Where Serpents Sleep

Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris.

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: NAL (November 3, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0451226658

 

 

From Booklist

Hero Jarvis, while doing research at Magdalene House, a refuge run by the Quakers for prostitutes in Regency England, narrowly escapes with her life when eight women living there are viciously killed, their murders concealed by arson. As one of the young women died in her arms, Hero decides she must determine why this victim, clearly wellborn, was working as a prostitute and why someone wanted her dead. Unfamiliar with murder investigations, she enlists the help of Sebastian St. Cyr, who has spent the last eight months trying unsuccessfully to deal with the loss of his lover. Sebastian, intrigued by the case and seeing the opportunity to anger Hero’s father, his sworn enemy, agrees to help her. The two investigate, both separately and together, in the slums and mansions of London, uncovering corruption and almost losing their lives on several occasions. The vividly described sights and sounds of Regency London, the stormy relationship between the well-developed main characters, and a complex mystery add to this fourth in the St. Cyr series. --Sue O'Brien

 

I had sent for 2 used books by C.S. Harris from her Sebastian St. Cyr series...  I enjoy the writing and the fact that the person solving the murders is not a detective.  The back story concerns Sebastian himself.  His past "love of his life" turns out to be his half sister since his father kept a mistress!.. (so much for that!)   So his new life is just beginning to appear.

The murders (mulitple!) are of prostitutes, who back then would not even bother to try to find out who did the murders.. but Hero wants to know why one of the prostitutes was a woman of means and enlists Sebastian's help.

As with her other books there are many discoveries and a good historical background. Including the Kings own man who just happens to be Hero's father and he doesn't much like Sebastian.  Jarvis is also not the nicest person.. but you will have to read it to find out about that.

So .. this is a good series, even though I am not reading every single one I am able to follow easily what is going on. Next up will be the last of the C.S. Harris books that I have here.  Hoping one day to get the newest of her books "Who Buries the Dead."  Need to wait for the price to come down.

So what have you been reading?