long running Sebastian St. Cyr historical mystery series. If you have enjoyed the journey to book 13 I don't think you will be disappointed.
phyrre's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free eARC copy of this from Penguin Random House First To Read in exchange for an honest review.
One-Line Summary:
When a piano teacher is found dead, Sebastian St. Cyr has to decide if it was manslaughter or murder while being swept up into a deadly and dangerous plot that threatens not only his life but the stability of England.
Summary:
When Hero Devlin first stumbles over the body of Jane Ambrose, her death appears to have been an accident. The ruling family is all too eager to sweep everything under the rug, but Viscount Devlin is determined to find the woman’s murderer, though whether it was cold-blooded murder or accidental manslaughter, he isn’t sure.
Nothing is as straightforward as it seems, though, as Sebastian finds himself pulled deeper into England’s secrets—ones that people are wont to keep quiet at any cost. Sebastian finds himself in the middle of a plot that has him receiving threats from some of the most powerful people in England. The one thing that’s become painfully clear is that Jane Ambrose was anything but merely a piano instructor.
The Positive:
- There’s a marvelous cast of leading characters here that really had me rooting for them. Since this is book 13 in a series, it’s pretty obvious that I’m attached to Sebastian at this point. I mean, I wouldn’t read him if I wasn’t, right? In this, though, he’s matched perfectly with his wife, Hero, who is every bit his equal in a time when women weren’t allowed to be smart and conniving. They’re a great power couple, and I just love their dynamic.
- Though murder is obviously at the forefront here, this book tackles so many other important issues that are every bit as relevant today as they were then. I mean, let’s face it, nobody likes a book that comes across as an after-school special. I’m not reading to be lectured to. But Why Kill The Innocent broached important topics like gender equality and the sad lot in life women faced in the early 1800s without beating the reader over the head with it. It felt natural and authentic, and the fact is really hammered home a couple times when characters point out if Jane had just been born a man…
- Even though she’s dead, I found that I really connected with Jane Ambrose. Which is a feat when a writer can make me remorseful that a person who dies on page, like, three is actually dead. The more entangled the investigation into her death became, the more the reader gets to know her, and the more I fell in love with everything that she was and the more tragic her death felt.
- The ending gave me so many feels. Ugh, I’m so torn. I mean, it’s a murder mystery, so I’m not sure anyone would go in expecting a happy ending because, you know, at least one person is dead. And if you’ve ever read a St. Cyr novel before, there’s never just one person dead by the end. Never. But I actually really liked this ending? It was tragic in all the right ways.
The Negative:
- The Frost Fair was neat, and I enjoyed learning about it, but it took up way too much screen time. I’m pretty sure I skimmed over these parts, because it just wasn’t that important to me. Someone else might really enjoy the setting building, but I don’t want pages upon pages spent on something that doesn’t actually end up tying into the plot in any way. That’s just me personally, but I felt like it really slowed things down and was a distraction more than anything else.
Overall:
I’d highly recommend this book, or more accurately this whole series, for anyone who enjoys fast-paced murder mysteries. The culprit is never immediately clear, and you have to commit, because the book’s going to take you for a ride, for sure, which is part of what I love about the series. Despite being a part of the series, it works okay as a standalone. There’s things that you’ll miss, particularly in the way of character building and a bit of backstory, but each book is designed to be more or less a standalone. I don’t have much negative to say about this. I read it quickly because I really had to know what poor Jane had gotten herself into. Oh the tangled webs we weave. What I loved most about this is the ethical and societal questions that are raised as far as class and gender and so many other things. There was so much packed in between the murder that I enjoyed almost as much as the mystery, and the story focused on three strong women defying the restraints placed on them by their society, which was delightful.
One-Line Summary:
When a piano teacher is found dead, Sebastian St. Cyr has to decide if it was manslaughter or murder while being swept up into a deadly and dangerous plot that threatens not only his life but the stability of England.
Summary:
When Hero Devlin first stumbles over the body of Jane Ambrose, her death appears to have been an accident. The ruling family is all too eager to sweep everything under the rug, but Viscount Devlin is determined to find the woman’s murderer, though whether it was cold-blooded murder or accidental manslaughter, he isn’t sure.
Nothing is as straightforward as it seems, though, as Sebastian finds himself pulled deeper into England’s secrets—ones that people are wont to keep quiet at any cost. Sebastian finds himself in the middle of a plot that has him receiving threats from some of the most powerful people in England. The one thing that’s become painfully clear is that Jane Ambrose was anything but merely a piano instructor.
The Positive:
- There’s a marvelous cast of leading characters here that really had me rooting for them. Since this is book 13 in a series, it’s pretty obvious that I’m attached to Sebastian at this point. I mean, I wouldn’t read him if I wasn’t, right? In this, though, he’s matched perfectly with his wife, Hero, who is every bit his equal in a time when women weren’t allowed to be smart and conniving. They’re a great power couple, and I just love their dynamic.
- Though murder is obviously at the forefront here, this book tackles so many other important issues that are every bit as relevant today as they were then. I mean, let’s face it, nobody likes a book that comes across as an after-school special. I’m not reading to be lectured to. But Why Kill The Innocent broached important topics like gender equality and the sad lot in life women faced in the early 1800s without beating the reader over the head with it. It felt natural and authentic, and the fact is really hammered home a couple times when characters point out if Jane had just been born a man…
- Even though she’s dead, I found that I really connected with Jane Ambrose. Which is a feat when a writer can make me remorseful that a person who dies on page, like, three is actually dead. The more entangled the investigation into her death became, the more the reader gets to know her, and the more I fell in love with everything that she was and the more tragic her death felt.
- The ending gave me so many feels. Ugh, I’m so torn. I mean, it’s a murder mystery, so I’m not sure anyone would go in expecting a happy ending because, you know, at least one person is dead. And if you’ve ever read a St. Cyr novel before, there’s never just one person dead by the end. Never. But I actually really liked this ending? It was tragic in all the right ways.
The Negative:
- The Frost Fair was neat, and I enjoyed learning about it, but it took up way too much screen time. I’m pretty sure I skimmed over these parts, because it just wasn’t that important to me. Someone else might really enjoy the setting building, but I don’t want pages upon pages spent on something that doesn’t actually end up tying into the plot in any way. That’s just me personally, but I felt like it really slowed things down and was a distraction more than anything else.
Overall:
I’d highly recommend this book, or more accurately this whole series, for anyone who enjoys fast-paced murder mysteries. The culprit is never immediately clear, and you have to commit, because the book’s going to take you for a ride, for sure, which is part of what I love about the series. Despite being a part of the series, it works okay as a standalone. There’s things that you’ll miss, particularly in the way of character building and a bit of backstory, but each book is designed to be more or less a standalone. I don’t have much negative to say about this. I read it quickly because I really had to know what poor Jane had gotten herself into. Oh the tangled webs we weave. What I loved most about this is the ethical and societal questions that are raised as far as class and gender and so many other things. There was so much packed in between the murder that I enjoyed almost as much as the mystery, and the story focused on three strong women defying the restraints placed on them by their society, which was delightful.
cdb393's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars, I received an arc of this book through Penguin's First to Read program.
It takes a lot of skill to have a thirteenth book in the series still feel fresh and interesting. Luckily Harris seems to have this skill. I love the characters she's created and the way they continue to evolve. Her knowledge and use of actual historical events is what always makes her books stand apart from the others. I loved how this one felt so relevant to today's culture while simultaneously making me feel like I was transported to 1814 England.
It takes a lot of skill to have a thirteenth book in the series still feel fresh and interesting. Luckily Harris seems to have this skill. I love the characters she's created and the way they continue to evolve. Her knowledge and use of actual historical events is what always makes her books stand apart from the others. I loved how this one felt so relevant to today's culture while simultaneously making me feel like I was transported to 1814 England.
ashleybee's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely love this series. However, this particular book fell a little flat for me. There were a lot of characters running all over the place and pointing fingers without a lot of substance to it. In most of the other books there is a lot of character development with Sebastian and Hero, either together or independently of each other, and I felt like that was missing from this book. As always, more hints into future plots with Sebastian’s family and I will anxiously await book #14.
I was given an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.
I was given an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.
radioactve_piano's review against another edition
4.0
Surprise enjoyment of a series book! (Dammit, actually -- I don't need another voluminous series to get sucked into, yet here I am... wanting to start from #1.)
Well-researched and thoroughly readable, with likeable, forward-thinking main characters and a reasonably-paced plot. The mystery part was everything I loved about mysteries as a kid - the clues unfolded steadily and with just the right amount of fanfare.
Well-researched and thoroughly readable, with likeable, forward-thinking main characters and a reasonably-paced plot. The mystery part was everything I loved about mysteries as a kid - the clues unfolded steadily and with just the right amount of fanfare.