Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
KJC Books (2017), 204 pages
Description
Lie back and think of England... England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage. Curtis's search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts. As events unfold, Curtis realizes that Daniel has his own secret intentions. And there's something else they share-a mounting sexual tension that leaves Curtis reeling. As the house party's elegant facade cracks to reveal treachery, blackmail and murder, Curtis finds himself needing clever, dark-eyed Daniel as he has never needed a man before...… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheIdleWoman
On my rare recent forays into romance novels, I've developed a particular admiration for K.J. Charles. She writes well, with humour, and her characters are fully rounded people with credible lives and interests beyond their love lives. That said, I prefer some of her books to others. I haven't
It's 1904 and Archie Curtis is a wounded veteran of the Boer War, who finds himself invited to a country house party. His fellow guests are the usual mix of predatory ladies and sporting gentlemen, who have come to enjoy the country air and all the comforts of this very modern house. Electricity, central heating and telephones are only part of the appeal. Curtis himself has come for a slightly different reason. Tormented by the memory of his injuries at Jacobsdal during the war - and the deaths of many of his friends - which were caused by faulty guns sent out from England, he wants to see whether he can find any link to his arms-dealer host. But one night, as Curtis investigates a tantalisingly locked door in his host's study, he's interrupted by the person with whom he least wants to be stuck in a dark room: his fellow guest Daniel da Silva.
Exotic, louche and threateningly decadent, da Silva is exactly the kind of drawling effeminate whom Curtis loathes. But, as they face each other in this dark room, the two men realise that they are both after similar secrets in their host's files. More than that, Curtis realises that the limp-wristed poet is simply a guise, and that the real da Silva is a far more subtle, sharp and dangerous man. As they join forces in the hope of revealing their host's treason, Curtis becomes fascinated by da Silva's resourcefulness - and troubled by his own shifting feelings about the man. I liked the way that Curtis's struggle towards self-knowledge brought greater depth and drama to their interactions, as did da Silva's vulnerability. Yet where this book really pleased me is that the well-written romance isn't the be-all and end-all: it's almost incidental to a much bigger story, full of spies, blackmail, secret agents and derring-do.
Charles's strength is in her period accuracy, and here too the language, the slang and the details all seemed to be spot on. I laughed out loud when I realised that Curtis's explorer uncle was actually Sir Henry Curtis from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines", a playful link into the tradition of swashbuckling Boy's Own adventure that Charles taps into here. I do hope she writes more about these two characters, because I rather like them - and do note that she offers a free 'add-on' chapter ("Song for a Viking") on her website.
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particularly warmed to her Victorian novels (the Sins of the Cities and Charm of Magpies series), but I did love her Society of Gentleman trilogy. To my surprise, I also found Think of England to be one of her strongest so far. I say 'to my surprise' because (forgive me) I thought the cover looked rather cheap and 'stock-photoed' compared to the covers of her other books, and it didn't immediately appeal to me as strongly. Nor did I expect to enjoy a story set at the turn of the 20th century, when my preference is for stories set at least a hundred years earlier. But Charles banished my qualms with a smart, fast-paced story that's equal parts adventure and romance.It's 1904 and Archie Curtis is a wounded veteran of the Boer War, who finds himself invited to a country house party. His fellow guests are the usual mix of predatory ladies and sporting gentlemen, who have come to enjoy the country air and all the comforts of this very modern house. Electricity, central heating and telephones are only part of the appeal. Curtis himself has come for a slightly different reason. Tormented by the memory of his injuries at Jacobsdal during the war - and the deaths of many of his friends - which were caused by faulty guns sent out from England, he wants to see whether he can find any link to his arms-dealer host. But one night, as Curtis investigates a tantalisingly locked door in his host's study, he's interrupted by the person with whom he least wants to be stuck in a dark room: his fellow guest Daniel da Silva.
Exotic, louche and threateningly decadent, da Silva is exactly the kind of drawling effeminate whom Curtis loathes. But, as they face each other in this dark room, the two men realise that they are both after similar secrets in their host's files. More than that, Curtis realises that the limp-wristed poet is simply a guise, and that the real da Silva is a far more subtle, sharp and dangerous man. As they join forces in the hope of revealing their host's treason, Curtis becomes fascinated by da Silva's resourcefulness - and troubled by his own shifting feelings about the man. I liked the way that Curtis's struggle towards self-knowledge brought greater depth and drama to their interactions, as did da Silva's vulnerability. Yet where this book really pleased me is that the well-written romance isn't the be-all and end-all: it's almost incidental to a much bigger story, full of spies, blackmail, secret agents and derring-do.
Charles's strength is in her period accuracy, and here too the language, the slang and the details all seemed to be spot on. I laughed out loud when I realised that Curtis's explorer uncle was actually Sir Henry Curtis from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines", a playful link into the tradition of swashbuckling Boy's Own adventure that Charles taps into here. I do hope she writes more about these two characters, because I rather like them - and do note that she offers a free 'add-on' chapter ("Song for a Viking") on her website.
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LibraryThing member brittaniethekid
I'm starting to think that post-war mm romances are my favourite. The angst that comes from being a returning soldier, adding illegal desires and a battle-tired country, makes for some compelling reading. K.J. Charles does that very well.
Crippled at the tail-end of the Boer Wars in Africa, not from
There's a good mystery with lots of intrigue, and both characters are likeable and well-written. The conclusion was shocking in the best way and it has a HEA. A definite recommend.
Crippled at the tail-end of the Boer Wars in Africa, not from
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battle but from faulty (sabotaged) ammunitions shipped from his own country, that also killed his best friend and lover, Archie has a vendetta. He attends a stay-over house party in the middle of the country to try to find out who's responsible. There he meets a very effeminate foreigner named de Silva who both repulses and intrigues him. He finds out that de Silva is on a mission not dissimilar to his and they form a shaky alliance, but Archie starts to see there's a lot more to de Silva than his initial impressions.There's a good mystery with lots of intrigue, and both characters are likeable and well-written. The conclusion was shocking in the best way and it has a HEA. A definite recommend.
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LibraryThing member dukedukegoose
DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME RIGHT NOW.
LibraryThing member Sheila1957
Two men have been sent on missions to the same estate. One is looking for blackmail. The other for sabotage. Neither knows of the other but they discover the evidence both seek by joining forces. I enjoyed this story. Curtis and DaSilva are attracted to each other but are different as night and
I liked that it gradually dawned on Curtis that he was gay. The ending is fun as both men get what they want, just not in the way they wanted it. Well done.
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day. One is brawn; the other is intrigue and stealth. When they get into trouble instead of fighting like Curtis would like, DaSilva uses intrigue to get them out of it. Of course, it gets them in a different trouble. Both discover that each one's method works depending on the situation. I liked that it gradually dawned on Curtis that he was gay. The ending is fun as both men get what they want, just not in the way they wanted it. Well done.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Archie Curtis, who lost part of his hand and his military career in a training accident, is investigating the source of that accident when he gets into a very compromising situation with Daniel Da Silva, a Jew who takes pride in his flamboyance. Given the late-19th-century high-class England
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setting, this is somewhat problematic, especially since it turns out that Archie might be queer too. Lovely use of the trope of the strong-brave-honest guy meeting the smart-slippery-observant guy and making them both better. Historic-typical language and homophobia. Show Less
LibraryThing member samnreader
Well, that was interesting...
For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't connecting. After a bit of set up, it was like a crazy game of clue or something. Eventually, that little thread that wasn't working for me became suddenly clear--Archie was a very grounded character, and he was
That little spark was missing. The POV is not all I hold accountable. Her suspense, as usual, was executed well. I just thought it might have been at the cost of some things that would've made the characters more interesting.
Her writing is fantastic, her books are fun and well-researched. It was romantic and had intense moments. However, it always left me wanting and not the fulfilled kind I have experienced with KJC. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO RUN OUT OF PAGES? I WANT TO LIVE HERE FOREVER!" This kind of wanting was the want to squeeze more from the content that just, for me, ultimately, did not deliver. Therefore, 3.36, rounding down.
For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't connecting. After a bit of set up, it was like a crazy game of clue or something. Eventually, that little thread that wasn't working for me became suddenly clear--Archie was a very grounded character, and he was
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great, but everything (?) was in his POV. That can work for me, and it often does in cases like this this--where identity is being discovered. But identity itself wasn't really a conflict here, or at least not a big source of tension. So, I was missing the emotional investment I would typically have in both characters. That little spark was missing. The POV is not all I hold accountable. Her suspense, as usual, was executed well. I just thought it might have been at the cost of some things that would've made the characters more interesting.
Her writing is fantastic, her books are fun and well-researched. It was romantic and had intense moments. However, it always left me wanting and not the fulfilled kind I have experienced with KJC. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO RUN OUT OF PAGES? I WANT TO LIVE HERE FOREVER!" This kind of wanting was the want to squeeze more from the content that just, for me, ultimately, did not deliver. Therefore, 3.36, rounding down.
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LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
Oddly, I know I read this within the last 6 months and just finished reading it again because I completely forgot I had read the story until I read it a second time. This should not reflect badly on the story because it really is a very good one and I'm happy to have read it again not matter what
As I have come to discover with this author, her characters are compelling and interesting and there is always action and intrigue. Although I still find her Magpie Lord trilogy the best of all her stories, this was still very good and recommended for anyone who enjoyed m/m mysteries.
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the reason. In this story a former military man who was wounded during practice when a gun blew up in his hands tries to discover whether the exploding rifle was sabotage or accident. Along the way he discovers another spy in his hosts household looking for evidence of another crime. The two join forces and discover that these two dissimilar matters do, in fact, have a common denominator. As I have come to discover with this author, her characters are compelling and interesting and there is always action and intrigue. Although I still find her Magpie Lord trilogy the best of all her stories, this was still very good and recommended for anyone who enjoyed m/m mysteries.
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LibraryThing member crtsjffrsn
Captain Archie Curtis was victim to a military accident that ended his career. But something about the accident made him wonder if it was truly an accident at all. And it's that curiosity that has brought him as a guest at an isolated country house with guests who are even more intriguing than the
I had a hard time getting into this one. There was just something about the characters that left me a little uninterested in what happened to them and the overall story. I'm not sure why, because the writing is good and I almost always love work by K.J. Charles. I think it was just one of those things where it was a slight miss for me personally.
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house itself. And one such guest is Daniel da Silva, a poet--and obviously queer. Everything about da Silva makes Curtis uncomfortable. That is, until issues that arise during a house party require the two of them to work together and confront the palpable sexual tension lingering between them.I had a hard time getting into this one. There was just something about the characters that left me a little uninterested in what happened to them and the overall story. I'm not sure why, because the writing is good and I almost always love work by K.J. Charles. I think it was just one of those things where it was a slight miss for me personally.
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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
Well this ended on a HFN, but it still worked for me. Archie and Daniel were both badasses in their own ways, and I loved the self-reflection from Archie. The fairly innocuously bland cover does hide some of the violence within the pages, so that was a bit surprising (genius use of the title
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though). Show Less
LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
This took me a little bit of time to really get into, but by the end I felt very engaged, and pleased, and quite fond of the main characters. I like them for each other a lot.
Awards
Rainbow Award (Winner — 2014)
AAR Annual Reader Poll (2015)
Language
Original publication date
2014-07-01
ISBN
9780995799004