I enjoyed this second installment of the Sebastian St. Cyr series much more than the first. The writing and plot were great in both, I just don’t care for the fugitive-on-the-run plot line. However, it was brave of Harris to use that for Sebastian’s debut novel, and I can’t argue it because it established all of the characters really well.
Anyways, I’m supposed to be talking about the second novel here, so here we go.
The St. Cyr series isn’t one of my top favorites – yet. Sebastian is certainly climbing up the list! In this book, Sebastian is commissioned by the unseen power of England (Lord Jarvis) to solve a murder in order to clear the Prince Regent’s name. It’s a great time of civil unrest, and to have the palace blatantly cover up a murder on behalf of the prince might cause an uprising. As Sebastian so successfully exonerated himself in his previous mystery and can move in the upper classes, he’s the man for the job.
Sebastian (for I don’t think I’ll be able to call him anything else) investigates this mystery because of a personal connection with the deceased. His lady love, Kat, and loyal tiger, Tom, assist him in solving this mystery and maintaining his sanity throughout. It’s a good story with a solid plot line, but it can be confusing if you’re not paying attention. There are some characters that make a fleeting appearance, yet impart critical information. Harris is another one of those authors that has a third-person-omniscient style, telling us only what each character wants us to know – then sometimes totally contradicting that information.
What is perhaps the coolest feature about Sebastian St. Cyr is his almost supernatural hearing and his ability to see extremely clearly in the dark. Harris wrote an author’s note at the end of the first book to explain that this is actually a real genetic condition found particularly in Welsh and Native American descendants. His abilities really benefit his character as they make some of his feats more believable than if he were typical.
I will keep reading about St. Cyr as he’s an admirable character and very interesting to follow. He leads a complicated family, romantic, and social life, so that ads to the quality of his character and can provide an explanation for some of the decisions he makes. It’s been an entertaining series so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.