It has been months, if not a year, since I last read a C.S. Harris book, but the incredible immersion and atmosphere of the Regency-era London has hooked me in once more with her newest release, What Cannot Be Said. When a sweet summer picnic is ruined by the gruesome deaths of a mother and daughter – a killing mirroring that of the head investigator, Sir Henry Lovejoy’s own wife and child fourteen years prior – Sebastian St Cyr is sent for to help find the answers, most pressing of all: did the wrong man hang all those years ago?

There is something addicting about C.S. Harris’s narration which paints a perfect picture of a London many would never think possible. The landscape is so unique and vivid, contrasting the rich and poor, the old and the young, and the innocent and the evil with grace and fine detail. There is never a dull moment nor character left wanting – only the reader feverishly flicking the pages at a speed they can hardly keep contained. The plot is gripping, exciting, and sombre. The topics C.S. Harris chooses to highlight in What Cannot Be Said are as intriguing and rich in content as the mystery double homicide is, and the deaths that follow are nothing short of high-tension acts set to put the reader in a frenzy – who is the culprit?

Hero and Sebastian are such great characters individually, and their conversations and shared discussions further showcase how amazing their are as a duo. These two would need to be strong and resilient for Hero’s father, Jarvis, is one powerful beast of a man in any other investigation. In this one, with the 101st anniversary of the reign of the Prince Regent’s family on the throne nearing and The Regent’s favourite illegitimate son proving to be a lead suspect in the murders, Jarvis is not afraid to put the pressure on St Cyr to keep his nose out of it, and that includes threatening his own son-in-law. It’s nothing new, of course, but it certainly feels personal in this own which has me wondering just how far Jarvis would go to protect his position as the Regent’s right-hand man.

The plot – what a plot is it! I had my suspicions but the depths in which the characters go to find the truth and how they react is nothing short of brilliant. I enjoyed the different scenes, the different characters and suspects introduced along the way, and how this seemingly summery setting has its dark side not far from public view. Even if the details aren’t part of the main plot line, they fill the story out nicely and give more context and content for future instalments. There are times where all seems empty and the mystery is leading to nowhere, but then something new comes up and the drama warms up again. It is the best plot I’ve seen in a C.S. Harris novel? No, but it is certainly interesting, engaging and a lot of fun to read.

I know I haven’t reviewed the books in this series on my blog, but if you are a historical fiction murder mystery fan, or a fan of murder mysteries than lean toward the darker side of the spectrum, I would highly recommend picking up a C.S. Harris book. I have already requested the first novel, What Angels Fear, for my mum to read as she’s a fan of serial killer murder thrillers and I feel her tastes may be sated with these books. We’ll see how that goes.