Who Buries the Dead: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery

In Harris’s satisfying 10th whodunit set in Regency England (after 2014’s Why Kings Confess), Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy asks aristocratic sleuth Sebastian St. Cyr to help solve the grisly murder of Stanley Preston, cousin to the Home Secretary. After severing Preston’s head, the killer perched it on an old London bridge known as Bloody Bridge. Sebastian discovers a metal strap near the bridge that’s inscribed “King Charles, 1648,” a clue that may connect with Preston’s macabre collection of the heads of historical figures. The presence in London of Stanley Oliphant, Sebastian’s longtime nemesis, whom he blames for the slaughter of innocents in Portugal, complicates the inquiry. The detective’s capable wife, Hero, assists him in unraveling the twisted truth as more bloodshed ensues. The solution, one of Harris’s trickiest, will appeal both to fair-play fans and those interested in a vivid evocation of the period. [em]Agent: Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary. (Mar.) [/em]