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Dangerous Moonlight
In the spirit of FORTUNES OF WAR comes a rollicking romantic adventure in the world of highwaymen and smugglers. Harry Trevellion would have been gentry if his father's estate had not crumbled; Nick Gray is the favorite but illegitimate son of a rich man, fated to work. His brother, Paul, is a scoundrel waiting only to inherit, and Paul scorns Nick, while Nick performs dangerous work. He's a jewelry courier; it's inevitable that he meet the irresistible rogue, Trevellion. A midnight world opens to he's drawn into a realm of chanceries, bawdy houses, glittering mansions, and a stormy affair with powerful consequences. The day Paul has awaited the old master of Rosewarne Park is gone, and his will plunges Nick into jeopardy. It's an age of swords, duels, deceit and sizzling sensuality. Readers who loved FORTUNES and DECEIVERS will relish this novel. "Mel Keegan's name is a byword for thrilling gay adventure in the past, present and future" - MILLIVRES on AQUAMARINE.
460 pages, ebook
First published April 17, 2009
About the author
Mel Keegan
52 books71 followersA self-confessed science fiction and fantasy devotee, Keegan is known for novels across a wide range of subjects, from the historical to the future action-adventure. Mel lives in South Australia with an eccentric family and a variety of pets.
Every Mel Keegan book is strong on gay or bisexual heroes (also, often, on gay villains), and some of these heroes are the most delicious in fiction: Jarrat and Stone from the NARC series, Bill Ryan and Jim Hale from The Deceivers, Neil Travers and Curtis Marin from Hellgate, and many more unforgettable characters. Because Mel's books feature the same sex relationships, the partnership at the core of each book is integral: this is the relationship driving the story, and it can be very powerful indeed.
Every Mel Keegan book is strong on gay or bisexual heroes (also, often, on gay villains), and some of these heroes are the most delicious in fiction: Jarrat and Stone from the NARC series, Bill Ryan and Jim Hale from The Deceivers, Neil Travers and Curtis Marin from Hellgate, and many more unforgettable characters. Because Mel's books feature the same sex relationships, the partnership at the core of each book is integral: this is the relationship driving the story, and it can be very powerful indeed.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 17, 2011
3.5 stars
I liked the characters and the story is solid, points for having a story BUT and I cannot believe that I'm saying this, it could use some edit in its lengh, because sometimes it drags along.
Paul is a wastrel but the legitimate bastard of a rich jewelier. His bastard brother stands to lose everything with the death of their father. You could think the man would have changed his will a long time ago, but of course not.
What I don't undertand is how Paul does have friends who help him, while he is wasting his inheritance.
Nick is the good son, he is friendly, nice and considerate and a lovable character, while Paul was portrait as a total waste of a human being and that always. Sometimes the contrast was a bit to strong for my liking.
Still there is romance, adventure and a love which last trough good and bad times.
I liked the characters and the story is solid, points for having a story BUT and I cannot believe that I'm saying this, it could use some edit in its lengh, because sometimes it drags along.
Paul is a wastrel but the legitimate bastard of a rich jewelier. His bastard brother stands to lose everything with the death of their father. You could think the man would have changed his will a long time ago, but of course not.
What I don't undertand is how Paul does have friends who help him, while he is wasting his inheritance.
Nick is the good son, he is friendly, nice and considerate and a lovable character, while Paul was portrait as a total waste of a human being and that always. Sometimes the contrast was a bit to strong for my liking.
Still there is romance, adventure and a love which last trough good and bad times.
February 22, 2015
Reading Mel Keegan is always a challenge to me, because his books are so irresistible and so damn long that once I dived into it I pretty much drown myself.
August 29, 2018
You think of Mel Keegan, and you probably think science fiction. Keegan has published more SF than any other genre. What you might not know if you haven’t looked into this list lately is, there's half a dozen historicals too -- in fact, at the time of this writing, Keegan has four titles in Listopia’s Top 100 “Best Historical Novels with GLBT Main Characters.”
Till recently my favorite was Fortunes of War. (First, I like pirates; second, the book has absolutely everything. Will be reviewing it soon.) But in the last few years my favorite Keegan historical (or anybody's, come to that) has been Dangerous Moonlight, and I can't fathom what MK would have to write to change this around. The book is that good. Once a year you read a novel that blows your mind. Usually it's SF that blows my few remaining braincells across the bus, but I also like historicals, and this one ...!
First, it's a BIG book. It's about 450pp and the type ain't padded at all with whitespace. It's the length of two or three “ordinary” books, so it's not just "bang for your reading buck," it's a BIG bang, esp if you get the ebook, at about eight dollars, I think.
The early eighteenth century plot follows the adventures of Harry Trevellion (highwayman and smuggler) and Nick Grey (bastard son of a rich businessman). One night, Harry holds up Nick's coach -- sparks fly, it's high-blood-pressure time. But Harry robs him, so Nick is more furious than romantically inspired, though he fancies Harry, and what’s not to fancy? (Nudge, wink.) The plot thickens with Nick's legitimate brother, Paul, who's a demon in human skin, and their frail aged father. Knowing what the legit son is like, the old father changes his will to favor the bastard ... and all hell busts loose.
It's highway robbery, storms at sea, pistols and swords, noble houses, London brothels, casinos, fortunes changing hands in card games, wrongful arrest, murder, prison ... and if you've been looking for a historical that offers some scenes to steam up your reading glasses that are NOT po*rn in any way, shape or form, this is the one you want.
The book is Keegan at full throttle. Does it have a downside? I haven't found one yet. The dialog is NOT written in that kind of hokey fake-Shakespeare style a lot of writers adopt, forsooth. The sex scenes are hot enough, also delicate enough to not get anyone upset (unless they should have been reading a bible and picked this volume up in error). The characters are so well-drawn, you seem to have a movie playing in your head.
And the research into the era of the story is amazing. I suspect Keegan has a Tardis parked somewhere, jaunts back to a certain time, then returns and writes the book.
Highly recommended. AG's rating: 5 out of 5 stars!
Till recently my favorite was Fortunes of War. (First, I like pirates; second, the book has absolutely everything. Will be reviewing it soon.) But in the last few years my favorite Keegan historical (or anybody's, come to that) has been Dangerous Moonlight, and I can't fathom what MK would have to write to change this around. The book is that good. Once a year you read a novel that blows your mind. Usually it's SF that blows my few remaining braincells across the bus, but I also like historicals, and this one ...!
First, it's a BIG book. It's about 450pp and the type ain't padded at all with whitespace. It's the length of two or three “ordinary” books, so it's not just "bang for your reading buck," it's a BIG bang, esp if you get the ebook, at about eight dollars, I think.
The early eighteenth century plot follows the adventures of Harry Trevellion (highwayman and smuggler) and Nick Grey (bastard son of a rich businessman). One night, Harry holds up Nick's coach -- sparks fly, it's high-blood-pressure time. But Harry robs him, so Nick is more furious than romantically inspired, though he fancies Harry, and what’s not to fancy? (Nudge, wink.) The plot thickens with Nick's legitimate brother, Paul, who's a demon in human skin, and their frail aged father. Knowing what the legit son is like, the old father changes his will to favor the bastard ... and all hell busts loose.
It's highway robbery, storms at sea, pistols and swords, noble houses, London brothels, casinos, fortunes changing hands in card games, wrongful arrest, murder, prison ... and if you've been looking for a historical that offers some scenes to steam up your reading glasses that are NOT po*rn in any way, shape or form, this is the one you want.
The book is Keegan at full throttle. Does it have a downside? I haven't found one yet. The dialog is NOT written in that kind of hokey fake-Shakespeare style a lot of writers adopt, forsooth. The sex scenes are hot enough, also delicate enough to not get anyone upset (unless they should have been reading a bible and picked this volume up in error). The characters are so well-drawn, you seem to have a movie playing in your head.
And the research into the era of the story is amazing. I suspect Keegan has a Tardis parked somewhere, jaunts back to a certain time, then returns and writes the book.
Highly recommended. AG's rating: 5 out of 5 stars!
April 6, 2025
I feel so bad for leaving this one unfinished, but unfortunately the story was just too slow and fast at the same time. The characters took forever to get to actually meaningfully meet, with a lot of extra pages about other characters and situations and some slight flashbacks - but then, when they actually met and had to spend some time together they fell in love in the span of a few pages. I was just at around 30% and I felt like the pace was too inconsistent for me.
April 18, 2012
Dangerous moonlight
Mel Keegan
Reviewed by Nan Hawthorne
4.5 out of 5 stars
Who doesn't love a swashbuckler? Certainly not me. I had loved Mel Keegan's Fortunes of War and was pleased to find Dangerous moonlight.
Nicholas Gray is the acknowledged bastard son of a wealthy man. When his legitimate brother Paul is written out of the will because he is a wastrel, Nicholas breathes a sigh of relief. He knew Paul would have gambled away his patrimony in nothing flat. The first person he wants to tell the good news is Harry Trevelyan, his lover. Now here's a great story: they met when Harry, a highwayman, robbed Nicholas and Nicholas chased him down and n early killed him. How's that for "how I met your mother?" And it's a good thing they met and fell in love, because almost immediately Paul sets out to kill Nicholas.
This is a highly entertaining, very sexy novel. It is a love story, of course, but there are other less obvious treasures. The year is about 1727, Georgian England, and the Age of Enlightenment is on its way. Also the Age of Revolution. You can see the embryo of the latter in Harry, whose father was ruined in the South Sea investment scandal and whose own career as a lawyer is cut off before it starts. He is a bitter man, resenting the rich not only because he is not, but because he is painfully aware of how they got that rich: slave trade, unsafe coal mines, and so forth. He mistakes Nicholas as a rich man's indolent son, but when they meet for real he discovers Nicholas is only the courier for his father's jewelry design business. They get to know they share an animosity towards those who became rich through the sweat and blood of others.
Leading to observations the two men make of the lives of the poor one gets a picture of the squalor so many of them, especially in London, must endure day by day. Further, and long before Nicholas himself falls foul of the corrupt and unequal notions of justice under the law, they are forced into lives of crime by their penury and then disproportionately punished for that crime. It's not all misery in these descriptions of London street life, with delightful scenes of singers, jugglers, animal trainers, and other entertainments.
The characters are often what I zero in on in my reading, and I was definitely not disappointed in Dangerous Moonlight. Harry is the devil-may -care "rambler and gambler" who never thought to fall head over heels in love. Nicholas has accepted his disadvantaged lot in life, but when his fortune turns and he sees what he has to lose, he starts to fight. Anyone who decries gay romances where one partner is aggressive and the other passive can relax here, as Nicholas and Harry are both tough tenacious fellows. And they are simply nuts about each other. Other characters, Harry's highwayman partner, a man who came home from being press hanged, to find his wife and children all dead and who has no time for anyone, the thoroughly despicable and childish Paul, the suave fencing instructor who stands behind Harry and Nicholas when they need him, and the French former lover of Harry who nevertheless befriends Nicholas as well, all are distinct, well rounded, and a pleasure to get to know. Well, not Paul.
One thing I appreciated in this novel is the network of gay men that I have long been convinced must have existed in all times. Harry and Nicholas know the good and bad of them, an army captain, the French jewelry trader, the gluttonous factor for a nobleman, the teenaged kept boy of the same, and many others. The friends among them turn to each other when in trouble. Harry seems to have carved out acceptance from among straight colleagues as well, which considering his prowess in many arenas, is at least credible.
One thing about this novel is its relentless tension. It keeps you glued to the page, wondering "However will Harry get Nicholas out of this one?"
If there were problems, they were minor, like some over-frequent use of images which though wonderful, like "uterine darkness" did not need to be in there more than once, and the inexplicable majority of Catholics in Harry and Nicholas's lives… made me wonder if the book originally took place at another time or in another place. But neither of these will lessen your enjoyment of this ripping and sexy yarn.
More reviews at GLBT Bookshelf http://bookworld.editme.com
Mel Keegan
Reviewed by Nan Hawthorne
4.5 out of 5 stars
Who doesn't love a swashbuckler? Certainly not me. I had loved Mel Keegan's Fortunes of War and was pleased to find Dangerous moonlight.
Nicholas Gray is the acknowledged bastard son of a wealthy man. When his legitimate brother Paul is written out of the will because he is a wastrel, Nicholas breathes a sigh of relief. He knew Paul would have gambled away his patrimony in nothing flat. The first person he wants to tell the good news is Harry Trevelyan, his lover. Now here's a great story: they met when Harry, a highwayman, robbed Nicholas and Nicholas chased him down and n early killed him. How's that for "how I met your mother?" And it's a good thing they met and fell in love, because almost immediately Paul sets out to kill Nicholas.
This is a highly entertaining, very sexy novel. It is a love story, of course, but there are other less obvious treasures. The year is about 1727, Georgian England, and the Age of Enlightenment is on its way. Also the Age of Revolution. You can see the embryo of the latter in Harry, whose father was ruined in the South Sea investment scandal and whose own career as a lawyer is cut off before it starts. He is a bitter man, resenting the rich not only because he is not, but because he is painfully aware of how they got that rich: slave trade, unsafe coal mines, and so forth. He mistakes Nicholas as a rich man's indolent son, but when they meet for real he discovers Nicholas is only the courier for his father's jewelry design business. They get to know they share an animosity towards those who became rich through the sweat and blood of others.
Leading to observations the two men make of the lives of the poor one gets a picture of the squalor so many of them, especially in London, must endure day by day. Further, and long before Nicholas himself falls foul of the corrupt and unequal notions of justice under the law, they are forced into lives of crime by their penury and then disproportionately punished for that crime. It's not all misery in these descriptions of London street life, with delightful scenes of singers, jugglers, animal trainers, and other entertainments.
The characters are often what I zero in on in my reading, and I was definitely not disappointed in Dangerous Moonlight. Harry is the devil-may -care "rambler and gambler" who never thought to fall head over heels in love. Nicholas has accepted his disadvantaged lot in life, but when his fortune turns and he sees what he has to lose, he starts to fight. Anyone who decries gay romances where one partner is aggressive and the other passive can relax here, as Nicholas and Harry are both tough tenacious fellows. And they are simply nuts about each other. Other characters, Harry's highwayman partner, a man who came home from being press hanged, to find his wife and children all dead and who has no time for anyone, the thoroughly despicable and childish Paul, the suave fencing instructor who stands behind Harry and Nicholas when they need him, and the French former lover of Harry who nevertheless befriends Nicholas as well, all are distinct, well rounded, and a pleasure to get to know. Well, not Paul.
One thing I appreciated in this novel is the network of gay men that I have long been convinced must have existed in all times. Harry and Nicholas know the good and bad of them, an army captain, the French jewelry trader, the gluttonous factor for a nobleman, the teenaged kept boy of the same, and many others. The friends among them turn to each other when in trouble. Harry seems to have carved out acceptance from among straight colleagues as well, which considering his prowess in many arenas, is at least credible.
One thing about this novel is its relentless tension. It keeps you glued to the page, wondering "However will Harry get Nicholas out of this one?"
If there were problems, they were minor, like some over-frequent use of images which though wonderful, like "uterine darkness" did not need to be in there more than once, and the inexplicable majority of Catholics in Harry and Nicholas's lives… made me wonder if the book originally took place at another time or in another place. But neither of these will lessen your enjoyment of this ripping and sexy yarn.
More reviews at GLBT Bookshelf http://bookworld.editme.com
March 18, 2017
This may be my favorite book of all time. Mel Keegan is great, and this is him at his best.
November 18, 2016
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this a lot. It's a neat historical romance set in Georgian England and it's interesting and exciting. Highwaymen, high-stakes card games, revenge plots, diamonds, racehorses, duels, poxy villains, dashing heroes, French smugglers, courtroom drama, and so much more can be found in this lengthy novel. It's somewhat slow-paced but still action-packed and a lot happens. There were some parts that were a bit slow and it definitely could have been tightened up and trimmed a fair bit--it's a long book and it does sometimes feel like it. The characters are interesting and the plot is exciting. Very likeable.
August 9, 2016
** It's a fabulous action-packed joyride! **
I love Keegan's writing style and once again I was lost in the plot, living alongside the characters and feeling their mood ... Nicholas and Harry are a perfect match and the chemistry jumped off the pages. I found in this novel everything I could hope for and more!!!
I love Keegan's writing style and once again I was lost in the plot, living alongside the characters and feeling their mood ... Nicholas and Harry are a perfect match and the chemistry jumped off the pages. I found in this novel everything I could hope for and more!!!
January 14, 2015
I have owned this for quite a while, and only now am I gettting around to it. Even though Keegan's books are expensive they are worth it not only in length but in quality writing. His historical gay romances are probably even better than his Scfi. I'm a keegan fanatic, and this book didn't disappointment.
March 23, 2010
Undecided on rating...3 or 4 stars...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews