Category: Barb’s Reviews

When Blood Lies by C.S. Harris

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly RecommendedLeave a comment

When Blood Lies (Sebastian St. Cyr, #17)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Sebastian St. Cyr #17
Publication Date: 4/5/22
Period: Regency – March 1815
Number of Pages: 326

One of the best things about the entire series is that it totally captivates you – both emotionally and intellectually. I always learn so much history right along with solving a complex, convoluted, and twisted mystery. I would say this is one of the best books in the series, but you wouldn’t believe me because I say that about each new book! It is truly a wonderful read and I devoured each and every word of it. It was so bittersweet with Sebastian finally finding his mother and then getting so little time with her. Sebastian and Hero have grown so close to each other and they are so loving and supportive – I just love that part of the story.

It is March of 1815; Napoleon has been exiled to Elba for a year; The Bourbons have been restored to the throne of France; Ex-Pats have returned to France; There is a conference being held to determine the future of France, Europe, and Napoleon. Unrest among the French citizens is also quietly present – they aren’t openly opposed to the Bourbons nor are they openly supportive of a return by Napoleon – but they are tired of the way they are being treated. Sebastian, Hero, and the two boys have traveled to Paris during these turbulent times so Sebastian can search for his mother, Sophie.

As a melancholy and frustrated Sebastian walks near the Seine, he finds a very badly injured woman – a woman he recognizes – his mother. She recognizes him immediately – but can only utter his name before he picks her up and rushes her to his leased home. When she dies from her wounds without saying anything else, Sebastian and Hero vow to solve the case – no matter where the evidence leads. And goodness does it take some strange twists and turns. Was his mother involved in espionage? Where had she been on her recent trip – and what was its purpose? Is she involved – directly or inadvertently – in Napoleon’s escape from Elba? Oh! What a tangled web of intrigue and deception for Sebastian and Hero to work through before they finally discover the truth.

I highly recommend this book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. The writing is superb, the characters are unique, interesting, and compelling, and the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Then, if you add in all of the very descriptive historical details, you’ll feel as if you are right there with the tensions rising as Napoleon escapes Elba and heads toward Paris. Truly an excellent read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

A Relentless Rake by Anna Harrington

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

A Relentless Rake (Lords of the Armory, #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Lords of the Armory #4
Publication Date: 3/29/22
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 329

Oh! My Goodness! The sinister organization, Scepter, is still causing havoc in London. While the men of the Armory and the Home Office are circling closer and closer, they still have absolutely no idea who is leading the organization. It is a peer – they are sure – and a very well-placed one who has recruited spies and operatives at every level of the government and the military. There is even a mole in the Home Office. The current threat is a rumored attempt on the Prime Minister’s life. Can they thwart the threat, protect the prime minister, and maybe, this time, put an end to Scepter?

Alexander (Alec) Sinclair, the Earl of St James, along with his wrong-side-of-the-blanket half-brother Nathaniel Reed are assigned the task of tracking down a mathematician whose name they found on the only piece of evidence they have against Scepter. This mathematician is a schoolmaster whose dearest wish is to have a fellowship in the Royal Society but is he a willing participant in the plot against the prime minister or an innocent dupe.

Alec had a cruel and abusive father and that has left a permanent mark on Alec’s psyche. He detests liars – people who hide who they really are and present an entirely different picture of themselves. When he meets the sister of their suspect, she presents herself as a prim, proper, strait-laced schoolmistress – but is she? Is she in the plot with her brother?

Olivia Everett has a loving and giving heart, but she harbors a deep secret that would ruin her, her brother, and their school should it ever get out. Even though their school is struggling, Olivia keeps taking in charity cases, but resources are thinner and thinner. Her brother, Henry, has always been there to support her and back her. So, when he goes missing for multiple days, she goes looking for him – in the most dangerous part of the city – at midnight. When she is accosted by thugs, a masked man comes to her rescue. Why isn’t she afraid of the masked man?

I absolutely adored both Olivia and Alec and thoroughly believed they were perfect for each other. They both were carrying deep, dark secrets that would only hurt others if they were found out. The attraction was immediate and grew and grew and grew over the course of the book. The chemistry is there and the love comes as surely as the sun each morning. My only wish is that the book didn’t stop where it did. I hate it when a book ends with the proposal and doesn’t carry through with a wedding and possibly some future scenes.

I hope you will give this book a read and that you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews