The third volume in the series and for me everything went up a notch. The mystery which Sebastian investigates is a grisly one: young men are being found mutilated with objects placed in their mouths, objects which he realises quite early on relate to a poem. This story has non stop twists and turns as more elements of the mystery come to light. And there is also a big revelation, stemming from the efforts of Sebastian's lover, Kat, to avoid him ever finding out that she used to spy for France. It's a big shock moment and the aftermath between two other characters hint that there is yet another layer to the secret which, if I'm correct, is an even more shocking revelation in store for the future.

Hero, the daughter of Sebastian's powerful enemy, Jarvis, features more in this and I much prefer her character to Kat so that was a bonus. Sebastian also acquires a valet who is not only non-squeamish about his master's murder investigations, but will be a good source of information on the criminal underworld. There wasn't quite enough of Tom, who has been my favourite in the series, but I still found it such a good read, with obvious signs that the series has finally hit its stride, that I rate this a full five stars. ( )

Interesting little period piece. Kind of confusing if you aren’t familiar with the period. Suffice it to say, I won’t be picking up any other books from this series. ( )

The mystery started out a bit slow, but the action and drama really hit its stride later on and it had a solid finish. So overall quite strong. ( )

I loved this historical mystery set in 1811 London. It is the third book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series but the first one that I have read. In this installment of the series, murder stalks London's elite families as the sons of prominent families are found dead in public places. Their bodies have been mutilated with strange objects stuffed in their mouths. Sebastian handles the investigation to find the killer alongside his sidekick, magistrate Henry Lovejoy.

Sebastian is a likable character. He is the only surviving son of the Earl of Hendon and will inherit the title some day. His father is horrified that he is performing common work for the police force. He currently has the title of the Viscount Devlin. Sebastian served in the army as an intelligence specialist and the skills and contacts he obtained from his military service came in handy in this investigation. This background is a fabulous basis for a sleuth. His girlfriend, Kat Boleyn, is a prostitute but he wants to marry her. I am not sure how he came to fall in love with Kat. That information must be in the prior books in the series. It didn't seem likely to me that he would fall for someone like Kat.

The writing was tight. There were alot of twists and turns in the plot and the author had me guessing what the outcome might be. The whodunnit was surprising and I did not see it coming. I am excited to continue reading this series. Author C. S. Harris is a new author for me and it's always awesome to find a new author that I love. ( )

What the What?!?! Kate and Sebastian are half siblings?! I. Did. Not. See. That. Coming. ( )