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60th out of 738 books
—
1,613 voters
Where Serpents Sleep (Sebastian St. Cyr #4)
by
C.S. Harris (Goodreads Author)
London, 1812. The brutal slaughter of eight young prostitutes in a house of refuge near Covent Garden leaves only one survivor- and one witness: Hero Jarvis, reform-minded daughter of the Prince Regent's cousin, Lord Jarvis. When the Machiavellian powerbroker quashes any official inquiry that might reveal his daughter's unorthodox presence, Hero launches an investigation o...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
November 4th 2008
by NAL Hardcover
(first published October 16th 2008)
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Feb 02, 2009
Sue
added it
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 woman, clearly wellborn, was working as a prostitute and who wanted her dead. Unfamiliar with murder investigations, she enlists the help of Sebastian St. Cyr, who has spent the la...more
Dec 06, 2008
Susan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Historical mystery fans, Regency fans
Recommended to Susan by:
Amazon rec. the series
This is the fourth in the series, and definitely my FAVORITE so far. The three previous books are definitely worth reading, but there was an atmosphere of darkness (hence, St. Cyr being labelled "troubled" and "brooding") surrounding the books. In the fourth book, I feel like St. Cyr is finally lightening up a little and finding his sense of humor - and Hero Jarvis moves to center stage, which helps immensely!
St. Cyr is trying to live with the pain of the end of his relationship with Kat (which...more
St. Cyr is trying to live with the pain of the end of his relationship with Kat (which...more
WHERE SERPENTS SLEEP (Hist. Mys-Sabastian St. Cyr-England-Regency/1812) - Ex
Harris, C.S. (aka Candice E. Proctor) – 4th in series
Obsidian, 2008, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780451225122
First Sentence: The girl stared out the window, one hand sliding up and down her shawl-covered arm in a ceaseless, uneasy motion.
Hero Jarvis is a reformist working on a theory as to what drives women to prostitution. She is also daughter to a cousin of the Prince regent. While interviewing one of the women, Rose, who ha...more
Harris, C.S. (aka Candice E. Proctor) – 4th in series
Obsidian, 2008, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780451225122
First Sentence: The girl stared out the window, one hand sliding up and down her shawl-covered arm in a ceaseless, uneasy motion.
Hero Jarvis is a reformist working on a theory as to what drives women to prostitution. She is also daughter to a cousin of the Prince regent. While interviewing one of the women, Rose, who ha...more
The fourth installment of the Sebastian St Cyr series is as compelling and lurid and the previous three. Harris deftly removes the veneer of 1800 England and exposes the seedy underbelly beneath as her privileged detective travels amongst the darker sides of his society to find a murderer.
At his side in this one is the daughter of his nemesis and one time kidnap victim of Sebastian, Hero Jarvis.
The novel begins with the attack on a house of refuge, a home for young girls who are trying to leave...more
At his side in this one is the daughter of his nemesis and one time kidnap victim of Sebastian, Hero Jarvis.
The novel begins with the attack on a house of refuge, a home for young girls who are trying to leave...more
The five stars are for Hero Jarvis, whose name really fits the bill. I liked Kat well enough, but Hero really impressed the pants off me. I love her strength and determination as much as I love her imperiously stiff upper-lip. I read her as a character with the bearing of an Amazon queen and the buttoned-up appearance of a librarian, and that is a fascinating combination. If more female characters had the stuff Hero Jarvis is made of, we'd be wading through a lot less crap.
I know that Kat is the...more
I know that Kat is the...more
Whoa! It happened!
If you've been alert to the romance, you'll know what I mean and, if you're like me, you've been anticipating it for a couple of books now. Thanks heavens Harris got that over with, though I suspect she'll keep the romantic developments slow paced just to drive people mad with the waiting. In an effort to find some relief, I sought out some of her historical romances, written as Candice Proctor. Bad news, though--most of them are not available as ebooks, which is a crying sham...more
If you've been alert to the romance, you'll know what I mean and, if you're like me, you've been anticipating it for a couple of books now. Thanks heavens Harris got that over with, though I suspect she'll keep the romantic developments slow paced just to drive people mad with the waiting. In an effort to find some relief, I sought out some of her historical romances, written as Candice Proctor. Bad news, though--most of them are not available as ebooks, which is a crying sham...more
Another twisty-turny mystery that goes all over London and surrounding areas before Sebastian St. Cyr ties up all the loose ends. This time he's helping Miss Hero Jarvis, who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is doing research at Magdelena House, a refuge for prostitutes trying to get out of the profession. Rose, a rather aristocratic young lady of the evening, suddenly hears intruders and immediately says they're coming for her. Hero tries to help her escape but the girl is shot. Her...more
Four stars for stressful psycho-drama, but otherwise it was a five star book.
I really am loving this series and I really really enjoy reading about the main character, Sebastian St. Cyr.
(view spoiler)...more
I really am loving this series and I really really enjoy reading about the main character, Sebastian St. Cyr.
(view spoiler)...more
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Another great installment in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series. Viscount Devlin is back delving into London's seedy underworld thanks to Hero Jarvis, the daughter of the man he hates more than life itself.
Hero was a witness, and only survivor, to a most gruesome murder. Visiting a house of refuge, Hero was interviewing a prostitute named Rose, for research, when the house was invaded by intruders and set on fire. Rose dies in Hero's arms and Hero vows to find out how this obviously cultured y...more
Hero was a witness, and only survivor, to a most gruesome murder. Visiting a house of refuge, Hero was interviewing a prostitute named Rose, for research, when the house was invaded by intruders and set on fire. Rose dies in Hero's arms and Hero vows to find out how this obviously cultured y...more
The fourth book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. It was actually someone’s comments on this book in the series that got me interested in the series. The author wrote romances under a different name before starting this mystery series. The person, used to the author’s romantic writing past, assumed this new series would continue her romantic trends. But instead the author does something in this book that goes against that tendency. I liked it. It works quite well in a mystery series…which is what...more
A nice period piece mystery set in London circa 1812 has a Daughter of a Lord, Hero Jarvis who is definatley not a typical "lady" of the period involved in research on prostitutes in order to put forward a bill in parliament . While interviewing some of the "ladies" at a refuge house they are interrupted by pounding at the door and the sound of splintering wood. Hero and one of the girls escape out an upstairs window and are running down an ally when a shot is fired and the girls falls, seeing t...more
The fourth installment in the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, this book picks up 8 months after book 3 ended. Still reeling from the shocking revelation made at the end of book 3, Sebastian has spent the intervening months in miscellaneous drunken debauchery. This all changes, however, when Hero Jarvis, daughter of the infamous Lord Jarvis, is witness to the murder of eight "soiled doves" at a Magdalene House run by Quakers. Partly to spite Lord Jarvis, partly because he's intrigued at why everyone...more
I found this entertaining enough and it bothered me less than the first one I read in this series. Either my expectations were lower, or there was less emphasis on Sebastian's speshul uniquely-colored eyes. Seriously, I think the investigation of the mystery was a bit less repetitive and more creative. The characterization was more interesting. I find Sebastian a bit ho-hum as a hero, as the author tends to leave his motivations fairly shallow. But I felt that he is developing more depth. He cou...more
4 stars! I'm hooked and moved to the 5th book so fast that it blurred together and I reviewed the wrong book. Oops. Now corrected.
The story and mystery were superb. The author just gets better and better so far. The story is vividly told and I love that there is nothing but action. Even when informing the reader, she does it through dialogue between the characters. I like that and it doesn't slow the pace. The element that isn't occurring at a fast pace is the romance. The author is taking the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Wonderful mystery series set in London circa early 1800's. It reads like historical fiction and with Sebastian St. Cyr, a very real character, it's extremely engaging. The introduction of Hero Jarvis - an intelligent and spunky woman defying gender restrictions of her era - is a wonderful addition and hopefully a frequent accomplice/collaborator to the escapades and intrigues of Lord Devlin.
Viscount Devlin has a devil of a time when Hero Jarvis, Lord Jarvis’s daughter, asks for his help in solving a dastardly crime. Someone has murdered the inhabitants of a house of refuge for the city’s prostitutes and then burned it to the ground. However, Hero was a witness and knows the killers were after one woman in particular who appeared to be gently bred. Who was she and how did she end up in this sordid life? Together they follow a trail of deception, incest, and intrigue, while tripping...more
A religious shelter for reformed prostitutes is burned down in an attempt to hide the murder of all residents. There is only one witness left to tell the tale. When Lord Jarvis ruthlessly quashes any official inquiry to hide his daughter's involvement, Hero Jarvis decides to take matters in her own hands and turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin, for help. The two are asking for trouble when they leave no stone unturned, but will it be enough to solve the murders?
C.S. Harris takes her readers...more
C.S. Harris takes her readers...more
Dec 12, 2010
Calli
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery,
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Even though I discovered this was book four in the series (and why would the library only carry book four?), I thoroughly enjoyed it. In some ways, I'm glad I started with this book, because it comes right after a big tragedy that might have devastated me if it had taken me unaware. I'm okay with cushioned impact. This series has an Anne Perry feel, and I have long been a big fan of her books. Like Perry, this book deals with social injustices of the time and can be emotionally wrenching. There...more
A tad frenetic for a novel set in 1812, Where Serpents Sleep flashes through multilevels of intrigue like it's directed by McG. That's something of a pity, as the joy of reading Harris is experiencing the world she so skillfully builds - confusing, too, since this novel marks the advent of the 'ship that's been looming like Titanic on the horizon since the first book in the series, and you'd think she'd want to savor the moment. An enjoyable enough mystery, but it's getting to the point where y...more
Where Serpents Sleep
is number four in the St Cyr mysteries. This is my favorite so far. I was bored with Sebastian St Cyr's love affair with the "actress/spy" Kat. In this book Hero, the daughter of his nemesis Jarvis, comes to the forefront. I just find her a much more interesting counterpoint to Sebastian. I thought that she was going to be important since she showed up in the first book, What Angels Fear.
The plot involves the murder of 8 "soiled doves". Hero has a personal reason for wantin...more
The plot involves the murder of 8 "soiled doves". Hero has a personal reason for wantin...more
I stopped reading the series last year when Sebastian had a set back with his father that I can't explain without giving away plot points. I was especially suspicious when I saw that Hero had a large part in this book--she always seemed too straight laced by far. I needn't have worried. The story was as excellent as all the other mysteries have been. This series is one of the best of the historical mystery series, driven as it is with an appealing main character, Sebastian St. Cyr, as the reluct...more
Not much to say about this, except that I liked it. It was a fun romp through Regency England, and very pleasant after the hopelessness of the last book I read. I did figure out another reason why I like to take a break midway through series - authors tend to reuse certain stock phrases or even short paragraphs when describing main characters. I understand that this is often done to familiarize new readers with the ensemble in a hurry, but for someone who's read the entire series this convention...more
The best mystery I've read in a bit. Takes place in Regency-era England, always a favorite. I ended coming in on the fourth book in the series, so some startling revelations were made in the last book. I'm wondering if I should go back, but the writing is good enough that I think I would enjoy the books for themselves even knowing what will happen to some of the characters.
The mystery was interesting, and the characters and setting very rich. I especially enjoyed Hero and hope to see more of her...more
The mystery was interesting, and the characters and setting very rich. I especially enjoyed Hero and hope to see more of her...more
Awesome fourth installment. I got a little tripped up by some of the more minute plot points, but I think that's partly because I plowed through the book (and the series thus far, actually) so quickly that I didn't really have time to digest some of the various who-what-wheres and mentally assemble the puzzle pieces. Also, I'm generally kind of a dope about keeping even semi-complex plots and tertiary characters straight. I'm kind of a bad reader -- I can admit it.
That said, my enjoyment of the...more
That said, my enjoyment of the...more
This is the fourth installment of the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I will say the same thing that I have said for all of them which is that they are fun, easy reading but the author does go overboard on the grisly murder details. There were a few times where the autopsy details made my pregnant self a little queasy. I can envision all of these books being made into movies with the descriptive details ranging from the style of clothing to the murders to the action sequences. There is a separate stor...more
This book is the fourth installment in the series and again I'm happy from the start to finish. The story/plot was really interesting, moved at a good pace and of course was well written. I liked that this book was a little shaken up in a sense. I say this because Miss.Hero Jarvis came to the spotlight in this story and I'm interested to see where her character is headed in the next installment. Possible love interest? Seems possible. She's a "modern-thinking" woman in a not so modern time compa...more
I didn't think much of the first book in this series, so I skipped number 2. A couple of weeks ago I decided to give it another chance and read Why Mermaids Sing. Either the writing has improved, or I've become easier to please, because I enjoyed it a lot. In my opinion, Where Serpents Sleep was even better. It's not high-brow and I don't think that Ms Harris' use of Regency-era language rivals that of Georgette Heyer in her Regency romances, for example, but a good read nevertheless. Now I'm lo...more
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Candice Proctor, aka C.S. Harris and C.S. Graham, is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen novels including the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series written under the name C.S. Harris, the new C.S. Graham thriller series co-written with Steven Harris, and seven historical romances. She is also the author of a nonfiction historical study of the French Revolution. Her books...more
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Jun 30, 2011 11:30am