What Angels Fear is a fast-paced historical mystery featuring a likeable protagonist who is vaguely reminiscent of James Bond – in the best possible sense. It was originally released in 2005 and is the first in a series of books featuring Sebastian St. Cyr.
Set in England in 1811, this story takes place against a precarious political background. King George III descends ever further into the pit of madness. The likelihood of a Regency is imminent, with Whigs and Tories battling it out to gain favour with the Prince of Wales, the future Regent. Fear of a social revolution looms over the upper classes. French spies abound.
When Rachel York, a beautiful young actress, is found brutally raped and murdered in an old church near Westminster Abbey, suspicion falls on young nobleman, Sebastian St. Cyr. Newly returned from the Napoleonic Wars, Sebastian is a man of many secrets and a dubious moral code. When a serious of unfortunate events make it prudent for Sebastian to turn fugitive, he finds himself reunited with his former lover, Kat Boleyn, an actress with a shady past.
With all evidence pointing to his guilt, Sebastian realizes his only chance to save his neck is to find Rachel York’s murderer himself. His investigations lead him to uncover secrets which could threaten political stability at the highest level.
This is a highly entertaining read. It boasts an excellent cast of characters and a compelling mystery. Sebastian is not a run-of-the-mill tortured hero. He’s possessed of a quick wit and a sense of humour. Some of his secrets are revealed in this book, more have yet to be unraveled. I particularly enjoyed his interaction with his sidekick Tom, an urchin with a penchant for larceny.
Other strong characters include the Machiavellian Lord Jarvis, master manipulator and chief adviser to the Prince of Wales, and Sir Henry Lovejoy, the magistrate charged with investigating Rachel York’s murder. The weak link for me was Kat Boleyn. I simply couldn’t warm to her. Thankfully, the romantic subplot is not prominent.
I finished What Angels Fear and immediately ordered the next book in the series, which is always a sign of a satisfied reader. Grade: B+
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I have this book in my TBR pile. I bought it because an author recommended it to me and it sounded really good. Your review makes it sound even better! Hopefully I’ll have time to read it soon.
This is a most enjoyable series – each book is better than the last, not a clunker in the lot. I’m anxiously awaiting the Fall release of the next book. Sebastian is a great hero and very well written, I think Kat will grow on you.
@heidenkind I had ‘What Angels Fear’ in my Amazon shopping basket for a few months before I ordered it. I was reluctant to start yet another series. It was definitely worth taking a chance on.
@Peggy Pennell I saw that ‘When Serpents Sleep’ (4th book) will be released in paperback in November. Do you know if she has a 5th one planned? I didn’t find any info about it on her website.
I have this in my TBR pile too (bought based on a blog review, but can’t remember who rec’d it now). I wasn’t in the mood for a historical mystery at that point and then completely forgot about it.
Thanks for the review – it sounds really good and I need to pick this up again soon!
@Li I’ve just started reading the second book in the series, ‘When Gods Die’. It’s shaping up very nicely indeed!
I popped over to your blog. I LOVE your spreadsheet idea for showing readers what you’ve read in the various years. If I had a clue how you did it, I’d be tempted to copy.
@Sarah I’d love to take credit for the spreadsheet idea, but I totally copied Jennie. It is very easy, else I wouldn’t have managed it either
It’s a web-based spreadsheet using Google Documents (http://docs.google.com). You can set up a new Google account and create a spreadsheet (or just use your gmail account if you already have one). There should be a couple of options to make your spreadsheet public and automatically publish updates – shout if you need help!
@Li Thanks for the tip. Having crashed my blog once this week already, I think I’ll wait until the weekend for any new experiments. I need my resident computer guru on call.
I dithered about buying this book for ages. Eventually I bought it but I still haven’t read it! I really should make the effort to read it sooner rather than later.
@Marg I’ve just finished the second book in the series, ‘When Gods Die’. It’s also a good read. Sebastian St. Cyr is an interesting character.
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