Dicing with Danger

by Charles Raines, Judy Knipe (Editor), Mike Morris (Illustrator)

As a tired train trundles through post-war Germany, a motley bunch of travellers huddle in a cramped third class compartment. Realising life will never be the same again, resentment breeds when a British soldier joins them for the ride. Flanked by a male civilian who urges caution, a German sailor takes it upon himself to show open hostility. Taking stock of each other throughout the journey, the three young men aggravate and intimidate. Soon there is a score to settle. But intuition tells them they all have something in common. And the only way to resolve their differences is to follow their instincts.
N.B. This story contains explicit descriptions of erotic and sexual situations between men. Mature readers only.

Genres: Historical, M M Romance

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2013

Reviews

[Warren Collen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short story of three strangers on a train right after the end of WWII. Even though one speaks a different language, and the other two are from different branches of the service, the language of lust and need can speak loudly. The book describes the journey to Cologne, and the tension between the Englishman and the two Germans, one a sailor, the other from the army, I am assuming. With the other passengers cramped into a small area within the train, the three servicemen begin a dance of tension, danger, and brute sexuality.
But, before you think that that is the story, the twists and turns of this book are terrific. They keep you guessing, taking you in one direction, and then totally turning you on your face and heading you in a different direction.
Mr. Raines is a master of sexuality. His writing is hot and dark for this book. He grabs you and keeps you tense, hot, horny, and reading. He takes you on a journey of intrigue and sexual encounters that stun you with their directness and the surprise.
I have read Dicing with Danger, and am now going to find more of his work to see if he does the same for me that this book did. It was wonderful. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book I read it beginning to end without putting it down. I even skipped lunch! I loved this book and Mr. Raines writing.
Warren Collen
GGR-Reviews

[Bernard Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but explosive story. Three young men made their ride on a train in the post-war Germany thrilling and memorable. For themselves and for their readers. Inviting shadows and suggestive signs speak loud as a bang of a gun as they flirt with danger.

[Alp Mortal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot on the tail of Stranger In Translation, I read Dicing With Danger, fully expecting to captivated and enthralled - I wasn't disappointed. Thoroughly deserving of four stars. I was left very hot under the collar!

A much shorter story than Charles Raines's other stories, it packs a punch, above and below the belt - so to speak. I was instantly transported to the railway carriage; Charles Raines has an uncanny knack of invoking the moment effortlessly. The story has a glorious twist and I am not about to spoil it but suffice to say, it was well done and it didn't feel contrived.

All of the characters were well drawn - for me, to feel a character is essential; I want to smell them and taste them - you'll forgive me for waxing lyrical - these chaps will have you panting.

Characters without plot will always remain just that - to come alive, they need a story which is engrossing. When you feel your body swaying to the rocking of the railway carriage, you know you're in the story.

I can't wait to start the other two Charles Raines's stories which I have downloaded in anticipation of the weekend - The Man With the Mandolin and Falling For Forever.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It's after the 2nd world war but it could be any time. Erotic but has a good story too. 18 and over review on CR.
http://cockyreviews.com/dicing-with-d...

[Manuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend of mine. I had no idea what to expect apart from some hot sex. I was surprised to have a little story here, a very detailed description of even the smallest side character, but even for the shortness of the book it was giving the plot its mood and depth. Although I am not a friend of past war Germany stories I felt myself into a time where gay men had to do their f***ing in secret, away from prying eyes and always afraid to be caught either by the law enforcers or vigilante groups. The dynamics between the three men who meet in a train in Germany are changing throughout the story. By the way, the sex was hot. ;)

[Thomas Bruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

An evocative and well-written story that centers on lust and love. Three men board a train and are embroiled in an unsuspecting love triangle. The ending will leave you wanting more.

[Tessa Barding · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one's a major WTF read. At least for me. I stumbled across it via Pinterest and halted because the quote plus the photo it was used for reminded me of a German book I had read and fallen in love with, and I thought - oh, it's been translated into English? Well, nope. It's a whole different thing. The summary sounded like a fun read, a quick + steamy fix, an enjoyable lust tangle which was just what I needed that day.

Well, what can I say. It doesn't do anything for me. A short story is but a glimpse, a momentum, a snapshot, and that is OK. Short stories can be fantastic and fun and sexy and all, but this one isn't. I couldn't connect to either of the characters, I couldn't see where the willingness to do something risky came from. Yes, there's mutual attraction but it doesn't come across as strong enough, I think.

I can't even say it's badly written per se, but it didn't touch me. To be honest, I didn't care one iota about either of the blokes, and I didn't get the ending. What's worse: I don't care I didn't get the ending. I just feel... meh about the whole thing. Also, as a native German speaker, I was a little put off by the grammatical mistakes, small as they are, but they still irritated me.

So, two stars for the idea and for the choice of location. Could have been something but alas, it wasn't enough.

[Dawn Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Charles Raines a few years back. And was swept into his writing world within a few pages. I waited for more to come out and snapped this one up as soon as it was advertised. Dicing with danger is a great short story, that follows three young men. For me to want to carry on reading these characters must come alive, and they sure do. I can feel the heat inside that train, the lust wanting to explode through the pages. Their experiences of lust and sex is more than enough to leave you hot under the collar. Do not read in public, lol Great read, and highly recommended.

[MM Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tension and testosterone.
This sexy short story revolves around three young men brimming with testosterone. Confined in a traveling railway carriage with a captive audience, the sailor, soldier and civilian physically and provocatively tease and torment each other to the point of erotic eruption. Readers cannot fail to feel the tension as this very sensual story slowly unfolds and the suspense builds. As usual, Raines' superb writing is spot-on, not wasting words, but artfully presenting us with sufficient ammunition to experience every thrill. The plot is unique and the ending is inspired.

[Rob Damon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yeah! If you ever needed proof that less is more, here it is. Three hot men on a train get hotter as this short story progresses swiftly to an ending that will put a huge grin on your face. And not only that, you get Charles Raines intriguing style of story telling.