Synopses & Reviews
The death of a notorious London diamond merchant draws aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new wife Hero into a sordid world of greed, desperation, and the occult, when the husband of Sebastian’s former lover Kat Boleyn is accused of the murder. Regency England, September 1812: After a long night spent dealing with the tragic death of a former military comrade, a heart-sick Sebastian learns of a new calamity: Russell Yates, the dashing, one-time privateer who married Kat a year ago, has been found standing over the corpse of Benjamin Eisler, a wealthy gem dealer. Yates insists he is innocent, but he will surely hang unless Sebastian can unmask the real killer. For the sake of Kat, the woman he once loved and lost, Sebastian plunges into a treacherous circle of intrigue. Although Eisler’s clients included the Prince Regent and the Emperor Napoleon, he was a despicable man with many enemies and a number of dangerous, well-kept secrets—including a passion for arcane texts and black magic. Central to the case is a magnificent blue diamond, believed to have once formed part of the French crown jewels, which disappeared on the night of Eisler’s death. As Sebastian traces the diamond’s ownership, he uncovers links that implicate an eccentric, powerful financier named Hope and stretch back into the darkest days of the French Revolution. When the killer grows ever more desperate and vicious, Sebastian finds his new marriage to Hero tested by the shadows of his first love, especially when he begins to suspect that Kat is keeping secrets of her own. And as matters rise to a crisis, Sebastian must face a bitter truth--that he has been less than open with the fearless woman who is now his wife.
Review
Praise for the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries “Page-turning adventure, international intrigue and unlikely romance...I like the way Harris is moving through the series, especially with the multi-faceted Hero.”—
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) “A ripping read. Sebastian St. Cyr’s world of Georgian intrigue captivated me to the final page.”—Will Thomas, author of
To Kingdom Come “Thoroughly enjoyable...kept me enthralled.”—Deanna Raybourn, author of
The Dead Travel Fast “Harris does an excellent job of interweaving the mystery in this book with the larger story arc of the series.”—
St. Petersburg Times “An intriguing mix of bloody murder, incest and brutality. The author, who has done her historical homework, makes a fascinating focus of her book in Hero Jarvis, a young woman whose uncompromising independence puts her far ahead of her time.”—
The Washington Times “Harris is a master of the genre.”—The Historical Novels Review
Review
Praise for the Sebastian St. Cyr Series
"Best historical thriller writer in the business! Sebastian St. Cyr is…uncannily clever, unwaveringly reserved, and irresistibly sexy. The entire series is simply elegant.”—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner
“Deftly combines political intrigue, cleverly concealed clues and vivid characters.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“A crescendo of suspense and surprise.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Thoroughly enjoyable…kept me enthralled.”—Deanna Raybourn
“A ripping read...captivated me to the final page.”—Will Thomas
“Harris crafts her story with the threat of danger, hints of humor, vivid sex scenes, and a conclusion that will make your pulse race.”—The New Orleans Times-Picayune
“Harris delves deep into the mores of Regency England…”—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
Praise for the Sebastian St. Cyr Series "Best historical thriller writer in the business! Sebastian St. Cyr is…uncannily clever, unwaveringly reserved, and irresistibly sexy. The entire series is simply elegant.”—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner “Deftly combines political intrigue, cleverly concealed clues and vivid characters.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) “A crescendo of suspense and surprise.”—Library Journal (Starred Review) “Thoroughly enjoyable…kept me enthralled.”—Deanna Raybourn “A ripping read...captivated me to the final page.”—Will Thomas “Harris crafts her story with the threat of danger, hints of humor, vivid sex scenes, and a conclusion that will make your pulse race.”—The New Orleans Times-Picayune “Harris delves deep into the mores of Regency England…”—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
Praise for the Sebastian St. Cyr Series "Best historical thriller writer in the business! Sebastian St. Cyr is…uncannily clever, unwaveringly reserved, and irresistibly sexy. The entire series is simply elegant.”—
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner “Deftly combines political intrigue, cleverly concealed clues and vivid characters.”—
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) “A crescendo of suspense and surprise.”—
Library Journal (Starred Review) “Thoroughly enjoyable…kept me enthralled.”—Deanna Raybourn “A ripping read...captivated me to the final page.”—Will Thomas “Harris crafts her story with the threat of danger, hints of humor, vivid sex scenes, and a conclusion that will make your pulse race.”—
The New Orleans Times-Picayune “Harris delves deep into the mores of Regency England…”—
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Synopsis
Fifth in the fast-moving(Publishers Weekly, starred review) British-set historical mystery series starring a charismatic hero.(Kirkus Reviews starred review)
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury to help in the investigation of two corpses found in an ancient crypt, their violent deaths separated by decades. One is the Bishop of London, the elderly Archbishop's favored but controversial successor. The identity of the other seems lost in time.
Sebastian amasses a list of suspects that range from some of the Prince Regent's closest cronies to William Franklin, embittered son of famous American patriot Ben Franklin-and finds himself confronting the well-guarded secrets of his own family's history. Now each step he takes toward the killer brings him closer to a devastating truth that could ultimately force him to question who-and what-he really is.
Synopsis
The fifth work in the fast-moving ("Publishers Weekly"), British-set historical mystery series once again stars the charismatic Sebastian St. Cyr.
Synopsis
Another gripping mystery in the series that has won six starred reviews, set in the glittering yet dangerous world of 1812 London, where nobleman and former spy Sebastian St. Cyr courts personal disaster in his effort to expose a murderer.
The latest request for help from Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin--from the Archbishop of Canterbury, no less--is undeniably intriguing: The bodies of two men have been found in an ancient crypt, their violent deaths separated by decades. One is the Bishop of London, the elderly Archbishop's favored but controversial successor. The identity of the other seems lost in time, although his faded velvet attire marks him as gentleman of the eighteenth century.
To Sebastian's consternation, the last person to see the Bishop alive was Miss Hero Jarvis, a woman whose already strained relationship with St. Cyr has been complicated by a brief, unexpectedly passionate encounter. It also soon becomes obvious that her powerful father has reasons of his own for wanting the Bishop out of the way. In an investigation that leads from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of whitehall, Sebastian amasses a list of suspects that ranges from some of the Prince Regent's closest cronies to William Franklin, embittered son of famous American patriot Ben Franklin. Each step Sebastian takes toward the killer brings him closer to a devastating truth that could ultimately force him to question who--and what--he really is.
Synopsis
Sebastian St. Cyr's search for the killer of the controversial Bishop of London leads him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of Whitehall to the well-guarded secrets of his own family's past.
Synopsis
Fifth in the critically acclaimed mystery series.
London 1812. When the controversial reform-minded Bishop of London is found bludgeoned to death in an ancient crypt beside the corpse of an unidentified man murdered decades before, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, reluctantly agrees to investigate. As his search for the killer leads him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of Whitehall, Sebastian must confront the well-guarded secrets of his own family's past—and a devastating truth that could ultimately force him to question who—and what—he really is. Watch a Video
About the Author
"From dissolute and disillusioned to insightful and probing, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has evolved into a fascinating and effective detective as he moves stealthily among the ton to investigate murders in London's upper echelon. Harris' deft touch with atmosphere and history weaves a rich tapestry for his complex tale of a murderer driven by fear. This first-class historical mystery will put Harris in the stratosphere of some of the best historical writers."
-Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick
"Harris combines all the qualities of a solid Regency in the tradition of Georgette Heyer by pairing two strong characters trying to ignore their mutual attraction while solving a crime together. ANyone who likes Amanda Quick and/or reading the reissued Heyer novels will love this series."
-Library Journal (Starred Review)