Note: There are necessarily spoilers for previous books in this series.

Although this is the 18th book in this series, C.S. Harris does an outstanding job of providing enough background in every book - without making it seem tedious or out of place - so that any of the books could be read as standalones, although they are better if read in order.

The Sebastian St. Cyr historical crime fiction series began with the first book set in 1811, the year that George, Prince of Wales (known by the public as “Prinny”) began his nine-year tenure as Regent of the British Monarchy.

In the first book, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, had been suspected of a murder he did not commit, and became something of a Sherlock Holmes to find the real murderer in order to save his own skin.

In subsequent books, Devlin continued to be consulted on murders that involved the nobility, because he had an entrée into the upper level of society that would have been denied to the regular police. He agreed, because the thought of anybody stealing away someone else’s life was an abomination to him, especially after the traumatic instances of unjust murder he witnessed in the army. He still felt guilt over these deaths, even though he could not have prevented any of them. He retained a fierce commitment to the pursuit of justice. (And of course, like the rest of the upper class at that time, he didn't have anything else to do anyway.)

Devlin is aided by the insights of his friend, the surgeon Paul Gibson, who generally does the autopsies on all the bodies Devlin finds. He also benefits from the counsel of Sir Henry Lovejoy, now a "Bow Street Runner" (detective) who has become a friend of Devlin’s. Devlin asks his young horse handler Tom, a former street urchin, as well as his valet, Jules Calhoun, to do reconnaissance work for him. Each has an entrée into the lower levels of society that Devlin can’t even manage in disguise. And in an increasing capacity, his wife, Hero, helps him in his investigative work.

In this installment, it is now the summer of 1815, and Devlin, in his early 30s, has been married for three years to Hero, and has two sons. He and his wife had Simon, and they are also raising an adopted son Patrick, who bears an “uncanny resemblance” to Sebastian; Sebastian suspects Patrick’s dead father was the son of his own real father. Devlin is heir to the powerful Earl of Hendon, but is not actually Hendon’s son. His mother Sophie had an affair, and left her husband and children when Devlin was 11.

In June of 1815, all of London was caught up in the news of Napoleon’s return, waiting anxiously for news that, as they anticipated, he would go on the march again. Devlin is as well, even though frustrated that, because of a wound he received in Paris while searching for his mother, he would not be able to join any fighting. And then he is called upon to help solve the mystery of a mutilated corpse pulled from the Thames.

When Gibson performs an autopsy, Gibson’s lover Alexi Sauvage is able to identify the body, and thus Devlin begins the search into why this man was killed.

The author, who has a PhD in nineteenth-century European history, guides us through the machinations of the powerful (and those aspiring to be powerful) so that readers learn a great deal of history while Devlin is trying to solve the crime.

Two sordid aspects of history play a strong role in this book: one is the shocking punishment of suspected “witches” or “werewolves” in Europe, especially in the 1600s and 1700s. As one character explains, in Würzburg, “They burned children as young as nine there . . . and boys as little as three and four were thrown in prison as consorts of the devil.” He adds that Würzburg was far from the worst:

“The prince-bishop of Cologne burned over two thousand poor souls back in the 1630s, while the tiny town of Ellwangen burned three hundred and eighty-three in just seven years; they essentially killed every woman and girl child in town.”

[As usual when I read books by Harris, I ge temporarily diverted by going to Wikipedia to read more about the incidents she describes.]

The second aspect of history that plays a role in this book and from which the title comes, is what happened on the bleak island of Cabrera, eight miles from Majorca. Some 15-20,000 French prisoners of Spain from the early Napoleonic Wars were sent there. Britain would not allow them to be repatriated as called for by the terms of their treaty with France, lest they live to fight another day. Thus they were dumped on the barren island with no food, water, shelter, and no means of acquiring any. They died at the rate of four or five hundred a day. Some 2,500 did survive by the time rescue came, but were wrecked both physically and mentally. The shameful story is not often told, leading to one character to lament, “Who cries for the lost?”

Meanwhile, as Devlin continues his investigation, bodies pile up, and as usual, Devlin himself gets into mortal danger.

Evaluation: I love the recurring characters in this series and their evolving interactions. In addition, one always learns a great deal of well-researched history about this fascinating and horrifying period, with a number of crimes thrown in to add tension and interest. This series is entertaining, educational, and well worth delving into. ( )

Interesting characters living in a very interesting time. Their portrayals are feasible and appropriate for the time yet benefit from the excellent sense of history that is the setting for this series. C. S. Harris never fails to provide an interesting storyline seeded with sufficient bits and pieces of history that cause me to look forward to her next book. ( )

A good mystery, though I had trouble in several places following the various characters' actions and sorting out the relevant facts that might be 'clues'. I'm not sure whether this was the way Harris wrote the story or if I was having a fuzzy-brain moment. At times the plot seemed to stall out, which was unusual for this author's writing.

As always, I liked Hero's involvement and while the usual plot developed in a way that's become somewhat predictable, I was engaged pretty much the whole time with the narrative. An interesting overlay was the Battle of Waterloo, an historical sequence most readers will know of, as well as its outcome. However, the way Harris brings this in was exciting and provided suspense despite readers knowing how it ends.

The interesting thing in these novels is the way historical events come to life and show a very realistic insight with what the people of the realm were coping all those long years of war. If you've been reading this series from the beginning, you'll likely find this one satisfying and the small cliff-hanger at the end intriguing. ( )

Who Cries for the Lost - C.S. Harris
Audio performance by Jenny Sterlin
4 stars

After 18 books there is a certain amount of repetition to the plots of this ongoing series. There’s a high body count with each corpse receiving an autopsy from the drug addicted Paul Gibson. Sebastian St. Cyr investigates the suspicious deaths with the help of Hero, his intelligent wife. His life is threatened by assassins and the animosity of his father-in-law, Lord Jarvis. Espionage, betrayal, and long buried secrets; it’s all there.

It’s never boring. A bit predictable, but never boring. C.S. Harris knows how to ratchet up the tension, but I’m not fond of suspense. I keep reading because the historical atmosphere is so detailed. This book is set in London while the Battle of Waterloo is taking place on the continent. The action of this story takes place while London is holding its breath awaiting news of the outcome. This was the real tension of the story. It made no difference that I knew the historical facts of the battle, I could feel all of the nervous anticipation. Harris has a gift for taking historical facts and applying them realistically to the lives of her characters. That’s why I keep reading. ( )

I've been enjoying C.S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr series for a number of years and this book is a strong continuation of the series. New information about Alexi, the partner of Sebastian's friend Paul Gibson, is revealed in this volume and I enjoyed getting to know her character a little better. I also appreciated learning about the prisoners of Cabrera, as these details remind me how much I don't know about the Regency era. A great read and highly recommended for historical mystery fans. ( )