A review by kadomi
What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

4.0

My to-read shelf is an eclectic mix of books that tickle my fancy, and by the time I get to them in my pile, I barely remember what attracted me in the first place. I went into reading this book expecting urban fantasy, but that's not what this book is at all. Set in London in the early 19th century, in the very last days of the reign of Mad King George, it's a classic mystery novel that vaguely reminded me of Sherlock Holmes with the gaslight and hackneys of London. Instead of a brilliant detective you have Sebastian St. Cyr as protagonist, Viscount Devlin, a bit of a Mary Sue by being a super-spy and all around dreamboat. The story starts with a gruesome murder that is pinned on Sebastian, and as he manages to flee from the police, he tries to get to the bottom of it to clear his name. There are many twists and turns and the real murderer is not predictable at all, but maybe there are just a tad bit too many twists to truly make this novel outstanding. In any case, I am a sucker for 19th century London-based mysteries, so I shall be certain to pick up more books of this series, for sure.