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Jack & Ollie #1
Men Like Us
Ollie Boyd enjoys Jack Finley's company, likes to make him laugh, and wants to work with him...and maybe something more than that. It sure is confusing to have these feelings for another guy, and in the homophobic 1950s, it's not really safe.
Jack Finley finds time for Ollie, sure, but he's just humoring a friend. He's a tough private eye. He's certainly not indulging secretly in a crush, no matter how attractive or charming Ollie might be. Jack's smart and careful, and he's been around the block. It's hard enough to be who he is without taking on extra trouble.
But now Jack needs some help, after a botched Good Samaritan act leaves him broken in body and spirit. Ollie wants to be the one who's there for him. He also wants to figure out these feelings—even if they mean he's in pretty deep trouble.
A whole lot of bumps in the road—including blackmail and murder—might take these two down more dangerous streets than they'd guess...together.
65,600 words
Jack Finley finds time for Ollie, sure, but he's just humoring a friend. He's a tough private eye. He's certainly not indulging secretly in a crush, no matter how attractive or charming Ollie might be. Jack's smart and careful, and he's been around the block. It's hard enough to be who he is without taking on extra trouble.
But now Jack needs some help, after a botched Good Samaritan act leaves him broken in body and spirit. Ollie wants to be the one who's there for him. He also wants to figure out these feelings—even if they mean he's in pretty deep trouble.
A whole lot of bumps in the road—including blackmail and murder—might take these two down more dangerous streets than they'd guess...together.
65,600 words
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2019
9 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 14, 2022
3.5 stars
This book had a unique vibe and setting, and both Jack and Ollie were well-developed characters with interesting emotional journeys and a good relationship dynamic.
The narrative voice fit well with the setting and genre, but the writing sometimes felt a bit repetitive with long internal monologues, saying the same thing three different ways in a paragraph, or using the same phrase twice in close succession. The relationship between the two main characters also felt volatile at times and the tone of their conversation could change on a dime, which was interesting to see but also sometimes hard to follow when it was shown mostly through dialogue and without insight into the feelings or thought process behind it (which sometimes came a lot later).
I really enjoyed how Ollie's queer awakening and attraction to Jack was written, how he was drawn so strongly towards Jack and admired him without understanding the full reasons why. I also liked Ollie's calm acceptance of his sexuality once he realized it, and that although the book dealt with period-typical homophobia it avoided internalized homophobia. However, I wished the revelation of Jack's sexuality to Ollie and the start of their sexual relationship had been shown from Ollie's perspective instead of Jack's since it felt key in Ollie understanding and accepting both his and Jack's sexuality, which was a big part of what his emotional journey in the book was centered on.
The book is fade-to-black but does allude to sexual interactions, and while FTB is not my personal preference there was still enough on-page physical affection there that I wasn't too disappointed. Overall it was a nice read that didn't fully deliver the emotional punches I'd hoped for at certain points of the story, but still an enjoyable book.
This book had a unique vibe and setting, and both Jack and Ollie were well-developed characters with interesting emotional journeys and a good relationship dynamic.
The narrative voice fit well with the setting and genre, but the writing sometimes felt a bit repetitive with long internal monologues, saying the same thing three different ways in a paragraph, or using the same phrase twice in close succession. The relationship between the two main characters also felt volatile at times and the tone of their conversation could change on a dime, which was interesting to see but also sometimes hard to follow when it was shown mostly through dialogue and without insight into the feelings or thought process behind it (which sometimes came a lot later).
I really enjoyed how Ollie's queer awakening and attraction to Jack was written, how he was drawn so strongly towards Jack and admired him without understanding the full reasons why. I also liked Ollie's calm acceptance of his sexuality once he realized it, and that although the book dealt with period-typical homophobia it avoided internalized homophobia. However, I wished the revelation of Jack's sexuality to Ollie and the start of their sexual relationship had been shown from Ollie's perspective instead of Jack's since it felt key in Ollie understanding and accepting both his and Jack's sexuality, which was a big part of what his emotional journey in the book was centered on.
The book is fade-to-black but does allude to sexual interactions, and while FTB is not my personal preference there was still enough on-page physical affection there that I wasn't too disappointed. Overall it was a nice read that didn't fully deliver the emotional punches I'd hoped for at certain points of the story, but still an enjoyable book.
November 21, 2024
Strong, strange narrative
voice—MCs don’t know themselves—strong,
strange motivations.
voice—MCs don’t know themselves—strong,
strange motivations.
December 22, 2021
It's just too much internal dialogue. I loved the characters and their dynamic and the setting and everything about it whenever we were in the actual plot, but it's just non-stop internal dialogue. I wanted to buy Book 2, but I couldn't take it anymore, no matter how tempting it was to spend more time with the characters.
March 28, 2020
Men Like Us
By Hollis Shiloh
Published by the author, 2019
Five stars
In 1950s Chicago (?), a young private detective, Oliver Boyle, fresh from the cornfields of Iowa, gets to know a well-known and successful private eye working on his own – Jack Finley. Ollie looks up to Jack, envious of his brains, his financial success, and his cool. Jack is older, having fought in World War II, and Ollie is flattered to be taken under Jack’s wing, and made part of his weekly poker game.
But Ollie begins to realize, to his dismay, that his interest in Jack has crossed a line. He finds himself physically drawn to Jack, realizing that his emotions are getting tangled up in his admiration. Thing is, Jack understands this, too, but he’s more interested in protecting his young friend than seducing him. It’s when Jack is badly beaten, as a result of rescuing a young man from a gang of hoodlums, that he and Ollie begin to hash out how they both really feel.
Murder, blackmail, and men who wear hats and ties all the time: Hollis Shiloh shifts the narrator’s viewpoint between Jack and Ollie, drawing us into a unique friendship and offering insight into the hearts and minds men on the edge of society at a time when the risk was enormous.
What impressed me most about this book is Hollis Shiloh’s skill at capturing the feel and language of the 1950s. I’d say that Frank Butterfield’s Nick Williams books are a prime example of that as well, but those fantastic plots and super-hero-like main characters give Butterfield’s books a distinctly post-Stonewall feel. Shiloh’s carefully modulated writing has just the right amount of formality and even stiltedness (is that a word?), and there’s an uncanny authenticity to it. I could believe this was a book written in the 1950s by one of those anonymous authors who published gay stories through tiny niche publishing houses. Both Jack Finley and Ollie Boyle resonate as American men of that time and place.
The restricted nature of the storyline feels eerily right, too. It’s sort of startling to step back and realize that all of the classic tropes of contemporary m/m fiction are in place; but each is shaped and tailored to look like something from the past. Jack’s bluff self-assurance is tinged with shame and regret. He’s only as out and proud as the time would allow. Even Ollie’s emerging self-awareness, which could readily have been a “gay for you” trap, becomes a thoughtful study of a young man’s realization that he is more complicated than he thought. There is a quiet maturity to Ollie’s self-analysis, just as there is to Jack’s, that give these two men dimensionality and emotional heft.
The author wants encouragement to write more about Ollie and Jack. I’m going to give it with all my heart. I want to see what these to young men, expert and apprentice, will do when they face the world on their own.
By Hollis Shiloh
Published by the author, 2019
Five stars
In 1950s Chicago (?), a young private detective, Oliver Boyle, fresh from the cornfields of Iowa, gets to know a well-known and successful private eye working on his own – Jack Finley. Ollie looks up to Jack, envious of his brains, his financial success, and his cool. Jack is older, having fought in World War II, and Ollie is flattered to be taken under Jack’s wing, and made part of his weekly poker game.
But Ollie begins to realize, to his dismay, that his interest in Jack has crossed a line. He finds himself physically drawn to Jack, realizing that his emotions are getting tangled up in his admiration. Thing is, Jack understands this, too, but he’s more interested in protecting his young friend than seducing him. It’s when Jack is badly beaten, as a result of rescuing a young man from a gang of hoodlums, that he and Ollie begin to hash out how they both really feel.
Murder, blackmail, and men who wear hats and ties all the time: Hollis Shiloh shifts the narrator’s viewpoint between Jack and Ollie, drawing us into a unique friendship and offering insight into the hearts and minds men on the edge of society at a time when the risk was enormous.
What impressed me most about this book is Hollis Shiloh’s skill at capturing the feel and language of the 1950s. I’d say that Frank Butterfield’s Nick Williams books are a prime example of that as well, but those fantastic plots and super-hero-like main characters give Butterfield’s books a distinctly post-Stonewall feel. Shiloh’s carefully modulated writing has just the right amount of formality and even stiltedness (is that a word?), and there’s an uncanny authenticity to it. I could believe this was a book written in the 1950s by one of those anonymous authors who published gay stories through tiny niche publishing houses. Both Jack Finley and Ollie Boyle resonate as American men of that time and place.
The restricted nature of the storyline feels eerily right, too. It’s sort of startling to step back and realize that all of the classic tropes of contemporary m/m fiction are in place; but each is shaped and tailored to look like something from the past. Jack’s bluff self-assurance is tinged with shame and regret. He’s only as out and proud as the time would allow. Even Ollie’s emerging self-awareness, which could readily have been a “gay for you” trap, becomes a thoughtful study of a young man’s realization that he is more complicated than he thought. There is a quiet maturity to Ollie’s self-analysis, just as there is to Jack’s, that give these two men dimensionality and emotional heft.
The author wants encouragement to write more about Ollie and Jack. I’m going to give it with all my heart. I want to see what these to young men, expert and apprentice, will do when they face the world on their own.
October 17, 2021
This will likely scratch any post WWII/mid-20th century historical vibes that anyone is looking for. The opening scene is * chef's kiss * I was a little worried we were only going to get Ollie's perspective, but we did eventually hear from Jack, as well. Period expected homophobia (but, honestly, not that bad). I don't think these detectives are quite hard-boiled (Ollie's more poached, I'd say). The central 'job that goes wrong' builds on itself in an interesting way. (A decent amount of hurt/comfort here, with Jack needing a lot of care despite not wanting to admit it.)
I should probably mention it's pretty fade-to-black; it isn't exactly low steam, but doesn't give much away. It worked with the time period, tho. My main quibble is that the setting is quite vague, like it's An American City (maybe Chicago, as another review points out, since Ollie is a corn-fed Iowan, but I got slight L.A. vibes, too? Would have been cool to know for sure, is all I'm sayin'.) However, I bought the second book directly after finishing this one, which seems a strong endorsement. :D
I should probably mention it's pretty fade-to-black; it isn't exactly low steam, but doesn't give much away. It worked with the time period, tho. My main quibble is that the setting is quite vague, like it's An American City (maybe Chicago, as another review points out, since Ollie is a corn-fed Iowan, but I got slight L.A. vibes, too? Would have been cool to know for sure, is all I'm sayin'.) However, I bought the second book directly after finishing this one, which seems a strong endorsement. :D
March 26, 2024
putting this down at 40%, im not feeling it at the moment. i might give it a try later on
October 31, 2019
Two men in the 1950s are attracted to each other but have to be discreet. Both are private investigators. Ollie is a bit naive and worships older Jack. The pacing is slow but blackmail and kidnapping liven up the plot.
July 9, 2021
Loved this book; I’ve read quite a few of Hollis Shiloh’s Shifters and Partners stories and enjoyed them but not as much as Men like Us. The setting, the plotting and the characterisation are well thought out and beautifully thought out. I love Jack and Ollie, who are so different and yet complementary, and their growing relationship which is handled with real feeling and as a result is totally believable. I would really love to see how it progresses in this intensely difficult period for same sex relationships.
July 24, 2020
A look into the closet
If the Continental Op were queer... the language reminded me so much of Dashiell Hammett that I worried that things might not work out for Jack and Ollie. The moments of queer community and straight tolerance were such a relief. Hammett's world is unrelievedly grey. And it's really clear why "tolerance" is not enough, even though that's all some people can give.
If the Continental Op were queer... the language reminded me so much of Dashiell Hammett that I worried that things might not work out for Jack and Ollie. The moments of queer community and straight tolerance were such a relief. Hammett's world is unrelievedly grey. And it's really clear why "tolerance" is not enough, even though that's all some people can give.
April 30, 2021
I really like this a lot. It's got terrific, easy banter between the two leads and strikes just the right balance of fluff and pining and angst. Ollie and Jack are two private eyes in the 1950s who fall in love, despite the homophobia of the time period. Since it features investigators, I thought there might be a stronger mystery plotline, but there really isn't - there is some stuff involving blackmail - but I didn't mind that. I was in this for the romance and I thought it delivered a very sweet love story. It leans heavily on the hurt/comfort trope, which I enjoy, but if that's not your thing, you might find it a bit too tropey. Anyway, I loved it.
August 22, 2020
Great story and loved Jack and Ollie, hoping for more from them
November 21, 2021
Loved it !
March 4, 2020
It took me till mid-third chapter before I stopped being unsettled by the cadence/voice of the MCs - especially Ollie. Several editing niggles as well as repeated words/groups of words within a paragraph didn't help either. However - somewhere along the way, my reading settled and I got truly focused on how two gumshoe PIs in the mid-50s manage to find each other and negotiate some sort of relationship in an intolerant world. The author promises a sequel, and I think I could be up for another round of Jack and Ollie after all.
November 29, 2019
I should have gotten to reading this sooner. I ended up liking it quite a bit, though it was different than other books Ms. Shiloh has written. It was set in a different time period, the 1950s, and in what I thought of as something of a noir style. Many of Ms. Shiloh's books are paranormal, and this was historical fiction.
Ollie was young, but determined to learn how to be a better private eye and more knowledgeable person generally. Ollie has decided that there's a lot he can learn from the independent and very intelligent private eye he associates with every so often, Jack. However, Jack is not helping Ollie sort out the confusing feelings that Ollie is developing towards Jack. Ollie is on his own for that.
Jack decides in his wisdom what he wants Ollie to know about and what he wants to shelter Ollie from knowing about. Ollie gets regularly outraged at being called "kid." He also gets angry at being denied knowledge about the gay world that would have explained a lot to him. The 1950s were not a time when much accurate information was out there, but there were informal ways that gay men more experienced in the life might mentor their inexperienced brethren.
The historical information seemed quite accurate from what I know. I've read non-fiction books about the history of gay life in New York, and some about London, but not much about Chicago. But Ms. Shiloh seems to have captured the general spirit of the era. If I am remembering right, sodomy was decriminalized in Illinois in 1961, so Ollie and Jack would be able to live more freely in a few years. Prejudice would stay alive and well in the country, of course, but they wouldn't be breaking the law in their relationship.
However, in the 1950s, Jack is being blackmailed, and is not sure who his enemy is. Also, he's been badly beaten saving a baby gay (19 years old, Jack thinks) from being bashed, and is trying to recover for much of the book. He's got broken ribs and his hands have gotten enough damage that he can't light a cigarette for himself. At first he can't even hold a glass of water. The constant pain and the weakness Jack feels for a long time interfere to some extent with Jack's ability to think clearly, which he prides himself on being able to do.
Jack needs to figure out who his enemies are. And although Jack wants to be able to handle everything by himself, Ollie and others are of the opinion that Jack needs allies to help him. Jack and Ollie are terrible at discussing their feelings. Jack holds back out of understandable caution, and Ollie is confused.
Ollie focuses a lot on making jokes to make social situations flow more easily. He's proud of his ability to "crack wise" and make others laugh. Ollie is usually a happy person, but he has a quick temper, which he needs to learn to control. This temper rises particularly high when he's patronized. He'll decide for himself what's for his own good, rather than have it decided for him, thank you, other characters.
I think this will be a very enjoyable book for those who like historical fiction with gay protagonists. And it should be educational and enjoyable for people who are not familiar with gay culture in the 1950s.
Ollie was young, but determined to learn how to be a better private eye and more knowledgeable person generally. Ollie has decided that there's a lot he can learn from the independent and very intelligent private eye he associates with every so often, Jack. However, Jack is not helping Ollie sort out the confusing feelings that Ollie is developing towards Jack. Ollie is on his own for that.
Jack decides in his wisdom what he wants Ollie to know about and what he wants to shelter Ollie from knowing about. Ollie gets regularly outraged at being called "kid." He also gets angry at being denied knowledge about the gay world that would have explained a lot to him. The 1950s were not a time when much accurate information was out there, but there were informal ways that gay men more experienced in the life might mentor their inexperienced brethren.
The historical information seemed quite accurate from what I know. I've read non-fiction books about the history of gay life in New York, and some about London, but not much about Chicago. But Ms. Shiloh seems to have captured the general spirit of the era. If I am remembering right, sodomy was decriminalized in Illinois in 1961, so Ollie and Jack would be able to live more freely in a few years. Prejudice would stay alive and well in the country, of course, but they wouldn't be breaking the law in their relationship.
However, in the 1950s, Jack is being blackmailed, and is not sure who his enemy is. Also, he's been badly beaten saving a baby gay (19 years old, Jack thinks) from being bashed, and is trying to recover for much of the book. He's got broken ribs and his hands have gotten enough damage that he can't light a cigarette for himself. At first he can't even hold a glass of water. The constant pain and the weakness Jack feels for a long time interfere to some extent with Jack's ability to think clearly, which he prides himself on being able to do.
Jack needs to figure out who his enemies are. And although Jack wants to be able to handle everything by himself, Ollie and others are of the opinion that Jack needs allies to help him. Jack and Ollie are terrible at discussing their feelings. Jack holds back out of understandable caution, and Ollie is confused.
Ollie focuses a lot on making jokes to make social situations flow more easily. He's proud of his ability to "crack wise" and make others laugh. Ollie is usually a happy person, but he has a quick temper, which he needs to learn to control. This temper rises particularly high when he's patronized. He'll decide for himself what's for his own good, rather than have it decided for him, thank you, other characters.
I think this will be a very enjoyable book for those who like historical fiction with gay protagonists. And it should be educational and enjoyable for people who are not familiar with gay culture in the 1950s.
December 4, 2019
Poignant M/M love story during the homophobic 1950’s
Love the title of this book…it says so much of what the reader will understand while coming to grips with the fear, abuse, pain and misunderstanding of men who love other men during this period of history. Having lived through these times I should have remembered but this book brought it all back in such a well-written, sweet but somewhat sad tale. The angst Jack feels trying to prevent Ollie from becoming a man like him is heart wrenching.
Ollie is a straight, young good-looking country boy trying to make it as a detective in the city and has an intense crush on another detective, Jack Finley. Jack is older, well-respected private eye and aloof. I think it’s funny that he’s described as a Columbo-type going around in frumpy wrinkled clothing, but Ollie falls hard anyway. During a personal crisis Jack finally lets Ollie into his world.
The author asks at the end if the reader would like a sequel to this book and I for one would love to know how things go for them. The book ends with an HEA or at least an HFN if we get a sequel. Hint, hint.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book and it comes highly recommended for those who would like to know how bad it used to be for gay men while reading a low steam, poignant and highly emotional love story.
Love the title of this book…it says so much of what the reader will understand while coming to grips with the fear, abuse, pain and misunderstanding of men who love other men during this period of history. Having lived through these times I should have remembered but this book brought it all back in such a well-written, sweet but somewhat sad tale. The angst Jack feels trying to prevent Ollie from becoming a man like him is heart wrenching.
Ollie is a straight, young good-looking country boy trying to make it as a detective in the city and has an intense crush on another detective, Jack Finley. Jack is older, well-respected private eye and aloof. I think it’s funny that he’s described as a Columbo-type going around in frumpy wrinkled clothing, but Ollie falls hard anyway. During a personal crisis Jack finally lets Ollie into his world.
The author asks at the end if the reader would like a sequel to this book and I for one would love to know how things go for them. The book ends with an HEA or at least an HFN if we get a sequel. Hint, hint.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book and it comes highly recommended for those who would like to know how bad it used to be for gay men while reading a low steam, poignant and highly emotional love story.
October 24, 2019
An interesting book for sure. Not like anything I've read by Shiloh before, this book is more based on realism, set in the 1950's, starring two private detectives, who have to face the hardships of secret relationships, blackmail and someone who wants to do them harm.
It was a bit slow, but very well plotted overall
It was a bit slow, but very well plotted overall
December 28, 2019
I enjoyed this book a lot - and I would definitely recommend it to others, too. Excellent, angsty enough - and really GOOD.
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