In 1811, murder has jarred London’s elite. The sons of prominent families have been
found at dawn in public places, their bodies mutilated and strange objects stuffed into their mouths. Although Sebastian St. Cyr is distracted by his seemingly doomed relationship with actress Kat Boleyn, the oddness of these murders nags at him-and he becomes determined to track down the assassin, even at the risk of his own life.
Why Mermaids Sing is third in the historical mystery series by C. S. Harris featuring Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. The books take place in England in 1811. The first two books in the series are: What Angels Fear (I reviewed this book last month) and When Gods Die. All three books are excellent. I love the titles and the covers are beautiful.
The title Why Mermaids Sing comes from a poem by John Donne. The poem is a central part of the plot. Amid escalating problems in his personal life Sebastian investigates the deaths even though families of the dead men warn him to stay out of the investigations. He discovers links between the families and slowly uncovers dangerous secrets the families want kept even as their children die.
The mystery is excellent in this book. Harris again shows her command of history and language as she gives us an exciting story. All the characters are interesting and well-drawn–especially Sebastian. As the author states on her website, “Think Mr. Darcy with a James Bond edge.” I look forward to the next book in this series, (Where Serpents Sleep scheduled for a November 2008 release), but I don’t quite know how she will fix Sebastian’s life (and I want her to)!
