Scan barcode
tita_noir's review against another edition
4.0
Five books strong and the Sebastian St. Cyr series has not let me down. I liked the mystery element in this one a bit less than the previous books, but that is more than made up for on the personal revelation front. Sebastian (and us) get knocked for a loop on several levels. Poor Sebastian sometimes he just can't catch a break. But the ending has left me hopeful that things look up for him a bit in the next book.
I am in the camp of those that do not like Kat. I disliked her from the first book and was glad that Sebastian's father contrived to break them up. Otoh, I liked Hero (and her name!) almost immediately. So I hope things move in the right direction. It is a good sign that she is taking a separate interest in mystery solving as well.
I am in the camp of those that do not like Kat. I disliked her from the first book and was glad that Sebastian's father contrived to break them up. Otoh, I liked Hero (and her name!) almost immediately. So I hope things move in the right direction. It is a good sign that she is taking a separate interest in mystery solving as well.
bookstuff's review against another edition
4.0
Go Team Hero!!!
Although duncehead Sebastian needs some shaping up before he deserves Hero. :)
Although duncehead Sebastian needs some shaping up before he deserves Hero. :)
vicki_s's review against another edition
5.0
I read the whole book in one day. Very unusual for me but it is a light, easy and fun series. Focus was more on the murder which was pretty good but I prefer reading it for the drama and romance. I expected the author to mention the Hellfire club in her history lesson at the end but there I am disappointed.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
What Remains of Heaven (2009) by C. S. Harris is the fifth in the Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, historical mystery series set in the early 1800s. Devlin has gotten quite a reputation as a solver of crime. So, when the Bishop of London is found dead in the recently opened church crypt in his home village, the Archbishop of Canterbury naturally asks the gentleman sleuth to investigate the death of his (the Archbishop's) favored successor. Devlin might have turned him down, but the sneaky prelate brought his friend and Sebastian's favorite aunt, the Duchess of Clairborne, along to ensure his acquiescence. But when they tell him that the Bishop was found beside the remains of a corpse murdered several decades ago, he's definitely intrigued.
As Devlin begins to dig into the Bishop's recent appointments, he finds a startling coincidence--Miss Hero Jarvis had been to see the man on a regular basis and was apparently the last appointment prior to his death. Hero and Sebastian have a rocky past--their fathers have been at odds politically and Sebastian has more than irritated man who is the power behind the Prince Regent on numerous occasions. The situation has also been complicated by a brief, unexpectedly passionate encounter which may prove to have long-lasting effects on our detective's life. But there are many who have much stronger reasons to have removed the Bishop from this earthly plane.
There is the butcher who had an odd encounter with the Bishop that day--a butcher who has somehow managed to produce enough cash to open a fairly new little shop just a short time after returning from serving a penal transportation. There is the nephew who argued with him and the widow his eldest brother who has secrets of her own. And there's Lord Jarvis himself...who desperately did not want The Bishop of London to be appointed as the Archbishop's successor. Not to mention the well-to do politicians who resented the Bishop's stance on slavery. Devlin's investigations lead him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the powerful residents of Whitehall and suspects range from those already mentioned to William Franklin, the bitter son of American patriot Ben Franklin, who blames the Bishop for his inability to find a welcome in either country.
Once the second corpse is identified, a whole new set of motives is revealed--including a well-guarded secret within his own family. Finding the killer may also reveal a truth about himself that will bring his world crashing down, but his sense of justice won't let him rest until he discovers the killer.
I really enjoy these historical mysteries. Harris mixes political intrigue with standard mystery motives and the reader must be on her toes to figure out which type of motive will carry the day. Harris is a scholar of the French revolution and 19th Century Europe and it definitely tells in her depictions of the period. The details are vivid and she manages to make us feel like we've learned a lot about the period without also feeling like there have bee massive info dumps of historical material. The characters are also well-drawn and intensely interesting--even those who are not so likeable. However, I do hope that we will (soon!) get to the point that we can stop throwing earth-shattering revelations about his family at Devlin. Let the poor man be for a bit! I appreciate having real characters that we can relate to, but I do get tired of constant drama in the lives of my heroes and heroines.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
As Devlin begins to dig into the Bishop's recent appointments, he finds a startling coincidence--Miss Hero Jarvis had been to see the man on a regular basis and was apparently the last appointment prior to his death. Hero and Sebastian have a rocky past--their fathers have been at odds politically and Sebastian has more than irritated man who is the power behind the Prince Regent on numerous occasions. The situation has also been complicated by a brief, unexpectedly passionate encounter which may prove to have long-lasting effects on our detective's life. But there are many who have much stronger reasons to have removed the Bishop from this earthly plane.
There is the butcher who had an odd encounter with the Bishop that day--a butcher who has somehow managed to produce enough cash to open a fairly new little shop just a short time after returning from serving a penal transportation. There is the nephew who argued with him and the widow his eldest brother who has secrets of her own. And there's Lord Jarvis himself...who desperately did not want The Bishop of London to be appointed as the Archbishop's successor. Not to mention the well-to do politicians who resented the Bishop's stance on slavery. Devlin's investigations lead him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the powerful residents of Whitehall and suspects range from those already mentioned to William Franklin, the bitter son of American patriot Ben Franklin, who blames the Bishop for his inability to find a welcome in either country.
Once the second corpse is identified, a whole new set of motives is revealed--including a well-guarded secret within his own family. Finding the killer may also reveal a truth about himself that will bring his world crashing down, but his sense of justice won't let him rest until he discovers the killer.
I really enjoy these historical mysteries. Harris mixes political intrigue with standard mystery motives and the reader must be on her toes to figure out which type of motive will carry the day. Harris is a scholar of the French revolution and 19th Century Europe and it definitely tells in her depictions of the period. The details are vivid and she manages to make us feel like we've learned a lot about the period without also feeling like there have bee massive info dumps of historical material. The characters are also well-drawn and intensely interesting--even those who are not so likeable. However, I do hope that we will (soon!) get to the point that we can stop throwing earth-shattering revelations about his family at Devlin. Let the poor man be for a bit! I appreciate having real characters that we can relate to, but I do get tired of constant drama in the lives of my heroes and heroines.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
gawronma's review against another edition
5.0
Sebastian St. Cyr is such a captivating character. C. S. Harris has created what could be a very flesh and blood character. The stories are so exciting that you just wish for the book to go on and on. I want the next book NOW!!!
abbythompson's review against another edition
4.0
Sebastian St. Cyr is back on the case when his beloved aunt cons him into investigating the suspicious death of the Bishop of London. The Bishop's body has been discovered in a recently unearthed crypt outside the city ... and a second body, of a much older murder, is also found. St. Cyr is convinced the deaths are related and the search takes him from the halls of Whitehall and the upper reaches of British government to the back alleys of Smithfield where the stones run with blood.
Yet again, C.S. Harris pens a masterpiece of Regency era fiction. Her research is impeccable and removing the protagonist from the soirees and musicales of high society is a brilliant move. The reader learns so much more about the culture and politics of the time without being overwhelmed or bored.
Hero Jarvis is also the perfect foil for St. Cyr's aristocratic nobility. She's stubborn, determined and very smart and yet Harris shows us the more sensitive and softer side of Hero as she deals with unforseen complications from her emotional encounter with St. Cyr at the end of the last book. What I do NOT like is the revelations about St. Cyr himself and how it could further complicate his relationship with Kat Boleyn. With the choice between Hero and Kat, I'd chose Hero. She's no pushover and as St. Cyr's wise aunt notes, St. Cyr needs someone who will stand up to him. Kat's too much of a pushover and has her own baggage. Their relationship would be one of St. Cyr rescuing her, rather than a relationship of equals. Anyways, that's my soapbox for this book. I'll hold further comment until I see how Harris shakes it all out in the next book.
WHAT REMAINS OF HEAVEN is a fascinating mystery and explores both a city and a man's darker sides without melodrama or getting maudlin. If you haven't tried out this series yet, I highly recommend it.
Yet again, C.S. Harris pens a masterpiece of Regency era fiction. Her research is impeccable and removing the protagonist from the soirees and musicales of high society is a brilliant move. The reader learns so much more about the culture and politics of the time without being overwhelmed or bored.
Hero Jarvis is also the perfect foil for St. Cyr's aristocratic nobility. She's stubborn, determined and very smart and yet Harris shows us the more sensitive and softer side of Hero as she deals with unforseen complications from her emotional encounter with St. Cyr at the end of the last book. What I do NOT like is the revelations about St. Cyr himself and how it could further complicate his relationship with Kat Boleyn. With the choice between Hero and Kat, I'd chose Hero. She's no pushover and as St. Cyr's wise aunt notes, St. Cyr needs someone who will stand up to him. Kat's too much of a pushover and has her own baggage. Their relationship would be one of St. Cyr rescuing her, rather than a relationship of equals. Anyways, that's my soapbox for this book. I'll hold further comment until I see how Harris shakes it all out in the next book.
WHAT REMAINS OF HEAVEN is a fascinating mystery and explores both a city and a man's darker sides without melodrama or getting maudlin. If you haven't tried out this series yet, I highly recommend it.
jonetta's review against another edition
4.0
When the Bishop of London is found dead in a recently opened crypt, Sebastian is asked by his aunt to investigate. What follows next is one whiplash twist after another.
This might be the most complicated political mystery in the series to date. There are lots of principals, most we've seen before. Just as I thought I was unraveling the mystery, a new wrinkle and revelation would appear. I didn't even come close to the right answers. I loved it!
The revelations weren't limited to the murder mystery as important disclosures near and dear to Sebastian wreaked havoc. I can't decide which was the most interesting...his personal life challenges or the case.
I'm loving this series, very much in my top ten favorites. And, the ending has me wanting to just jump right into the next book...seriously!
4.5 stars
This might be the most complicated political mystery in the series to date. There are lots of principals, most we've seen before. Just as I thought I was unraveling the mystery, a new wrinkle and revelation would appear. I didn't even come close to the right answers. I loved it!
The revelations weren't limited to the murder mystery as important disclosures near and dear to Sebastian wreaked havoc. I can't decide which was the most interesting...his personal life challenges or the case.
I'm loving this series, very much in my top ten favorites. And, the ending has me wanting to just jump right into the next book...seriously!
4.5 stars