What Angels Fear

This is the first in the "Sebastian St. Cyr" mysteries by C.S. Harris (pseudonym for Candice Proctor); I read the 13th installment, Why Kill the Innocent, sometime back and wanted to start at the beginning. This series is set in Regency-era England; according to Wikipedia (and we know they are 100% reliable), this period lasted "from 1795 to 1837, which includes the latter part of the reign of George III and the reigns of his sons George IV and William IV, ... characterised by distinctive trends in British architecture, literature, fashions, politics, and culture." In this first installment, the "Mad King" George III is imminently (1811) to be replaced by a Regent, Prince George, who will eventually become King George IV in 1820. We also meet our protagonist, the 3rd and only surviving son of the head of the Exchequer, Lord Devlin. We learn he had worked for British Army intelligence (England is still at war with Napoleon) and has seen too many horrors to retain any positive views of humanity. Nevertheless, he has his own code of behavior, and when an actress, Rachel York, is brutally murdered, he undertakes to find the killer, not only because he is falsely charged with the crime, but because no one else seems to care.  Politics and behind-the-scenes struggles for power play a role when the King's right hand man, Lord Jarvis, insists that Sebastian (Viscount Devlin) be apprehended and convicted, even though the arresting magistrate has his doubts about Sebastian's guilt. Using his skills gained as an intelligence agent, his unique inherited abilities resulting from Bithil Syndrome*, the resourcefulness  of a resilient street urchin named Tom, and the insider information provided by former lover and current actress Kat Boleyn, Sebastian eventually figures out who the real killer is. But it may be too late to save himself. You can read an excerpt on Harris's web site. Great read for lovers of historical fiction, mysteries and Anglophiles.

* According to an author's note, Bithil Syndrome is a "little-known but very real genetic mutation found in certain families of Welsh descent [which]...is marked by astonishingly acute eyesight and hearing, and an abnormal sensitivity to light that allows those with this genetic variation to see clearly in the dark. Other characteristics of the syndrome include extraordinarily quick reflexes, a mis-shapen vertebra in the lower back, and yellow eyes..."