This installment focuses more on Paul and Alexi, which is wonderful since they were absent from the last book. As with all of Harris' books in this series there is intrigue, misdirection, and Sebastian racing against the clock to to find the true culprit. Except this time the pressure is on because it appears that Alexi may be the killer. I can only hope the C.S. Harris finds joy in writing this series because I don't want it to end and never want these characters to go away.

Set amidst London as the country anxiously awaits news from what would come to be known as Waterloo, this is another excellent entry in this ongoing series.
When a mutilated body is pulled from the Thames, it quickly becomes clear that not only is the victim was a gentleman but that one of Sebastian's friends is a prime suspect for the murder. Working to uncover the truth as more bodies continue to turn up, Sebastian works through an increasingly complex case in order to exonerate his friends and keep his family safe.

Who Cries for the Lost is the 18th Sebastian St. Cyr mystery by C. S. Harris. Released 18th April 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Despite being the 18th book in the series, the author manages to strike a fine balance between providing a twisty and engaging mystery, while still delivering a satisfying read featuring the characters with whom readers have a long and enduring history. The strength and intelligence and synergistic delight of seeing Hero, her husband Sebastian, their growing family, and even his carriage "tiger", Tom, interacting and supporting one another is worth the read alone, but the author has wrapped the heart of the characters inside a historical plot which is so skillfully interwoven around real Regency history that it's not always clear where reality becomes fiction. There is an engaging and very well constructed mystery, but also a great deal of apt and perceptive social commentary which will resonate.

This is one of my favorite ongoing historical mystery series and I always look forward to new installments with anticipation. Although it's the latest of 18 books in the series, it works reasonably well as a standalone and new readers won't have any trouble following the story. With so many volumes extant in the series, it would make an excellent choice for a long binge or buddy read.

Five stars, a worthy addition. Highly recommended for public library acquisition, home use, or gift-giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I love the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries. Another fun mystery with history mixed in. I loved that Kat Boleyn was back.

True story: Back in the day when I took History 101 class in college, I hated it so much that I marched out of my last class and headed straight for the registrar's office to change my major to something - anything - that didn't require me to take another history class (I'll spare the rest of the details, but suffice it to say it turned out very positive). And for the most part, I avoid historical novels of any kind. So what am I doing reading books in this series? Well, surprisingly (especially to me), enjoying the heck out of them.

I'll chalk most of that up to the tremendous talent of the author, who pulls together intriguing, entertaining stories in my favorite mystery/thriller genre while weaving in relevant, well-researched and equally intriguing and entertaining details about the time period (in this case, the fairly early 1800s). Right off the bat, there's a dead guy; but not just plain dead, mind you, nor just any old guy. The corpse has been mutilated, and he's now on the exam table of Paul Gibson, who serves as a sort of medical examiner and conducts autopsies. Identifying the corpse turns out to be the easy part; he's the ex-husband of Gibson's current lover, Alexi Sauvage (to be fair, she claims to have been tricked into the marriage).

Gibson is a good friend of series "star" Sebastian St. Cyr, a.k.a. Viscount Devlin, an investigator who at the moment is recovering from a recent wound that nearly did him in. Wishing that he could join his comrades to fight Napoleon as he drives his troops to Waterloo, Sebastian decides to do some sleuthing in the hope of finding the killer. Early on, he gets help from his pregnant writer-wife, Hero - whose father, Lord Jarvis, is on the suspect list - as are any number of women the dead guy has "seduced" over the years including Alexi. On top of that, the man - Major Miles Sedgewick - apparently was "into" the history of witches and the occult and an island that was used for prisoners and all manor of torture.

Add in a previously secret list of prominent and not-so-prominent Londoners who at one time were spies for Napoleon, and Sebastian and Hero have their work cut out for them. Other bodies that start to pile up - some mutilated, others not - create even more confusion to confound the usually competent investigators. Worst of all is that suspicion falls mostly on the his friend, the medical examiner, and his lover - so it becomes a race to find the real killer before they're carried off to the gallows. All told, it's another exciting, nail-biting adventure, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review another pre-release installment of this terrific series.

The Sebastian St. Cyr series are my favourite historical mysteries, hands down. I get so excited when another book comes out. I love spending time in this world with these characters. Who Cries for the Lost? is the 18th book and C.S. Harris continues to go from strength to strength. I really love how compact the timeline is in this series. The first book is set 1811 and 18 books later it is 1815.

The mutilated body of a man is pulled from the river. When a connection is discovered to one of Sebastian's close friends, he decides to investigate. The rest of the story plays out against the backdrop of the battle between Napoleon and Wellington at Waterloo.

The mystery is complex and layered. The story is well-paced. The fast-paced action is blended well with quieter, slower paced scenes. I love the historical detail naturally woven into the story; both political and social, well-known and obscure.

I will read anything that C.S. Harris writes and can't wait for the next book in this fantastic, compelling series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Who Cries for the Lost gives us a complex plot involving murder, the occult, and a burgeoning war between England and France.

Pacing is steady, carrying us along as Sebastian probes deep, exposing secrets while uncovering the truth.

C.S. Harris excels at atmosphere and setting. I felt like I’d been transported to 1815 London, where I was racing through the streets, breathing the rank air, and gathering information from an array of people, some honest and many not.

This is #18 in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. While each book can be read as a stand alone, I think it helps to have some background in the various characters and their relationships. The cast of characters here is large, the plot is multi-layered, and keeping track might be a challenge if you’re just getting to know everyone.

This is one of my favorite series and I have listened to them all on audible which really brings them to life!

Harris is a master at historical research and intriguing suspense and mystery. Her characters become your friends and I love Sebastian and Hero. While this focuses more on Gibson and Alexi and we find out a lot about the backgrounds. When a murder occurs and it ties back to Alexi, Sebastian is anxious to find answers.

If you have not read this series, you are missing something fabulous and I encourage you to start from the beginning!

This may be my favorite book in the series so far. While I haven't read the entire series I've read the last five or so. I've always enjoyed them and found them well plotted with interesting and complex characters but never thought they were the fastest reads. However, not only does this book have all the intriguing twisting plot points and complex characters - including a more vulnerable side of Sebastian and his hilarious if cruel aunt - but the pace was lightening fast. From pretty much the first page I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down.

The first victim, Miles Sedgewick is definitely one of those people where it's not so shocking that he was murdered but more surprising that it took someone so long to finally do him in. The question is which of his bad behaviors is what got him killed. With fingers pointing squarely at the woman Sebastian's dear friend Gibson is in love with Sebastian must dig around in bad behavior and the world of the occult to find out what really happened. And to find out if Sedgewick's killer is also the one responsible for the deaths of the other bodies being pulled up from the bottom of the river.

Along the way Sebastian finds himself being threatened and attacked. Is it because of his previous actions in France or his current investigation? Not only did the mystery itself hook me but I was fascinated by the French history that is the background of the story. The politics and brutality was fascinating and has me wanting to learn more abut French history in general.

Before reading this book you really need to read at least the previous book as the actions in that book do connect with some of the events in this book. This was a fast paced, interesting, and entertaining mystery that kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ms. Harris for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

As another reviewer mentioned, this is #18 in the series and still just as riveting as the first one. Some of the overarching political/historical timelines are starting to become clear but never fear, the mystery is as murky as ever for Devlin. Some favorite characters get a little page time (welcome back, Kat) and Gibson and Alexi get a little character development. I really appreciate the time the author takes to anchor her plot with a factual historical backbone, and it's fascinating to learn about little historical tidbits I wasn't aware of, like the story of the prisoners of Cabrera.

Frankly, equally fascinating is whatever it is Jarvis is plotting. Now that he has his "heir", he's free to do whatever he was holding back on before, and I am waiting on the EDGE of my seat to find out what that is. Cannot wait for #19 (and how rare is that to say!). Ms. Harris has lost none of her edge and this series has lost none of its appeal. I cannot recommend this series any higher and this installment was a worthy representative of it.

Well done historical mystery. Set in 1815 London, it wraps in the wars in Europe (I got a little lost for a moment in the actual history part of this) even as Sebastian and his wife Hero work to solve the murders of people whose bodies have been pulled from the Thames. He's an intriguing character- the heir to an earldom with a need to investigate and find justice. I'd only read one of this long running series but this was fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Harris' fans will be pleased as will those discovering the series for the first time,.

Truly the best mystery writer today. Harris detail to historical events and place makes you feel apart of the action.

Who Cries for the Lost, the eighteenth book in C.S. Harris’ series of historical mysteries featuring aristocratic sleuth Sebastian St. Cyr, opens as the people of London – and all of England – are holding a collective breath waiting for news of Napoléon’s progress following his escape from Elba.

Sebastian had been planning on returning to his regiment for what he, and many others, hoped would be a final stand that would see Bonaparte defeated once and for all, but after sustaining an injury to his leg at the end of the previous book, he is not fit enough, and is frustrated at being forced to wait on the sidelines.

Of course, being Sebastian St. Cyr, life is never quiet for very long. When the book begins, his friend, former army surgeon Dr. Paul Gibson, is performing a post mortem on the body of a man pulled out of the Thames just that morning. The body is that of a healthy man in his thirties, but his face has been destroyed, possibly, Gibson suspects, to prevent his being identified. But whoever he was, he appears to have been a gentleman, judging from the fact that the shirt in which he’s clad is of excellent quality, and his hands betray signs only of someone used to riding or fencing. Lifting the shirt, Gibson is shocked to discover that it isn’t only the dead man’s face that has been butchered; his genitals have been hacked off, which means his death can’t have been the result of some random attack. Continued examination also some distinctive scarring to the torso – scarring that Alexi Sauvage, Gibson’s lover, recognises as belonging to the man she’d known years earlier as Miles Sauvage. The man she’d married.

When Sebastian arrives at Gibson’s Tower Hill surgery, his friend explains that ‘Miles Sauvage’ was, in fact, Major the Honourable Miles Sedgewick, younger brother to the Marquis of Stamford and formerly an Exploring Officer in Wellington’s army. Sebastian had known him them, and known him to him to be a treacherous, untrustworthy bastard who would do anything to get what he wanted beneath the veneer of good-natured charm he presented to the world. Learning of Alexi’s connection to Sedgewick surprises Sebastian; he and Alexi have never had a particularly warm relationship and he has only begrudgingly accepted her place in Gibson’s life for his friend’s sake. Her cageyness about her past has made him suspicious of her, but now she tells him that Sedgewick had been badly injured while on a mission in the mountains of Portugal, that Alexi had saved his life, and that he had later married her so that she would be taken care of by his family should anything happen to him. In London sometime later, Alexi was told that Sedgewick had died while on a mission in Switzerland – only to see him some weeks later with the woman she realised was his wife… and their two young children. Sebastian knows only too well that this information will likely be seized upon as motive for murder and that it’s a matter of time before Alexi is taken up for the crime and that, as her lover, Gibson may well be in danger, too.

C.S. Harris weaves a clever, complex mystery full of unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last minute. Red herrings abound as Sebastian is confronted with pieces of a puzzle that just don’t seem to fit together, and he even begins to wonder if he’ll ever be able to find out the truth. When another body, this one missing its head, then another, missing both head and feet, are pulled from the river just days later, Sebastian begins to think that perhaps there are two killers at work, and that those later deaths and Sedgewick’s might not be connected at all. The discovery that Sedgewick had recently returned from Vienna and was possibly in possession of a list of names of people in London who used to pass information to Bonaparte (one of whom is actress Kat Boleyn, Sebastian’s former lover) puts a very different spin on things – was he killed in order to obtain it? Could Sebastian’s powerful father-in-law Lord Jarvis have been involved? Is there a deeper political motive? The number of people with reason to want Sedgewick dead grows steadily – perhaps his not-so-grieving widow and her would-be lover had a hand in it, or maybe the angry husband of his latest mistress killed and mutilated him in revenge. And then there are the Weird Sisters (who aren’t really sisters at all), who cast horoscopes, tell fortunes and sell potions from their shop in Seven Dials, and with whom Sedgewick was known to have associated as a result of his fascination with folklore and the occult.

There are a lot of moving parts here, and you’ll have to be really on the ball to keep up! As usual, the author’s detailed knowledge of the period and research into the various aspects of the story shine through, and I especially enjoyed the way she incorporates the early nineteenth century’s renewed scholarly interest in folk tales and legends into the novel. The Brothers Grimm published their first compendium of fairy tales in 1812, reflecting the recognition that many old tales, songs and myths were dying out and the subsequent scramble to record them before they became lost forever. Not so enjoyable, but every bit as accurate, is the description of the plight of the poor, ruined governess, thrown out because she was pregnant and forced onto the streets, and at what punishment was meted out to poor women whose babies died because they were unable to feed or shelter them.

Also very well done is the pervasive atmosphere of what I can only describe as waiting – the sense that everyone is more or less just going through the motions as they wait for decisive news from the continent. Sebastian’s frustration at not being able to fight is palpable, and I was glad, once again, that Hero had a significant role to play in the investigation; their love for one another, the way they support and stand up for one another is always a delight to read.

Because the series’ overarching plotline – Sebastian’s search for the truth about his parentage – has now been brought to a close, it’s possible to read Who Cries for the Lost as a standalone, although I’d still advise backtracking so as to better understand the dynamics of the principal relationships in Sebastian’s life – with Hero, with his acknowledged father, the Earl of Hendon, with Jarvis, with Gibson and, in this story, with Kat. Eighteen books in, and the series shows no sign of running out of steam, which is quite an achievement. Superbly written, full of interesting, well-developed characters and with a marvellously realised and well-researched setting, Who Cries for the Lost is an engrossing and exciting addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, and a must read for fans of historical mysteries.

C.S. Harris sheds light on little known history, bringing it into her books in a way that will never be forgotten. Sebastian is brought into another mystery connecting to his military service. Everything you enjoy about the previous books is part of this story. The mystery is a tricky one. If I was listening I may have had to re-listen to some of the chapters but that is what make Ms. Harris a master writer. I am a character driven reader and enjoy spending time with Hero and Sebastian and their boys. I would immediately purchase a story with Hero and Sebastian even if there wasn't a mystery to solve. Final word on the newest release - If you've enjoyed the series, you will be happy with this installment.

"Who Cries for the Lost" is a mystery set in 1815 in London. This book is the 18th in a series. You can understand it without having read the previous novels, and it didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries.

The historical information was woven into the story without slowing the pacing. It created a distinct feeling of that specific time and place and helped bring the story alive in my imagination. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways. Both Hero and Sebastian were involved in the investigation, though Sebastian was the main investigator. He tracked down leads and asked good questions. There were plenty of suspects. While the clues progressively narrowed things down, whodunit was not easily guessable.

There were no graphic sex scenes. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.

Complex mystery with good twists and solid characters. This book opens with Devlin going to his friend Paul Gibson to witness a postmortem on a body pulled out of the Thames river in London. The man's face has been partially shot off. Devlin starts investigating w/o pay and raises hackles from the killer, who hires assassins to first warn him off, and then try to kill him. More murders occur before the killer is identified by Devlin in a satisfying ending.

British-peer, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, amateur-sleuth, early-19th-century, murder, mutilation, anatomist, relationships, relationship-issues, opium-use, false-identities, lies, London*****

Never a boring page in the entire book/series! The series is set in various locations around Europe with some recurring and evolving characters. Sebastian is heir to an earldom but more importantly is a man who seeks justice and investigates wherever he deems necessary. Each book can stand alone.
The sleuthing is very good and the historical research checks out as authentic (history geek here).
The characters are exceptionally well drawn and the whole imagery is as clear as being there. I loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

Sebastian St. Cyr is sucked into another murder investigation in June 1815 when Alexi Sauvage identified the mutilated body as that of her "husband" Miles Sauvage. Actually the corpse was Miles Sedgewick, a married man with three kids who was not at all a nice man. The question of who killed him was compounded when more mutilated corpses were pulled from the Thames. And then other folks were being killed. What person or persons were doing the killing and why? As St. Cyr and Hero worked on unraveling this mystery, they and all England were awaiting news from the Continent about battles between the Allied armies and Napoleon's army. A very interesting twisted plot that keeps the tension ratcheted high until the end lets loose in a grand fight. A very satisfying addition to the series.

Thanks Netgally for the chance to read this volume!

As must be clear from my previous NetGalley review of “When Blood Lies,” the previous installment in this gritty historical mystery series set during the second half of the Napoleonic Wars, I am by now a hard-core fan of the Sebastian St. Cyr novels. A large part of my enjoyment comes from following the maturation of Sebastian himself, as well as his relationships with various family members and love interests. But there are many other recurring characters—Hero Jarvis and her father; the actress Kat Boleyn; the Earl of Hendon, forever befuddled and somewhat appalled by the unconventional behavior of his heir; the Dowager Duchess of Claiborne; the pain-riddled surgeon Paul Gibson and, most recently, his live-in lover and fellow physician Alexi Sauvage—whose development I eagerly follow.

“Who Cries for the Lost” begins a few days before the Battle of Waterloo, a cataclysmic event—unknown to the characters, obviously—that will end Napoleon’s military ambitions once and for all. A mutilated body is fished out of the Thames River and taken to Paul Gibson for an autopsy. When Alexi Sauvage identifies the victim as her former husband, an aristocrat, the creaky wheels of the London policing system grind into gear. The Thames River Police may provide as much hope for justice as the costermongers and wherry boatmen of the city deserve, but a nobleman falls under the jurisdiction of Bow Street.

As the number of corpses rises, pressure from the Prince Regent in Carlton House intensifies, and Alexi Sauvage increasingly becomes law enforcement’s favorite suspect, Sebastian St. Cyr must race to solve a series of baffling, seemingly disconnected murders before the outcry demanding a solution leads to the arrest and execution of his friends. Meanwhile, the country anxiously awaits reports from the Duke of Wellington’s army on the Continent, further stoking the tension, even as Sebastian confronts the reality of his nation’s past misdeeds during the war and wonders whether they can explain the crimes being committed in the present.

I will be interviewing the author for New Books in Historical Fiction (top link below) around the time of the novel’s release. For a written interview about the previous novel in the series, see the second link, which leads to my blog.

18 books in and this series is as strong as ever. It’s astonishing really that after so long the stories and the characters just keep getting better and better. Sebastian is one of the most interesting characters I have ever read and he and Hero are top tier when it comes to my favorite book couples ever. The stories are so rich with history and intrigue, with a supporting cast that I find fascinating. I especially can’t wait to get more from Alexi and Paul, Sebastian’s best friend. I’ve always enjoyed Paul in the series and I’m incredibly interested to see what his future holds, hopefully some pain free happiness!

I’ve read a lot of series in my life and not a lot of them can do what this one is doing: maintaining the same level of engaging storytelling that has been present since book one, and in fact, it’s only gotten better as the series has progressed with Sebastian’s various relationships all becoming richer and far more complex with time. And I think we can all agree that Jarvis needs to get what’s coming to him, but dang do I love to hate him.

This series, and this book, deserve all the praise. It continues to be a series that I highly recommend.

(Review posted to Goodreads 2/17 with a shared link on Twitter)