Why Mermaids Sing by C. S. Harris

[Jonetta]

It's September 1811, and someone is killing the wealthy young sons of London's most prominent families. Partially butchered, with strange objects stuffed into their mouths, their bodies are found dumped in public places at dawn. When the grisly remains of Alfred, Lord Stanton's eldest son are discovered in the Old Palace Yard beside the House of Lords, the local magistrate turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help.

Ranging from the gritty world of Thames-side docks to the luxurious drawing rooms of Mayfair, Sebastian finds himself confronting his most puzzling--and disturbing--case yet. With the help of his trusted allies--young servant Tom, Irish doctor Paul Gibson, and his lover Kat Boleyn--Sebastian struggles to decipher a cryptic set of clues that link the scion of a banking family to the son of a humble Kentish vicar. For as one killing follows another, Sebastian discovers he is confronting a murderer with both a method and a purpose to his ritualized killings, and that the key to it all may lie in the enigmatic stanzas of a haunting poem...and in a secret so dangerous that men are willing to sacrifice their own children to keep the truth from becoming known.

66 Chapters

Character List

(view spoiler)[
Sebastian, Lord Devlin: Viscount Devlin, a former military man and spy. He's 28-years old and has dark hair and strange yellow eyes with the unnatural ability to see clearly at great distances or at night. Lord Hendon's only surviving son, they enjoy a very complicated and acrimonious relationship.
Henry Lovejoy: Chief magistrate at Queens Square, Westminster. He calls for Sebastian's assistance in cases involving the aristocracy.
Kat Boleyn: Irish actress now toast of London. Former spy for the French. Sebastian's lover.
Alistair St. Cyr: Fifth Earl of Hendon and father of Sebastian and Amanda. Currently the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his late sixties with deep blue eyes.
Lady Sophia Sedlow: Sebastian's mother who until recently he thought was dead.
Lady Amanda Wilcox: Oldest of the St. Cyr siblings, sister to Sebastian. Her husband drowned as he was attempting to murder Sebastian. He had already murdered several people.
Henrietta, Dowager Duchess of Claiborne: Lord Hendon's sister, Sebastian and Amanda's aunt.
Richard St. Cyr: Sebastian's oldest brother, deceased.
Cecil St. Cyr: Sebastian's next oldest brother, deceased.
Charles, Lord Jarvis: Brilliant, ruthless man and cousin to the King. Completely dedicated to the preservation of the House of Hanover, he is considered the power behind Prinny's (Prince Regent) weak Regency due to King George slipping into madness. Hero's father. .
Hero Jarvis: Lord Jarvis' daughter.
David Jarvis: Son of Lord Jarvis who died while in service on the ship Harmony.
Dominic Stanton: 18-year old son of Lord Stanton. Murder victim.
Alfred, Lord Stanton: Member of the House of Lords and friend of the Prince Regent.
Edward Bellamy: Former merchant captain, now retired. Adrian's father.
Mrs. Bellamy: Edward's young, Brazilian second wife and Francesca's mother.
Adrian Bellamy: Son of Edward Bellamy, naval lieutenant from the HMS Cornwall.
Francesca Bellamy: Edward Bellamy's daughter, about 12.
Barclay Carmichael: Son of Humphrey Carmichael, well-liked Corinthian. Murder victim.
Sir Humphrey Carmichael: Self-made man, made his wealth in trade and manufacturing.
Lady Carmichael: Sir Humphrey's wife.
Tom: Young 12-year old pickpocket befriended by Sebastian. Now serves as tiger for Sebastian as well as assisting him in solving mysteries.
Paul Gibson: Former army surgeon, an Irishman who shared the battlefields with Sebastian where he lost a leg. Unmarried, he works out of a small surgery at the base of Tower Hill and shares his knowledge of anatomy at St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew's teaching hospitals. He frequently assists St. Cyr, his friend, with his murder investigations and provides an invaluable source of knowledge. He's 32-years old slim, dark haired and of medium height and has an opium addiction.
Nicholas Thornton: Son of Reverend Thornton. Murder victim.
Reverend William Thorton: Rector of St. Andrews and Nathaniel's father.
Aaron Newman: Physician and friend of Reverend Thornton.
Anthony Atkinson: Felix Atkinson's son.
Felix Atkinson: Anthony's father, works for the East India Company.
Gideon Forbes: Cabin boy on the Harmony.
Brandon Forbes: Gideon's father.
Morey: Sebastian's majordomo.
Emma Stone: Kat Boleyn's aunt who raised her following her parents' deaths. Moral reformist.
Maurice Stone: Emma's husband who sexually abused Kat.
Matt Parker: Dock worker.
Jack Parker: Matt's brother.
Russell Yates: Gentleman who made his fortune as a privateer. Rumored to be gay and owner of Harmony.
Wesley Oldfield: Ruined by the loss of the cargo on Harmony.
Mrs. Ross: Reverend Thornton's housekeeper.
Arabella Noland: Kat's mother, killed long ago in Ireland by the English.
Aiden O'Connell: French Spymaster in London. Another Irishman taking revenge on the English.
Captain Peter Quail: Former army associate of Sebastian and Paul Gibson.
Davis Jeffries: One of Dominic's friends who was with him prior to his murder.
Charlie McDermott: One of Dominic's friends who was with him prior to his murder.
Lord Burlington: One of Dominic's friends who was with him prior to his murder.
Colonel Bryce Epson-Smith: Personal agent of Charles, Lord Jarvis.
Lady Julia Dillingham: Henrietta's latest attempt at a match for Sebastian.
James Read: One of Bow Street's three serving magistrates.
Emmanuel Jones: Man Sebastian hired to find his mother, Sophia.
Annabelle Hershey: General's daughter.
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[Kris - My Novelesque Life]

Thank you for doing this, Jonetta!

[Jonetta]

You're welcome!