Review: Heart to Hart, One's uptight, the other's rude &  bawdy, together they are a smash hit
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2013
I've been fortunate to read excerpts from this story, and along the way I developed a very particular attraction to the tortured, grieving, uptight Simon Hart, an investigator who lost his colleague to a violent crime.Simon is bereft for not only did he lose a partner in his detective agency but also a friend, a very special friend. It was the kind of relationship that only needed next steps for Simon to fulfill his emotional center. That they never had time to pursue that attraction is something that will haunt Simon, setting up the essential conflict of what a man is in relationship to what he thinks he is.Simon sees himself through a very distorted lens. It will be his curse that one Michael McCree has no such filters and indeed, once they meet, there's no doubt in the big man's mind that the very attractive Simon has yet to come to terms with his innermost cravings. And that makes him irresistible.Michael McCree is that little bit of rough, living on the raw, ragged edge--a man with skills and secrets and a keen intellect. A man who, once he sets his sights on a goal, will not be easily dissuaded. He's a man with a silver tongue, a street brawler with a bulldog mentality: in short, he is the perfect foil for the neurotic Simon.Michael worms his way into becoming a flat mate and then a partner (of sorts) when he shows some flair for being an investigator (secrets, don't forget those secrets). Michael didn't just grow on the repressed Simon, he also dazzled this reader with his joie de vivre and no-holds-barred sexuality. It did not take long for me to become invested in both men.The story is centered about Simon solving the mystery of how his partner was murdered, but it is also one of beginnings, of coming to terms with who and what you are, and the precarious nature of trust.The story is set in the early 1920's, in a fictional Irish small city and the authenticity in the descriptions of the architecture, modes of transportation, dress, speech patterns...everything,  down to the smallest detail, was a feast for the mind's eye.Simon has several cases on the docket, some of which he relinquishes to Michael, and those minor adventures provide some of the more comedic elements to this light-hearted tale. However, at the core of this story, there's a lot of serious stuff going on: each man is multi-layered, multi-facetted; and as repressed as Simon is, he is that deep well of conflict set to detonate given sufficient provocation.Props if you think Michael is just the provocation he needs.The `scenes of affection' are beautifully restrained yet graphic enough to be realistic. The author allows her men to be men, not poseurs with (excuse the expression) dicks, and they come at relationships with a very male perspective. That alone elevates the author in my opinion, but then add in fine story-telling, fully-fashioned characters that I fell in lust/love with, strong dialogue, interesting minor characters (the street kids are truly a hoot) and a recreation of a time and place that, like the very best stage settings, enhanced the production without overwhelming it and you have the recipe for a read that will stay with you long after you finish the book.There is a satisfactory denouement to the murder mystery and some lip-biting hints at other, more compelling secrets and revelations.A sequel is planned and for that I tip a tumbler of Bushmills. For now, sit back and savor a fine tale, told well. Heart to Hart (The Gaslight Mysteries) will satisfy on every level. Unreserved: Five Stars.This title was provided by the author for the purposes of a review.