2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory (188-07-21-2016)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

1) I will have to keep my eyes open for more stories by this author as she pulled me into this story from the beginning.

2) Thoroughly enjoyable and historically fun story of espionage and an unusual romance, with great characters.

3) I must confess that I'm a huge Helen MacInnes fan, so the storyline of Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory was right up my alley.  Having lived in England, I am also a big fan of the Victorian sewer systems, of which this story made very satisfactory use.  For my money, this was pretty much the perfect story, starting out slowly with what appeared to be a straightforward surveillance job but building up to an exciting race against time. I so much enjoyed seeing Briers - who comes across as a little hard and world-weary - develop grudging respect and later genuine interest in his partner Miles.  The old saw of kissing passionately to distract others from your real intentions was used wonderfully here, and Miles-as-Millie was used to great effect throughout the story (I am trying very hard not to spoil here).  The cast of secondary characters was equally engaging:  the charming if opportunistic agent Falk, Miles' down-to-earth brother George, even the young wife Elsie who reacted with moral outrage upon discovering that Millie is actually Miles.  A great read.

Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory
Gay Historical Romance
Publisher: Manifold Press (August 1, 2016)
Amazon Kindle: Eleventh Hour

Borrowed from the Secret Intelligence Service cipher department to assist Briers Allerdale - a field agent returning to 1920s London with news of a dangerous anarchist plot - Miles Siward moves into a 'couples only' boarding house, posing as Allerdale’s 'wife'. Miles relishes the opportunity to allow his alter ego, Millie, to spread her wings but if Miles wants the other agent’s respect he can never betray how much he enjoys being Millie nor how attractive he finds Allerdale.

Pursuing a ruthless enemy who wants to throw Europe back into the horrors of the Great War, Briers and Miles are helped and hindered by nosy landladies, water board officials, suave gentlemen representing foreign powers and their own increasing attraction to each other.

Will they catch their quarry? Will they find love? Could they hope for both?

The clock is ticking.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html