Where the Dead Lie: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris

About the book: (from the publisher) London, 1813. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is no stranger to the dark side of the city, but he’s never seen anything like this: the brutalized body of a fifteen-year-old boy dumped into a makeshift grave on the grounds of an abandoned factory.

One of London’s many homeless children, Benji Thatcher was abducted and tortured before his murder—and his younger sister is still missing. Few in authority care about a street urchin’s fate, but Sebastian refuses to let this killer go unpunished.

Uncovering a disturbing pattern of missing children, Sebastian is drawn into a shadowy, sadistic world. As he follows a grim trail that leads from the writings of the debauched Marquis de Sade to the city’s most notorious brothels, he comes to a horrifying realization: someone from society’s upper echelon is preying upon the city’s most vulnerable. And though dark, powerful forces are moving against him, Sebastian will risk his reputation and his life to keep more innocents from harm…

About the author: C. S. Harris is the national bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries, featuring When Falcons Fall, Who Buries the Dead, Why Kings Confess, and What Darkness Brings; as C. S. Graham, a thriller series coauthored by former intelligence officer Steven Harris; and seven award-winning historical romances written under the name Candice Proctor.

Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Historical

[bctt tweet=”An elegant and engrossing mystery featuring a sophisticated Regency-era investigator” username=”KatherineSJones”]

My take: I do love an intriguing mystery, though I don’t often choose historical ones. This novel — the first I’d read in the Sebastian St. Cyr series — was a good one to lure me beyond my usual bounds.

I sank easily into its darkly atmospheric folds, its colorful and complex characters, its twisty plotting. What I found most appealing of all was its protagonist with a heart for justice, determined to fight for the helpless and be a voice for the voiceless. Readers who appreciate a strong moral component will find much to applaud here — although they should also be aware that this particular story possesses a very dark premise. But Sebastian is a winning character as his fierce resolve to see justice achieved is nicely counterbalanced by his warm affection for his family.

That there’s plenty more in this series will come as good  news for fans of the genre. In fact, while the mystery of Where the Dead Lie is well solved, justice in this case remains incomplete–leaving the story wide open for its sequel.

Thanks to Berkley for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

After words: What is a mystery series you have enjoyed?