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A review by mary_soon_lee
What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
4.0
This is the first book in a historical mystery series set in the early 19th century, with this installment taking place in London. Content warnings apply for violence, in particular brutal violence against women. One sentence spoiler-free verdict: I enjoyed this considerably and anticipate reading more of the series with pleasure.
Spoilers ahead.
The mystery elements worked very well for me, misdirecting and surprising me. I was about two thirds of the way through the book before I first suspected the villain, and at that time I still had multiple possible suspects in mind. Of the secondary characters, I especially liked Tom, a street urchin, though his working-class diction occasionally seemed a trifle heavyhanded. 4 out of 5 well-satisfied stars.
N.B. I came to the book by way of a list of Sharon Lee's: my thanks to her.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
The book is a little overexaggerated, but I was in the mood for a quick read with well-defined heroes and villains, rather than a downbeat, historically-accurate portrayal of London on the eve of the Regency Era. Yes, the central figure, Sebastian St. Cyr, a young nobleman with war trauma, is rather idealized, but I had a great deal of fun following his adventures.The mystery elements worked very well for me, misdirecting and surprising me. I was about two thirds of the way through the book before I first suspected the villain, and at that time I still had multiple possible suspects in mind. Of the secondary characters, I especially liked Tom, a street urchin, though his working-class diction occasionally seemed a trifle heavyhanded.
N.B. I came to the book by way of a list of Sharon Lee's: my thanks to her.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).