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jaclynder's review against another edition
5.0
C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr series is very good; each book is always compelling and rich with historical detail. However, Why Kill the Innocent just seemed to push all those excellent qualities just a little bit further making this latest addition to the long-running series exceptional.
Here, Sebastian's wife, Hero stumbles upon the body of a gifted pianist, Jane Ambrose. Jane also happens to be Princess Charlotte's piano tutor. Unsurprisingly, the Crown doesn't want any hint of scandal to be associated with the princess so it is put out that Jane slipped on the icy streets during the unusually fierce winter that London is experiencing. Sebastian and Hero are having none of that and launch their own investigation into what truly happened to this talented woman, only to discover multiple suspects, including Hero's own father, Lord Jarvis.
If your a reader of the series, you'll recognize many of the players. Sebastian and Hero continue to be awesome both together and separately. At this point in the series, their marriage is secure; however, Lord Jarvis continues to throw a bit of wrench into their harmonious partnership. The focus on Sebastian and Hero is what continually draws me back to the series as does the way that these characters have grown since book one. While there's not always enough focus on their personal lives I enjoy the way that this ties the series together.
I also found Why Kill the Innocent to be more gripping and disturbing than the previous books. All the books in the series share the harsh realities of life during the Regency Era, but there was something about this one that made more of an impact for me. The fact that Sebastian and Hero were investigating the murder of a woman who was never able to publicly share her knowledge and expertise as a talent in her own right. Instead, Jane's husband took credit for her work and abused her in their marriage. The claustrophobic nature of Jane's and woman of that era's life pervaded this novel. There was something overly heartbreaking about this mystery and it stuck with me far after reading.
Fans of Harris' series will revel in her latest addition to the series. The mystery is as engaging as always and is coupled with the signature palpable historical atmosphere. If you haven't read the series, do so, but start with book one!
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Here, Sebastian's wife, Hero stumbles upon the body of a gifted pianist, Jane Ambrose. Jane also happens to be Princess Charlotte's piano tutor. Unsurprisingly, the Crown doesn't want any hint of scandal to be associated with the princess so it is put out that Jane slipped on the icy streets during the unusually fierce winter that London is experiencing. Sebastian and Hero are having none of that and launch their own investigation into what truly happened to this talented woman, only to discover multiple suspects, including Hero's own father, Lord Jarvis.
If your a reader of the series, you'll recognize many of the players. Sebastian and Hero continue to be awesome both together and separately. At this point in the series, their marriage is secure; however, Lord Jarvis continues to throw a bit of wrench into their harmonious partnership. The focus on Sebastian and Hero is what continually draws me back to the series as does the way that these characters have grown since book one. While there's not always enough focus on their personal lives I enjoy the way that this ties the series together.
I also found Why Kill the Innocent to be more gripping and disturbing than the previous books. All the books in the series share the harsh realities of life during the Regency Era, but there was something about this one that made more of an impact for me. The fact that Sebastian and Hero were investigating the murder of a woman who was never able to publicly share her knowledge and expertise as a talent in her own right. Instead, Jane's husband took credit for her work and abused her in their marriage. The claustrophobic nature of Jane's and woman of that era's life pervaded this novel. There was something overly heartbreaking about this mystery and it stuck with me far after reading.
Fans of Harris' series will revel in her latest addition to the series. The mystery is as engaging as always and is coupled with the signature palpable historical atmosphere. If you haven't read the series, do so, but start with book one!
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
jamread2021's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoy this series. The historical background interests me and the relationship of Hero and Devlin continues evolve in a realistic, entertaining way. The intrigue hinted at between Jarvis, Hero's father, and Cousin Victoria is a reason to hope #14 comes soon.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
5.0
Why Kill the Innocent by C.S. Harris is a 2018 Berkley publication.
A sad death, shocking revelations, and a wealth of palace intrigue!
A nasty spate of frigid cold, snow, and ice hold London in its grip. As Hero makes her way through the icy sludge, she literally stumbles across the corpse of Jane Ambrose. It becomes apparent immediately that Jane is not a victim of the nasty weather, but has been killed, then dumped out in the snow. As Sebastian and Hero attempt to uncover the truth about Jane’s death, once again Hero’s father, Jarvis, appears to be at the center of all that is nasty, mean, and cruel….
This is one of my favorite series, of any genre, that I read, because I am never let down or disappointed by it.
This story highlights the vulnerabilities of women in this historical time period, in shocking detail. Poor Jane Ambrose was literally at the mercy of every man she encountered or was involved with.
Not only that, the novel explores the practice of recruiting men to fight in wars they have no emotional or patriotic stake in, which left their wives and children all alone with no way to provide for themselves, which often led to very tragic and heartrending results. These passages are nearly unbearable to read about, but is a terrible historical truth, nonetheless.
Then there is Princess Charlotte and all the palace machinations at play, pitting her between two warring, competing, manipulative parents and all those who would hope to use her, and her proposed engagement, to their own advantage.
Once more, Harris has done a fantastic job of exploring the dark, seedy sides of London, from the perspectives of the very poor to the very powerful, examining the cause and effect of all those caught in their vicious nets. I’m loving the way Sebastian and Hero work together in tandem, the way their relationship continues to solidify, and the excellent points the author always drives home to the reader, while weaving such absorbing and riveting murder mysteries.
4.5 stars
A sad death, shocking revelations, and a wealth of palace intrigue!
A nasty spate of frigid cold, snow, and ice hold London in its grip. As Hero makes her way through the icy sludge, she literally stumbles across the corpse of Jane Ambrose. It becomes apparent immediately that Jane is not a victim of the nasty weather, but has been killed, then dumped out in the snow. As Sebastian and Hero attempt to uncover the truth about Jane’s death, once again Hero’s father, Jarvis, appears to be at the center of all that is nasty, mean, and cruel….
This is one of my favorite series, of any genre, that I read, because I am never let down or disappointed by it.
This story highlights the vulnerabilities of women in this historical time period, in shocking detail. Poor Jane Ambrose was literally at the mercy of every man she encountered or was involved with.
Not only that, the novel explores the practice of recruiting men to fight in wars they have no emotional or patriotic stake in, which left their wives and children all alone with no way to provide for themselves, which often led to very tragic and heartrending results. These passages are nearly unbearable to read about, but is a terrible historical truth, nonetheless.
Then there is Princess Charlotte and all the palace machinations at play, pitting her between two warring, competing, manipulative parents and all those who would hope to use her, and her proposed engagement, to their own advantage.
Once more, Harris has done a fantastic job of exploring the dark, seedy sides of London, from the perspectives of the very poor to the very powerful, examining the cause and effect of all those caught in their vicious nets. I’m loving the way Sebastian and Hero work together in tandem, the way their relationship continues to solidify, and the excellent points the author always drives home to the reader, while weaving such absorbing and riveting murder mysteries.
4.5 stars
vesper1931's review against another edition
4.0
1814 While out visiting in Clerkenwell, Hero, Lady Devlin and midwife Alexi Sauvage discover a body. The body of music teacher to Princess Charlotte, Mrs Jane Ambrose. Due to her closeness to the princess the murder is not being investigated by the Runners. So Lord Devlin decides she deserves justice. But could the possible motive be.
An entertaining and well-written mystery
An entertaining and well-written mystery
depizan's review against another edition
3.0
On a history and commentary level, I think this might be the best book in the series. I am a little disappointed that the main and recurring characters' various concerns seem to have stalled a bit, though.
howjessicareads's review against another edition
5.0
I've always loved the personal lives of the characters in this series, even though often the mysteries themselves are sometimes fairly meh. But this one had awesome personal stuff going on, AND a great mystery. Win win.
dgrachel's review against another edition
5.0
Another fantastic entry in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series. There’s plenty of palace intrigue, an impressive body count, and danger for Hero and Sebastian. While there were aspects that were sad, this one was not as heartbreaking or horrifying as the previous book in the series, for which I am grateful. I look forward to the next!
jessicamap's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Berkley Pub for the copy in exchange for my honest review!
If you've followed my reviews for awhile, then you'll know that I'm a fan of historical fiction. What's even better about WHY KILL THE INNOCENT? There's mystery thrown into the mix as well. This is the thirteenth book in the series, but I had no idea while I was reading it. So don't let that deter you from picking this one up.
It's winter 1814 in London - the coldest year in history - and the body of a young musician is found. Bloody and half buried in a snowdrift, it made for a gruesome scene. To make things complicated, she has ties to the Royal Family, so they are wanting to put a halt to the investigation immediately. With Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and Hero (his wife) on the case, they refuse to let the killer escape justice.
Jane Ambrose is a well-known pianist and instructor to many children of nobility. Sebastian begins to untangle the secrets of Jane's life and continues to circle back to the palace. What are they hiding? Why did they want the investigation stopped?
Right off the bat, this is beautifully written. The pacing and the flow of the novel are consistent and keep the reader engaged. The amount of research into the time period shows and Harris does a fantastic job dropping the reader in the winter of 1814. I love when the authors take the time to do the proper research for their historical fiction novels. It keeps things authentic and accurate, and as a reader, I appreciate that extra step!
The mystery was great and I loved how Harris wove everything together and that the ending all came together without being too predictable and rushed. I will have to go back and read more of the series - get to know Sebastian and Hero better.
I give this one 5/5 stars!
If you've followed my reviews for awhile, then you'll know that I'm a fan of historical fiction. What's even better about WHY KILL THE INNOCENT? There's mystery thrown into the mix as well. This is the thirteenth book in the series, but I had no idea while I was reading it. So don't let that deter you from picking this one up.
It's winter 1814 in London - the coldest year in history - and the body of a young musician is found. Bloody and half buried in a snowdrift, it made for a gruesome scene. To make things complicated, she has ties to the Royal Family, so they are wanting to put a halt to the investigation immediately. With Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and Hero (his wife) on the case, they refuse to let the killer escape justice.
Jane Ambrose is a well-known pianist and instructor to many children of nobility. Sebastian begins to untangle the secrets of Jane's life and continues to circle back to the palace. What are they hiding? Why did they want the investigation stopped?
Right off the bat, this is beautifully written. The pacing and the flow of the novel are consistent and keep the reader engaged. The amount of research into the time period shows and Harris does a fantastic job dropping the reader in the winter of 1814. I love when the authors take the time to do the proper research for their historical fiction novels. It keeps things authentic and accurate, and as a reader, I appreciate that extra step!
The mystery was great and I loved how Harris wove everything together and that the ending all came together without being too predictable and rushed. I will have to go back and read more of the series - get to know Sebastian and Hero better.
I give this one 5/5 stars!
veronica87's review against another edition
4.0
I’m once again visiting my all-time favorite historical mystery series. It’s book thirteen now and, at this point, Sebastian and Hero are about as dear to me as any literary characters can be. The year is 1814, the month is January and our sleuthing aristocrats are anticipating their son’s first birthday even as the city is facing one of its coldest winters. When Hero literally stumbles into the murder of the piano teacher of none other than HRH Princess Charlotte herself, it’s a foregone conclusion that Sebastian will turn his acute, mystery-solving skills to the task of solving the case.
As Sebastian tries to pin down the sequence of events in the piano teacher's final days, he finds himself following her down paths that lead to high placed palace intrigue as well as the more mundane matters of domestic unrest in hearth and home. It’s a complicated puzzle that seems to only add more suspects and motives without ever ruling anyone out. But there is always so much more going on in a Sebastian St Cyr mystery book than just the solving of a murder. It’s these “extras” that breathe a sense of realism into the stories and lend weight and emotional depth to the actions of the characters.
As usual, Hero is staunchly on Sebastian’s side and helps him in his investigations in any manner she can. She shares his passion for justice but she also seeks it out on a much larger scale than he does. Throughout their marriage, and even before it, Hero has used her research and writing skills to highlight the plight of England’s most vulnerable citizens. Her drive for reform is one of the reasons I love her so much and why she has always been the perfect match for Sebastian. Her work has also always been the reader’s window into those seedier and sadder parts of regency England that aren’t typically featured in your usual Jane Austen story. This time around we learn a little bit about the “hardships faced by the families of men snatched off the streets by the Royal Navy’s infamous press gangs.” The plight of the young wife who provides a “face” to this harsh practice is truly heartbreaking.
”It’s not right, what we do. Kidnapping men and carrying them off as essentially slaves to serve on our warships, all without a thought to the wives and children they leave behind to starve. As if their hopes and dreams - as if their very lives - matter not at all.”
Accompanying Hero on this very personal journey is Alexi Sauvage, the French physician/midwife who has become involved with Gibson, Sebastian’s surgeon friend. I’ll admit that I hadn’t really warmed up to Alex much since her introduction way back in book nine but I actually enjoyed seeing the friendship blossom between her and Hero here. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that in future books.
We also got some updates on a few other matters in Sebastian’s and Hero’s personal lives. There is the matter of Stephanie’s marriage. She’s Sebastian’s niece and things are going more or less as expected. There is also a brief glimpse into the Jarvis household and I really can’t wait for Hero to catch wind of that. Then there were the events of the Frost Fair, which I had never heard of, that were woven seamlessly into the narrative. Oh! And I can’t possibly forget to mention the dropping of another clue pertaining to Sebastian’s paternity - though admittedly this personal mystery is moving at a snail’s pace. Sebastian does consider the possibility that he may never know the truth and I’m starting to wonder if this might indeed turn out to be the case. With Sebastian and Hendon reconciled, would identifying Sebastian’s natural father really serve any purpose at this point? Whether we ever find out the answer or not, I hope the author is planning for many more books in this wonderful series because I won’t be ready to say goodbye to it anytime soon.
**1st reread in January 2019: revisiting this favorite series during a stressful time in real life. As always, Sebastian and Hero were the perfect hosts.**
As Sebastian tries to pin down the sequence of events in the piano teacher's final days, he finds himself following her down paths that lead to high placed palace intrigue as well as the more mundane matters of domestic unrest in hearth and home. It’s a complicated puzzle that seems to only add more suspects and motives without ever ruling anyone out. But there is always so much more going on in a Sebastian St Cyr mystery book than just the solving of a murder. It’s these “extras” that breathe a sense of realism into the stories and lend weight and emotional depth to the actions of the characters.
As usual, Hero is staunchly on Sebastian’s side and helps him in his investigations in any manner she can. She shares his passion for justice but she also seeks it out on a much larger scale than he does. Throughout their marriage, and even before it, Hero has used her research and writing skills to highlight the plight of England’s most vulnerable citizens. Her drive for reform is one of the reasons I love her so much and why she has always been the perfect match for Sebastian. Her work has also always been the reader’s window into those seedier and sadder parts of regency England that aren’t typically featured in your usual Jane Austen story. This time around we learn a little bit about the “hardships faced by the families of men snatched off the streets by the Royal Navy’s infamous press gangs.” The plight of the young wife who provides a “face” to this harsh practice is truly heartbreaking.
”It’s not right, what we do. Kidnapping men and carrying them off as essentially slaves to serve on our warships, all without a thought to the wives and children they leave behind to starve. As if their hopes and dreams - as if their very lives - matter not at all.”
Accompanying Hero on this very personal journey is Alexi Sauvage, the French physician/midwife who has become involved with Gibson, Sebastian’s surgeon friend. I’ll admit that I hadn’t really warmed up to Alex much since her introduction way back in book nine but I actually enjoyed seeing the friendship blossom between her and Hero here. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that in future books.
We also got some updates on a few other matters in Sebastian’s and Hero’s personal lives. There is the matter of Stephanie’s marriage. She’s Sebastian’s niece and things are going more or less as expected. There is also a brief glimpse into the Jarvis household and I really can’t wait for Hero to catch wind of that. Then there were the events of the Frost Fair, which I had never heard of, that were woven seamlessly into the narrative. Oh! And I can’t possibly forget to mention the dropping of another clue pertaining to Sebastian’s paternity - though admittedly this personal mystery is moving at a snail’s pace. Sebastian does consider the possibility that he may never know the truth and I’m starting to wonder if this might indeed turn out to be the case. With Sebastian and Hendon reconciled, would identifying Sebastian’s natural father really serve any purpose at this point? Whether we ever find out the answer or not, I hope the author is planning for many more books in this wonderful series because I won’t be ready to say goodbye to it anytime soon.
**1st reread in January 2019: revisiting this favorite series during a stressful time in real life. As always, Sebastian and Hero were the perfect hosts.**
juliechristinejohnson's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this up on a lark from the New Arrivals display at my local library. And now I know what I will be doing this autumn/winter: binge-reading the Sebastian St. Cyr series. This isn't my usual fare— historical thrillers, and series in particular — but C.S. Harris's writing is so smart and interesting, her characters irresistible, her pacing so fine, I'm hooked. As I seek to write my own contemporary mystery series, this is exactly the effect I'm after. Brava, writer. You have a new fan!