Review - The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee

Charlie may be good at accounting, but he's not very good at managing his own money. He likes his fine clothes and nice flat in London. After getting deeply in debt and having to ask his banker father for help one too many times, Charlie's father insists he get married to a nice girl they've picked out, in the hope that he'll become more responsible. Although Charlie doesn't like women that way, he has become good friends with his bride-to-be and has convinced himself, if not any of his friends, that he will be able to carry on socializing with his friends at the Curious Fox as usual. One of Charlie's passions is pornography. He has collected a number of books full of homosexual debauchery and avidly seeks out the authors for their signature, even though all writers use pen names for that kind of work. One night at the club, one of Charlie's friends gives him the real name and location of the one author that has eluded him, one of his favorites.

Miles lives a very reclusive life. He runs the bookshop left to him by his dead lover by day and spends his nights writing tales of debauchery. When a young man comes into his store seeking the autograph of his nome-de-plume, Miles fears that his world is about to come tumbling down.

“The Gentleman's Book of Vices” is set in Victorian London, a time when homosexual acts could land a man in prison. As we get to know Miles, it becomes clear just how huge an impact this had on the lives of men who just wanted to love who they wanted.

The narration switches points of view between Miles and Charlie from one chapter to the next. From Miles, we come to understand just how devastating the laws of the time could be to the loved ones of those persecuted under the law. As we get to know Miles and how he came to own the bookshop, we see firsthand how the events of the past made him the paranoid hermit he appears to be when we first meet him.

In many ways, Charlie is the opposite of Miles. He's outgoing, and like most young men, he thinks he is immune to the potential ramifications of his lifestyle. As we get to know him, we see that while Charlie may play the fop very well, he's really a fundamentally good person. Ultimately, the main driver of the drama in this book is Charlie's need to do the right thing, even at great cost to himself. That drama will keep you guessing as to whether or not Charlie and Miles will ever get a happy ending.

“The Gentleman's Book of Vices” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).