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What Angels Fear combines the elements of historical fiction, mystery, and romance all in one fast-paced, suspenseful package. Set in England in 1811, the book is rich in the details of daily life and the political intrigue of the time. The story is summed up by Publishers Weekly like this: “When Sebastian Alistair St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is accused of the rape and murder of actress Rachel York, mistress to various members of Spencer Perceval's wobbly Tory cabinet, Sebastian goes "on the lam," in the words of young Tom, his adopted companion and faithful servant, and must spend frantic days in clever disguises chasing "across London and back." Uncanny powers of sight and hearing help him to identify several suspects, including Hugh Gordon, Rachel's fellow actor and ex-lover; shadowy French émigré Leo Pierrepoint; and even his own wayward nephew, Bayard Wilcox, who had been stalking the victim for weeks. Also implicated is portrait painter Giorgio Donatelli, for whom Rachel often posed nude, whose current patron, Lord Fairchild, is expected to be the next prime minister. Waiting in the wings to rule over this gathering chaos is dissolute Prince George (aka Prinny), soon to become regent for his incompetent father, George III.�

Conversation Starters and Things you might like about the book
Many readers will like the quick start and the fast pace. In the Prologue, atmosphere is established right away with the terror of a fog-shrouded evening in a deserted church. The first chapter begins with a duel. Character is established through action. Much is left to be inferred.
The book is rich in historical detail, especially graphic depictions of poverty in the slums of London. Some readers have been jarred by the characters’ motives and sensibilities – they found them to be anachronistic and they detected also some errors in judicial procedures.
The main character is very likeable – he is an outsider, independent, iconoclastic, physically powerful and adept, well-liked by his friends, moral, heroic, and conflicted.
Humor is provided by St. Cyr’s self-deprecation and by the cheeky character of his side-kick, Tom.
Suspense is provided by the dangers St Cyr faces in the pursuit of the murderer and in his flight from Bow Street. There is suspense in the mystery as it unfolds and the plot is pleasingly complex. The gothic and convoluted turns of the plot are set believably in the political unrest of the times.
Romance is a very powerful element of the book and is provided by the lovely and mysterious actress Kat Boleyn. While Romance is very important, the book never becomes sentimental nor loses its pace.

Other books like this
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Petty Treason: a Sarah Tolerance Novel by Madeleine E. Robins
Covent Garden Mystery by Ashley Gardner
The Egyptian Coffin by Jane Jakeman

Labels: C. S. Harris, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Regency London - fiction, What Angels Fear