Think of England Paperback – July 7, 2015

Another winner. Charles nails the Christie-esque "mystery/house party" set up, though this is an oddly dark story about some truly ugly people. I loved both leads--I want to say especially Daniel, who felt both recognizable and also really original, but I thought Archie was wonderful too. To an unusual degree, each man illuminates the other on a fundamental level. They are very different but neither is as fully realized, romantically or thematically, without the other.You see this in Archie's very funny but also poignant attempts at confronting Daniel's "Fragmentalist" verse (which doesn't even rhyme properly!) Everything to do with Daniel's poetry was surprisingly multilayered and revealing."There were vivid images, but they were extraordinary ones, not poetic at all in the way Curtis vaguely felt poetry should be, with trumpets or mountains or daffodils. These poems were full of broken glass and water-which was not clean water-and scaly things that moved in the dark."The contrast between the Wordsworthian daffodils and scaly things in (not clean!) water was priceless. The part where Archie stops the other men from mocking Daniel's verse was one of those quiet moments of true heroism that really defines Archie's character. And in truth, his attempts to make sense of modern verse like Daniel's can serve as a stand-in for the experiences of a generation of people who could no longer exist within the comforting moral certitudes of the previous century.And then of course, there's Daniel, whose religion, class background, and sexuality mean that he saw through those illusions and empty certitudes--probably starting when he was about four years old. (It's a brilliant, potent touch that he's the son of a locksmith). He's a great picture of the kind of mind and perspective that brought us Modernism, but the frequent references to suicide in the story remind us how lonely and wretched that alienation could sometimes be. It's refreshing and heartening to find that character occupying the main role in an old-fashioned romance, with heroic rescues, love and, of course, happy-ever-afters.I'm teasing out a few of these themes because I used to teach this subject, but I don't want to imply that there is anything ponderous or pretentious in the literary allusions. They're built into the characters and plot in the most natural, understated way.There's plenty more I would like to praise here, but I'll ring off. Bottom line: this is a home run. Read it. It's great.

Daniel DeSilva is probably my favorite character ever written. Like. The snark. The walls. The falling for the same type of people despite better judgement. Talk about relatable.Overall, this story is filled with murder, mystery, and intrigue. I was pretty skeptical going in because I normally really don't like murder mystery type books, but this one got me from about ten pages in, and then I was completely helpless. I couldn't put the damn thing down.

Stars: 4 StarsFormat: PrintSteam Level: SteamyCW: suicide and a anti-Semitism, homophobia, violenceI picked this up after reading Proper English because I enjoyed that book a whole lot. And this definitely didn’t disappoint! Tons of fun.Quick Thoughts:- Huzzah a disabled main character! And it talked about learning to do things himself after loosing his fingers. Really liked that line as someone who has had to learn do things differently also- Pat and Fen make an appearance! After reading Proper English it was nice to see them again, I liked that this book takes place a couple of years after that one and we see that they are still together. This is actually their first appearance the the Proper English is a prequel written after this- Good mystery. Even when I had and idea who was behind things, how it was all going to play out and the details kept me on the edge of my seat- It was interesting (even fun?) to read Curtis’ evolution of not being out to even himself to coming out and wanting to be with da Silva- Even though Curtis is fictional part of a fictional family tree of King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard and I have not read it, I did not feel like I was missing anything in this story by not knowing that- I ended up really liking the main couple though I wasn’t sure I would at first. I was kind of irritated at both guys but they grew on me- It was interesting that the diverse characters were the heroes in this when traditionally they would have been coded (and known instantly to be) the villains in this sort of storyOverall, super enjoyed this book. I will have to read more. K. J. Charles is such a great writer! I’m glad I have it in print so I can push I mean lend it to friends.

**Originally posted to Goodreads*** 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 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.

Think of England is set in the early part of the 20th century when one of our main characters (Archie Curtis) is still recovering from his experiences during the Boer War - he had been seriously wounded, losing part of his hand, not in a battle but when a load of sub-standard guns exploded and many of his colleagues were killed or seriously injured. We learn in the beginning of the book that he has recently been visited by the man whose company made the guns in question and who had alleged they had been sabotaged by one of his business rivals.Curtis ends up accepting an invitation to the country home of said businessman in the hope that he will be able to uncover evidence of this claim - he's not the only person invited and the other guests are a cross-section of middle and upper class England of the time. Daniel da Silva is 'not one of us', a well-dressed poet whose sexuality is immediately apparent and who has a talent for making quips which cause Curtis all sorts of discomfort. As Curtis discovers, however, da Silva is also there for more than one reason and they form an uncomfortable alliance to figure out what is going on and also stay alive long enough to provide the evidence for it.What really works well for me is the atmosphere provided by the author and the ways in which da Silva in particular is 'other', though as they discover he is not alone in this. It's a well-written story which makes me want to read more by this author and I'm also pleased to hear that there's a further book featuring these characters in the works, given the set-up for more at the end of Think of England. My only minor caveat is that I'm not convinced that the man on the cover and the mental image I have for Curtis really work too well together, since the way he's described at times makes me think more 'rugby player' than 'man in tux'.

This is great fun. A classic early 20th century country house mystery in the best tradition with and healthy dose of romance thrown in. The plot is pacey and interesting and unfurls in unexpected ways as the story progresses. The romance seems unlikely at first but soon picks up. It is a very sweet story wrapped up in the adventure and intrigue of the main plot. It does not lack for breathless passion and warm embraces, coupled with the dark paranoia that accompanies an illicit love – it is a heady cocktail. I found this a very satisfying read. I have read several great books from this author recently and shall be on the look out for more.

I loved this book and had to ration myself so that I didn’t finish it all in one go. The two protagonists are extremely well drawn and very far from romantic hero clichés, as is their relationship which starts off prickly but soon develops into something that changes them both.There are many stand-out moments of romantic tension that get your stomach twisting delightfully, as well as some real gasp-aloud moments of peril. The image of Daniel in the cave will stay with me for a long time.Talking of Daniel, I adored him as a central character. I’m always a fan of the quick-witted underdog with hidden depths, but Daniel also demonstrated such vulnerability beneath his brittle exterior that it was impossible not to fall a little (a lot) in love with him. And Archie, the damaged narrator, was a wonderful counterpoint with his gruff non-nonsense soldier attitude that sometimes seemed obtuse but, in the end, allowed him to adapt to their developing relationship with more ease than the sophisticated Daniel. I loved the irony of that!Finally, a quick note on the writing, which is excellent, economic and pacy. The attention to period language is wonderful and it really brings the whole world to life. Unlike most of Charles’ other books, this story is written from a single point of view which worked really well given the mystery element of the story and the secrets that are slowly revealed throughout.If you’re a fan of m/m romance, then I highly recommend this book. If you’re a fan of great romances with a dash of action, adventure, and mystery then I also highly recommend this book. Basically, read the book. You won’t regret it!

This book!I am undone.Like a bundle of ribbons on the floor.Utterly unraveled.I loved it! XD XD XDSeriously, though, there is something about KJ Charles’ books that makes me gleeful. I mean this is not exactly light and fluffy – there’s treason and murder and blackmail and blatant antisemitism and homophobia, but Archie and Daniel? Gleeful.I would call it a guilty pleasure, but there’s no guilt here. Just pleasure and enjoyment, and I really should read the Charm of Magpie series sometime…

I've read a few m/m romances before but always found them unconvincing or just plain dull, with leaden cardboard cut-out characters and plotting. I have often been pulled in by a premise only to abandon the book halfway when the author can't be bothered to colour her story with texture and authentic detail. However my first KJ Charles book was a real joy: a plot that develops in depth and intrigue, 2 MCs who develop a slow-ish burn attraction with plenty of confusing feelings either side, and some hot action that doesn't feel just incidental but integral to the story. The period is also well-represented without being obtrusive. I can't wait to discover more of her books.