Two months after the birth of his son Simon, Sebastian finds himself involved in another murder case when Sir Henry Lovejoy asks for his assistance. One thing that amused me quite a bit is how many people asked Sebastian if he was going to continue with this hobby now that he was married and had a child since it was so dangerous. I guess it’s the closest 19th century England would get to asking a man “how do you balance career and family? Who is […]
I Don’t Think That Was the Takeaway from the Revolution You Needed to Focus on, Princess
I had actually started reading an older sci-fi novel recommended on various Pajiba/Cannonball FB threads, but I spent the weekend in Toulouse, France, and while surrounded by the beautiful medieval architecture of the churches and museums, space exploration and colonization didn’t feel appropriate. Not that a mystery novel set in 19th century England is a perfect fit, either, but it’s a bit closer to matching the atmosphere, especially since I wouldn’t even know where to start for novels set in France. Fortuitously, even though this […]
You Reap What You Sow
Eight novels in, and I am still enjoying the series but I have also hit the point where I may I need to take short a break. Honestly, for the last two or three novels, I was more interested in reading about the Hero/Sebastian relationship than the mystery itself. Fortunately, the way this novel ends feels like the perfect time to take a break since they seem to have reached a good balance in their relationship after making steps towards it at the end of […]
The Dangers and Power of Legend
The first four novels in this series took place over more than a year, leaving Sebastian some time to recover between his escapes from near death, and allowing his valet some time to repair his wardrobe. Books 5 (What Remains of Heaven, Where Shadows Dance and When Maidens Mourn) all take place within about two or three weeks of each other. On the one hand, it seems a bit crazy that there are so many intriguing murders going on within this short period, but at […]
Her?
I saw some reviews that indicated this was one of the weaker ones in the series, and I definitely get why some people had that reaction. It’s still a good novel, but the level of intrigue almost felt like the novel should have been part of a different series, since it was more reminiscent of espionage thriller than a murder mystery. Sebastian’s cases have touched on intrigues and political conspiracies before, but those felt much more straightforward compared to this one. Sebastian is pulled into […]
Skeletons Never Remain Buried
After facing near death in the previous novel, Sebastian has reconciled with his father. The Earl of Hendon is not excited when his son involves himself in yet another murder case but since it was Hendon’s own sister that asked for Sebastian’s help, he can’t say anything about it. Someone has murdered the Bishop of London, and the circumstances are odd to say the least. He was found in a formerly sealed up crypt that workers had accidentally opened, collapsed over a body. Obviously, there […]