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A review by veronica87
Who Slays the Wicked by C.S. Harris
4.0
It's been awhile since I've been able to visit with my favorite sleuthing Viscount so I loved being able to settle in with him for another Regency era murder investigation. This book ties in directly to the people and events from [b:Where the Dead Lie|30363074|Where the Dead Lie (Sebastian St. Cyr, #12)|C.S. Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476285587l/30363074._SY75_.jpg|50872858], book twelve in the series and one that dealt with some truly dark, human inflicted evils.
His society had failed these children both in life and in death. Did they rest easy now? he wondered. Did something of them linger somewhere still? Something beyond the bones swallowed by the earth? He wished he could believe it did. He wanted to believe.
But that comfort, like so much else,remained elusive"
One thing I've always liked about this series, one of numerous things, is that I never have to wait long for the murder to happen. There's none of this wading through half a book before a body drops dead. In this series, the murder...or in some cases the discovery of the body...always kicks off the first chapter. And when the dead body in this particular book is discovered and identified, the case gains an even more urgent status than usual for Sebastian, Viscount Devlin, because it's all in the family this time around. The murdered nobleman, and I use that term loosely, is none other than Viscount Ashworth, the sleaze who married Sebastian's own niece, Stephanie, two books (and seven months ago, story time) back.
No one is sad to see Viscount Ashworth go, certainly not any of us readers, but because suspicion will naturally fall on Stephanie, Sebastian is compelled to investigate - if for no other reason than to lay to rest his own doubts about her innocence. It was another twisty, turny investigation with plenty of suspects, varied motives, red herrings, and multiple dead bodies. Honestly, I had no clue as to the identity of the murderer until maybe a few pages before Sebastian revealed it.
Another aspect of this series that enjoy and that I find highly informative is the work that Hero, Sebastian's brilliant wife, does with the city's poor. It's not always directly relevant to the main plot of the story but it is always fascinating to learn about the types of jobs needed to keep the infrastructure of the time stable. This time we meet some rag and bone finders, pure finders, and night soil men.
The only thing that keeps this book from being a five star read for me is that there just wasn't as much Sebastian-Hero page time for me. Yes, I know that this is primarily a mystery series and I'm not arguing that that shouldn't be the main focus. Of course it should. But Sebastian's personal life has always been as much of a draw for me as the intricately plotted mystery narrative. His home life is what grounds him, what sustains him, what bouys him up when the darkness threatens to pull him under. So, yeah, I'd like to have a few more quiet and intimate moments with the St Cyrs...as a couple and as parents to their adorable young son, Simon. Nevertheless, this was still another wonderful installment to the series and I'll be back with the St Cyrs sooner rather than later.
His society had failed these children both in life and in death. Did they rest easy now? he wondered. Did something of them linger somewhere still? Something beyond the bones swallowed by the earth? He wished he could believe it did. He wanted to believe.
But that comfort, like so much else,remained elusive"
One thing I've always liked about this series, one of numerous things, is that I never have to wait long for the murder to happen. There's none of this wading through half a book before a body drops dead. In this series, the murder...or in some cases the discovery of the body...always kicks off the first chapter. And when the dead body in this particular book is discovered and identified, the case gains an even more urgent status than usual for Sebastian, Viscount Devlin, because it's all in the family this time around. The murdered nobleman, and I use that term loosely, is none other than Viscount Ashworth, the sleaze who married Sebastian's own niece, Stephanie, two books (and seven months ago, story time) back.
No one is sad to see Viscount Ashworth go, certainly not any of us readers, but because suspicion will naturally fall on Stephanie, Sebastian is compelled to investigate - if for no other reason than to lay to rest his own doubts about her innocence. It was another twisty, turny investigation with plenty of suspects, varied motives, red herrings, and multiple dead bodies. Honestly, I had no clue as to the identity of the murderer until maybe a few pages before Sebastian revealed it.
Another aspect of this series that enjoy and that I find highly informative is the work that Hero, Sebastian's brilliant wife, does with the city's poor. It's not always directly relevant to the main plot of the story but it is always fascinating to learn about the types of jobs needed to keep the infrastructure of the time stable. This time we meet some rag and bone finders, pure finders, and night soil men.
The only thing that keeps this book from being a five star read for me is that there just wasn't as much Sebastian-Hero page time for me. Yes, I know that this is primarily a mystery series and I'm not arguing that that shouldn't be the main focus. Of course it should. But Sebastian's personal life has always been as much of a draw for me as the intricately plotted mystery narrative. His home life is what grounds him, what sustains him, what bouys him up when the darkness threatens to pull him under. So, yeah, I'd like to have a few more quiet and intimate moments with the St Cyrs...as a couple and as parents to their adorable young son, Simon. Nevertheless, this was still another wonderful installment to the series and I'll be back with the St Cyrs sooner rather than later.