Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Sebastian St Cyr #21
Publication Date:4/14/26
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 400

WOW!! This book is packed with excitement, suspense, heartbreak, dark motives, cruelty, political turmoil, and startling family revelations. Some of the surrounding political tensions feel eerily reminiscent of the unrest we see in today’s world.

When Bayard Wilcox awakens from a drunken stupor to find his friend, Marcus Toole, sprawled in the smoldering remains of a bonfire they had carelessly built the night before, he is terrified—and utterly alone. The hilltop where he stands is rumored to have been used for ancient Druidic rituals, making the scene even more unsettling. With no one else to turn to, Bayard seeks out his uncle, Sebastian St. Cyr.

Sebastian’s investigation quickly branches into multiple directions. The victim—and his circle of friends—are widely disliked, leaving no shortage of potential suspects. Matters grow even more troubling when Sebastian discovers that another of Bayard’s companions has recently been murdered under similarly disturbing, possibly ritualistic circumstances. Is someone targeting the entire group? As Sebastian uncovers instances of cruelty in their past, he is left wondering what deeper secrets remain hidden—because nothing he finds seems to fully justify such calculated violence.

Time is not on his side. The Home Office and the Chief Magistrate are determined to see the murders of aristocrats solved swiftly—and conveniently. They intend to place blame on the Spencians, who are planning a major protest against the government. One of those at risk of being falsely accused is a close friend of Sebastian’s.

Can Sebastian uncover the truth in time? Can he protect his nephew—and does he even want to? Can he save his friend from becoming a political scapegoat? And if he does solve the case, will the truth even matter, or will the government bury it to serve its own ends?

I have read this series from the beginning, and each book has been exceptional. This one, however, stands out as one of the best. I highly recommend it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series: Sebastian St. Cyr #20
Publication Date: 4/15/25
Period: Regency – 1816 London
Number of Pages: 384

This is another stellar addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr series, and I highly recommend it. While the stories tend to skew toward the darker side, there are always lighter moments to help offset the dark. The main continuing characters are all well developed, multi-dimensional, and people you’d like to meet in person.

From the moment Viscount Sebastian St. Cyr is taken to the macabre murder scene to the moment the case is solved, there are myriad red herrings to convince you of the solution – then to dash your theories with yet another. Way to go author!

A nobleman, a saint by all accounts, is found bashed and hanged most unusually – with a tarot card affixed to him. Can anyone be as saintly as Lord Preston is reputed to be? The only viable suspect is Major Hugh Chandler, Sebastian’s friend. Sadly, Sebastian believes Hugh could be the murderer – but hopes it isn’t so. Further investigation revealed many other suspects, but there was no hard evidence. With the Crown pressuring Bow Street to arrest someone (anyone), Sebastian has little time to solve the murder.

The atmospherics in this story are remarkable as it is set in 1816 – the year of no summer- and at a time where soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars are literally dying on the street from starvation. Those soldiers, many maimed, get no pension and no care from the country they fought for and are left to starve. If you add a gruesome murder – and then more murders – to that scenario, you have a gripping tale that will keep you riveted from the first word to the last.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews