Candice Proctor

This is the first book I've read in this series, or by this author. It was a better than averagely written historical mystery, but I had a few complaints.

First, there were SO MANY CHARACTERS. I simply couldn't keep track, and eventually just had to let the names wash over me without impression.

Second, almost every scene had the hero, Sebastian St. Cyr, asking questions of someone about the murder of Dr. Pelletan. I know it's an investigation, but after a while the scenes seemed all the same: St. Cyr asks someone about the murder, they deny everything, he learns nothing. Or he learns a small something. On to the next.

Third, there's a LOT of talking about the missing/presumed dead heir to the French throne, the lost Dauphin. I get that this is a big deal, but St. Cyr repeatedly goes over the same information as he talks to all the people. Enough already! Summary, please!

So with all that, it only gets three stars from me, and an ambivalence about reading more in this series.… (mere)

Why Kings Confess is a mystery full of twists and turns, involving both Sebastian's past and whether or not the lost dauphin/Louis XVII secretly survived. Even though Hero is heavily pregnant in this entry in the series, she still helps to solve the murder and save the day before she gives birth.

This book introduces Alexandrie Sauvage, a French woman who trained to be a doctor in Italy, but is not allowed to be more than a midwife in England. Certainly her advice to Hero is much better than that of the most acclaimed accoucher [one who assists at birth] in London, a pompous man whose methods made me want to scream and bop him on the head with the latest edition of Williams Obstetrics.

The question of Louis XVII's survival was more or less answered in 2000 with DNA testing on the heart saved by Dr. Philippe-Jean Pelleton: he probably didn't.… (mere)

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into Where Shadows Dance, his sixth murder mystery, through his surgeon and anatomist friend, Paul Gibson.

This is set when most people had a horror of having their loved ones autopsied, even though future doctors need to learn human anatomy. That's why resurrection men stole corpses from their graves and sold them to doctors. Paul had wanted Alexander Ross' body because he had been told the young man had died of heart failure in his sleep. There was nothing wrong with Mr. Ross' heart. He was murdered.

By now, St. Cyr's strange 'hobby' of investigating murders is so well known in London that just asking about Alexander Ross has people wondering if that blameless young man from the foreign office was murdered. Mr. Ross' superior is most displeased.

Another subplot is the continuation of Miss Hero Jarvis learning that her request to know what sex was like before she died back when she and St. Cyr faced certain death, has left her pregnant. She's never wanted to be married, but doesn't want to leave her mentally fragile mother alone while she travels to far off places and comes back claiming her child is a foundling she adopted. Therefore, she accepts St. Cyr's offer of marriage, which will save her honor. Her mother is thrilled.

It's going to be a small and quick wedding: in-person invitations and arrangements take up part of the book. Lord Jarvis, Hero's ruthless father, is the political rival of St. Cyr's supposed father, the Earl. Worse, Lord Jarvis and St. Cyr are enemies. Both have the good of the United Kingdom at heart and are loyal citizens. The problem is that Lord Jarvis will not stop at having persons he considers a threat to that kingdom and its House of Hanover murdered. St. Cyr is passionate about obtaining justice for murder victims. Hero will have to learn to balance her loyalty to the main men in her life. (On the other hand, Hero can convey what she has learned from each -- with their permission -- to the other.)

We meet some interesting characters and another victim murdered in the same way as Ross. The second victim causes a bit of a problem for St. Cyr and Paul because Bow Street Magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy wants Alexander Ross' body exhumed.

Actual historical events are involved in this mystery, one of which is the possibility of war with the Americans over the British navy stealing American sailors from Americcan ships -- and the American's desire to take over Canada.

There will be more murders before everything is solved in time for Sebastian and Hero to wed. This is not a soothing book to listen to for someone who wishes to be lulled to sleep, but it does help pass the time entertainingly if one is having trouble sleeping.… (mere)