In the tenth volume of Harris's historical mystery series set in Regency England, Sebastian and his wife Hero are adjusting to marriage and the birth of their son, Simon. Sebastian and Hero both are overwhelmed not just by the love they have found with each other, and the love they feel for their child, but also by the fragility of life and happiness.
Sebastian can never forget that he has now given hostages to fortune when he is called upon to participate in another dangerous investigation. Wealthy and socially ambitious plantation owner Stanley Preston has been decapitated in an out-of-the-way locale called Bloody Bridge, and Sebastian discovers a clue at the scene of the crime --- a piece of leather coffin strap inscribed with the name of Charles I, the king who a almost two centuries earlier was deposed and beheaded by Oliver Cromwell. By an odd coincidence, Preston was a man obsessed with collecting historical relics related to the Stewart kings, including what is alleged to be the head of Cromwell.
The mystery thickens when Hero's father, Lord Jarvis, the power behind the throne of the Prince Regent, informs Sebastian that workmen at Windsor Castle recently discovered the long lost coffin of Charles I, hidden in the tomb of Henry VIII and his Queen Jane Seymour, beneath St. George's Chapel. And the corpse of the Stewart king is missing its head.
In addition to solving Preston's murder, Sebastian is now charged with recovering the missing head before the Prince Regent comes to inspect the coffin. But the investigation is complicated by the reappearance of a deadly enemy from Sebastian's past, and the reluctant testimony of a shrewd spinster with remarkable powers of observation and a secret of her own to protect.
Another winning entry in a series that continues to combine history, mystery and romance.
Click HERE to read a review from Kirkus.
Click HERE to read a review from the Life Is Story web site.
Click HERE to read an interview on ShelfPleasure.com with author C.S. Harris talking about Who Buries the Dead and the future adventures of Sebastian and Hero.
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