Why Kill the Innocent: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery

In his 13th investigation (after Where the Dead Lie), Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife, Hero, work to expose the seamy underbelly of Regency London in a case that begins on the frozen streets of down-at-heels Clerkenwell but reaches all the way up to the halls of power. When Hero discovers the body of Jane Ambrose, it is obvious that she did not die of the killing cold; it is also apparent that the Palace will want to hush up the death of the crown princess's piano teacher. When St. Cyr refuses to let the case rest, he must sort through conflicting motives, from an unfaithful husband to power brokers who feared she knew too many secrets. His dogged determination eventually finds an answer close to home. The characters of St. Cyr and Hero defy societal expectations in ways that seem plausible for their time while speaking strongly to contemporary readers. St. Cyr is haunted by PTSD and a search for his own shadowed identity, while Hero proves to be his equal partner at every turn. The mystery highlights the circumscribed course of women's lives of the Regency era while exposing the rot that underlies the period's glitter.