Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Proper English
AUTHOR: K.J. Charles
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 243 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2019
BLURB:
A shooting party at the Earl of Witton’s remote country house is a high treat for champion shot Patricia Merton—until unexpected guests turn the social atmosphere dangerously sour.
That’s not Pat’s biggest problem. She’s visiting her old friend, the Earl’s heir Jimmy Yoxall—but she wants to spend a lot more time with Jimmy’s fiancée. The irrepressible Miss Fenella Carruth, with her laughing eyes and lush curves, is the most glorious woman Pat’s ever met, and it quickly becomes impossible to remember why she needs to stay at arm’s length.
But while the women’s attraction grows, the tensions at Rodington Court get worse. Affairs, secrets, betrayals, and blackmail come to light. And when a body is discovered with a knife between the shoulderblades, it’s going to take Pat and Fen’s combined talents to prevent the murderer destroying all their lives.
REVIEW:
K.J. Charles is a modern master of historical romance, so I was over the moon when I realized she had written a full-length F/F story! Set in the early 1900s, this book details a shooting party gone wrong with a cast of characters who all have plenty of reason to kill the man found with a knife in his back.
Patricia Merton, a “spinster” who has found herself afloat in a world that scoffs at independent women, is excited to show off her shooting skills at a partridge-hunting party with her brother, Bill, and old friend, Jimmy. But a quiet weekend away turns into a madhouse with the arrival of new acquaintances who all have a secret to keep. One guest who catches Pat’s eye is Fenella Carruth, Jimmy’s bubbly, kindhearted fiancée, who is trying to protect her own reputation after two failed engagements. The two women start as polite friends, bonding with another guest, Victoria Singh, over their differences with the men, but soon, Pat feels a pull towards Fen she’s never experienced before.
The heart of this story is the mystery rather than the romance, though. I love how the main conflict is the proper handling of a guest in polite society who is incredibly impolite. Maurice Haworth, the Earl party leader’s son-in-law, has blackmail and a timid wife on his side, making it impossible to kick him out—but at the same time, he’s so rude and crass that he cannot be ignored. His constant jibes feel like a pot slowly coming to a boil, and having the rest of the guests try their hardest to talk over him just turns up the flame. However, while this tense build-up towards the murderous act is delicious, what transpires after left me a little burned out. The characters spent a lot of time sitting calmly and logically trying to figure out who the culprit could be, and while it’s realistic for the pragmatic Pat and bright Fen, it left me skimming the pages a bit. Everything before the murder was so exciting, leaving little left for the dénouement.
It’s almost impossible to not love Pat and Fen together, though. They’re total opposites—Pat thin and awkward and quiet, Fen curvy and vibrant and social—but when they’re together, they’re a perfect fit. They just get each other right away, like they were waiting for that person with a polar energy to complete them. There’s little drama involving emotions or realizations—they just simply fall for each other.
I knew from the blurb and from Charles’ social media presence that this is a prequel story to her popular novel, Think of England. I am a fan of Charles’ books, but I confess I haven’t read that one. This story stands totally on its own with a unique setting and cast of characters, so if you mainly read lesfic or are just interested in Fen and Pat’s story, you can certainly read this independently.
I also believe this is one of Charles’ first F/F-centered works, and I have to say I would love to see more! This is a slow-burning, contained little murder mystery that will charm you from the start. A great choice for lesfic and cozy mystery fans alike.
RATING: 
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