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    What Darkness Brings
    What Darkness Brings
    What Darkness Brings
    Audiobook11 hours

    What Darkness Brings

    Written by C. S. Harris

    Narrated by Davina Porter

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    C.S. Harris' best-selling Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries transport listeners back to the elegance and courtly drama of Regency England. When a wealthy diamond merchant turns up dead, Sebastian sets out to prove the innocence of the man accused - his former lover Kat's husband. A missing gem seems to be the key, but as Sebastian traces its origins, he discovers unsettling ties to black magic.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 5, 2013
    ISBN9781470335915
    What Darkness Brings
    Author

    C. S. Harris

    C. S. Harris is the national bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries. Under the pen name C. S. Graham, she co-authored a thriller series with former intelligence officer Steven Harris and, as Candice Proctor, wrote seven award-winning historical romances. A respected scholar with a PhD in nineteenth-century Europe, she is also the author of a nonfiction historical study of the French Revolution. She lives with her husband in New Orleans.

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    Reviews for What Darkness Brings

    4/5

    159 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Devlin's life stays complex and lively as he seeks to determine who murdered the evil jeweler and recover what will become the Hope Diamond.. Harris continue to weave fine stories out of a few skeins of history's tapestry. She produces another lively tale but the frequently battered, cut and shot St Cyr survives and prevails.
    • 3/5
      The first 5 books have been the strongest in my opinion, and the last few more average. But still, I was entertained and nothing really bothered me about them, so 3 stars.
    • 4/5
      Sebastian St. Cyr mystery #8As in an earlier book, the main character, Sebastian, is again coping with troublesome French agents under Bonaparte's command. It was rather fascinating to discover that the famous Hope blue diamond is central to the theme. The body count mounted, which began to feel a bit over the top and in fact I was really irritated about one of the victims (unless there's a development in a later book, I can't see the point of this death). My usual niggle: Viscount Devlin again investigates with no back up, takes all kinds of punishing knife cuts, and seems to withstand a surprising amount of fisticuffs in pursuit of villains. One begins to just invoke an eye-roll and go with the story, because that's Harris' style.For all that Devlin is grappling with apparently disconnected murders, he realises that the intrigues reach into higher levels all the way to Prinny. It turns out that the author has created a narrative based on many actual historical events, so I enjoyed the author's after notes as much as the adventure. Generally the story was interesting, but dominated by Devlin and with less involvement of Hero. Tom as an enchanting supporting character has all but disappeared into a minor mention.
    • 4/5
      As a general observation, I have to admit that the body count in these stories is starting to worry me slightly. Kind of like when I watch too many Midsomer Murders in a row and start to wonder how a small collection of hamlets can have so much murder and mayhem. Of course, it doesn't help when Sebastian finds himself explaining, with increasing frequency, that the blood on his clothes is not his (or not mostly his). That being said, the series continues to intrigue me. Harris has a gift for developing complex characters and giving them complicated relationships. For example, I honestly didn't think the depth of animosity between Lord Devlin and Lord Jarvis could get any worse. Boy, was I mistaken! That is a powder keg just waiting to ignite. As with the previous installment, Harris brings to this story a lovely carat of historical intrigue: this time in the form of the theft/disappearance of the Le bleu de France (the "French Blue") diamond, known today as the Hope diamond. This is probably one of the most tightly woven plots in series so far as Harris weaves fact and fiction effortlessly. Usually at this point - Book 8 in a series - my attention starts to wane. Not so with this series. Overall, another good murder mystery imbued with a dash of romance, suspense and a swirling of secrets to keep me happily enthralled.
    • 4/5
      Kat’s husband has been arrested for the murder of a diamond merchant. Sebastian tries to clear his name before he is set to hang for the crime since he was found standing over the dead man’s body. The victim isn’t a nice man or honest businessman and there were lots of people that had an axe to grind with him. Also missing is a large blue diamond that used to belong to French royalty and now was in the process of being sold to someone in England. The case is ugly and there turns out to be more connections to Sebastian than just Kat and her husband.
    • 4/5
      What Darkness Brings
      4 Stars

      At the request of his estranged father, Sebastian St. Cyr looks into the death of a wealthy jeweler when Kat Boleyn's new husband, Russell Yates, is arrested for the crime. Sebastian soon learns that the victim was keeping some dark and dangerous secrets and had numerous powerful enemies many of whom were interested in locating an infamous missing blue diamond. As he closes in on the killer, Sebastian must also confront the shadows of his relationship with Kat and decide once and for all whether to remain in the past or move forward with his fearless new wife.

      As in the previous books, Sebastian and Hero's developing relationship is the highlight of the story. Hero is an admirable heroine who repeatedly demonstrates that she holds no illusions about the cruelties and inequalities of her society and she is the perfect match for Sebastian in every way. If there is one annoying element it is that Sebastian is still emotionally attached to Kat even though he realizes that he doesn't trust her or believe a word she says. Hopefully, his love for Hero will ultimately eclipse his youthful infatuation with Kat.

      While the victim in this installment is one of the more despicable in the series, Harris is, nevertheless, very skilled at making the reader care about truth and justice even for someone who is deserving of neither.

      The amalgamation of the fictional mystery with the historical details surrounding the Hope Diamond makes for fascinating reading and ratchets up the tension surrounding the murder investigation.

      All in all, a compelling mystery with well-developed and engaging characters. Looking forward to more of Hero and Sebastian in the next book.
    • 5/5
      This is a great historical fiction/mystery series.
    • 5/5
      In every book I like Sebastian more - and the more I'm convinced that he and Hero are well matched. This murder has the famous Hope diamond mixed up in it as well as interesting stuff about life in London for the very poor and young. A nice, complex mystery.
    • 4/5
      Another great St. Cyr mystery. Devlin gets drawn into two separate mysteries and feels compelled to solve both. Yates, Kat's husband, is accused of the murder of an unsavory character and an old friend of Devlins is found dead in a park. Devlin pursues both to find out what really happened. I am as intrigued, at this point, by the sub-plots with Hero, Kat, Jarvis, Paul, Tom, etc... as I am with the individual mysteries. I will eagerly await the release of the next story in the series.
    • 3/5
      I am disappointed that I have finished reading all the published Sebastian St Cyr books, and will have to wait for the next installment. I enjoy the way the Harris brings actual historic events into the story. This story centered on the Hope Diamond and the French Crown jewels and the relationship between the Prince Regent and his wife. Many events take place, as Sebastian and Hero become closer to one another. The relationship between Sebastian and his father is still strained. Harris brings into the story the world of magic and mayhem and the various pamphlets and books published about these subjects. Harris also mentions that sodomy was a crime punishable by death, and the various ways that men hid this crime. I find that Harris writes well and thoroughly develops the characters. I hope a new novel will soon appear.
    • 4/5
      Someone has killed an elderly yet dastardly diamond dealer and the newly married Sebastian St. Cyr heads off to find out who it is. But at the same time, Russell Yates who is married to Sebastian's former love, Kat Boleyn, is accused of the murder and going to hang. How ironic for Sebastian, yet he's says he loves his bride, Hero. So who knows? Lots of suspects. Good book and I enjoyed it on audio, narrated to perfection by Davina Porter, but the story itself was not as riveting as previous books in the series. Still, I'm eager for the next, due out in March, 2014.
    • 4/5
      My rating: 4 of 5 starsWhat Darkness Brings is the eighth installment in the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris. This is a Penguin Publication and was released in March 2013. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy of this book. Set during the Regency Period in England, this historical mystery starts off with a bang.A particularly nasty, evil, diamond dealer is murdered. Russell Yates, Kat's husband is arrested for the his murder. The rumors are that the old man had the infamous "Hope Diamond" and that the diamond is now missing. Before Sebastian is informed of this situation, he is saddened to learn that his old friend Major Rhys Wilkinson has passed. The death disturbs Sebastian because it appears the man may have committed suicide. On a more personal note, Sebastian is settling into married life with Hero. She is pregnant, but this is still being kept a secret. Hero is the daughter of Jarvis, Sebastian's worst enemy. This makes for an even more uneasy situation between the newlyweds. Hero is supportive of Sebastian offering to help Russell Yates, even though it will put him in direct contact with Kat, the greatest love of his life. As Sebastian begins looking into the death of the diamond dealer, he finds that the man was pure evil and no one is sad about his death. The man was into all sorts of occult rituals, and blackmail. So, any number of people are suspect. But, the rumor that the diamond may have been a part of the crown jewels, and that Napoleon will stop at nothing to retrieve it, takes the intrigue up a few notches.This series is so multi layered. All the old familiar characters are back. Jarvis, "Prinny", Kat, Tom, Hendon, and Hero. Also, Knox, the man that bears a striking resemblance to Sebastian. Sebastian's parentage is still unknown, the real relationship he has with Kat still feels unresolved. The new marriage to Hero and the many secrets that each still carries threatens the fragile relationship. However, Hero doesn't allow her insecurities to show and actually jumps into the investigation and helps Sebastian with some research, among other things. These are darker toned British mysteries. Very atmospheric and utterly absorbing. If you have not read any of the previous books in this series, it would be beneficial to go back do a little catching up. The backstory of Kat and Sebastian is explained in this book to some extent, but to get the whole story and a better understanding of all Sebastian's relationships, it would be a good idea to get a little more background information. This book can be read as a stand alone, but I think it would make a lot more sense if you had some previous knowledge about some of the characters . This is an outstanding series and I would recommend it to anyone that loves mysteries. This series would especially appeal to those that enjoy British mysteries and historical mysteries. This one gets an A.
    • 4/5
      The story-lines are always good in this series, the atmosphere true to the time period. Yet it is the characters that keep one reading this series and the complicated relationships between them all. Did miss Lord Jarvis in this one as he only made a token appearance and I do so like the interplay between him and Sebastian. I am liking Hero, more and more but Kat and her connection to Sebastian breaks my heart. Another wonderful outing.
    • 4/5
      Better than I expected from reading the reviews. Harris is handling the Sebastian/Hero/Kat triangle better than in previous books. This one was less like a soap opera than the last book.But it's time for Hero's baby to make an appearance.
    • 4/5
      A fine installment in the series. I enjoy the growth of Sebastian's relationship with his wife. I did wish for more progress in the mystery of Sebastian's parentage, and I'm still confused about Jarvis's part in the machinations surrounding the diamond and the murder.