Reviews

Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris

iskanderjonesiv's review against another edition

The “rich period detail [and] riveting action”* C.S. Harris delivers in her Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series reaches new heights as the aristocratic sleuth navigates dangerous political waters to bring a murderer to justice…

 

Regency London: July 1812. How do you set about solving a murder no one can reveal has been committed?

That’s the challenge confronting C.S. Harris’s aristocratic soldier-turned-sleuth Sebastian St. Cyr when his friend, surgeon and “anatomist” Paul Gibson, illegally buys the cadaver of a young man from London’s infamous body snatchers. A rising star at the Foreign Office, Mr. Alexander Ross was reported to have died of a weak heart. But when Gibson discovers a stiletto wound at the base of Ross’s skull, he can turn only to Sebastian for help in catching the killer.

Described by all who knew him as an amiable young man, Ross at first seems an unlikely candidate for murder. But as Sebastian’s search takes him from the Queen’s drawing rooms in St. James’s Palace to the embassies of Russia, the United States, and the Turkish Empire, he plunges into a dangerous shadow land of diplomatic maneuvering and international intrigue, where truth is an elusive commodity and nothing is as it seems.

Meanwhile, Sebastian must confront the turmoil of his personal life. Hero Jarvis, daughter of his powerful nemesis Lord Jarvis, finally agrees to become his wife. But as their wedding approaches, Sebastian can’t escape the growing realization that not only Lord Jarvis but Hero herself knows far more about the events surrounding Ross’s death than they would have him believe.

Then a second body is found, badly decomposed but bearing the same fatal stiletto wound. And Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening the life of his reluctant bride and their unborn child.

* The New Orleans Times-Picayune

 

**

From Publishers Weekly

An overly convoluted plot mars this otherwise solid historical set in 1812, Harris's sixth featuring aristocratic London detective Sebastian St. Cyr (after 2009's What Remains of Heaven). When surgeon Paul Gibson finds a cadaver that he bought for anatomical study with a stab wound at the base of the skull, Gibson brings the matter to St. Cyr's attention. The corpse is identified as that of Alexander Ross, who worked for the Foreign Office. Several other murders follow, at least some of which may be linked with the political turmoil roiling the Continent in the wake of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Meanwhile, Hero Jarvis, the independent daughter of St. Cyr's archenemy, accepts his marriage proposal, but this dramatic personal development compensates only in part for the failure of the disparate narrative threads to come together neatly enough. Series fans will hope the intriguing lead character will return to form in the next installment. (Mar.)
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Review

Praise for the Sebastian St. Cyr Series

"Best historical thriller writer in the business!  Sebastian St. Cyr is…uncannily clever, unwaveringly reserved, and irresistibly sexy.  The entire series is simply elegant.” --New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner

“Deftly combines political intrigue, cleverly concealed clues and vivid characters.”

--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“A crescendo of suspense and surprise.” –Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Thoroughly enjoyable…kept me enthralled.” –Deanna Raybourn

“A ripping read...captivated me to the final page.” –Will Thomas

“Harris crafts her story with the threat of danger, hints of humor, vivid sex scenes, and a conclusion that will make your pulse race.” –The New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Harris delves deep into the mores of Regency England…” –Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

mamap's review against another edition

4.0

Oops. Gibson finds a body that he had stolen by the 'resurrection men' to study has been murdered.

Awkward.

Intriguing mystery set in the time of the war of 1812. Britain didn't find out that the United States had declared war for 6 weeks. Such was the time.

ktaylor1164's review against another edition

4.0

Hurray! Kat is mostly gone, and Hero is stepping up to take her rightful place as the partner Sebastian needs--not only in a potential marriage, but also in investigating crimes. Solid story with continued good writing.

annhenry's review against another edition

4.0

The mystery of this one didnt engage me as much as previous books but i gave it a 4 for the very last chapter

constantreader471's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars rounded down to 4. This is an excellent historical fiction mystery series, set in 1812 London. I won a Goodreads giveaway of book 10 in the series 3 years ago and enjoyed it so much that I decided to read the rest of the series. I have been borrowing the books from the library.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is a wealthy heir who has developed a reputation for solving murders, sometimes at the request of a local magistrate, Sir Henry Lovejoy, and sometimes at the request of friends/relatives.
One of the people who assists him in his investigations is Paul Gibson, a surgeon friend of Devlin's from their time in the British army. Gibson pays grave robbers to dig up bodies so he can dissect them and learn more about the causes of death. But he comes to Devlin with a problem. He has a body of a young rising star at the Foreign Office in his mortuary, who was reported to have died of a heart attack. His examination of the body shows that Alexander Ross was murdered. He wants Devlin to find out who murdered him, even though it is not classified a murder by authorities.
Devlin agrees to help his friend and there are more deaths before the mystery is solved.
There is a side plot concerning Devlin's love life, which started in book 5 in the series.
I recommend that you start with book 1 and read them in order, as there are continuing plot elements throughout the series. I raced through this book in 2 days.
Two quotes:
Description of Ross "Alexander was a diplomat by profession. It can be a dangerous game, diplomacy. A dance of shadows in the darkness.".
Weather; "The day was sunny but not excessively hot, the sky arcing above the open fields a pale blue scattered with puffs of high white clouds."

crystenaq's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

jlo615's review against another edition

4.0

This mystery was compelling and had me guessing quite a bit. Definitely the most gruesome so far, but I also found myself chuckling at times. I am also more and more fascinated by Hero’s character.

tlt19's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 stars
I have to admit that I got a bit confused on the political side of things but in the end I did get why the murders happened. I enjoy reading about Sebastian and Hero.

maferg01's review against another edition

5.0

A very in-depth mystery involving a huge cast of characters which leaves you guessing until the end even though the answer was right in front of you. Sebastian and Hero will be interesting together in future books and it will be interesting to see if C.S. Harris continues to involve Hero in Sebastian's detecting on a surface level or if she will become more involved after being married. I also have to say that the book ended in a most satisfying way.

snakeling's review against another edition

5.0

This book contains one of the funniest scenes I've read recently: I laughed so hard at the exhumation subplot that I started a coughing fit.

I also liked the glimpses of global politics we got throughout the mystery, the way countries form alliances and denounce them the minute they become inconvenient.