Who Will Remember by CS Harris (published 4/15) was a complete and total shock! I was honestly stunned by how good it was. This is book 20 in the Sebastian St. Cyr series, and it still feels fresh, gripping, and masterfully written. The atmosphere is dark and moody, the mystery is layered and full of intrigue, and the historical detail is as rich as ever. I didn’t expect to be this hooked—but I couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of historical mysteries, you need this series in your life.

This was an addictive installation to a long-running series.

I’ve heard of the Sebastian St. Cyr series but never picked one up. The synopsis for Who Will Remember sounded too good to pass up. I was tentative about my expectations – it’s hard diving into any long running series. I was wildly surprised. The book can be read as a stand alone as enough background is given to understand characters and their motives. This was a gulpable book – I read it in one sitting. The action didn’t let up, and I was instantly hooked on the characters.

1816 is a fascinating time in European history as the continent recovers from war, the social world is rapidly changing and the weather is causing crops to fail and famine in already stretched thin countries.

When a dead man is found hanging like a tarot card, our hero Sebastian is pulled into the mystery. What appears to be a brutal murder of a pious and well-regarded man soon becomes a tangle of lies and desperation. The murdered man is not an angel for the poor of London, and the seedy seams of London show their pain. Who Will Remember has a stark look into how the London poor, including veterans returning from war, are treated, or rather, not treated, in the city. The line between wealth and poverty is sharp as a knife.

Sebastian discovers an uncomfortable link to a friend of his who saved his life on the battlefield. This friend has a motive for the murder, and Sebastian has to work hard to ensure he is not blind to the truth because of the friendship. Mysteries abound however, and the picture isn’t clear. Who is the boy who found the body? Why was the man chosen to die? What is the link to other bodies? With pressure from the crown to close the murder case, Sebastian has to move swiftly, but also fairly. Because this case is pre the established police force, it’s a fascinating dive into how truth and justice was treated and how wealth and titles could erase truth rather easily.

This book is fabulously researched, and there is a lot of detail that encourages the reader to experience the time in both its comfort and discomfort. However, you are not overwhelmed with the information – it’s still an entertaining mystery.

I’m delighted to have found a new series to obsess over and will be working my way through the 19 other titles while I wait for the next book to come out!

Comments from non-friends will remain decidedly off, because in some of my historical fiction (and fantasy, unrelated) reviews, white women get heated when I don't "understand" something about the time period. Maybe. But also, sometimes the writing is just bad.

I read mostly marginalized fiction these days, but this series remains an old favorite, as white and Regency as it is. So it's not your fiction I'm picking apart. It's how it's told.

Twenty books later, and this is as well-researched and enjoyable as when I first dove into Devlin's world. I'm still enamored with it. I'm still enamored with him.

My crush aside, and while well-written, what I love most about this series is that it doesn't shy away from the truth of the injustices of the time. And during this time, many injustices are done: to the French, to the Irish, but mostly to the local poor.

The perpetrators here are, as always, the white upper class elite, who hold themselves morally superior to those they deem inferior, all the while committing the same crimes. I knew without being told that rich white men invoking fear in the hearts of poor women would be abusing, raping, and killing them. This is not a spoiler. This is not a surprise. And if it is, you're looking at the world through a very privileged lens. Lose that lens.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

“When the War is Over” always seemed like a melancholy song to me, but it was running through my head most of this book because Who Will Remember? addresses what comes of the soldiers and sailors who came home from the Napoleonic War, a country unstable economically after the war, and also a whole world reeling under ‘The Year Without Summer” when a giant volcanic event occurs on the far side of the world. CS Harris took this multi-layered historical backdrop and wove in a clever murder mystery for Sebastian and his friends to solve.



Who Will Remember? is the twentieth book in this lush and fabulous historical murder mystery series. There are subtle side plots carrying through the series and great character and relationship developments so that this series really should be read in order.



Sebastian learns of a bizarre murder when an Irish youth comes for him when the boy learns the crumbling old chapel he took shelter in from the rain was already occupied by a murdered man. Sebastian and Sir Henry Lovejoy begin their investigation with the largest piece of evidence is a strong tie to the Tarot deck. Their victim is apparently a saint to most people- Sebastian excluded. He suspects any man who would show the vindictiveness toward his wife who left him for another man can’t be all that saintly. Not long into the investigation, Sebastian suspects that though his old army pal, Hugh might be everyone’s chief suspect, the list of people who would be happy to see Preston dead will fill pages.

The magistrate’s office is getting pressure from the Crown to tag someone for Lord Preston’s murder, Hero is working on her interviews and writing up of the plight of the displaced and often homeless beggars who were recently soldiers and sailors saving their country from the Tyrant, and a French assassin for the Bourbon crown is busy leaving dead French about who displeased them. If that were not troubling enough, Sebastian suspects the man who is his real birth father is on that assassin’s agenda. And, where in all this does the attack on his wife fit?



As usual, I was happily immersed in the blend of history and mystery and the lives of now well-beloved characters from start to finish. The historical backdrop is carefully researched and presented so that its fascinating and lends depth to the plot without overpowering the story while the mystery itself offers a gritty, tension building to a nailbiter climax.



All in all, another gem for the series that I can’t praise enough. Now, I must wait for the next installment with high anticipation knowing there are a couple exciting bits I hope are revealed.

the setup…
It’s the summer of 1816 and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It’s also what’s called the Year Without Summer, pummeling countries around the world with incessant rain, ruining crops. There’s unrest in England with soldiers returning home with no work prospects or pensions and rampant poverty and hunger. A young boy comes to the home of Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin and takes him to the site of a gruesome scene. Lord Preston Farnsworth is dead, hanging upside down in an abandoned chapel in a pose identical to the Le Pendu tarot card. On the surface, Farnsworth was perceived to be a crusader for decency. As Sebastian delves into his life, he discovers there’s more devil than saint. He’s racing against time because the primary suspect is his friend, one who saved his life during the war.

the heart of the story…
It’s a particularly heartbreaking time in our history where the poor and impoverished were further victimized by those with power and means. Farnsworth was one of the leaders in those efforts and worked tirelessly to imprison them just for trying to survive. Sebastian managed the political minefields exceptionally well and kept his personal feelings in check. I appreciated how the factual elements were skillfully woven into the characterizations and background. There were a host of suspects and I came close.

the bottom line…
I love being back in Sebastian’s world as he’s a complicated, astute and highly skilled man with so many facets. His wife Hero again plays a significant role in assisting the investigation, despite her father’s (Lord Jarvis) interference and the resolution was gnarly. Lastly, this period in history was a revelation and I was fascinated. It was well researched and caused me to reflect on how relevant it is today as we seem to be repeating history.

It is not that this was a bad book but part of it was my fault; I did not realize that this was a series. I had no background. However, I think mostly it was that this was a regency era mystery and I wanted to see if I would like it. I did not dislike it but it did not do much for me. The characters were engaging but it was only alright for me. It could just be that this was not for me. At least now I know. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.

Who Will Remember
by C. S. Harris
Pub Date: Apr 15 2025

Who Will Remember is book 20 in an entertaining historical fiction mystery series. Although it is the first book I've read in the series I found it easy to follow. I do think it would have been much more interesting had I read the entire series though. The story is set in London during 1816. It's a very dark and intense story. A tale about life, control, power, violence, murder, loss, secrets, deception with very interesting characters.

Synopsis: The gruesome murder of a prominent nobleman throws an already unsettled London into chaos in this electrifying new historical mystery.

Many thanks to #WhoWillRemember #NetGalley and #BerkleyPublishingGroup for providing me with an E-ARC of this Historical Mystery!

August 1816, the Year Without a Summer... It is obvious from the start that the storyline will be a bit grim; Sebastian takes on another puzzling and gruesome case. A dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim—Lord Preston Farnsworth —was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. There are some startling surprises revealed near the end of the story.

This is a well-written historical series; I appreciate how C.S. Harris researches her story and incorporates events that occurred during that period. I have read all the books in this series, with Where Serpents Sleep being my favorite. However, I didn't enjoy this one as much; it lacks the suspense and action of the previous books, and the relationship between Sebastian and Hero seems a little dull.

I can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading in order, as each book builds upon the previous one.

Thank You, NetGalley and Publisher.

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.

I'm really profoundly impressed that this is book #20. Viscount Devlin shows absolutely no signs of slowing down and his creator, Ms. Harris, shows no signs of running out of ideas. Really, this series is incredibly underrated. Once again Devlin is embroiled in solving a murder, and once again the case grows from the initial crime into a labyrinthine web of dirty secrets and criminal behavior. I really enjoyed the way that Devlin and Hero work together although frankly I don't know why their interviewees tell them (or admit) as much as they do. I'm really liking the overarching plotlines of (A) Devlin's possible father McClellan, which was advanced a little in this book, (B) someone trying to kill Hero? (I SUSPECT COUSIN VICTORIA!) and (C) Jarvis's suspicious plotting.

The murder itself was bizarre but underwhelming at first but quickly grew into the complicated knot this series frequently offers. We didn't see much of Dr. Gibson (and none at all of his lady friend Alexi) in this installment, nor of Sebastian's valet Jules Calhoun, and very little of Jarvis or Hendon, but that's OK. There were several red herrings and one pretty decent twist that I was surprised by. All in all an excellent addition to an already excellent series.

I should add, I enjoyed Mr. Plimsoll's theorizing about Mt. Tambora (which sent me down a Google rabbit hole) and I *very much* enjoyed the Author's note. Do yourself a favor and don't skip the Author's note. Ms. Harris clearly spends a lot of time researching the time period and historical details and reliably has very interesting notes to add following the story's close. The books in this series take a very unflinching look at the realities of life during this (often romanticized) time period: this is the OPPOSITE of historical romance's gloss and sparkle. Life was already very difficult following successive long, expensive wars and the massive (albeit temporary) climate shift following the eruption made it exponentially more so. Absolutely fascinating.

This is book 20 in the series. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series. I've read some other reviews and it appears that I needed to have read some of the earlier books to fully enjoy this one. The description sounded intriguing. I enjoy murder mysteries. I enjoy historical novels. However, this was not my favorite book. I liked the historical detail, but I thought the story was a bit slow moving and not knowing the background for the main characters also made it more difficult to get completely involved in the story.

Ominous, rich, and gritty!

Who Will Remember is an eerie, sinister, absorbing tale set in London during 1816 when the city is ravished with economic instability and political upheaval, and Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife Hero now find themselves investigating a strange case involving a set of murders in which the victims are found posed in the same positions as the depictions on the tarot cards left with the bodies.

The prose is meticulous and tight. The characters are sharp, reliable, and resourceful. And the plot is a menacing tale about life, loss, secrets, deception, danger, control, power, politics, lawless behaviour, violence, and murder.

Overall, Who Will Remember is another dark, intense, intriguing addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr series by Harris that does a wonderful job of interweaving historical times and compelling fiction into a suspenseful mystery that is deliciously atmospheric and disturbingly entertaining.

It's hard to believe I have been reading these books for 20 years, and this is book 20! Another terrific addition to the series, and what a surprise mystery. Sebastian and Hero are such wonderful characters that I hate when the book ends, and I have to leave them until the next book.
Will Sebastian ever find out who his father is. Will he meet him? Will we find out who is trying to kill Hero?
Another thing I love about this series is what great parents they are. We see them playing with them, reading to them, and not just seeing them before they go to bed, like many Regency parents.
This is a series that should be read in order as each book builds upon the previous one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. The opinions are my honest ones.

I really enjoy this series and the last few have really worked for me. This latest mystery was no exception. This isn't a quick and cozy read but one where the setting and time period are a heavy presence throughout the book. The hardships in post-Napolean London are a major plot-point both for Sebastian and Hero and appear on every page in someway or another. I love Sebastian and Hero's relationship and how they treat each other as equals.

The mystery was an interesting one and did a good job of showing the danger of "do-godoers" without being heavy handed. I love the at times gritty gloomy feel of this series and this book and how it compares with the cold power of Hero's father's world and the family coziness of the St. Cyr household. This isn't the fastest paced read but it is a good one and one I really enjoyed from beginning to end.

I love this book and this series. C.S. Harris immerses the reader in the Regency period, but not just in the upper class. While thoroughly enjoying an intricate mystery with plenty of action, danger, and an assassin, I also learned about art, politics, the economy, an unusual weather pattern, the issues facing released soldiers and sailors, and the impacts on the multiple social strata of the time. Did you know that victims of crimes had to prosecute them? That there was a White Terror in post-Revolutionary France? That Devlin’s friend has multiple reasons to have murdered the victim?This can be an entry point into the series, but treat yourself to all. Highly Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Who Will Remember by C. S. Harris is a gripping tale of a macabre murder that shakes the foundations of London society. This electrifying historical mystery delves into the dark underbelly of the city, where a prominent nobleman's death sends shockwaves through the already unsettled streets. Harris masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, drawing readers into a world of serial killers and secrets from two centuries past. Despite the seemingly incongruous setting, Harris's expert pacing and attention to detail bring the story to life, immersing readers in the murk and stench of the age. The result is a top-notch historical crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Who Will Remember is a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a fresh and captivating take on the classic whodunit.

This is a wonderful addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr series, now twenty books - all enjoyed by me. I did not want to put the book down, but the season opener for the Cubs had to be allowed just a small interruption.

Sebastian Alistair St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, son of the Earl of Hendon along with his wife Hero prove yet again that they will defend the needy and take action to improve living conditions for them. Both are brave and both are needed to assist some young people and stop those who would do them harm.
Initially there is a murder of a man that Sebastian must investigate. Strange tarot cards left as a clue must be looked into. Young women are also being killed and left in the river.
There is also rich historical detail regarding life for soldiers after Napoleon. "As the British troops slogged through freezing rain and snowy mountain passes, thousands of men were lost to the relentlessly pursuing French..." But then I share too much and don't wish to spoil this for other readers. This is a great read and a "must read" for fans of this series.

This is another stellar addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr series and I can highly recommend it. While the stories tend to skew toward the darker side, there are always lighter moments to help offset the dark. The main continuing characters are all well developed, multi-dimensional, and people you’d like to meet in person.

From the moment Viscount Sebastian St. Cyr is taken to the macabre murder scene to the moment the case is solved, there are myriad red herrings to convince you of the solution – then to dash your theories with yet another. Way to go author!

A nobleman, a saint by all accounts, is found bashed and hanged most unusually – with a tarot card affixed to him. Can anyone be as saintly as Lord Preston is reputed to be? The only viable suspect is Major Hugh Chandler, Sebastian's friend. Sadly, Sebastian believes Hugh could be the murderer – but hopes it isn’t so. Further investigation revealed many other suspects, but there was no hard evidence. With the Crown pressuring Bow Street to arrest someone (anyone), Sebastian has little time to solve the murder.

The atmospherics in this story are remarkable as it is set in 1816 – the year of no summer- and at a time where soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars are literally dying on the street from starvation. Those soldiers, many maimed, get no pension and no care from the country they fought for and are left to starve. If you add a gruesome murder – and then more murders – to that scenario, you have a gripping tale that will keep you riveted from the first word to the last.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sebastian investigates the death of a man who was hanged upside down - something reminiscent of tarot and of betrayal. In 1816, in an England sheltering spies, traitors and revolutionaries after the fall of Napoleon, the list of suspects is a mile long.

The good news is that you don't need to be current with the series to appreciate this - I've read the first seven books and I could follow just fine. I must say I was frustrated by the lack of ANYTHING romantic in this at all. I really love the main couple (which you get but a glimpse of by book 7) and I was expecting more than domestic boredom. That took me by surprise - their beginnings were so explosive, I would have thought marriage between those two would be at the very least interesting but nevermind.

What we're here for is the immersion into Regency England, which this series does really well - it is SO WELL RESEARCHED and you'll learn a ton about politics but I wish we'd learned about other aspects of Regency England too and visited other places, I feel like the books are very samey and extremely dark and this was no exception. It's the same cast, the same motives. I'm not surprised the first book - twenty books ago - was just five years ago, I feel like the timeline could be sped up a bit, the plots all feel the same sometimes. The part I liked the most had to do with Hero's research into the lives of veterans after war, it was really poignant.

That being said, this sent me on a wild search for any trivia and history of this time period which is what this series does best - make you hungry for more Regency political facts.

My endless thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!

"The macabre murder of a prominent nobleman throws an already unsettled London into chaos in this electrifying new historical mystery by the USA Today bestselling author of What Cannot Be Said.

August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim - Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent's boon companions - was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. His brutal murder shocks the Palace and panics the already troubled populace.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, learns of the murder from a ragged orphan who leads him to the corpse and then disappears. At first, everyone in the dead man's orbit paints Lord Preston as a selfless saint. But Sebastian quickly realizes that the man had accumulated more than his fair share of enemies, including Major Hugh Chandler, a close friend of Sebastian's who once saved his life. Sebastian also discovers that the pious Lord Preston may have been much more dangerous than those he sought to redeem.

As dark clouds press down on the city and the rains fall unceasingly, two more victims are found, one strangled and one shot, with ominous tarot cards placed on their bodies. The killer is sending a gruesome message and Sebastian is running out of time to decipher it before more lives are lost and a fraught post-war London explodes."

Technically they didn't know it was caused by a volcano until later...

I received an ARC copy via netgalley. Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing Group for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am always awaiting the next Sebastian St. Cyr novel. Now, having read vol 20, I am eagerly awaiting #21. But let me tell you some of the highlights of this book.

Firstly it's the character Sebastian St. Cyr. Over the past 20 books we've watched him become a husband, father, and character for justice. I would enjoy reading a book on Sebastian solving a mystery of missing tea scones, or some other mundane mystery simply because of who he is (a cozy Christmas novella would be the *chef's kiss*)

In this novel we are revisiting characters from previous novels. As always Henry Lovejoy. We see characters from Sebastian's military service (this one touches on the hardships of retired military servicemen). We go back to visit the cartomancer's at Seven Dials. Jarvis makes a nuisance of himself.

The book takes place during the summer that never came 1816. I cannot imagine the stress this had on the populations, particularly on vulnerable individuals without social safeguards in place.

In this title, we begin with the discovery of murder victim Lord Preston Farnsworth. He is discovered in a ruined chapel, hanging by one leg, in a pose echoing the tarot card found on his person. His reputation is that of a pious saint trying to rid society of impurity. We soon discover how dangerous and evil that mission really is.

This is the 20th book in the series, and I will always recommend they be read in order.