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WHAT ANGELS FEAR
by C. S. Harris
New American Library, November 2005
352 pages
$23.95
ISBN: 0451216695


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

London 1811. A woman is found dead on the altar steps. Popular actress Rachel York, still a teenager, has been foully raped and murdered. A duelling pistol bearing the arms of Viscount Devlin is found in the folds of her gown.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Alastair St Cyr, Viscount Devlin, heir to the Earl of Hendon is duelling with Captain John Talbot over a presumed slight to Talbot's honor but really because Talbot thinks St Cyr is having an affair with his wife. Devlin is on guard because Talbot has been known to cheat while duelling, as he does this time. But Devlin is ready for him and gets away relatively unscathed while only wounding Talbot instead of killing him.

Devlin has returned from the Napoleonic Wars as a much-changed young man. He had an affair with an actress before he left England. One of the reasons he left is because she turned him down after his father offered her money. He has become more of a pacifist in that he does not see the reason for endless war.

Sir Henry Lovejoy, Chief Magistrate of Queen Square Westminster, does not think that Devlin is guilty, but he is ordered to arrest the Viscount. He goes to St Cyr's townhouse with two constables, Edward Maitland and another, younger one. Devlin escapes when Maitland pulls a knife, slips on the icy steps, and stabs the other constable. Maitland, thinking quickly, accuses St Cyr, who escapes into the stews around Covent Garden.

Of course, from the outset, we know that Devlin is innocent, but the way in which he proves his innocence brings us on a trip through the human rookeries of Georgian London and into the homes of the wealthy and the titled. The early glimmerings of a police force are also hinted at.

Less than one quarter of the way into the book, there is an egregious historical error, which the author, an historian and classicist, should not have made. Usually, when this happens, I toss the book aside in disgust. However, the writing in WHAT ANGELS FEAR is so strong, that I let it pass and continued with the book. This surprised me, as I am not usually a fan of the Regency period. I am even looking forward to the next book about Devlin and his adventures.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, October 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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