Customer Reviews

Why Mermaids Sing: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I enjoyed the first two books in this series and found this one even better than the others. (It's not necessary to read them in order, although it can help with some background elements.)

Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin, already weary from recent experiences with death and secrets in his past, as well as seeing action as a soldier, is asked by his friend, a magistrate, to aid in what looks like a series of shocking murder-mutilations involving a banker's son and now the son of a lord. When someone threatens him in order to stop him from asking questions, Devlin digs in, determined to solve the mystery and stop the killer.

Woven deftly into the hunt for the killer is Devlin's personal life. In a lighter vein of this relatively grim tale, there is his need for a valet who will understand the ungentlemanly pursuit of murderers and the occasional need for suits of ordinary clothes that will let Devlin move through parts of society closed to the aristocracy. There is also the complications involved in his steadfast love of Kat Boleyn, an actress who refuses to marry him because it would ruin his position in society--and because of her secret past as a spy for the French, something that has been found out by the wrong people who are putting pressure on her. And there is Devlin's uneasy relationship with his father.

These elements never stall the pace of the mystery. Devlin is relentless in his pursuit of answers. The mystery is nicely complex, involving an incident in the past and connections that are not immediately apparent. There is plenty of action, plots, intrigue, red-herrings, curious situations, broken taboos, deadly secrets and desperate moves. The historical details are also there, subtly in the background: the illegal boxing matches, the high society parties and husband-hunting, the press-gangs, the clubs, the gaming hells.

The characters are all interesting and complex. The mystery and action good. The setting enjoyable. It is a perfect historical mystery, as far as I'm concerned. I hope there are many more to come in this series.

This one is a bit creepy and one heck of a good yarn. The story moves along both with the serial killings, the examinations, (CSI like, only ancient CSI methods), and St. Cyr's personal situations, all of which make for a highly suspenseful read. The period and place of the story is poignant in that you feel almost as if you're there, and at times you get a sense of uncommon fear. I loved this book and will most definitely read more of the St. Cyr mysteries. This one's worth the price for the hardback. Not to be missed!

I've waited for book 3 of this really interesting series, and although it started a bit slowly, there were plenty of surprises and loose ends -- which means I'll be waiting for number 4. Viscount Devlin is a typical hero: strong, smart, good looking and sometimes wrong. His love for Kat Boleyn doesn't overwhelm the story but is deep and heartwarming. This particular book explores an unusual situation, one that has resonated in other historical lore, but not a commonly discussed one. Devlin unearths it and pursues answers with his usual tenacity. I like Devlin, I like Kat and there is more to their story waiting in the wings. Ms. Harris writes well, puts together a logical plot and develops characters I really like. What more could you ask for in a good historical?

First Sentence: Fear twisted Dominic Stanton's stomach, compressed his chest until his breath came shallow and quick.

The murdered and mutilated body's of two, wealthy young men have been found publicly displayed. Because of their level in society, nobleman Viscount Devlin, Sebastian St. Cyr has been asked to help with the investigation. He soon finds a connection in the items left with the bodies, a poem by John Donne and a connection back to their families.

Talk about a straight-through read. There are great characters and complex relationships. The plot is multi-layered and becomes more fascinating as the story evolves. There is good suspense, but it is St. Cyr's suspecting, and then confirming, the motive for the killings drives the story. Harris has provided an excellent of the period and its mores. The romance in the story is critical to the characters and their relationships. This is one more great book in a super series.

This series has combined some of my favorite literary elements- history, the Regency, mystery- with excellent writing. The characters are multi-dimensional and one begins to root for and against them while the mystery at hand is solved. In this installment, elements whispered at in the two previous books are moved closer to center stage as the story progresses. The fate of the protagonist's mother is clarified, though the link she provides to the murder is not; in addition, the relationship between two central characters is deepened but tested in new ways. There are some surprises along the way. All in all, it is a worthy successor to the two previous books and I look forward to the fourth and fifth (hopefully).

I think the mystery involved in this book is the best of the 3 books so far. There is a surprise twist that is shocking and causes some dissapointment but also adds to the anticipation of the next book. I have enjoyed this series and this book the most.

On every page of WHY MERMAIDS SING, C.S. Harris presents her readers with scenario after scenario that captures the imagination and keeps you riveted. Each of her characters, no matter how minor, adds yet another tantalizing layer to the tale and provides clues to aid in the solution of the multiple mysteries.

Sebastian St. Cyr (Lord Devlin) is a man on a mission. A man of unrelenting single-mindedness, Devlin ignores threats to life and limb in his pursuit of the truth. His assistance has been requested in the investigation being conducted into the brutal murders of several innocent young men. Devlin gradually uses his deductive powers to ferret out the connection between the victims and the motive behind their deaths.

A man of principal who is not easily dissuaded he is bent on solving the murders as well as overcoming the obstacles to his personal happiness. His all consuming desire to make actress Kat Boleyn his wife has been met with resistance by not only his family but by Kat herself and his search for his mother has, to date, been a failure.

Capturing the flavor and history of Regency-era London, this book has it all. Romance, mystery, well drawn interesting characters, accurate depiction of class divisions, and a number of plot twists and surprising revelations.

If you are a lover of historical fiction or a fan of Anne Perry or Bruce Alexander then you will find Ms. Harris's offering right up your alley.
3 1/2 STARS

I found this book on the new arrivals shelf in my library and picked it up on a whim. I've been working my way through another series, beginning to end, and I wanted to break it up by diving into this one in the middle. I don't know what I've missed by not reading the first two, but it worked just fine to start here. It stops short of being gripping, and lacks humor, but it's a good, absorbing read and I was sorry when it ended.

I saw this in the amazon.com recommendations, got it from the library, and then went back to get the first two books in the series. Now, I think I'll buy them.

The important issue in this book is not the series of killings, but rather the underlying motive. There's a slightly unfair-to-the-clue-seeking-reader element in revealing that motive, which tempted me to reduce the rating to four stars.

In the long run, however, the character of Lord Jarvis' daughter Hero is developing in sufficiently interesting ways to counteract it.

If you enjoyed the first two Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries (What Angels Fear and When Gods Die), the third in the series won't disappoint. Once again, St. Cyr finds himself unable to turn away from a bizarre and inexplicable murder. This time, a serial killer is on the loose, and St. Cyr must figure out the connection between the murders so that he can prevent future deaths. Meanwhile, his relationship with Kat Boleyn takes a surprising and heartbreaking turn, and his father betrays him. This book introduces an intriguing new character, the pirate-nobleman Russell Yates, whom I hope will play a bigger role in future books.

Why Mermaids Sing moves along at a fast clip and is hard to put down. After starting it one night, I got up early the next day to read it before work and stayed up well past my bedtime that night to finish it.