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A review by laurenjodi
Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris
4.0
Who Buries the Dead
4 Stars
When the decapitated corpse of a West Indies slave owner is discovered on an isolated bridge next to a relic from Charles I's coffin, Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife Hero are drawn into a macabre investigation with a host of suspects. These include a malicious curiosity dealer, an injured officer in His Majesty's army as well as Jane Austen's banker brother, and a vindictive foe from Sebastian's past.
An entertaining addition to the series and the inclusion of Jane Austen as a minor secondary character is an added bonus as the intertextual clues from her works have an interesting effect on the reader's perceptions of characters and motivations.
Although Sebastian's investigation is a garden-variety murder and the suspect pool is rather limited, there are still some gripping moments that keep one turning the pages. The identity of the villain is not easy to discern although there are sufficient clues to figure it all out.
As with all of Harris's books, the historical detail is fascinating and the stories behind the various relics and curiosities mentioned throughout the storyline are captivating.
In terms of Sebastian's personal life, he and Hero are growing ever closer and their marriage is becoming a true partnership in every sense. One inevitable effect of this, however, is an understanding of the perils of their work and the realization that they have so much more to lose now.
All in all, a well-crafted story with characters that become more and more engaging with every installment. Unfortunately, the next book is the most recent and it will be long wait until April 2017 for the follow-up.
4 Stars
When the decapitated corpse of a West Indies slave owner is discovered on an isolated bridge next to a relic from Charles I's coffin, Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife Hero are drawn into a macabre investigation with a host of suspects. These include a malicious curiosity dealer, an injured officer in His Majesty's army as well as Jane Austen's banker brother, and a vindictive foe from Sebastian's past.
An entertaining addition to the series and the inclusion of Jane Austen as a minor secondary character is an added bonus as the intertextual clues from her works have an interesting effect on the reader's perceptions of characters and motivations.
Although Sebastian's investigation is a garden-variety murder and the suspect pool is rather limited, there are still some gripping moments that keep one turning the pages. The identity of the villain is not easy to discern although there are sufficient clues to figure it all out.
As with all of Harris's books, the historical detail is fascinating and the stories behind the various relics and curiosities mentioned throughout the storyline are captivating.
In terms of Sebastian's personal life, he and Hero are growing ever closer and their marriage is becoming a true partnership in every sense. One inevitable effect of this, however, is an understanding of the perils of their work and the realization that they have so much more to lose now.
All in all, a well-crafted story with characters that become more and more engaging with every installment. Unfortunately, the next book is the most recent and it will be long wait until April 2017 for the follow-up.