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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
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.
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.
A solid introduction to the series, and to most of the regular characters. C.S. Harris paints a very vivid portrait of 1811 London.
3 1/2 Stars. Three seemed too low. It’s well written and I enjoyed the story.
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.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
What Angels Fear opens with the murder of a young woman who turns out to be an actress-cum-prostitute (Cyprian - I'd forgotten about that term). At the scene of the crime is found a dueling pistol with the name "St. Cyr" engraved on it - which obviously incriminates Sebastian St. Cyr, young nobleman and rake, who has been a sore disappointment to his father. But Sebastian (SSC) didn't do it, and when the officious twits of the London police force come to arrest him, he is rather indignant, especially when the Beau Brummel-wannabe sergeant mouths off to him. SSC puts the latter in his place, which may have been a bit of a tactical error given the circumstances - and given that the sergeant has a knife and a temper. In the end, the second constable stumbles onto the knife, the sergeant yells that SSC has killed him, and SSC runs for it. At that point his choices are: turn himself in and hope for the best (although the case is strong against him, and whoever else could or would have stabbed the constable?); find a ship to smuggle him to America or somewhere; or stay hidden and try to find the real killer. SSC being SSC, he has no real choice - he has to try to clear his name.
In working to do so, SSC must turn to the woman who broke his heart several years ago, Kat Boleyn, and a doctor friend who provides valuable forensic information; he is also joined by a young boy who starts off trying to pick his pocket and, in the grand tradition of Regency and Victorian novels, becomes his ally. (And of course he's much cleverer than SSC was expecting; I swear I'm tempted to write a book about a street urchin being taken under someone's wing, someone who realizes the boy is at least as intelligent as anyone in society, and educating him and training him to "pass" - and maybe end up in Parliament. I'll call it "My Fair Laddie.") I don't want it to sound like it's Just Another Regency; it has some rather standard plot turns, and I admit I saw the end coming a ways off, but I was enjoying myself so much that didn't care. And I did think the killer was someone else; there were some lovely red herrings.
There was political intrigue - the French, of course, and the mess surrounding the Madness of King George - which usually annoys me, but this was quite well done and well integrated into the plot: it's integral, and more cloak-and-dagger than oh-lord-not-another-worldwide-conspiracy. There was some truly wonderful period detail. And I loved the characters. The supporting cast could easily have been a cast of cliches, but Harris provided enough twists and quirks that those who peopled this novel came quite close to living and breathing. Sebastian St. Cyr is not Mr. Darcy, nor Julian Kestrel, nor William Monk, nor yet Sherlock Holmes, or any of the other dandies or detectives (or both) of gaslit fame; he is himself, damaged by childhood tragedies, a cold father, and heartbreak and war horrors as an adult. I have to admit, I was still in Fantasy mode when I started this, and still thinking it was by the author of supernatural mysteries, so when the narrative started talking about how he could see almost perfectly well in the dark and hear what no one else could I kept expecting a paragraph along the lines of "He caught the scent of blood on the constable's coat, and turned his face away. He had learned to manage his unholy hungers, but since the night he was bitten he lived in constant fear of losing control"... Obviously I was wrong, and I'm glad of it. (It was an odd experience, though...) I loved the book; it wasn't perfect - again, there was really only one way the climactic struggle could end - but it was close enough.
In working to do so, SSC must turn to the woman who broke his heart several years ago, Kat Boleyn, and a doctor friend who provides valuable forensic information; he is also joined by a young boy who starts off trying to pick his pocket and, in the grand tradition of Regency and Victorian novels, becomes his ally. (And of course he's much cleverer than SSC was expecting; I swear I'm tempted to write a book about a street urchin being taken under someone's wing, someone who realizes the boy is at least as intelligent as anyone in society, and educating him and training him to "pass" - and maybe end up in Parliament. I'll call it "My Fair Laddie.") I don't want it to sound like it's Just Another Regency; it has some rather standard plot turns, and I admit I saw the end coming a ways off, but I was enjoying myself so much that didn't care. And I did think the killer was someone else; there were some lovely red herrings.
There was political intrigue - the French, of course, and the mess surrounding the Madness of King George - which usually annoys me, but this was quite well done and well integrated into the plot: it's integral, and more cloak-and-dagger than oh-lord-not-another-worldwide-conspiracy. There was some truly wonderful period detail. And I loved the characters. The supporting cast could easily have been a cast of cliches, but Harris provided enough twists and quirks that those who peopled this novel came quite close to living and breathing. Sebastian St. Cyr is not Mr. Darcy, nor Julian Kestrel, nor William Monk, nor yet Sherlock Holmes, or any of the other dandies or detectives (or both) of gaslit fame; he is himself, damaged by childhood tragedies, a cold father, and heartbreak and war horrors as an adult. I have to admit, I was still in Fantasy mode when I started this, and still thinking it was by the author of supernatural mysteries, so when the narrative started talking about how he could see almost perfectly well in the dark and hear what no one else could I kept expecting a paragraph along the lines of "He caught the scent of blood on the constable's coat, and turned his face away. He had learned to manage his unholy hungers, but since the night he was bitten he lived in constant fear of losing control"... Obviously I was wrong, and I'm glad of it. (It was an odd experience, though...) I loved the book; it wasn't perfect - again, there was really only one way the climactic struggle could end - but it was close enough.
It was difficult to get into the book, I had to get the ebook version to have an easy reading but after knowing the way things happened everything became more intense.
I think the idea of the killing was a big plus and more if the story is taking part in the old England. Mysteries like Jack the reaper get you involve on wanting to know the culprit. So I was getting disappointed because the protagonist was told the “culprit” but then he finds out that that wasn’t the true and then you get more into it because he comes with it out of the blue and is a total cliffhanger! But that’s how’s supposed to be, right? Lol
So yeah, great start for a mystery series and I’m so excited to read the next books!
I think the idea of the killing was a big plus and more if the story is taking part in the old England. Mysteries like Jack the reaper get you involve on wanting to know the culprit. So I was getting disappointed because the protagonist was told the “culprit” but then he finds out that that wasn’t the true and then you get more into it because he comes with it out of the blue and is a total cliffhanger! But that’s how’s supposed to be, right? Lol
So yeah, great start for a mystery series and I’m so excited to read the next books!