What Darkness Brings: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Mass Market Author: Visit Amazon's C.S. Harris Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0451418182 | Format: EPUB
What Darkness Brings: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Mass Market Description
From Booklist
Eighth in Harris’ Sebastian St. Cyr series, this volume is perhaps the best yet, with its air of Regency intrigue and its abashed, somewhat bewildered hero. The story begins with newly married Sebastian, still grieving after the death of a friend, caught up in the murder of a wicked gem dealer whose demise is blamed on St. Cyr’s acquaintance Russell Yates, now languishing in prison. Found bloodied and standing over the corpse, Yates needs Sebastian’s sleuthing expertise, though it’s Yates’ wife, Kat Boleyn, St. Cyr’s former lover, who begs for help. It’s a delicious, complicated tangle made even tastier by Sebastian’s bride, the wise Hero, and by Harris’ tender treatment of the newlyweds’ affection and growing love for one another. Harris’ acute characterizations and her facility for portraying the complexities of human emotion are similar to Imogen Robertson’s in Anatomy of Murder(2012), while her view of social niceties hiding dark motives conjures Anne Perry. --Jen Baker
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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)
See all Editorial Reviews
- Series: Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery (Book 8)
- Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Signet (March 4, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0451418182
- ISBN-13: 978-0451418180
- Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
After 8 installments, Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries are still intriguing and thoroughly entertaining! I won't give a synopsis, as it has been done and in truth, no synopsis is good enough to supplement the actual reading. If you are new to this author and the series, I suggest you backtrack and read it from the start; if not, you'll be missing some REALLY good readings!
Unlike some readers, I didn't feel that Hero was relegated to the back seat! Yes, her scenes were reduced in comparison to previous installments (namely, When Maidens Mourn). The investigation in When Maidens Mourn was centered area one of Hero's closest friend's death, therefore her prominent presence was to be expected. On the other hand, Hero's limited (in comparison to WMM) screen time in WDB isn't unnatural considering the persons involved in the murder (Yates, thereby Kat).
I am a huge fan of Hero, so of course I want her to be more involved, but I'd rather not have her show up at random moments (without cause) simply just to be there. That isn't something I expect to see from the crafty hands of Harris and I'm glad that didn't happen! And what scenes we had of Hero (especially with Sebastian), that's more than enough for us to feel the intimacy and commitment these two characters have for the other.
As for the complaints about Sebastian's internal conflict about the "WHAT IF's" in regards to his relationship with Kat. Some may find it tedious, but I find that absolutely humanizing! First loves are more often than not, the hardest to let go - and those who've been following the series would understand the complexities that revolves around this EX-couple. And note, Sebastian and Hero married out of obligations and necessity, NOT LOVE!
First let me say I don't know what book people are reading when they say Hero's role is diminished, because it certainly's not this one. One of the things I liked best about this book is that Sebastian and Hero really worked together. They really seem to be settling in to being a married couple. I love the fact that Sebastian didn't try to hide the fact he was helping Kat. And the fact that Hero didn't react badly because he was. They're starting to trust one another. This was a story that needed to be told. People don't realize how little time has been covered by all of Ms. Harris' books. Kat and Yates have been married exactly a year. It is now September of 1812; Hero fell pregnant in May. She and Sebastian have been married all of six weeks. It seems like Sebastian has been pining over Kat forever, but he hasn't. You'd expect it to take time for someone to get over a person they had considered the love of their life. But now he's committed to Hero, the rose-coloured glasses are coming off. He's realizing he never really knew Kat. After all even though Sebastian was faithful to Kat, she wasn't faithful to him. She has different values and goals. And I think Sebastian finding to his surprise and pleasure that Hero's values and goals are much the same as his. The 800 lb. gorilla in the room is Hero's father. I think the time is coming when Hero will be forced to choose between the man who she's growing to love more each day, and the father who she loves, but doesn't like very much. It will be a wrench, but I have confidence Hero will make the right choice. I read on C.S. Harris' blog that Hero will be nine mos. pregnant in the next book. Hopefully that means the baby will be born then(Poor Hero's pregnancy has been worse than soap opera pregnancies).
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