Sometimes you just need to escape. Whether it is from the relentless news cycle on CNN or just laundry and dirty dishes, sometimes you just need to escape into a book and into another world.  A trusted author, compelling characters and an engrossing plot line are an absolute necessity for times like these and C. S. Harris always delivers!

On the evening of June 11, 1811, Sebastian St. Cyr, the Viscount of Devlin is called to the Royal Pavilion in Brighton after His Royal Highness George, Prince of Wales is found with his arms around a dead woman in his private apartments.  It was not just any woman either, but rather, Guinevere  the wife of  the Marquis of Anglessey and she had been stabbed in the back. The Prince of Wales’ cannot recall with any degree of certainty what had transpired and fearing that the scandal will ruin the Prince’s already tattered reputation, St. Cyr is called in to solve the mystery.

What St. Cyr notices almost immediately is that Guinevere is wearing a necklace that is identical to one St. Cyr’s mother had worn before she died. As the scandal swirls around the royal family, St. Cyr uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to bring down the monarchy while at the same time revealing the secrets in his own family concerning the events surrounding his mother’s death.

Harris is so skillful in portraying the culture and life of 1800s England.  In this second book of the series, she also begins to reveal a bit more of the enigmatic St. Cyr, as we learn more about his mother and the way she died. The machinations of court life, and Lord Jarvis’ concerns about propriety and avoiding scandal as well as St. Cyr’s interactions with his father all give us insight into a time a place that although long ago is not so different from our own.

This is a fun read and would be a great beach book! Although it is part of series, they are mostly stand alone novels so you don’t need to read them in any particular order.

Brenda’s Rating: *** 1/2 (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian and Lauren

Book Study Worthy? Just enjoy!

Read in ebook format.