Why mermaids sing: a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, former spy and amateur sleuth, has had a very busy year. In his third novel (following What Angels Fear, 2005, and When Gods Die, 2006) set in 1811, someone is butchering the sons of prominent men in London and filling their cadaverous mouths with bizarre objects. Stymied authorities call on the Regency period's best forensic psychologist, St. Cyr, who has a tough time finding a link between the disparate victims' families. He does, however, identify the John Donne poem Song as the symbolic origin of the objects found on the bodies, and after three deaths, he knows who the next victim will be. Unfortunately, this poetic link to the killer's motive may elude most readers. Despite Sebastian's adventurous hard living, various social entanglements, and prodigious Holmesian intellect, he seems flat next to secretive, seductive Kat Boleyn, who plays only a minor role in the story. Fans of the more politically intriguing previous book  may be disappointed, but those who relish gruesome murders in the style of The Dante Club or The Alienist will find plenty upon which to chew.--Baker, Jen Copyright 2007 Booklist

While appending a serial killer plot line to a historical setting is nothing new, Harris imbues what could be an overdone and tired narrative device with refreshing novelty, making his third Regency-era whodunit (after 2006's When Gods Die) a triumph. Sebastian St. Cyr, an unconventional nobleman with a talent for detection, is called in by Westminster chief magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy after two scions of the upper classes are found butchered and left on public display. St. Cyr soon finds a connection between the killer's calling card and a John Donne poem. As shadowy figures threaten and the parents of the victims display an inappropriate hostility to his efforts, the sleuth doggedly persists, uncovering a secret with shocking repercussions for London's upper class. Neatly meshing the page-turning whodunit plot with major developments in St. Cyr's love life, Harris shows every indication of assuming the mantle of the late Bruce Alexander as a reliable producer of quality period mysteries. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Someone is brutally murdering the sons of the wealthy and aristocratic families of Regency London. Sebastian St. Cyr (When Gods Die) is asked to unveil the perpetrator but does not realize that the case has its roots in the past and that his investigation will impact his personal life. Harris captures the Regency era beautifully while providing the reader with a flawlessly constructed mystery. Highly recommended for all mystery collections. Harris lives in New Orleans. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/07.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Aristocratic Regency detective Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, solves a series of grisly murders. When yet another son of a wealthy, well-connected family is found slaughtered with an object stuffed in his mouth, magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy, knowing that any sleuth must have entree to the highest reaches of society, begs Devlin for help. Curiously, not all the grieving fathers are best pleased with Devlin's investigations. A poem by John Donne provides a clue about the objects, but Devlin makes real progress only when he discovers that all the families were connected by the grim voyage of the Harmony, whose officers and passengers were left to starve when the crew mutinied. Realizing that the fathers would rather see their sons die than reveal their secret, Devlin wonders if the mutiny ended in cannibalism. Adding to his trials are ongoing problems with his lover, former French spy and actress Kat Boleyn, who still refuses to marry him. Powerful Lord Jarvis, whose son died on the doomed ship, is trying to force Kat to reveal the identity of the French spymaster. As Devlin travels from the drawing rooms of the rich to the squalid streets of London and England's bucolic backwaters, he uncovers shocking secrets that will change his life forever. Harris's third Regency mystery (When Gods Die, 2006, etc.), suspenseful and meticulously researched, should garner this excellent series more devoted fans. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, former spy and amateur sleuth, has had a very busy year. In his third novel (following What Angels Fear, 2005, and When Gods Die, 2006) set in 1811, someone is butchering the sons of prominent men in London and filling their cadaverous mouths with bizarre objects. Stymied authorities call on the Regency period's best forensic psychologist, St. Cyr, who has a tough time finding a link between the disparate victims' families. He does, however, identify the John Donne poem "Song" as the symbolic origin of the objects found on the bodies, and after three deaths, he knows who the next victim will be. Unfortunately, this poetic link to the killer's motive may elude most readers. Despite Sebastian's adventurous hard living, various social entanglements, and prodigious Holmesian intellect, he seems flat next to secretive, seductive Kat Boleyn, who plays only a minor role in the story. Fans of the more politically intriguing previous book may be disappointed, but those who relish gruesome murders in the style of The Dante Club or The Alienist will find plenty upon which to chew. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

The murderer who mutilates the sons of London's elite families provides a distraction for nobleman Sebastian St. Cyr in the third in the series set in 1811. Harris lives in New Orleans. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Someone is brutally murdering the sons of the wealthy and aristocratic families of Regency London. Sebastian St. Cyr (When Gods Die ) is asked to unveil the perpetrator but does not realize that the case has its roots in the past and that his investigation will impact his personal life. Harris captures the Regency era beautifully while providing the reader with a flawlessly constructed mystery. Highly recommended for all mystery collections. Harris lives in New Orleans. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/07.]

While appending a serial killer plot line to a historical setting is nothing new, Harris imbues what could be an overdone and tired narrative device with refreshing novelty, making his third Regency-era whodunit (after 2006's When Gods Die ) a triumph. Sebastian St. Cyr, an unconventional nobleman with a talent for detection, is called in by Westminster chief magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy after two scions of the upper classes are found butchered and left on public display. St. Cyr soon finds a connection between the killer's calling card and a John Donne poem. As shadowy figures threaten and the parents of the victims display an inappropriate hostility to his efforts, the sleuth doggedly persists, uncovering a secret with shocking repercussions for London's upper class. Neatly meshing the page-turning whodunit plot with major developments in St. Cyr's love life, Harris shows every indication of assuming the mantle of the late Bruce Alexander as a reliable producer of quality period mysteries. (Nov.)