Scan barcode
susannah_n's review against another edition
4.0
I am forever starting book series that I have no interest in continuing, so I am excited to have enjoyed book one of this Sebastian St. Cyr series so much. While I think author C.S. Harris could do a slightly better job of establishing place and time (early 19th Century London), at the same time I appreciate that she brings up the trauma faced by St. Cyr, resulting from the time he spent fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. Also, the real-life characters and circumstances surrounding King George III’s mental illness and his son’s subsequent role as regent included were really fun. I’m looking forward to book two.
pkadams's review against another edition
4.0
First in a fantastic series. I found it on the Librarians Recommend Table and it was such a find. A young lord is framed in a murder of a young woman. He escapes from custody in order to uncover the murder. Harris creates a likable set of characters and an intriguing plot. The author is a published author of European History and the details of the book are well researched. Though there are a number of anachronisms, it really moves along at a nice pace. The book really has it all and for those of you who enjoy Laurie King, Julia Quinn, etc. would enjoy this story. Mark and I have been racing through them.
maferg01's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this fast paced mystery. C.S. Harris has a great ability to give her characters depth and unique voices. As an American, I struggled with Tom but my Kindle really helped. Sebastian was a force of nature. He is mysterious, dedicated, and resourceful. I did not really see the ending of this book.
kadomi's review against another edition
4.0
My to-read shelf is an eclectic mix of books that tickle my fancy, and by the time I get to them in my pile, I barely remember what attracted me in the first place. I went into reading this book expecting urban fantasy, but that's not what this book is at all. Set in London in the early 19th century, in the very last days of the reign of Mad King George, it's a classic mystery novel that vaguely reminded me of Sherlock Holmes with the gaslight and hackneys of London. Instead of a brilliant detective you have Sebastian St. Cyr as protagonist, Viscount Devlin, a bit of a Mary Sue by being a super-spy and all around dreamboat. The story starts with a gruesome murder that is pinned on Sebastian, and as he manages to flee from the police, he tries to get to the bottom of it to clear his name. There are many twists and turns and the real murderer is not predictable at all, but maybe there are just a tad bit too many twists to truly make this novel outstanding. In any case, I am a sucker for 19th century London-based mysteries, so I shall be certain to pick up more books of this series, for sure.
pkadams's review against another edition
4.0
First in a fantastic series. I found it on the Librarians Recommend Table and it was such a find. A young lord is framed in a murder of a young woman. He escapes from custody in order to uncover the murder. Harris creates a likable set of characters and an intriguing plot. The author is a published author of European History and the details of the book are well researched. Though there are a number of anachronisms, it really moves along at a nice pace. The book really has it all and for those of you who enjoy Laurie King, Julia Quinn, etc. would enjoy this story. Mark and I have been racing through them.
snakeling's review against another edition
4.0
A solid introduction to the series, and to most of the regular characters. C.S. Harris paints a very vivid portrait of 1811 London.
jkjohnson77's review against another edition
4.0
3 1/2 Stars. Three seemed too low. It’s well written and I enjoyed the story.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
I have had this series and author on my WWBL for a long while. Finally uploaded the first in series to the Nook thanks to a deal from BookBub and read it. I can only stay up so long to read when a book is on the Nook, that's why it took so long to read. It would have likely been a couple of days at most if in another format.
The atmosphere is set and the suspense is palpable. I really like Sebastian St. Cyr. He acts like a ne'er-do-well, but is really pretty decent. He's intelligent, a bit caustic, a ladies' man and wealthy.
He has the ability to blend in where needed, so I can see comparisons to Sherlock Holmes, but this has a different feel. Sebastian has to investigate since he is accused of murder. I want to see how he gets drawn in for the rest of the series.
This book sets up what looks to be an excellent series and I look forward to seeing Sebastian's adventures.
I can absolutely recommend this book.
The atmosphere is set and the suspense is palpable. I really like Sebastian St. Cyr. He acts like a ne'er-do-well, but is really pretty decent. He's intelligent, a bit caustic, a ladies' man and wealthy.
He has the ability to blend in where needed, so I can see comparisons to Sherlock Holmes, but this has a different feel. Sebastian has to investigate since he is accused of murder. I want to see how he gets drawn in for the rest of the series.
This book sets up what looks to be an excellent series and I look forward to seeing Sebastian's adventures.
I can absolutely recommend this book.