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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post!

My review for Who Slays the Wicked is here.

About the Book:

Sebastian St. Cyr investigates the mysterious life and death of a nobleman accused of murder in this enthralling new historical mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Why Kill the Innocent….

It’s June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent’s invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.

Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne’er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow–a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas’s body is discovered.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into the investigation by his valet, Jules Calhoun. With Calhoun’s help, Sebastian begins to piece together the shattered life of the late Earl’s ill-fated youngest son. Why did Nicholas risk his life and freedom by returning to England? And why did he bring the now-missing young boy with him? Several nervous Londoners had reason to fear that Nicholas Hayes had returned to kill them. One of them might have decided to kill him first.

My Thoughts:

You may have seen my reposted review a couple weeks ago celebrating the paperback release of Who Slays the Wicked? Who Speaks for the Damned is the much anticipated next installment in hardback from the beloved Sebastian St. Cyr series.

In this installment, it’s June 1814, and the royals are gathering in London to commemorate Napoleon’s defeat, which also restored the power of the monarchy in Europe. The celebration ends when a nobleman is murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Almost two decades earlier, the victim, Nicholas Hayes, was accused of murdering a young woman and sent to prison for life and was believed to be dead already. But he wasn’t.

Sebastian is on the case trying to figure out why Nicholas returned to England. Since so many were afraid of Nicholas, had one of those people killed him? What happened to Nicholas?

I am telling you, this historical mystery series is top notch. The writing is always super smooth. The intrigue starts from the very first page, and the historical backdrops are clear and well-researched.

Nicholas’ story drew me in. He is a complex character, and Sebastian’s role in his case kept me completely captivated. Overall, I have a new favorite installment in this series, and I can’t wait for the next to see if C.S. Harris can top herself yet again.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Candice Proctor, aka C.S. Harris and C.S. Graham, is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen novels including the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series written under the name C.S. Harris, the new C.S. Graham thriller series co-written with Steven Harris, and seven historical romances. She is also the author of a nonfiction historical study of the French Revolution. Her books are available worldwide and have been translated into over twenty different languages.

Candice graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with a degree in Classics before going on to earn an MA and Ph.D. in history. A former academic, she has taught at the University of Idaho and Midwestern State University in Texas. She also worked as an archaeologist on a variety of sites including a Hudson’s Bay Company Fort in San Juan Island, a Cherokee village in Tennessee, a prehistoric kill site in Victoria, Australia, and a Roman cemetery and medieval manor house in Winchester, England. Most recently, she spent many years as a partner in an international business consulting firm.

The daughter of a career Air Force officer and university professor, Proctor loves to travel and has spent much of her life abroad. She has lived in Spain, Greece, England, France, Jordan, and Australia. She now makes her home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband, retired Army officer Steve Harris, her two daughters, and an ever-expanding number of cats.

Have you read Who Speaks for the Damned, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR