A review by cleheny
Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris

2.0

I found this to be a somewhat tedious mystery. A historical artifact collector is found beheaded beside a lonely bridge, and it appears that both Charles I's missing head and Jane Austen are part and parcel of the mystery. Harris' tendency to give each St. Cyr novel a connection to a historical development felt particularly labored here. There are, of course, multiple attempts on Sebastian's life, and the requisite foot chase (though, for once, Sebastian actually captures the guy he's chasing). Harris also attempts to "Austen-ize" her plot, with references to characters from Austen's first two published works, as well as a subplot that Harris appears to suggest prompted Austen's Persuasion. I'm often leery of fictionalizing actual persons, and I particularly dislike it when an author tries to do that with Austen. Harris falls into the same trap as other writers--trying to write Austen as wittily as Austen wrote her novels. But only Austen can actually do that. Harris concedes as much by occasionally giving Austen quotes (or near quotes) from her own works.