When Maidens Mourn (audio version)

 When Maidens Mourn  (2012) by C. S. Harris (Candice Proctor); Narrated by Davina Porter

If you haven't read the previous books in the series, then there are spoilers ahead. Spoilers about the life of Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, that is. So...if you want to read the series and have the background story unfold for you, you might want to wait to read my review.

I am again continuing my quest to listen to the Devlin books in audio version while I wait for the next installment to come out next year. As mentioned in the previous book, Devlin had finally persuaded Hero, the soon-to-be mother of his child, to marry him. Of course, Hero, being the strong-willed young woman she is, made the match for reasons of her own. Now the two are working on just what their marriage will be...and just how much they really mean to each other. They plan to escape the heat of London and spend their honeymoon in the country when Gabrielle Tennyson, one of Hero's friends, is found stabbed to death at an antiquary dig at Camlet Moat. Gabrielle firmly believed that Camlet Moat was the site of the original Camelot--the background source for the Arthur legends. 

Her work as an antiquary riled her male colleagues, but were they upset enough to resort to murder? Or is there a deeper plot afoot? When it is discovered that Gabrielle's two young nephews are also missing, it begins to look like there's more than scholarly jealous at work. Hero and Sebastian each take an interest in the case--sometimes working at cross-purposes and never fully confiding in each other. Especially when circumstances involve Hero's father, Lord Jarvis (sworn enemy to Devlin) or Sebastian needs to consult his former lover, Kat Boleyn, about French spies. But the information they gather will need to be pooled if they are to discover the killer before it's too late for the boys. They may also learn some uncomfortable secrets about Lord Jarvis and Sebastian's past along the way. 

One thing that struck me about the story while listening to the audio version was the humor surrounding Philip Arsenault and his little brown and white dog, Chien. Nearly every episode with the two finds the proper French lieutenant trying (most inexpertly) to get Chien to behave. The scene out at Camlet moat when he and Devlin take the dog in attempt to have him find the missing boys is especially fun, even as it is tinged with melancholy (because of the lack of success and the additional murder--not the boys!--discovered). When the doubtful local magistrate questions the presence of the Frenchman and the dog, Devlin explains that Chien is a highly trained Strand hound. Of course, the story doesn't have quite the ring of truth it could as we watch Arsenault try in vain to keep the dog from chasing rabbits...

Harris has given us another fine historical mystery. I enjoy watching the relationship between Hero and Sebastian grow--even though I already know where it's heading. It's still a delight to watch it unfold again. The mystery aspect is really well done with a good range of suspects and red herrings to keep the reader occupied and looking for the culprit. I also liked the way she brought in Arthurian legend as well as the family of the (later) Poet Laureate of England, Alfred Lord Tennyson, though she did take some liberties with the number of family members. It was a nice change to get away from the more politically charged plotline and delve into one with a more literary background. A highly enjoyable read. ★★★★

First Line: Tessa Sawyer hummed a nervous tune beneath her breath as she pushed through the tangled brush and bracken edging the black waters of the ancient moat.

Last Line: And he raised his head to meet her kiss.

*************

Deaths = 5 (three shot; one stabbed; one hit on head)