As stated in my last review, I’m so behind that I definitely won’t achieve Full Cannonball status. I also don’t think the following review will be that comprehensive since it’s been months since I read the book in question.
What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris is the first in a series of mysteries starring Sebastian St. Cyr. My sister-in-law and I share a rabid interest in period dramas and mysteries and I saw this in her Goodreads news feed with high ratings, so I immediately added it to my queue. The first of this series introduces us to our hero, Sebastian St. Cyr (Viscount Devlin), a young aristocrat seriously traumatized by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. A young woman is discovered brutally raped and murdered on the altar of a church, in her hand is a dueling pistol belonging to none other than Sebastian. Though he only knew the victim in passing, he is quickly the primary (and only) official suspect. Rather than rely on officials to realize their mistake, Sebastian goes on the lam to prove his own innocence and solve the murder himself.
I liked this book well enough from what I remember. It’s a little brutal in its violence (the crimes echo those of Jack the Ripper in their violent misogyny), so if you need a trigger warning I suppose I’m giving you one right now. It’s quite lucky that our hero also investigated things for the army during the wars. It’s the second series I’ve encountered with aristocratic armchair sleuths (the other being Charles Lenox by Charles Finch) in the 19th century. It makes me wonder – was this a legitimate hobby of the bored nobleman? And by legitimate I don’t mean respectable I just wonder, were there a lot of them really doing this at the time or is it just a convenient plot device to get around issues of money, access, etc.?
I have added the second book of the series to my “To Read” list to see if Sebastian becomes a favorite sleuth of mine. Stay tuned in Cannonball 7!
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