Reviews

Good story. Nice to have them out in the countryside. When we get to the end of the trail of clues to the secondary story involving Sebastian's family.... well, the trail is narrowing. I do wonder if Sebastian ever see his mother again and I wish so much that despite his differences with Hendon, he'd find a way to forgive the man.

lgiegerich's review against another edition

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3.0

I’m sorry my uninterrupted run of Sebastian St. Cyr books has come to an end (until the next one comes out in paperback)!! I didn’t like this one as much as the ones set in London- country murders are all well & good, but I think I prefer all the characters Sebastian encounters in London.

cleheny's review against another edition

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3.0

This St. Cyr mystery was a welcome change of pace in that it takes place in Shropshire, in a fictional village near Ludlow. Of course, in a week's time, Sebastian learns more about the residents of this small town than most of them know themselves.

I thought the victim's story was a sad and compelling one, and I very much appreciated how Harris depicts the devastating impact of the enclosure movement on England's rural poor and lower middle class. I also enjoyed many of the secondary characters from the village.

There's a dynamic developing in these mysteries which makes me think that Lord Jarvis (selfish as his outlook is) may not be wrong--a lot of people around Sebastian get hurt when he pursues solutions. Jarvis, of course, is worried only about Hero and Simon. But Jamie Knox and his family are significantly harmed by Sebastian's activities

Spoiler

(Knox is murdered when he's mistaken for Sebastian, his son is left without a father and very likely consigned to a life of poverty--depending on who takes ownership of Knox's inn, his cousin who was like a brother dies at Sebastian's hand, his blind grandmother and twin sister are left without financial support, which it appears they had been receiving from Knox and his uncle)

.

I'm also getting annoyed by Sebastian's attitude that withholding the truth of his paternity and not knowing his biological father's identity has somehow left him without a family of origin. Harris describes Sebastian as feeling that he has a "hole" in his chest because he doesn't know who his real father is. I don't doubt that any such revelation would be unsettling and would set someone to wondering about who is real father is, but Sebastian acts as if he was robbed of something by being led to believe he was Hendon's biological son. But, as is clearly laid out in this mystery, the life of an unacknowledged illegitimate child was, at best, difficult--hidden away by ashamed families, never allowed to forget that they are less than other children. Hendon's decisions ensured that Sebastian enjoyed a life of wealth and privilege associated with his family titles. Hendon may struggle with the truth of Sebastian's conception, as well as his youngest's approach to life, but he does show love for him and tries to protect him. Even Hendon's reaction to the revelation of Kat's parentage is about more than simply the social impact of Sebastian marrying an actress and "woman with a past."

Spoiler

Kat's vindictive and self-righteous aunt knows that Kat is Hendon's daughter but not that Sebastian is not Hendon's son. So, if Sebastian and Kat marry, this aunt could accuse them of incest, which would not only be socially devastating to both them and any children but would also likely carry criminal consequences. The only defense is for Hendon to announce that Sebastian isn't his son, which likely means that Sebastian loses most of what he has. It doesn't appear that, once he learns the truth, Sebastian ever considers any of these implications and that maybe Hendon isn't a total jerk.)

majkia's review against another edition

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5.0

Continue to really enjoy the series.

kindleandilluminate's review against another edition

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3.0

Not quite as satisfying a resolution to the whodunnit as previous volumes, but a well-crafted mystery and novel nonetheless. As always, Harris does an excellent job using real history (in this case, Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother) to enhance and further her plot, without shoving historical facts awkwardly into the story.

tita_noir's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed this one more than the last three installments.

I was very bummed when the author killed off Jamie Knox. I actually liked the character and liked the potential he had as it came to his relationship with Sebastian.

But I can see with this book his death served a much more useful purpose in that it was the impetus to move Sebastian, Hero and baby Sam to the small village of Ayleswick-on-Teme to deliver a package to Jamie's grandmother.

I think the remove to a different setting was just what this series needed (for me anyway), if only for one installment. Even though there is a lot going on in this one -- a murder, all sorts of family secrets, class related resentments, a sexual predator on the loose -- this felt like a bit of a breather. The story felt as if it could take its time and the pace felt more leisurely. The only familiar characters were Sebastian and Hero. None of the other regulars make an appearance. In a weird way it kinda reminded me of the last installment of Peter Grant series [b:Foxglove Summer|20499240|Foxglove Summer (Peter Grant, #5)|Ben Aaronovitch|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402338677s/20499240.jpg|34142449] where Peter was also taken out of his elements and was largely left alone to solve a crime outside of the regular mythology of the series.

The central mystery in this one was suspenseful and made me a little sad for the victim. The simmering secrets behind the Knox family also added to the interest.

As usual Hero & Sebastian's relationship is a strong draw to the series. And it gets better each book. They are fab together.

Great addition to the series.

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