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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
What Remains of Heaven is the fifth and latest installment in the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries, and is another winner.
It's 1812 and this time Sebastian is sought out by his own aunt to help in a murder case. Two corpses have been found in an ancient crypt - one fresh, one there for decades. Are the murders related or was it pure coincidence?
Sebastian again finds himself plunged into London's seedy underworld, coming across the lowest of the low. One unique suspect he comes across is a son of an American founding father. Another suspect is stalking Sebastian, sought out on revenge of an event from the past.
There isn't as much action as there is in the previous books, but once it finally pops up, boy is it good. That is one thing that is ace about these books: spectacular action sequences. Fantastically intense and exquisitely paced.
In the course of his investigation, Sebastian not only finds out long buried secrets connected to these two corpses, but secrets about his own family, that make him question his own existence. Events in this book will forever change Sebastian's life and I can not wait until the next book in the series is released!
It's 1812 and this time Sebastian is sought out by his own aunt to help in a murder case. Two corpses have been found in an ancient crypt - one fresh, one there for decades. Are the murders related or was it pure coincidence?
Sebastian again finds himself plunged into London's seedy underworld, coming across the lowest of the low. One unique suspect he comes across is a son of an American founding father. Another suspect is stalking Sebastian, sought out on revenge of an event from the past.
There isn't as much action as there is in the previous books, but once it finally pops up, boy is it good. That is one thing that is ace about these books: spectacular action sequences. Fantastically intense and exquisitely paced.
In the course of his investigation, Sebastian not only finds out long buried secrets connected to these two corpses, but secrets about his own family, that make him question his own existence. Events in this book will forever change Sebastian's life and I can not wait until the next book in the series is released!
Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries are a combination of mystery and soap opera, although I have to admit Harris writes a good soap opera in addition to the mystery. The mystery is set up well--the Bishop of London is found murdered in a recently uncovered crypt, found by the body of a man killed 30 or more years before. Sebastian's aunt, a close friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury, asks him to investigate. What follows is a plot intertwined with Britain's final efforts to salvage the American colonies, treason, and long-hidden family secrets. The mystery is well-plotted, and Harris sets up credible red herrings. There is also, of course, the usual multiple threats to Sebastian's life. It is a wonder that he has both survived this long and not gone bankrupt from replacing all of the very expensive clothes that get destroyed when he defends his life.
Unsurprisingly, given the developments in the previous book, we see more of Hero Jarvis, who is becoming my favorite character. She's an intelligent woman who wants more from life than to be placed in the perilous dependency of a wife; her parents' difficult relationship--and her mother's vulnerability to her father--clearly left their mark on her. She's practical and, in some ways, quite unsentimental, but she demonstrates a capacity for great love and loyalty.
The developments in Sebastian's life increasingly resemble the travails of a roguish soap opera hero. Having only recently become aware that his family has lied to him for 18 years in connection with his mother's death, and then learning that his lover is also his half-sister, the next long-buried secret drops. It's a secret that's been increasingly obvious since our introduction to his sister Amanda in the first book, and was all but spilled at the end of the third, Why Mermaids Sing (). Another shoe drops as well, in classic soap opera fashion (). These are pretty cheap twists, though Harris does pull them off elegantly and engagingly, which is what keeps me reading. I just wish she didn't resort to such romantic melodrama to create conflict in Sebastian's life.
Unsurprisingly, given the developments in the previous book, we see more of Hero Jarvis, who is becoming my favorite character. She's an intelligent woman who wants more from life than to be placed in the perilous dependency of a wife; her parents' difficult relationship--and her mother's vulnerability to her father--clearly left their mark on her. She's practical and, in some ways, quite unsentimental, but she demonstrates a capacity for great love and loyalty.
The developments in Sebastian's life increasingly resemble the travails of a roguish soap opera hero. Having only recently become aware that his family has lied to him for 18 years in connection with his mother's death, and then learning that his lover is also his half-sister, the next long-buried secret drops. It's a secret that's been increasingly obvious since our introduction to his sister Amanda in the first book, and was all but spilled at the end of the third, Why Mermaids Sing (
Spoiler
the Earl of Hendon is not his biological father, Kat is not his half-sister, and he was irrevocably separated from the love of his life because of a lieSpoiler
Hero is pregnant based on their one-afternoon stand as they awaited what they believed to be certain death; in true soap opera fashion, one time (and Hero's first time, at that) is all it takes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
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.
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. :)
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.
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.