Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr #1)

by C.S. Harris (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 3,234 ratings · 393 reviews

In London, 1811, a young woman is brutally raped and murdered, her body left on the altar steps of an ancient church. The prime suspect: Sebastian St. Cyr, a brilliant young nobleman still haunted by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. Now he is running for his life, desperate to catch the killer and prove his innocence. Moving from Mayfair's glittering ballrooms to St...more

Hardcover, 341 pages

Published November 1st 2005 by NAL Hardcover (first published 2005)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Cozy Mystery Series

113th out of 293 books — 979 voters

Gone with the Wind, Part 2 of 2 by Margaret Mitchell

Fictional Crushes

191st out of 508 books — 506 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 31, 2009 Christa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

I enjoy historical mysteries, and this is one of the better ones that I have read. The storyline was good, and the mystery kept me guessing. I really liked the main character, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. I am looking forward to reading the other three novels that are currently part of this series.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is a rather mysterious young nobleman with uncanny vision and hearing. Rumors have abounded about him since his return from the Napoleonic Wars. When a young...more

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Savindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, mystery

Cover Gushing Worthiness: I think the cover of What Angels Fear is hauntingly beautiful. There’s a certain darkness to it, which captures the mood of the book perfectly.

Review:

What do you think an angel would fear? Love. I think an angel would fear falling in love with a mortal- someone who could be theirs for only a short time and them would slip away forever. – Kat Boleyn.

I admit it was the title and the cover that drew me to this book. Both the cover and the title are so chilling in my opin...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Bruce rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Faced with more than thirty-hours of travel time from Wisconsin to Papua New Guinea, I pondered what reading material to carry with me, first considering and rejecting a book of William Gass’s literary essays as requiring too much concentration and thought. Next I thought I might choose David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, a novel I read in 2004 when I concluded that it was a technical tour-de-force lacking substantive content. Recent reviews of the book by a number of readers whom I respect have made...more Faced with more than thirty-hours of travel time from Wisconsin to Papua New Guinea, I pondered what reading material to carry with me, first considering and rejecting a book of William Gass’s literary essays as requiring too much concentration and thought. Next I thought I might choose David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, a novel I read in 2004 when I concluded that it was a technical tour-de-force lacking substantive content. Recent reviews of the book by a number of readers whom I respect have made me consider that I may have misjudged it, underestimating its ideas. But I decided to save that in my checked baggage for later reading on the trip. Finally, I picked this present novel as something potentially interesting but light enough to be compatible with interrupted reading during the flights. Alas, it was a disappointment.

Let me first say what I didn’t like. Harris’s writing itself is banal and not noteworthy, her syntax unimaginative and her metaphors sometimes trite or forced. Most of her characters are two-dimensional and stereotyped, although a few do develop over the course of the narrative; thus, rather than rounded characters developing together, we have multiple layers of flat characters superimposed atop one another. Her ear for dialogue is rudimentary and undifferentiated among characters, except perhaps for young Tom, whose Cockney accent she captures well (although for a London street urchin of 1811 he is unconvincingly wise and sophisticated). The plot is broad, unsubtle, and mostly predictable, a recurrent cycle of fights, chases, romance, and sexual violence, in short a combination of second rate James Bond and bodice-ripper.

There are a few features that, if not entirely redeeming, do temper my generally negative judgments. Harris does convincingly conjure the ambiance of early 19th century London, its fog and dirt and squalor, its extremes of wealth and class. And a few details of the plot are a little unexpected, refreshing oases in an otherwise humdrum landscape. Her portrayal of a society intent on the acquisition of power, prestige, and wealth while at the same time ignoring and willingly disposing of parts of its population that are disadvantaged rings uncomfortably true of our own society in early 21st century United States. Regency England politics was not much different from our political machinations today. In that sense Harris has presented a valuable mirror to our own life and times. And, yes, there were some acute psychological observations during the narrative, for which I give Harris credit. But these grains of wheat are rare enough to raise the question whether it was worth wading through the chaff.

So did I make a good choice of traveling reading material? No, probably not. One sometimes hears the argument that there are times when reading for entertainment can complement or substitute for the reading of well-written literature. That is an argument I don’t buy, there being many works of literature that are both well-written and entertaining. There is no need to sacrifice one for the other. This novel is the first in a series featuring the protagonist Sebastian St. Cyr. (I conclude that the “Sebastian” may be a gesture of homage to the main figure in Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. I regret to say that Harris is no Waugh.) I am little inclined to read subsequent novels in Harris’s series.
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Renae M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, historical-fiction, mystery, regency, books-i-own

What Angels Fear is yet another example of the awesome tool that is is Goodreads. I would never have found this book otherwise, and that would have been quite awful. I’m honestly in love with this book.

You all know I love historical fiction, right? Well, I do. It’s my favorite genre. I always find something good, and, looking back, I can’t name a historical fiction read that I didn’t like. I went into What Angels Fear pretty sure I wouldn’t be disappointed, though I was a little unsure about the...more What Angels Fear is yet another example of the awesome tool that is is Goodreads. I would never have found this book otherwise, and that would have been quite awful. I’m honestly in love with this book.

You all know I love historical fiction, right? Well, I do. It’s my favorite genre. I always find something good, and, looking back, I can’t name a historical fiction read that I didn’t like. I went into What Angels Fear pretty sure I wouldn’t be disappointed, though I was a little unsure about the mystery aspect—I recently read Tasha Alexander’s And Only to Deceive and wasn’t completely wowed. However! C.S. Harris totally pulled off an engaging, suspenseful mystery set in Regency-era London. So good.

Now, character-wise, the book’s protagonist, Sebastian, is a bit of a cliché. Dark, tortured past, uncanny hearing and vision, strong moral compass, rich and privileged. You know, one of those types of guys. Yet while Sebastian isn’t the most original character, I really did like him. Who doesn’t like a handsome guy with a good sense of humor running around trying to clear his name while simultaneously attempting to make amends with his one true love? Good stuff.

Harris also managed to pull out an excellent cast of supporting characters and a web of tangled relationships and motivations. There was a lot of subtlety involved in this book’s characterization, and I really enjoyed watching things unfold and lay themselves out. Honestly, if you cut the mystery out entirely, you’d have a fantastic historical soap opera, which I would totally dig, too.

But, man, the mystery was good in and of itself. Most mysteries I read are formulaic and predictable, and while What Angels Fear was perhaps a teeensy bit on the "overdone" side of the genre, nothing was in-your-face or aggravatingly obvious. A lot of this was political intrigue and espionage, rather than snooping around and having "aha!" moments Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys style. Actually, there was a lot of complexity to this book’s plot, which I appreciated. Harris often gave readers a chance to connect the dots before confirming them through the narrative. I like an author who has faith that her readers can be intelligent.

Verdict: I really, really liked this book. What Angels Fear is everything I want in a historical fiction, plus the added bonus of a cleverly-crafted mystery. Sebastian is a likable protagonist, albeit with a knight-in-shining-armor complex. The story was appropriately suspenseful, the gory subject matter tastefully portrayed (though, warning: squicky subjects present), and the romance not so center-stage that I got annoyed. I will definitely be continuing with this series, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.

Read more reviews at Respiring Thoughts.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2008 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, ebooks

The blurb copy on What Angels Fear, the first of C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr series, says that if you are a fan of the Julian Kestrel series, then you'll like this one too. And it's really rather on the money. I do like me some Regency-era mystery, and like the redoubtable Julian Kestrel, Sebastian St. Cyr is a nobleman of dubious reputation and a mysterious history. He's got the obligatory relationship with a woman of equally dubious reputation, and the plucky young sidekick off the streets....more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2009 Baldwin_tina rated it 2 of 5 stars

(340 pgs.) A mystery/murder that takes place during the Regency period. I liked this book except for the explicit sexual passages which were totally unnecessary. Also, this book had two problems that I spotted. pg. 71 The lady of the house has asked her servants to fold the newspaper (Morning News) up and set it at her place at the breakfast table. Ladies as late as the Victorian and into the beginning of the twentieth century would NOT have read the newspaper. It was considered to be full of th...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2013 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was an easy read, and the mystery was enough to keep me reading but there wasn't anything especially charming or likeable in the characters, setting, or morality of the story.

I enjoyed the action, and I particularly enjoyed Simplot's stabbing, which was totally out of left field for me. But I rarely felt overly concerned for the hero's safety. I couldn't really sympathise with Kat either or buy into their romance. If he couldn't marry her why not take her on as his mistress? If they loved eac...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-books

(2.5 Stars Rounding Up)
Is it bad that at the 90% mark of the story I started hoping the protagonist’s love interest would get brutally murdered by the bad guy?

This is a book that was clearly planned, researched, developed and thought out. It’s got twists a plenty and I liked the writing, especially at first. My problem was that it was all sooooo obvious. Everything unfolded exactly as I expected too. I saw the twists coming. I knew who the villain was the first time he stepped onto the stage (an...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Riccarla Roman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd already read the other Sebastiam St. Cyr books before I got this, the first book in the series. I wanted to see how it all started.

When one reads the first book after reading the later books, it's a little awkward because you read information that you already know Some of the shock value is gone because this case was referred to in the other books. Still, it gave me the chance to see how it all started.

It all started with the murder of a young actress in a church. Sebastien St. Cyr was helpi...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 D.w. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reviewed

There was a lot to like about the first St. Cyr mystery and I do intend to read others in the series. Ms. Harris who is a historian knows a great deal and shares that with us, though sometimes it does seem that we have artifice instead of art to do so.

We have the dead body, which we of course want in our mysteries. We even have our heroic investigator, but what we have also is some additional hijinks that does not make sense. Why does our hero need the Bithil Syndrome? It is a device that author...more

like · see review

Jul 10, 2011 Mary Helene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

It's a good mystery - a plot that thickens, characters who engage and a deeper thread examining the response of privilege to poverty.In fact, I printed out and attached to the inside back cover a couple of paragraphs by Jon Sobrino which are on this theme. They are posted below.

From this basic reality of the cross and of death, we have learned to place in its true perspective the massive poverty which draws people to death--death which is slow at the hands of the ever-present structures of inju...more

like · see review

Apr 12, 2010 SarahC rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Regency historical mystery fans

Shelves: mystery, regency-setting

I love historical mysteries, but even in my limited experience with them, I have become choosy. I don't mind trying series mysteries, but am also past the honeymoon with them too. Too many times, I don't feel I'm getting my money's worth from buying all the books throughout the series -- in other words maybe I feel I have read 3-volume's worth of actual story for every six volumes purchased.

But let me focus back to first of the latest series I am trying, What Angels Fear, a Sebastian St. Cyr mys...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2010 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

It is 1811 and King George III is mad and his son is about to become Prince Regent and the French Revolution haunts London at all stratas including all those who served in the army in France. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin is a young nobleman haunted by his wartime experiences.

A young woman from the shady sides of London is brutally murdered and violated inside a church and St. Cyr's dueling pistol is found with her body. As he is being arrested, he escapes. Rather than use his money and in...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2012 Indiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, historical, regency-england, mystery, viscount

Hello, welcome to my new obsession - that is, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin *grin* This is the first book in a who knows how many mystery series. So far there are 4. All feature St. Cyr solving a mystery. Set in Regency England, this first one sees St. Cyr accused of brutally murdering a young actress in a church. Of course he didn't do it. Rather than flee abroad as everyone urges him to do, he goes undercover, taking refuge in the seemier parts of London and sets about clearing his name w...more

like · see review

Apr 25, 2012 Marguerite Kaye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Books often make me think of songs, and all during this one The Jam's Butterfly Collector haunted me - so much so that I had to download the track, since it's a little-known b-side that I only have on vinyl.

This series was recommended to me when I was looking for Historical with a twist, and it's certainly that. I love crime too, so this combined another of my favourite elements. Ms Harris gives us the antithesis of the Regency world, a London more akin to the dank and slimy city we associate w...more Books often make me think of songs, and all during this one The Jam's Butterfly Collector haunted me - so much so that I had to download the track, since it's a little-known b-side that I only have on vinyl.

This series was recommended to me when I was looking for Historical with a twist, and it's certainly that. I love crime too, so this combined another of my favourite elements. Ms Harris gives us the antithesis of the Regency world, a London more akin to the dank and slimy city we associate with Jack the Ripper and Olover Twist than the start of the Regency, which is when this novel is set. Fog cloaks the story, literally and metaphorically, as our hero Sebastian St Cyr struggles to clear his name of a truly heinous crime. Post-mortems, grave robbing, poverty and very dirty politics are all here, warts and all, which is the thing I loved most about this story, with the occassional glances into the world of the haute ton serving merely to contrast with the appalling livings being scraped out in the rookeries and taverns nearby. It's a world I find utterly compelling, and one so well done that I could easily overlook the very occasional historical anachronism and the Americanisms in the language.

The unravelling of the crime itself was as twisted and contorted as some of the lives depicted in this story - if I'm honest, just a little bit too twisted and contorted. I didn't guess whodunnit (and as a veteran of crime stories, that surprised me) but this was more due to the fact that the culprit was so heavily disguised as to be almost absent from the story - and I personally didn't like that, but that might just be me. One other minor quibble was on character. I would have preferred a bit more insight into Sebastian's mind, and I felt that some of the seconadary charactes, in particular his sister and his father, could have been more developed. I appreciate that some of the mystery has to be held back for the next book (which I'll definitely be reading), but at times I found myself questioning the motivation of some - as I said, especially Sebastian's father and sister.

But minor quibbles. This was a great read, a different read, and an evocative one and a new author for me with a backlist - yay!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 01, 2010 Dorie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mysteries

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is charged with murder when a young actress if found mutilated in an old church and a gun marked with his name is found on the body. Smelling a setup, Sebastian runs from the authorities and decides to find the killer himself. In the process he hooks up with another actress named Kat Boleyn, a woman he once loved who ended up breaking his heart. The story was really good and it was difficult to deduce the killer, but with good reason -- the author didn't share...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2009 Starling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical, mystery

Written when at page 50. I'm not sure about this book at this point. The writing is pretty good. I'm interested in the plot and the mystery. It is possible that now that the main character is up front and on the run that I'm going to enjoy it more.

Not long after page 50 the book took off. I think my problems getting into it had more to do with first book in a series syndrome than anything else. The first book has to set the stage, build the universe and give you at least some of the continuing c...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2011 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up for some fun reading while browsing shelves at the bookstore for which I had a gift card. It is a mystery set in Regency London, and to make it even more appealing, it featured a comment saying Anne Perry fans would like it. And that is true! I am halfway through the novel, and can say it is better written than an Anne Perry novel. (But I will always be reading the newest adventures of both the Pitt and the Monk series.)

So far this is a great summer read. A lovely actress found...more

like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Erica Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, historical-mystery

I loved this book, which is a fast-paced Regency-set mystery with spies (yay!) and a hint of romance. The absolute best thing about the book is the hero, Sebastian St. Cyr, who headlines the series. He is, to put it mildly, delicious. He has some special abilities, which the author attributes to a rare genetic syndrome.

[I did a quick search of several medical and genetic databases and could find nothing on 'bithil syndrome'; however, many diseases have multiple names and it's possible that the...more

like · see review

Jan 21, 2013 Regan Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-reads

Suspenseful Regency Mystery with a Worthy Hero and an Intriguing Heroine—and Many Twists and Turns!

Having loved Candice Proctor’s historical romances (all keepers!), I thought to read her Regency mystery series featuring Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. I was not disappointed. Like her other novels, these are masterfully written with vivid descriptions of Regency London, both the aristocracy and the underbelly of society. The mystery itself is absorbing, even riveting—and very hard to put dow...more Suspenseful Regency Mystery with a Worthy Hero and an Intriguing Heroine—and Many Twists and Turns!

Having loved Candice Proctor’s historical romances (all keepers!), I thought to read her Regency mystery series featuring Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. I was not disappointed. Like her other novels, these are masterfully written with vivid descriptions of Regency London, both the aristocracy and the underbelly of society. The mystery itself is absorbing, even riveting—and very hard to put down. Harris captures the essence of life on the streets of this city in 1811 where a savage killer is on the loose even as Prince George prepares to take the reins of power. You can feel the cold of a harsh winter and the desperate condition of some people’s lives as Sebastian joins the rabble to find a killer.

Sebastian St. Cyr, heir to his father, the Earl of Hendon, is a handsome, street-smart hero. An intelligence officer in the army, he returns home to find himself embroiled in a vicious murder of a beautiful young actress on the altar of an obscure church. One of the Devlin dueling pistols is found beneath the victim’s body, and there is a witness who says she was meeting “St. Cyr.” Sebastian is arrested, and in the process a constable is wounded, possibly unto death, and Sebastian flees to take up a myriad of disguises in his search for the truth and to clear his name. He is aided in his quest by young Tom, a street urchin who adopts Sebastian, a Irish doctor friend, and Kat Boleyn, the Irish actress and former love of Sebastian’s life who turned him away six years ago.

The intrigue will keep you turning pages as Sebastian follows a trail of clues through London’s dark underbelly. Harris’s writing is amazing. The detail in her description reflects deep research (which I so appreciate), but I also love her characters. Sebastian, Kat and Tom are now favorites of mine. Harris makes real Sebastian’s longing for the woman who remains in his heart though Kat refused his offer of marriage, driving him to a military career. But Kat still loves the man she let go out of love.

This is a keeper of a mystery—and a romance. Don’t miss it…and all the rest in the St. Cyr series (see list below).

Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Series:

What Angels Fear, 2005
When Gods Die, 2006
Why Mermaids Sing, 2007
Where Serpents Sleep, 2008
What Remains of Heaven, 2009
Where Shadows Dance, 2011
When Maidens Mourn, 2012
What Darkness Brings, March 2013 (less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Cris rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british, historical-mystery, mysteries

Couldn't finish this book. It started off well, a solid crime, a touch of history. But then Harris wrote a scene that struck me as bad farce and I couldn't get back into the story. Eventually I gave up.

At about pg 40, (view spoiler)...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2009 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pure escapism. Not extremely well-written, but I am a sucker for mysteries, especially when they are set in a foreign country. It is a weird mix of bodice-ripper and detective novel, though. I was kind of surprised by the sex scenes, they seemed unnecessary for the plot development. I guess it was to make sure you understood the relationship between two of the characters, but I think I got it before they rekindled their physical relationship. Maybe it was just meant to satisfy the usual audience...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 02, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This first title in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series will hook you and reel you in. Accused of a heinous rape/murder, Viscount Devlin flees the authorities and takes refuge in 1811 London where he seeks to clear his name. With various allies to help him, he unravels a scheme involving French spies, political intrigue, blackmail, and greed. Evocative setting details will have you believing you’re in fog-shrouded London as you follow the hero’s adventures into disreputable alleyways and slummy...more

like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who Like Deanna Raybourne or Tasha Alexander

Shelves: mystery

This is the first of the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery novels.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount of Devlin is accused of the brutal rape and murder of an actress, Rachel York, found dead in a church. He is fingered as the culprit because the name St. Cyr is in her appointment book and one of his dueling pistols is found at the scene. He knows he is innocent because he has never met the woman and can't imagine why she'd put a non-existent meeting in her book.

The Chief Magistrate, Sir Lovejoy is pressured...more This is the first of the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery novels.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount of Devlin is accused of the brutal rape and murder of an actress, Rachel York, found dead in a church. He is fingered as the culprit because the name St. Cyr is in her appointment book and one of his dueling pistols is found at the scene. He knows he is innocent because he has never met the woman and can't imagine why she'd put a non-existent meeting in her book.

The Chief Magistrate, Sir Lovejoy is pressured to arrest Devlin and feels strangely as if there is more going on than what appears on the surface. And Lovejoy isn't so sure Devlin is the culprit. However, there is evidence and he sets off to arrest Devlin. During the arrest there is an attack and Devlin escapes.

The story centers on not only Devlin's own detection of the crime while he is in hiding (he is determined to clear his name and, after learning more about the death of the victim, determined to bring the killer to justice) but also on French spies for Napolean, the succession from Mad King George to the Prince Regent, and Devlin's own family background.

I finished this book in almost one sitting. It reminds me very much of books by two of my recent favorite authors, Deanna Raybourne and Tasha Alexander. It is set in the Regency rather than in Victorian England and the main character is male rather than female. But all the things that make those books a hit for me also works in this one. I like the historical place and setting and well as the bits of actual historical events that surround the fictional players. And the interplay of all the characters is very well done.

Devlin is an excellent main character. He is a bit James Bondian without the fantasy gadgets. He can change his appearance with make-up and clothing and has a good ear for languages and voices. He has an unnatural keenness of eye and hearing which allows him to see clearly in the dark and hear things well before they should be in normal hearing range. His need to see justice done, not only for his own sake, but for poor Rachel, speaks of a person who has a deep core of honor and integrity. The whole book pretty much hinges on him and he is largely the reason the book worked so well for me.

I also liked his side-kicks that help him in his case. He picks up a pick-pocket named Tom who knows the streets and is a whiz and gleaning gossip and information. There is also his old lover Kat Boleyn who has a lot of secrets of her own but because she still loves him is determined to help him clear his name. I also really like Dr. Gibson, Devlin's old friend from the the army who does a clandestine post-mortem on the body. I liked this nod to nascent forensic science.

Also very well done was the first look at Devlin's extremely dysfunctional family. This first book raises many question about the characters. Answers are hinted at but never fully. Why did Devlin cash out of the army? What was in his mother's affadavit? Why does his sister hate him so? What is going on with Kat and what is her real name?

I am glad this is a series with a total of four books written so far and it appears at least one more on the way. The writer really sucked me in and I want to learn more about these characters, especially Devlin.

I highly recommend.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Yune rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Regency murder mystery which actually does a decent job of portraying the lower classes, amidst whom the nobleman Sebastian St. Cyr hides himself when he is accused of murder -- of course he won't flee London, not when he wants to clear his name. I found this a solid read, although I was a little exasperated by the way the author tended to stretch things: a comedy of errors that kept implicating Sebastian, his superhero-like hearing (explained in an author's note as a genetic anomaly), the way...more

like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Lady_lit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: have, gigi, 2012_read, 2012fav

From the stunning cover and beguiling title to the first paragraph, I was assured that I was in for a quality tale. C.S. Harris's Sebastien St. Cyr was my first historical mystery, and it's more than evident as to why they say that it is among the better series.

Harris's cast of characters is eclectic from the different levels of English society; each multi-layered and complex on their own. Yet,the plot is never weighed down by their own burdens as they are perfectly represented for development...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Annabelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. Harris creates a rich, descriptive scene of London during the end of King George III’s in 1811. The main character is developed well. He is St. Cyr is a wounded, brave rebel returning from the French-English war. The author also does a really good job at having an interplay of St. Cyr’s personal life, troubles with his noble father a past lover of a prostitute-show girl, and trauma from the war, with political intrigue at the highest manipulating the Prince of Wales by...more

like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-napoleonic, historical-fiction, historical-mystery

This is the first book of a murder mystery series set in Regency London, featuring a young nobleman forced to become a sleuth when he’s falsely accused of murder. You know, 'cause the only way he can clear his name is to find the real killer.

I enjoyed this. It’s darker and grittier than the cozy Julian Kestrel series, to which it has some similarities. This book has more historical scenery, but less humor. The troubled hero St. Cyr, a Napoleonic war veteran, isn’t as charming as Kestrel - he isn...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Stina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-assignments, finished-in-2011, top-reads-of-2011

It's official. I am madly in love with Sebastian St Cyr. ::deep sigh::

This is probably the best crafted mystery I've read all year, and I love that it zips along like a fluffy beach read even though it's chock full of well developed characters, well researched political intrigues, and social commentaries that seem almost timeless. Harris did an excellent job of bringing Regency-era London to life without succumbing to the temptation to indulge in what I call "winking from the future," and I don...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 15, 2011 Shiela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, romantic-suspense, thriller

Oh I do love historical mysteries and this first-in-a-series had it all--gruesome murder, dirty politics, spies, a former lover and a Viscount to boot! There were so many viable suspects with so many possible solutions and in the end, I would have never guessed the perp. The character development was superb and the reader really gets a sense of the uncertain and fragile times that occurred during the Regency period both in the upper echelons of society as well as those struggling to make ends me...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Waco Mystery Lovers: September 2012--What Angels Fear	2	3	Sep 16, 2012 11:54am

combine
Other Editions (7)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

381 users

Historical Fiction

201 users

Mystery > Historical Mystery

95 users

Regency

26 users

Romance

25 users

European Literature > British Literature

19 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

13 users

Adult

12 users

Mystery > Crime

12 users

Literature > 19th Century

11 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About C.S. Harris

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

More about C.S. Harris...

Books by C.S. Harris

Where Serpents Sleep (Sebastian St. Cyr, #4)

Why Mermaids Sing (Sebastian St. Cyr, #3)

What Remains of Heaven (Sebastian St. Cyr, #5)

Where Shadows Dance (Sebastian St. Cyr, #6)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About What Angels Fear

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: What Angels Fear
avg rating	preview: What Angels Fear Goodreads rating: 3.89 (3234 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/841717.What_Angels_Fear?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309210032l/841717.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/841717.What_Angels_Fear?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris[/url]

What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website