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Nine Lights over Edinburgh
(Part of [ For The Holidays|9705875] Anthology)
Detective Inspector James McBride is riding high on the belief that he's about to bust a human-trafficking ring. But just five days before Christmas, his unorthodox methods catch up with him and his world comes crashing down.
McBride tries to concentrate on his new day job as security for the visiting Israeli ambassador. He even starts to feel a renewed sense of self-worth when the leader of the Israeli team, the aristocratic Tobias Leitner, takes a bullet for him in the line of duty. But he can't forget the trafficking case, especially when his investigations result in the kidnapping of his own daughter! McBride has no one to turn to for help - no one, except Toby.
Can these two very different men work together to bring about a holiday miracle and heal one another's heart in the process?
Detective Inspector James McBride is riding high on the belief that he's about to bust a human-trafficking ring. But just five days before Christmas, his unorthodox methods catch up with him and his world comes crashing down.
McBride tries to concentrate on his new day job as security for the visiting Israeli ambassador. He even starts to feel a renewed sense of self-worth when the leader of the Israeli team, the aristocratic Tobias Leitner, takes a bullet for him in the line of duty. But he can't forget the trafficking case, especially when his investigations result in the kidnapping of his own daughter! McBride has no one to turn to for help - no one, except Toby.
Can these two very different men work together to bring about a holiday miracle and heal one another's heart in the process?
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2010
11 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Harper Fox
58 books1,177 followersHarper Fox is an M/M author with a mission. She’s produced six critically acclaimed novels in a year and is trying to dispel rumours that she has a clone/twin sister locked away in a study in her basement. In fact she simply continues working on what she loves best– creating worlds and stories for the huge cast of lovely gay men queuing up inside her head. She lives in rural Northumberland in northern England and does most of her writing at a pensioned-off kitchen table in her back garden, often with blanket and hot water bottle.
She lives with her SO Jane, who has somehow put up with her for a quarter of a century now, and three enigmatic cats, chief among whom is Lucy, who knows the secret of the universe but isn't letting on. When not writing, she either despairs or makes bread, specialities foccacia and her amazing seven-strand challah. If she has any other skills, she's yet to discover them.
She lives with her SO Jane, who has somehow put up with her for a quarter of a century now, and three enigmatic cats, chief among whom is Lucy, who knows the secret of the universe but isn't letting on. When not writing, she either despairs or makes bread, specialities foccacia and her amazing seven-strand challah. If she has any other skills, she's yet to discover them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 23, 2014
nine lights, aye—but only one of them is a star.
wildly inauthentic excesses of the plot undermine the typically pleasing lilt of the prose.
there's nothing wrong with fantasy, but when it's set in contemporary times and no development is earned, it feels corny, nonsensical, and arbitrary.
like watching a child play with dolls.
BUT LITTLE DID MR. SKRIBBLES KNOW, THE COPPER WAS ALSO A NINJA! WHO LOVES HIM TRULY AND DEEPLY—SEE?
*the dolls are made to kiss*
THERE. MARRIED.
the end.
wildly inauthentic excesses of the plot undermine the typically pleasing lilt of the prose.
there's nothing wrong with fantasy, but when it's set in contemporary times and no development is earned, it feels corny, nonsensical, and arbitrary.
like watching a child play with dolls.
BUT LITTLE DID MR. SKRIBBLES KNOW, THE COPPER WAS ALSO A NINJA! WHO LOVES HIM TRULY AND DEEPLY—SEE?
*the dolls are made to kiss*
THERE. MARRIED.
the end.
February 24, 2011
This book was too depressing and didn't feel like a romance novel. Before I scare you away, let me assure you that it has a HEA so this is technically a romance. Unfortunately, I didn't get it.
Detective Inspector James McBride's life is a mess and he doesn't know how to fix it. He's forty years old, divorced and not quite at peace with his sexuality. On the professional front, things don't look good either: his current undercover assignment has him pretending to be an alcoholic and gambling addict in order to infiltrate and bust a human-trafficking ring, but not all the drinking he's been doing lately is exactly necessary to do his job. Needless to say, he ends up blowing his cover and is taken off the case.
Reassigned to look after the visiting Israeli ambassador, which is a constable's job and thus unworthy of his rank, McBride feels an instant connection with Tobias Leitner, the leader of the Israeli security team. McBride should know better than to get involved with Toby, who's still recovering from the death of his partner and lover, but fate, in the form of an unexpected brush with death and the kidnapping of McBride's daughter Gracie, conspires to get them together. Can they rescue Gracie, defeat the bad guys, survive to tell the story, and heal one another's heart in the process?
Phew, this was not a light read! The story had a dark tone and none of the characters was particularly nice. I didn't like McBride, I didn't get to know Toby well enough to either like or dislike him, and as a result, I didn't care about their relationship. I liked the action scenes, but I don't read romances for them.
The plot was too complex to fit the constraints of a novella, and that affected the development of McBride and Toby's romance. In fact, I felt that the focus of the story was McBride's downfall and recovery, and his relationship with Toby was just an afterthought. If I had to classify this book following the rules I know, I'd have to create a new genre: women's fiction with a male character as protagonist. As I'm not a fan of women's fiction and having a man as protagonist makes no difference to me, this book failed to grab me.
Note: This story is also available in His For The Holidays anthology.
Detective Inspector James McBride's life is a mess and he doesn't know how to fix it. He's forty years old, divorced and not quite at peace with his sexuality. On the professional front, things don't look good either: his current undercover assignment has him pretending to be an alcoholic and gambling addict in order to infiltrate and bust a human-trafficking ring, but not all the drinking he's been doing lately is exactly necessary to do his job. Needless to say, he ends up blowing his cover and is taken off the case.
Reassigned to look after the visiting Israeli ambassador, which is a constable's job and thus unworthy of his rank, McBride feels an instant connection with Tobias Leitner, the leader of the Israeli security team. McBride should know better than to get involved with Toby, who's still recovering from the death of his partner and lover, but fate, in the form of an unexpected brush with death and the kidnapping of McBride's daughter Gracie, conspires to get them together. Can they rescue Gracie, defeat the bad guys, survive to tell the story, and heal one another's heart in the process?
Phew, this was not a light read! The story had a dark tone and none of the characters was particularly nice. I didn't like McBride, I didn't get to know Toby well enough to either like or dislike him, and as a result, I didn't care about their relationship. I liked the action scenes, but I don't read romances for them.
The plot was too complex to fit the constraints of a novella, and that affected the development of McBride and Toby's romance. In fact, I felt that the focus of the story was McBride's downfall and recovery, and his relationship with Toby was just an afterthought. If I had to classify this book following the rules I know, I'd have to create a new genre: women's fiction with a male character as protagonist. As I'm not a fan of women's fiction and having a man as protagonist makes no difference to me, this book failed to grab me.
Note: This story is also available in His For The Holidays anthology.
November 10, 2023
I like Harper Fox, but this was a hot holiday mess.
December 6, 2011
This book was pretty dark and kind of depressive for something of a Xmas story. It happens during the days of Xmas but doesn't revolve around it.
I didn't really like James in the beginning. I usually don't have a problem with characters that having drinking or drug problems but James' attitude rubbed me the wrong way. His 'I don't give a shit' personality was more annoying than charming and when he got hurt all I could do was think he deserved it. I think this partly had to do with how confused I was in the beginning. I didn't know what was going on because the writing was just all over the place. The dialect was not something I was familiar with so I had to keep looking up what almost every word meant which made the book drag and a bit boring for me.
Thankfully, after Toby comes into the picture the book gets a bit better and a little bit sweeter. Their quest to get James' little girl back was interesting and miraculously the dialect didn't have any confusing words after Toby came into the story which made it a bit inconsistent and showed that the author was trying a bit too hard with the flowery words. I enjoyed Toby and how he changed James, however, and by the end I liked James. He also 'stopped' drinking so that helped me like him a bit more.
The book ends on a good note. I loved the ending because it was both sweet and endearing but it ended way too soon and felt rushed. The beginning was difficult to get through but the ending was sweet enough for me to at least like this story.
I didn't really like James in the beginning. I usually don't have a problem with characters that having drinking or drug problems but James' attitude rubbed me the wrong way. His 'I don't give a shit' personality was more annoying than charming and when he got hurt all I could do was think he deserved it. I think this partly had to do with how confused I was in the beginning. I didn't know what was going on because the writing was just all over the place. The dialect was not something I was familiar with so I had to keep looking up what almost every word meant which made the book drag and a bit boring for me.
Thankfully, after Toby comes into the picture the book gets a bit better and a little bit sweeter. Their quest to get James' little girl back was interesting and miraculously the dialect didn't have any confusing words after Toby came into the story which made it a bit inconsistent and showed that the author was trying a bit too hard with the flowery words. I enjoyed Toby and how he changed James, however, and by the end I liked James. He also 'stopped' drinking so that helped me like him a bit more.
The book ends on a good note. I loved the ending because it was both sweet and endearing but it ended way too soon and felt rushed. The beginning was difficult to get through but the ending was sweet enough for me to at least like this story.
July 13, 2011
3.5 stars. This book didn't quite measure up to the others I've read by this author. It was still very expressively written, but the interactions of the characters seemed forced. I can't see a straight cop giving his partner blow-jobs to induce after-sex confidences, unless the stakes were a lot higher than in this instance. And the relationship between McBride and Toby moved fast, without the kind of underpinnings that Fox usually provides. It felt more like desperation than love. McBride was a great character but his interactions with the others were not as nuanced as I've come to expect. The bad cop was pushed over the top by the plot. Not a bad book, but the first Harper Fox that I don't think I'll reread.
December 27, 2010
4.5 stars.
It doesn't happen very often that I can really really picture the places where a book takes place. In this case, it happened: I've loved Edinburgh when I visited and the author took me there. This isn't a light read, it's about a lost man, a detective who has denied himself his sexuality and he's not whole anymore. He's divorced and he's an alcoholic who's drowning himself in his work, while every aspect of his personal life is deteriorating. He's imprisoned in himself. The only person he is able to reach out to is an Israeli secret agent, Toby, who is facing the loss of his lover and an investigation on his job. The two men click and they help each other through the most difficult time of their life.
There's so much happening in this book that at the end you have to wonder how the author managed to get it done, it's just amazing. This is not your typical Christmas read, because it's not fun, not jolly, not merry, it's a test in endurance, but you'll be rewarded at the end.
It doesn't happen very often that I can really really picture the places where a book takes place. In this case, it happened: I've loved Edinburgh when I visited and the author took me there. This isn't a light read, it's about a lost man, a detective who has denied himself his sexuality and he's not whole anymore. He's divorced and he's an alcoholic who's drowning himself in his work, while every aspect of his personal life is deteriorating. He's imprisoned in himself. The only person he is able to reach out to is an Israeli secret agent, Toby, who is facing the loss of his lover and an investigation on his job. The two men click and they help each other through the most difficult time of their life.
There's so much happening in this book that at the end you have to wonder how the author managed to get it done, it's just amazing. This is not your typical Christmas read, because it's not fun, not jolly, not merry, it's a test in endurance, but you'll be rewarded at the end.
October 2, 2023
This is so good. But I'm embarrassed, because the plot is... Well the plot is great; very suspenseful. But the romance is, um, farfetched (insta-love and other solecisms). And I don't care; it got me where I live.
September 12, 2014
2.5 stars
I don't think I will ever get used to Harper Fox's way of writings from the start of a book; she always makes me WORK hard to get into the story. I can get through the writing for previous books, though, because they DO offer characters that I can get emotionally attached to.
Not this one.
Somehow, I get lost in the overkill of prose -- and I don't even feel the romance. Even the dialogs don't work with me this time (they usually save the story). I can't find myself enjoying it.
I don't think I will ever get used to Harper Fox's way of writings from the start of a book; she always makes me WORK hard to get into the story. I can get through the writing for previous books, though, because they DO offer characters that I can get emotionally attached to.
Not this one.
Somehow, I get lost in the overkill of prose -- and I don't even feel the romance. Even the dialogs don't work with me this time (they usually save the story). I can't find myself enjoying it.
November 14, 2017
A short but sweet novella set in Edinburgh around the Christmas period.
Harper Fox's writing is, as usual, measured and elegant and the characters are nicely sketched.
I didn't connect with it as much as with her other books though. I guess it was just too brief and a bit too 'insta-love' for me but it was nonetheless a very pleasurable read.
Harper Fox's writing is, as usual, measured and elegant and the characters are nicely sketched.
I didn't connect with it as much as with her other books though. I guess it was just too brief and a bit too 'insta-love' for me but it was nonetheless a very pleasurable read.
February 19, 2016
Lovely! What else is there to say? Lovely and lyrical.
ETA: Re-read in a BR with Joan. I like it even better on the turnaround than when I raced through it the first time. Lovely, lovely prose, an Edinburgh breathing and alive, a hero to root for, and so incredibly rich for a novella!
ETA: Re-read in a BR with Joan. I like it even better on the turnaround than when I raced through it the first time. Lovely, lovely prose, an Edinburgh breathing and alive, a hero to root for, and so incredibly rich for a novella!
November 28, 2018
Overall book rating: 3.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 2
Short and sweet. I like Harper Fox’s writing. Thing about this one though, I guess I was kind of expecting a holiday/Christmassy read? I saw it was part of the "His for the Holiday Anthology"
This wasn’t that. This was a man coming to terms with his derailing life while battling a kidnapping case. His own daughter’s kidnapping as a matter of fact.
I think if we had a little more than 97.5% personal struggle/kidnap solving, and 2.5% time for a blooming romance, this would have been simply fabulous.
Let it be said that I really liked the the characters. I liked agent Tobias Leitner even if I didn't get nearly enough of him. And I even liked our Detective James McBride.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any holiday/Christmas feel from this one but I rolled with the punches and read it for what it turned out to be.
I did enjoy the read BUT, I think it was too short to really give me the time to get to know all the characters the way I would have wanted to and the romance part was sweet but way too little.
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 2
Short and sweet. I like Harper Fox’s writing. Thing about this one though, I guess I was kind of expecting a holiday/Christmassy read? I saw it was part of the "His for the Holiday Anthology"
This wasn’t that. This was a man coming to terms with his derailing life while battling a kidnapping case. His own daughter’s kidnapping as a matter of fact.
I think if we had a little more than 97.5% personal struggle/kidnap solving, and 2.5% time for a blooming romance, this would have been simply fabulous.
Let it be said that I really liked the the characters. I liked agent Tobias Leitner even if I didn't get nearly enough of him. And I even liked our Detective James McBride.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any holiday/Christmas feel from this one but I rolled with the punches and read it for what it turned out to be.
I did enjoy the read BUT, I think it was too short to really give me the time to get to know all the characters the way I would have wanted to and the romance part was sweet but way too little.
October 21, 2014
Re-read for the M/M Bingo challenge (12/14/2012)... (and finally a review on one of Fox's books!! -- 4/6/2014)
4.5 stars so the previous rating holds up...
It seems that it always takes me a bit to get into Harper Fox’s stories -- patience is called for... but the payoff makes it worth it.
This starts off slowly as we get the character build and backstory and place setting. James McBride is a Scots police detective living on the edge. He’s let drink and apathy bring his career down until he comes to realize that the main cause of this misery is his life-long suppression of his sexual identity. He’s staring down 40 and has a broken marriage and troubled daughter to whom he can seemingly give little help as he can barely help himself.
Until he meets Mossad operative Tobias Leitner on a security assignment. The job erupts into an assassination attempt and the two men then band together to bust a sex slave operation that has personal consequences for James.
So here we have action/adventure and the spark of a love story all around the Christmas holiday season. Sex is at a minimum, this is mostly about character and plot. Very satisfying.
4.5 stars so the previous rating holds up...
It seems that it always takes me a bit to get into Harper Fox’s stories -- patience is called for... but the payoff makes it worth it.
This starts off slowly as we get the character build and backstory and place setting. James McBride is a Scots police detective living on the edge. He’s let drink and apathy bring his career down until he comes to realize that the main cause of this misery is his life-long suppression of his sexual identity. He’s staring down 40 and has a broken marriage and troubled daughter to whom he can seemingly give little help as he can barely help himself.
Until he meets Mossad operative Tobias Leitner on a security assignment. The job erupts into an assassination attempt and the two men then band together to bust a sex slave operation that has personal consequences for James.
So here we have action/adventure and the spark of a love story all around the Christmas holiday season. Sex is at a minimum, this is mostly about character and plot. Very satisfying.
November 14, 2012
Read this as part of the His For The Holidays collection of short stories. I was expecting a strong Christmas theme and a light hearted read which this is not. However the story was excellent and characters interesting. I usually prefer a little more romance in my m\m stories but found the plot engaging and enjoyed the HEA ending.
June 27, 2013
This was the first Harper Fox novel that I didn't like so much.
It was a disappointing read. I didn't like the protagonist, it had insta-love, plus an illogical and imo quite stupid crime plot.
Saved only by the rock-solid writing.
It was a disappointing read. I didn't like the protagonist, it had insta-love, plus an illogical and imo quite stupid crime plot.
Saved only by the rock-solid writing.
December 6, 2010
The only thing you can expect from a Harper Fox novel is to not have too many expectations. The way she twists and turn, pulls everything inside out and backwards, all with blunt force, is unlike anything else in the M/M genre. She truly does stand out as an original.
Like her previous stories, Nine Lights Over Edinburgh doesn’t caterer to the Hallmark crowd. Her stuff is gritty. Her characters are dark. The events don’t happen in a neat little row. The poetic, yoda-style ramblings can be confusing if you aren’t use to the Scottish speech pattern. 90% of what I watch comes from that side of the world and there were a few times even I had to re-read a section because it seemed to talk itself into a circle.
What is so great about all of that is how beautiful real life can be when it isn’t perfectly coordinated. McBride is in the middle of the most horrific thing he could ever imagine and to pretend otherwise is nuts. His desperation and panic are very convincing. He makes a lot of mistakes. To see the underbelly, so to speak, is not pretty, but Fox shows us how necessary it is.
There are happy Christmas stories out there, but this isn’t one of them. For most of the time the reader may even forget it’s supposed to be. There are a few one-liners and sweet moments that lighten things up when things start to get too dark, especially McBride’s daughter … she is a handful.
This romance between McBride and Leitner is seething right under the surface the entire time, but Fox doesn’t really let it out to play until the end. A gamble in this genre because so many of the comments and ratings I see on review sites suggest many read for the sex/romance. I hope it pays off for her because the plot is strong and should do well for those who prefer mystery/suspense stories.
And for anyone wondering … there is a spectacularly happy ending.
Like her previous stories, Nine Lights Over Edinburgh doesn’t caterer to the Hallmark crowd. Her stuff is gritty. Her characters are dark. The events don’t happen in a neat little row. The poetic, yoda-style ramblings can be confusing if you aren’t use to the Scottish speech pattern. 90% of what I watch comes from that side of the world and there were a few times even I had to re-read a section because it seemed to talk itself into a circle.
What is so great about all of that is how beautiful real life can be when it isn’t perfectly coordinated. McBride is in the middle of the most horrific thing he could ever imagine and to pretend otherwise is nuts. His desperation and panic are very convincing. He makes a lot of mistakes. To see the underbelly, so to speak, is not pretty, but Fox shows us how necessary it is.
There are happy Christmas stories out there, but this isn’t one of them. For most of the time the reader may even forget it’s supposed to be. There are a few one-liners and sweet moments that lighten things up when things start to get too dark, especially McBride’s daughter … she is a handful.
This romance between McBride and Leitner is seething right under the surface the entire time, but Fox doesn’t really let it out to play until the end. A gamble in this genre because so many of the comments and ratings I see on review sites suggest many read for the sex/romance. I hope it pays off for her because the plot is strong and should do well for those who prefer mystery/suspense stories.
And for anyone wondering … there is a spectacularly happy ending.
May 23, 2014
4.5 stars
Fabulous story. The first few lines put the reader firmly in place, with no stodgy info-dumps or boring details. The characters are real, living human beings, flawed and struggling against the odds. Edinburgh comes alive in this story, the elegance and grandeur of the city and the dark ugliness are contrasted in quiet understated writing.
I felt as if I was there, walking the streets, drawn into the story.
The story develops quickly without rushing and although I knew there would be a satisfactory ending to the 'crime' aspect, I had no idea whether this would be a HEA or not.
There was plenty of tension (No. not UST!!) and action, without the need to go into every boring detail. Several delightful moments where I wanted to cheer for McBride and Toby (and Andy!) A delightfully satisfactory conclusion, and realistic as well.
This is a wonderful story, well written and believable. I took half a star away for the 'conference' setting but rounded it up to 5 stars simply because this is one of those really rare stories that I read, and then re-read, immediately (and enjoyed even more the second time around).
Fabulous story. The first few lines put the reader firmly in place, with no stodgy info-dumps or boring details. The characters are real, living human beings, flawed and struggling against the odds. Edinburgh comes alive in this story, the elegance and grandeur of the city and the dark ugliness are contrasted in quiet understated writing.
I felt as if I was there, walking the streets, drawn into the story.
The story develops quickly without rushing and although I knew there would be a satisfactory ending to the 'crime' aspect, I had no idea whether this would be a HEA or not.
There was plenty of tension (No. not UST!!) and action, without the need to go into every boring detail. Several delightful moments where I wanted to cheer for McBride and Toby (and Andy!) A delightfully satisfactory conclusion, and realistic as well.
This is a wonderful story, well written and believable. I took half a star away for the 'conference' setting but rounded it up to 5 stars simply because this is one of those really rare stories that I read, and then re-read, immediately (and enjoyed even more the second time around).
December 9, 2013
Note: This is the 2nd short story in the His For The Holidays collection.
2.5 stars
The set up of the McBride’s circumstances took a while (considering it is a short story) so there was a bit of a wait to get to the MCs meeting and to their romance. I didn’t particularly enjoy this part, but nevertheless I was fascinated to McBride. Given his age, experience, and the fact that he’s a veteran cop and father – he was a weak character. I got the impression that when Lowrie was taken away from him and he had to suppress who he was – his will and his fight was dampened along with his libido – until Leitner comes into the picture. McBride does become a stronger character, but still very much a follower. Leitner is the mysterious can-do-all man, though the way he is smitten with McBride was not very convincing..it made me wonder if there were rebound feelings there after losing his lover Avi not too long ago.
This was ok, it’s not much of a romance and the mystery part of it wasn’t interesting enough to make up for the lack of romance. I can’t say I can recommend it though I think the MCs have a lot of potential if they and the plot were a little more developed.
2.5 stars
The set up of the McBride’s circumstances took a while (considering it is a short story) so there was a bit of a wait to get to the MCs meeting and to their romance. I didn’t particularly enjoy this part, but nevertheless I was fascinated to McBride. Given his age, experience, and the fact that he’s a veteran cop and father – he was a weak character. I got the impression that when Lowrie was taken away from him and he had to suppress who he was – his will and his fight was dampened along with his libido – until Leitner comes into the picture. McBride does become a stronger character, but still very much a follower. Leitner is the mysterious can-do-all man, though the way he is smitten with McBride was not very convincing..it made me wonder if there were rebound feelings there after losing his lover Avi not too long ago.
This was ok, it’s not much of a romance and the mystery part of it wasn’t interesting enough to make up for the lack of romance. I can’t say I can recommend it though I think the MCs have a lot of potential if they and the plot were a little more developed.
December 21, 2010
After having read 70% of this story, I wrote as an update that this was the least gayest m/m story I've read so far (and by God, I've read a lot.. Thanks Qhuay! ;) and after having finished it just now, I can safely say that its still the least gayest m/m story I've ever read..
That doesnt mean its the worst though.. Far from it actually..
This story is much more about a lost man, who finds himself at age 40 with nothing but a broken marriage, thoughts about the only love he's had at age 16... with another boy, and a daughter who's been kidnapped..
This story is about this man, James, finding and saving his daughter while coming to terms with the fact that he is gay, and that the man helping him with finding his daughter, could be the love of his life.. There are no "I love you's" or red roses and picnics here though.
This is NOT a lovey dovey story.. This is more a crime/mystery/Wow I'm Gay and I want you kind of story..
I loved it though.. Its very fast paced, and for a short story I thought we got to know James and Toby very well, and I definitely wouldnt mind reading a follow up, about these two alpha males and how they are living their lives now..
4 stars!
November 22, 2019
The entire thing was flat for me. I found myself skimming over parts, especially in the last 20%. Its pretty impressive to make shootouts and sex scenes that dull.
I didn't find McBride particularly likeable, or any of the characters for that matter.
I didn't find McBride particularly likeable, or any of the characters for that matter.
December 24, 2018
This was a very hard book for me to get into, in all honesty I practically had to force myself to finish it.
It was just very gloomy... There is a reason I read romance and there is an even bigger reason why I read romance novellas that are under 200 pages... And reading about a detective in his late forties that pretty much hates himself, is divorced, and a drunk on the verge of losing custody of his daughter, has lived in the closet pretty much his whole because being gay ain’t right, isn’t really what I call I good time. In fact it was flat out depressing... and the romance was so flat and unbelievable that it didn’t even make up for it.
Blah...
It was just very gloomy... There is a reason I read romance and there is an even bigger reason why I read romance novellas that are under 200 pages... And reading about a detective in his late forties that pretty much hates himself, is divorced, and a drunk on the verge of losing custody of his daughter, has lived in the closet pretty much his whole because being gay ain’t right, isn’t really what I call I good time. In fact it was flat out depressing... and the romance was so flat and unbelievable that it didn’t even make up for it.
Blah...
Want to read
February 23, 2019Challenge: UK/Scotland location.
January 7, 2011
2.5 stars rounded up.
Nine Lights over Edinburgh is Harper Fox’s contribution to the Carina Press anthology. Unfortunately I’m not a huge fan of Fox’s writing and author voice so I’m definitely not the target audience for this story. In some ways she really shines with unique characters and a real flair for dramatic tension and brooding. Yet the plodding pace and overly verbose prose kills the story for me every time. If you’re a fan of Fox, you already like the writing style and I think this more unique story will easily appeal.
Immediately readers are thrown into the Edinburgh setting. Detective Inspector James McBride is not your typical cop hero. He’s a closeted homosexual, he drinks too much, spends way too much time alone, and has started to slip in his work. He’s working undercover on a human trafficking ring, attempting to get inside to the man in charge. Yet McBride’s alcoholism and unwillingness to work with others has not only thrown his career into jeopardy but suddenly has potentially dire consequences. A new ally Toby Leitner helps McBride make sense of his life and may just save his life as well.
The story has a darker, brooding feel to the holiday time. It’s set around Christmas but due to the darker actions and feel to the story, there is nothing especially festive. McBride is an anti-hero. He drinks too much, wallows in self pity, neglects the daughter that he adores and loves, and has pretty much thrown away his life. When he meets Toby, James is convinced he’s a bad man and not worth saving. The deconstruction of James is so thorough and well crafted that unfortunately I too believed that James is not a very good man. Not all of his problems stem from his own actions or inactions but his reactions are almost always self destructive and selfish. So by the time the story offers Toby as the love interest, I couldn’t quite understand why Toby would want James.
Toby is suffering from his own demons and makes another great tortured hero. Fox knows how to deliver complex characters that are filled with emotional spaces and gray areas. In fact I found her characters to be fascinating and thus why I read even though I don’t particularly enjoy the writing style and awkward prose. Toby is a great character with his broken heart and suddenly questioning ethics but I never quite understood why Toby would be interested in James. To an extent, Toby does save James and offer redemption so I think many readers will be satisfied with that. I wasn’t entirely and never felt the relationship between Toby and James made sense. It feels forced and manipulated rather than organic and natural.
The police story of the mob boss and James’ undercover work is interesting and carries the most tension in the story. Finding out what happens, with the twist of James’ family thrown in, is what keeps you engaged and reading. I found the pace kind of slow and while I read it to the end to see what happened, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading and took frequent breaks. The dark tone to the story fits well with the tortured characters and creates a brooding atmosphere at distinct odds with the holiday time. I have no idea if the Edinburgh setting is accurate or genuine so I can’t comment but it creates a definite doom and gloom feeling to the story that matches the complex characters and situations.
There is nothing rushed in this novella and though it runs longer than I’d have liked the nuances and subtle building never stop. None of the characters feels unimportant or throw away and each are three dimensional and well crafted. There are no cut and dry evil or good people and those shades of gray make the story compelling. Unfortunately Fox’s writing style is not for me so I think fans of the author will greatly enjoy this. If you’re new to Harper Fox, this is a good introduction to her style and voice.
Nine Lights over Edinburgh is Harper Fox’s contribution to the Carina Press anthology. Unfortunately I’m not a huge fan of Fox’s writing and author voice so I’m definitely not the target audience for this story. In some ways she really shines with unique characters and a real flair for dramatic tension and brooding. Yet the plodding pace and overly verbose prose kills the story for me every time. If you’re a fan of Fox, you already like the writing style and I think this more unique story will easily appeal.
Immediately readers are thrown into the Edinburgh setting. Detective Inspector James McBride is not your typical cop hero. He’s a closeted homosexual, he drinks too much, spends way too much time alone, and has started to slip in his work. He’s working undercover on a human trafficking ring, attempting to get inside to the man in charge. Yet McBride’s alcoholism and unwillingness to work with others has not only thrown his career into jeopardy but suddenly has potentially dire consequences. A new ally Toby Leitner helps McBride make sense of his life and may just save his life as well.
The story has a darker, brooding feel to the holiday time. It’s set around Christmas but due to the darker actions and feel to the story, there is nothing especially festive. McBride is an anti-hero. He drinks too much, wallows in self pity, neglects the daughter that he adores and loves, and has pretty much thrown away his life. When he meets Toby, James is convinced he’s a bad man and not worth saving. The deconstruction of James is so thorough and well crafted that unfortunately I too believed that James is not a very good man. Not all of his problems stem from his own actions or inactions but his reactions are almost always self destructive and selfish. So by the time the story offers Toby as the love interest, I couldn’t quite understand why Toby would want James.
Toby is suffering from his own demons and makes another great tortured hero. Fox knows how to deliver complex characters that are filled with emotional spaces and gray areas. In fact I found her characters to be fascinating and thus why I read even though I don’t particularly enjoy the writing style and awkward prose. Toby is a great character with his broken heart and suddenly questioning ethics but I never quite understood why Toby would be interested in James. To an extent, Toby does save James and offer redemption so I think many readers will be satisfied with that. I wasn’t entirely and never felt the relationship between Toby and James made sense. It feels forced and manipulated rather than organic and natural.
The police story of the mob boss and James’ undercover work is interesting and carries the most tension in the story. Finding out what happens, with the twist of James’ family thrown in, is what keeps you engaged and reading. I found the pace kind of slow and while I read it to the end to see what happened, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading and took frequent breaks. The dark tone to the story fits well with the tortured characters and creates a brooding atmosphere at distinct odds with the holiday time. I have no idea if the Edinburgh setting is accurate or genuine so I can’t comment but it creates a definite doom and gloom feeling to the story that matches the complex characters and situations.
There is nothing rushed in this novella and though it runs longer than I’d have liked the nuances and subtle building never stop. None of the characters feels unimportant or throw away and each are three dimensional and well crafted. There are no cut and dry evil or good people and those shades of gray make the story compelling. Unfortunately Fox’s writing style is not for me so I think fans of the author will greatly enjoy this. If you’re new to Harper Fox, this is a good introduction to her style and voice.
January 12, 2011
Nine Lights over Edinburgh
Harper Fox
4.5 out of 5 stars
This author’s writing style is different from most authors’ I know of. It’s elaborate, descriptive - some will call it verbose - and expressive. I think you’ll love it or hate it. I happen to enjoy it once I surrender to it. Harper Fox’s writing has the ability to take me to the places she describes. In this story those are the dark alleys and obscure corners of the streets of Edinburgh. The colorful descriptions of the surroundings emphasize the main character’s gloomy and damaged soul. James is a detective inspector with the Scottish police, divorced since one year from his wife with whom he has a young daughter. He’s doing dangerous undercover work on his own, drinks too much and has to deal with a new, unkind Chief. She is trying to bring him down and five days before Christmas it appears she succeeded. James reluctantly agrees to do what she wants, a security job for the visiting Israeli ambassador. On that job he meets Toby, a Mossad agent to whom he feels instantly attracted. When Toby takes a bullet for him when things go awry their fate is sealed. After that a whole series of suspenseful events happen and Harper Fox makes us feel the drama, the attraction and the hope.
I loved the careful way the author portrayed her heroes and their blooming relationship. I loved how she made the hope for better times tangible. And I enjoyed her plotting inventiveness. But there’s one thing I found hard to grasp: that all these events happened in such a short period of time (five days). I’m not talking about instant love per se but more about the suspense elements. Like Toby leaving the hospital after one day after taking a bullet up the shoulder and subsequently skipping a night’s sleep and going into full action to take a kidnapper down. I mean, is he made of steel? Alas, this story needs a little suspension of disbelief I reckon. But other than that, I fully enjoyed this story, which was the least Christmas-spirited of the collection of four from the His for the Holidays anthology.
Favorite quote:
http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/201...
Harper Fox
4.5 out of 5 stars
This author’s writing style is different from most authors’ I know of. It’s elaborate, descriptive - some will call it verbose - and expressive. I think you’ll love it or hate it. I happen to enjoy it once I surrender to it. Harper Fox’s writing has the ability to take me to the places she describes. In this story those are the dark alleys and obscure corners of the streets of Edinburgh. The colorful descriptions of the surroundings emphasize the main character’s gloomy and damaged soul. James is a detective inspector with the Scottish police, divorced since one year from his wife with whom he has a young daughter. He’s doing dangerous undercover work on his own, drinks too much and has to deal with a new, unkind Chief. She is trying to bring him down and five days before Christmas it appears she succeeded. James reluctantly agrees to do what she wants, a security job for the visiting Israeli ambassador. On that job he meets Toby, a Mossad agent to whom he feels instantly attracted. When Toby takes a bullet for him when things go awry their fate is sealed. After that a whole series of suspenseful events happen and Harper Fox makes us feel the drama, the attraction and the hope.
I loved the careful way the author portrayed her heroes and their blooming relationship. I loved how she made the hope for better times tangible. And I enjoyed her plotting inventiveness. But there’s one thing I found hard to grasp: that all these events happened in such a short period of time (five days). I’m not talking about instant love per se but more about the suspense elements. Like Toby leaving the hospital after one day after taking a bullet up the shoulder and subsequently skipping a night’s sleep and going into full action to take a kidnapper down. I mean, is he made of steel? Alas, this story needs a little suspension of disbelief I reckon. But other than that, I fully enjoyed this story, which was the least Christmas-spirited of the collection of four from the His for the Holidays anthology.
Favorite quote:
“From his position on the bench, struggling with his shoelaces, McBride could see parts of his colleagues seldom exposed in cultures that did not include a skirt in their national dress. He repressed a smile. It was enough to put a man off. And that would be grand, wouldn’t it—cure him, straighten him out and send him home to Libby with a hard-on.”
http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/201...
December 3, 2012
Rereading this for a special December Holiday challenge. I'll read anything by Harper Fox, any time, any where, for any reason. This one is a multiple reread for me, and well worth the repeated exposure. Since this reread is for a Holiday challenge, I'll refer to Christmas and Hanukkah in the review below.
This is a very atypical Christmas tale, with a dark and gloomy/depressed/hopeless/desperate tone for much of the story. Nonetheless, it IS very much a Christmas and also Hanukkah story. The bulk of the story (all but the epilogue) takes place during the last two weeks before Christmas, with frequent contrasts drawn between the "joys" of the season and the stressful/depressing/terrifying events of the story itself -- and with the climax beginning on Christmas Eve and resolving over night to Christmas Day. The title of the story even refers to a Hanukkiah which is seen burning in a hotel rooms' window on Christmas Eve (the story takes place during a year in which Christmas Eve falls on the last day of Hanukkah). Oh, and one of the MCs is a Lutheran pastor's son, while the other is a Jewish Mossad agent. So religious references abound.
Fox is just so wonderful with her prose, characters, and sense of place that it's hard for me to find much fault with this story. There *are* a couple of moderately annoying cases of more-or-less insta-healing, however, and during the climactic scene there is an amazingly long delay between which shouldn't have been written that way, 'cause it's really kind of ridiculous if you think about it. So the story isn't perfect, but I love it anyway.
But back to the Christmas aspect -- our hero is given the gifts of love, sobriety, a second chance to be his true self, and his daughter's life. A person really can't ask for much better gifts than those. :-)
4.5 stars -- docking 0.5 stars because of the insta-healing and the spoilery bit described above.
This is a very atypical Christmas tale, with a dark and gloomy/depressed/hopeless/desperate tone for much of the story. Nonetheless, it IS very much a Christmas and also Hanukkah story. The bulk of the story (all but the epilogue) takes place during the last two weeks before Christmas, with frequent contrasts drawn between the "joys" of the season and the stressful/depressing/terrifying events of the story itself -- and with the climax beginning on Christmas Eve and resolving over night to Christmas Day. The title of the story even refers to a Hanukkiah which is seen burning in a hotel rooms' window on Christmas Eve (the story takes place during a year in which Christmas Eve falls on the last day of Hanukkah). Oh, and one of the MCs is a Lutheran pastor's son, while the other is a Jewish Mossad agent. So religious references abound.
Fox is just so wonderful with her prose, characters, and sense of place that it's hard for me to find much fault with this story. There *are* a couple of moderately annoying cases of more-or-less insta-healing, however, and during the climactic scene there is an amazingly long delay between which shouldn't have been written that way, 'cause it's really kind of ridiculous if you think about it. So the story isn't perfect, but I love it anyway.
But back to the Christmas aspect -- our hero is given the gifts of love, sobriety, a second chance to be his true self, and his daughter's life. A person really can't ask for much better gifts than those. :-)
4.5 stars -- docking 0.5 stars because of the insta-healing and the spoilery bit described above.
March 15, 2015
Now... letme. justtell. Youuuuuuuuuuu. Some of you know how much I love Harper Fox’s writing, and this is definitely her style, but it’s a bit more grounded. Her fantastic handle on language is here, in full force, but it’s more accessible, not as dreamlike as some of her other works.
I love that about some of her stories but I know some aren’t as attuned to it. This one takes some time to work its way but every word is just so stinkin’ enjoyable that I felt like I was wrapped up in a cocoon of HP Sauce – some of you will get that! LOL And it’s in Edinburgh!
There are unexpected turns, very well done supporting characters, humorous dialogue and incredibly tense moments. I literally found myself leaning forward the closer I got to the end. You will find yourself pulling for all of the right people and wanting to hock a loogie at the bad guys. In other words, you’ll have fantastically fun strong reactions to it all. James and Tobias deserve to have a full length book, there is so much possibility with them. Hell yeah, five freakin’ stars.
I love that about some of her stories but I know some aren’t as attuned to it. This one takes some time to work its way but every word is just so stinkin’ enjoyable that I felt like I was wrapped up in a cocoon of HP Sauce – some of you will get that! LOL And it’s in Edinburgh!
There are unexpected turns, very well done supporting characters, humorous dialogue and incredibly tense moments. I literally found myself leaning forward the closer I got to the end. You will find yourself pulling for all of the right people and wanting to hock a loogie at the bad guys. In other words, you’ll have fantastically fun strong reactions to it all. James and Tobias deserve to have a full length book, there is so much possibility with them. Hell yeah, five freakin’ stars.
February 26, 2012
Maybe 3.5.
Gritty and very unchristmas-like.
The descriptions of Edinburgh were wonderful, I swear if I were to visit I would recognise the places mentioned. Occasionally the harsh accents of the Scots dragged me from the story.
Unlike Toby, McBride was a hard character to warm to (just the fact that I used Toby's first name and James' surname underlines that fact) but I'm glad I stuck with him. If I had any complaint it was that the relationship between the two leads developed too quickly, not the connection between them but the HEA.
Overall I enjoyed it more than I thought I would from the first few chapters, if anyone is thinking of giving up with this story, I urge you to keep going.
November 13, 2025
Wow. This read was surprisingly captivating. I thought maybe the dark theme would dampen the story for me, but it didn't. I really, REALLY liked it. James was complicated, depressed, and broken, but so human it was hard not to feel for him. I gotta say at first (I hadn't read the blurb yet) I thought the romance was James/Andrew and I was kind of pissed. But then it became clear it was James/Tobby and all was well with the world again. Tobby was my second favorite character (nobody stand a chance with Gracie). This is my first Harper Fox story and she has a very distinctive way of describing the scenes: precise and pictorial. I love it. I'm looking forward to more HF books.
January 4, 2016
I actually enjoyed this story, but it took me forever to warm up to it.
I'm still not sure I get the insta-love between James McBride and Tobias Leitner, but I never get insta-love in books. And with this book set in a grim kind of reality, the insta-love didn't feel natural like it might in something else fluffy and sweet.
I guess maybe But I don't know.
Still, in the end, I enjoyed the story. I liked that the romance was interracial, and I liked the crime aspect even if I had a problem buying sergeant (what's her name) as a person that would ever get into authority.
I'm still not sure I get the insta-love between James McBride and Tobias Leitner, but I never get insta-love in books. And with this book set in a grim kind of reality, the insta-love didn't feel natural like it might in something else fluffy and sweet.
I guess maybe But I don't know.
Still, in the end, I enjoyed the story. I liked that the romance was interracial, and I liked the crime aspect even if I had a problem buying sergeant (what's her name) as a person that would ever get into authority.
January 10, 2016
Not so much a Christmas story as a story that happens over Christmas. James' world is falling apart around him. During a fateful security gig, Toby takes a bullet for him. When James' daughter is kidnapped, it is Toby, a Israeli secret service agent, who he turns to for help. But can they make things work when they live world's apart? Of course the climax happens on Christmas Eve.
August 13, 2017
Read as part of the His For The Holidays Anthology. This story was the best of the bunch!
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