I just finished a great book, and even greater, it’s the first in a series. I always love finding a compelling new series to read.
The book is What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris, who is also know by the real life name of Candice Proctor. This is a historical mystery series set in England, primarily London, during the early 1800s, the “Regency” period. It features Sebastian St. Cyr, a nobleman who has been rusted a bit by the dark side of life that he’s witnessed, but whose basic goodness is untarnished beneath. St. Cyr hangs out with a lot of “undesirables,” or so they would seem to his noble father and to his social climbing sister. But St. Cyr finds that nobility, and depravity, can each wear fine clothes or foul.
The series stands at four books right now, What Angels Fear, When Gods Die, Why Mermaids Sing, and Where Serpents Sleep. The first one certainly made me want to delve right into the others, all of which I have on my shelves.
What Angels Fear begins with a brutal murder of a popular actress from the London stage, and our St. Cyr is accused of the horror. Rather than flee the country, as many of his friends urge him, he remains in England to solve the crime and clear his name. He gets more experience of the seamy side of London than he might have preferred. But he thrives, and even manages to rekindle a love he thought he’d lost.
The mystery at the heart of “Angels” is a good one, with several surprising developments, but the real joy here is characters and the chance to really “live” for a little while in a very different sort of life. Candy, who has a Ph.D. in history, knows her time period, and the intimate little details are wonderfully realized. And besides, how can you not like a book in which London’s “yellow fog” virtually becomes a character.
Check it out!
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I've had this book for some time now and your rave review is just what I needed to move it up to the top of my (towering) TBR stack. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI've got the newest coming from Amazon. She's awesome!!
ReplyDeletethx charles, will check em out asap :D
ReplyDeleteThey read right up my street :D
ReplyDeleteI need to read those. I like historical mysteries.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction is one of the few genres I love reading.
Lisa, it's definitely worth a go.
ReplyDeleteSteve Malley, the atomsphere is amazing.
Laughingwolf, check out her website too. It's linked on her blog.
Miladysa, lol.
Sidney, I like a lot of historicals in general, as long as it's a good ways in the past. I like learning history.
Georgie B, I've always been a sucker for historical stuff too.
I need to pick these up. I've been eyeballing them for awhile-- good to know they're worth the purchase.
ReplyDeleteThose sound interesting. Your comment about wanting books in your stocking tickled me. Not because it was funny exactly but just so YOU! Have you ever posted pics of your home library? I bet you have skads and skads of books!
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved we let go SO many of our books. We had to.
Intriguing review. As you say, it is peruliarly involving to escape into a well-researched ime & place different from our own. Thanks, Charles. Aloha-
ReplyDeleteOh, don't you just looove that feeling of being at the being at the beginning of a good series!?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommend. I like historical novels, especially mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who has just finished these books, and she recommended them as well. There is nothing better than a mystery in London, in a fog. The Regency period was also Jane Austen's time, but this book sounds a bit edgier.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... you just gave me an idea for a Christmas gift for someone. Thank you!
This series sounds like something that would interest me. I like the period.
ReplyDeleteI've seen these books. Now I'll put the first one on my tbr list!
ReplyDeleteYou are the second person I know who has mentioned this series. I will have to check it out... I'm with you on how nice it is to find a new exciting series. It's a wonderful way to reboot one's love of reading.
ReplyDeleteYou know I had heard about this book a while ago and wanted to read it and forgot. So this is a very timely reminder although my TBR pile is unreal right now!
ReplyDeleteSQT, Candy really takes care with her writing. She likes the kind of details I like in a book.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I have posted some pics of my library. I’ve got some others I’ll have to post up. Last time I counted I had about 5,000 books, but that’s been a while.
Cloudia, yes, it’s like time travel in comfort.
Barrie, yes, it’s like that new series smell! ;)
X. Dell, I’m not a huge mystery reader but I do like historicals.
Jo, this book, and the whole series, is definitely edgier. In fact, I was a bit surprised at how graphic it was in places.
Jack, I’ve not read a lot set in that period but this one certainly interested me more in it.
Writtenwyrdd, they’re definitely worth a try.
David Cranmer, I’ve had these books for a while, but because I don’t read a lot of mysteries I’d let it slip down on my TBR pile. Glad I picked it out the other day.
Ello, my TBR pile is the same. I’ve actually broken mine into two sections, those for immediate TBR, and those for sometime later down the road.
I'll be sure to check these out once they are made available in my country :))
ReplyDeleteThank you for the rewiev.
This looks terrific. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI love these historical mysteries and will have to check out this author.
ReplyDeleteSzelsofa, I know her books have been translated very widely.
ReplyDeletePatty, yes, they are. At least the first one was dynamite. Haven't yet read the others.
Archavist, it's down your geographical alley as well.
With those titles, I'm beginning to think C.S. Harris is a journalist too. It sounds like she can really put the reader into the moment; nothing like good escapism.
ReplyDeleteDo ALL of C.S. Harris's Book titles consist of 3 words ?!?
ReplyDeleteGreat review, and now I have to go and get the others, though I have 'Where Serpents Sleep' in my reading pile. I love the time period and London, in some ways, hasn't changed.
ReplyDeleteCharles, you keep costing me money. I would say I'm going to wait for them to hit the library, but the just sound too good to pass up.
ReplyDeletei had her linked before, forget who recommended her... she sounds like a wonderful writer :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, this sounds awesome! Thanks for the rec! I love historical mysteries.
ReplyDeleteJ.R, yeah she did good with the titles. I like a good title.
ReplyDeleteHeff, I think that was just part of the "signature" of that series. Not all of her other books have titles like those, or three word ones.
Barbara, I like to start with the first one in a series like this, although you don't always get to.
Rick, my wife asked me tonight why I didn't check books out of the libarry more and I just said for some strange reason I feel like I want to own the books I read so I'll have 'em around the house for reference.
Laughingwolf, she is.
December/Stacia, I think you'd like 'em.
I don't read. I wiggle. I just came over to say Heff treats me right. Tahnks for being such a good commenter on his site!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the review. It definitely perked up my interest in the series.
ReplyDeleteWay cool! So, seems almost like a surreal bridge from Jane Austen to Sherlock Holmes?
ReplyDeleteI have seen this book but never read it, but hearing what you have had to say about it, I think it would be one that I would enjoy!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIsnt it great when you discover an author and you just cant get enough of em LOL - Im addicted to Harlen Cobin at the moment and cant lay me lands on enough of him, and Martina Cole also..... and now Kathy keitch or however the hell you spell it....
ReplyDeletex
Donnaluvsheff, yes, I was only teasing him. Seems like you two have a great relationship. Lana and I get along so well too. It's very nice.
ReplyDeleteBernardl, so many good books, so little time.
Erik, that's a good way to describe it.
Lyzzydee, check out Candy's website, linked through her blog on my post, and you can get a more complete idea about the books.
Marmite Toasty, I've heard good things about Cobin. I may have to give him a try.
I hearily second Charles' recommendation. I've read the first three (the fourth is sitting on my to-read-soon pile), and all were great.
ReplyDeleteThat should have been "heartily."
ReplyDeleteI need to get these based completely on your enthusiastic review and the great covers. Thanks for the recommendation :)
ReplyDeleteShauna, we all understood your enthusasim. ;)
ReplyDeleteL. A. Mitchell, Definitely try that first one.
This sounds good. Full of mystery and psychological drama. A real treat.
ReplyDeleteI'm off to check them out.
Thanks for the review.
Crazycath, hope you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review, Charles! It definitely looks like something I would enjoy reading. I’ll check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis is not the first recommendation I've heard for this series. I'll have to check into it when I get some time.
ReplyDeleteYep, I'm moving to Hot Springs Arkansas. I've talked about it for a long time, but I kept trying to make it all work up here in Michigan.
It's not working. So right after Christmas, I'm hitting the road.
The good thing is I have a place to stat down there, work lined up and a cable internet connection already procured. Not necessarily in that order.
It's all about priorities.
And a merry Christmas to you and Lana.
ReplyDeleteVesper, let me know if you do.
ReplyDeleteEric1313, good luck with your relocation. HOt springs is very nice. And I'm glad you've got a job lined up. Excellent.
Oh this one has been sitting in the must buy pile for a while and I'm afriad it just moved up! Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteI wanna read this! Sounds kinda like some other murder mysteries I really love. Yay! Thanks for letting us know.
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