Review: Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris

Who Buries the Dead: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Date : March 3, 2015

One might think that Sebastian St. Cyr would stop placing himself in the center of danger now that he’s married and has a child. After all, that normally settles people down into a more quiet and sedate sort of life. Especially when there’s a title and London society to consider. This isn’t quite the case for our hero though. Unable to allow himself to rest when there’s a murderer on the loose, Sebastian’s determination is underscored by the brutality of these particular crimes. After all, this isn’t just a mugging gone wrong or a simple stabbing. The poor victim, Stanley Preston (a wealthy plantation owner that’s working his way up in society) has been beheaded in a most gruesome way. And the murder seems to be connected to his own collection of…well…human heads.

As the first time I’ve picked up a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve never considered myself much of a mystery reader, but in recent years I’ve developed a fondness for J. D. Robb’s In Death series and I’ve always loved historical fiction, so I thought this might be a good fit. I am very happy to report that it most definitely was a good fit.

I was a little worried that being the tenth book in the series, it may be difficult for me to dive in and understand everything, but this wasn’t the case. I did stumble a little over the names and titles in the beginning and I found it a little difficult to keep the characters straight, but that soon settled out and I was lost in the mystery.

Beautiful characters, an elegantly paced plotline and intriguing dialogue came together to create a highly enjoyable adventure. Plot twists and turns kept the mystery fresh and surprising enough to keep me engaged until the end. There were several places where I was vocal in announcing my surprise. Has anyone out there ever found themselves yelling at a book? Yeah. Me neither.

I’m delighted to have found this series and can’t wait to see where C.S. Harris will take us next!