Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, isn't one to turn away from the more sordid offerings of 1813 London, but even he's appalled when the body of 15-year-old Benji Thatcher turns up in the ruins of an abandoned factory. Among the city's too-numerous-to-count homeless youth, Benji had been tortured, but it seems few are unduly concerned about his abduction and murder. Except Sebastian, who, in this 12th installment of Harris's popular series (after
Where Falcons Fall), is determined to identify the boy's killer. His investigation takes him through the highest echelons of Regency-era power, where he must contend with Marquis de Sade-level sadomasochism operating behind a veil of protection that offers it legitimacy.
VERDICT Not for the faint of heart, this latest installment in Harris's well-researched historical series features a charismatic lead who's unafraid of exposing the inner workings of a controlling authority when it turns against its own people. [See Prepub Alert, 10/17/16.]
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