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A review by constantreader471
What the Devil Knows by C.S. Harris
4.0
4 stars for a page turner book set in Regency England. It opens in 1814 London, when Sebastian St Cyr, Viscount Devlin and son/heir of the Earl of Hendon, is called to the scene of a gruesome murder. An Est End magistrate, Sir Edwin Pym has been found with his throat cut and his head bashed in. This murder is reminiscent of the Ratcliffe murders 3 years before. Sir Henry Lovejoy, a Bow Street magistrate, frequently calls upon Devlin for assistance in solving murders. Devlin is a wealthy man through his father and assists Lovejoy without pay.
Devlin can ask questions where Lovejoy cannot, because of his position. Devlin begins investigating and slowly uncovers more murders connected to this and the Ratcliffe murders. There are powerful people who don't want the truth to come out. Devlin is attacked 3 different times, a recurring theme in this series. He escapes with only bruises and cuts. The book reads well. The plot unfolds briskly and the characters are believable.
Concerning titles, the English love of titles has produced some interesting responses in the US. In the 60s, there was a popular song "The Duke of Earl." Five years ago, when my grandson was 8, he told his mom, that he was "Sir Patrick, Duke of Awesomeness."
The author is very accurate in describing the clothing and speech of the time.
Two quotes:
Devlin's wife: "Hero Devlin sat in one of the upholstered chairs beside the drawing room fire. Dressed in a long-sleeved afternoon gown of soft midnight blue wool made high at the neck and embellished with champagne-colored rosettes, she had a serviceable notebook balanced on one knee while her young son played on the hearthrug nearby."
Description of a wealthy brewer: "In his midforties, Buxton-Collins was a mountain of a man with a head of curly fair hair, a strong nose and chin, and the cold, alert eyes of a raptor. Despite his size, he had a reputation as an avid sportsman and something of a dandy. He was dressed in yellow pantaloons, glossy black boots, a double-breasted navy blue coat, and an elaborately tied cravat with a jeweled quizzing glass hanging from a silk riband around his neck."
This is book 16 in the series, and I recommend that you read them in order. Book 1 in the series is [b:What Angels Fear|39149|What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr, #1)|C.S. Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463986741l/39149._SY75_.jpg|827263] My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2269781535
Thanks to Berkley for sending me this eARC through Edelweiss.
Devlin can ask questions where Lovejoy cannot, because of his position. Devlin begins investigating and slowly uncovers more murders connected to this and the Ratcliffe murders. There are powerful people who don't want the truth to come out. Devlin is attacked 3 different times, a recurring theme in this series. He escapes with only bruises and cuts. The book reads well. The plot unfolds briskly and the characters are believable.
Concerning titles, the English love of titles has produced some interesting responses in the US. In the 60s, there was a popular song "The Duke of Earl." Five years ago, when my grandson was 8, he told his mom, that he was "Sir Patrick, Duke of Awesomeness."
The author is very accurate in describing the clothing and speech of the time.
Two quotes:
Devlin's wife: "Hero Devlin sat in one of the upholstered chairs beside the drawing room fire. Dressed in a long-sleeved afternoon gown of soft midnight blue wool made high at the neck and embellished with champagne-colored rosettes, she had a serviceable notebook balanced on one knee while her young son played on the hearthrug nearby."
Description of a wealthy brewer: "In his midforties, Buxton-Collins was a mountain of a man with a head of curly fair hair, a strong nose and chin, and the cold, alert eyes of a raptor. Despite his size, he had a reputation as an avid sportsman and something of a dandy. He was dressed in yellow pantaloons, glossy black boots, a double-breasted navy blue coat, and an elaborately tied cravat with a jeweled quizzing glass hanging from a silk riband around his neck."
This is book 16 in the series, and I recommend that you read them in order. Book 1 in the series is [b:What Angels Fear|39149|What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr, #1)|C.S. Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463986741l/39149._SY75_.jpg|827263] My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2269781535
Thanks to Berkley for sending me this eARC through Edelweiss.