The secret lives of country gentlemen

Charles (the Will Darling Adventures series) launches the Doomsday Books series with a dark and stunning love story between a smuggler and a newly minted baronet. In the Kentish moors of the early 19th century, smuggling boss Joss Doomsday, head of the formidable Doomsday clan, and Sir Gareth Inglis, whose absent father's death has lately conferred the baronetcy on him, commence a tumultuous but tender affair while dodging a rival smuggling gang's hunt for 10,000 guineas owed them by Gareth's father and navigating a handful of troublesome relatives on both sides. The author's gift for historical fiction is on clear display, as Romney Marsh, Kent, is vividly evoked with both its scenic landmarks and local fauna (indeed, there are a surprising number of beetles and newts for a romance). Charles does not shy from the darker side of the smuggling business, with beatings and murders featuring heavily in the plot, but the characters grapple with morality in a convincing way through discussions and arguments and fallings-out. The few threads left dangling at the end only whet the appetite for future books. Readers will devour this. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Mar.)

Charles (Subtle Blood; "A Charm of Magpies" series) successfully balances a complicated suspense plot and an emotionally resonant romance. Gareth Inglis has never felt wanted, which causes him to lash out when he feels he might be hurt. After the untimely death of his father and his inheritance of a baronetcy in Kent, he must confront his past, including a former partner he parted with on bad terms. Joss Doomsday thought he'd never see the man he knew as "London" again after they quarreled the last time they saw each other. When Gareth appears as the heir to a baronetcy in the area, he assumes their paths won't cross, until Gareth spots Joss's sister on a nighttime smuggling run and decides to present evidence, something Joss is determined to stop. A rocky reunion gives way to a lasting connection as Joss and Gareth reunite and discover more about themselves. Charles skillfully sketches the early 19th-century Kentish marshes, allowing readers to understand the geography of the story without overwhelming them. VERDICT This novel launches a delightful new Regency romance series from Charles; readers will be eagerly anticipating the next installment.--Brigid Black