Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Subtle Blood 
SERIES: Will Darling Adventures
AUTHOR: K.J. Charles
PUBLISHER: KJC Books
LENGTH: 242 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2021
BLURB:
Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan–disgraced aristocrat, ex-spy, amateur book-dealer. It’s starting to feel like he’s got his life under control.
And then a brutal murder in a gentleman’s club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and the power of privilege. Worse, it brings them up against Kim’s noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong.
With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than ever—or be torn apart for good.
A 1920s m/m romance trilogy in the spirit of Golden Age pulp fiction.
REVIEW:
Note: this is a series and should be read in order. Not recommended as a standalone.
In the final installment of this series, we once again find our intrepid heroes thrown into a mystery that has Kim having to face what’s left of his awful family. His brother, Lord Chingford the heir, has been accused and murder and Kim and Will are obliged to try to help him not hang for the offense. Because that would leave Kim as the heir – a position he most certainly does not want. At all.
As Will and Kim try to ferret out the whys and wherefores of the murder of a retired accountant at the Symposium club, the very club Kim resigned from rather than be thrown out of, things go from bad to worse. Old enemies come at Will and he’s not going to stand for it – but that cuts off an avenue of investigation. And while Will and Kim are suspicious of the victim, it takes the return of old friends to help them put together the pieces – and it seems the “victim” was not in any way shape or form innocent.
Then there is the potential tie to the Zodiac – as it seems they have NOT all be rounded up and not it appear that Leo has decided to take over. And plans may be even more audacious than before. When Will and Kim put two and two together and come up with four, it may be too late and since Kim’s hideous family has more to worry about than a murderer going free, it’s not clear at all what side things will come down on.
Oh my! What a wonderful finally to this story. So many twists and turns! I absolutely loved this book from page 1 to the end. Kim and Will have been doing fine together – spending their time when possible. But as soon as Chingford is accused of murder – everything goes off the rails. The blackmail, the framing for murder, the stealing of incriminating evidence! It all leads on a merry chase to the conclusion that seemed to lead to disaster for all. I loved seeing Maisie and Phoebe again and getting a little bit of their story – maybe we’ll get a full length book? 😉 Will and Kim can finally declare themselves and it was as unconventional as expected. This series is so good and the building of the relationship and the things they go through were so well-written! Highly recommended – the series and the book. One of my favorites this year in fact 😀
RATING: 
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