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The Salisbury Key
Can love repair a shattered life in time to save the world?
Daniel Logan is on a lonely quest to find out what drove his lover, a wealthy, respected archaeologist, to take his own life. The answer the elusive key for which Jason was desperately searching lies somewhere on a dangerous and deadly section of Salisbury Plain.
The only way to gain access, though, is to allow an army explosives expert to help him navigate the bomb-riddled military zone. A man he met once more than three years ago, who is even more serious and enigmatic than before.
Lieutenant Rayne has better things to do than risk his life protecting a scientist on an apparent suicide mission. Like get back to Iraq and prove he will never again miss another roadside bomb. Yet as he helps Dan uncover the truth, an attraction neither man is in the mood for springs up against their will. And stirs up the nervous attention of powerfully placed people military and academic alike.
First in conflict, then in passion, Rayne and Dan are drawn together in a relationship as rocky and complicated as the ancient land they search. Where every step leads them closer to a terrible legacy written in death Warning: Contains bombs, archaeology and explicit M/M sex, not necessarily in that order."
Daniel Logan is on a lonely quest to find out what drove his lover, a wealthy, respected archaeologist, to take his own life. The answer the elusive key for which Jason was desperately searching lies somewhere on a dangerous and deadly section of Salisbury Plain.
The only way to gain access, though, is to allow an army explosives expert to help him navigate the bomb-riddled military zone. A man he met once more than three years ago, who is even more serious and enigmatic than before.
Lieutenant Rayne has better things to do than risk his life protecting a scientist on an apparent suicide mission. Like get back to Iraq and prove he will never again miss another roadside bomb. Yet as he helps Dan uncover the truth, an attraction neither man is in the mood for springs up against their will. And stirs up the nervous attention of powerfully placed people military and academic alike.
First in conflict, then in passion, Rayne and Dan are drawn together in a relationship as rocky and complicated as the ancient land they search. Where every step leads them closer to a terrible legacy written in death Warning: Contains bombs, archaeology and explicit M/M sex, not necessarily in that order."
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2011
25 people are currently reading
1158 people want to read
About the author
Harper Fox
58 books1,176 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 260 reviews
September 28, 2015
Can true love strike twice?
With Fox's writing one expects lyricism and evocative language that tempts and beguiles the reader deep into the story. Often, there is an element of melancholy, a sense of romanticism as the characters commune with nature. Here, that is all evident, but there is also a long dark of suffering.
Death and sorting through the chaos of its aftermath. Brutal, stolen, and betrayed, happening when you least it expect it. Daniel is faced with all of that, and he inelegantly stumbles, clutching at life and ghosts, trying to keep going as events unfold around him.
The depth and intense focus on Daniel's grieving process was extraordinarily consuming, and made this a difficult read. The mystery component of the story was good, strong. It tied in well with the story and made it come full circle. I really liked this, but it was so emotionally draining that I didn't love it.
Favorite quote:
With Fox's writing one expects lyricism and evocative language that tempts and beguiles the reader deep into the story. Often, there is an element of melancholy, a sense of romanticism as the characters commune with nature. Here, that is all evident, but there is also a long dark of suffering.
Death and sorting through the chaos of its aftermath. Brutal, stolen, and betrayed, happening when you least it expect it. Daniel is faced with all of that, and he inelegantly stumbles, clutching at life and ghosts, trying to keep going as events unfold around him.
The depth and intense focus on Daniel's grieving process was extraordinarily consuming, and made this a difficult read. The mystery component of the story was good, strong. It tied in well with the story and made it come full circle. I really liked this, but it was so emotionally draining that I didn't love it.
Favorite quote:
There was nothing in this pounding hell of release that would let me endure being touched.
August 28, 2012
REVIEW COMPLETED AUGUST 28, 2012
Rayne kissed me. It was the gentlest of gestures, only the brush of his lips to my brow. But it held me down, kept me warm, in a time-slip whirlwind threatening to demolish the frail reality I'd constructed since Jason's death. I felt his fingers tugging gently at my hair. "It's all right. Hang on."
Daniel is shell-shocked after his lover of three years, Professor Jason Ross, commits suicide. While dealing with self-doubts and guilt, Dan is determined to find out why Jason took his own life.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Colonel McCade invites Daniel to a meeting. One of the areas of the Salisbury Plain Training Area in which Jason had expressed a huge interest was due for demilitarization. Jason wanted to publish a career-crowning book called The Salisbury Key and that could be Daniel's task now. It's a dangerous endeavor though, because unexploded ordnance remained on the site and that's the reason Daniel needed someone who could dismantle bombs. When Daniel and Lt. Rayne are starting to research the site, they come to realize that things are not as they seem…
First of all I will admit that I made a mistake. Since I like Harper’s work a lot, I checked out her backlist and then I saw the high average rating of The Salisbury Key. I downloaded it without reading the blurb. I know…stupid me. Yeah, I was intrigued by this huge age gap (thirty years) between Jason and Daniel, however, my fascination vanished into thin air pretty quickly. With that said, I was disappointed because I couldn’t imagine why Daniel was so attracted to Jason in the first place. Frankly, Jason was a queer card and I always thought there’s something amiss. Additionally, a story just doesn’t work for me when I can’t feel the chemistry between two guys. Well, my theory is that Dan needed some kind of father figure since he lost his dad when he was a little boy. As it was I believe that he never processed his father’s death since he never grieved for him. This may sound horrible but Jason’s death came as a relief when I was about 14 % in (no spoiler, just read the blurb), otherwise The Salisbury Key would have ended up as another DNF for me. It’s hard to finish a book, after all, when you cannot connect to the main characters. I was annoyed when Jason called Daniel his “beautiful boy” and to me, Daniel felt oddly out of place in Jason’s world. Long story short, The Salisbury Key is Daniel and Rayne’s story and it worked for me.
I did appreciate the author’s descriptive writing of the geographic region where the story took place. The mystic feel of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain was palpable. On the other hand, I felt that her deeply poetic prose that I loved in Scrap Metal was missing here. The suspense part of the plot is well executed though and very compelling, and I really got some serious kick out of it! While I disliked Jason and Daniel’s sexual encounters, I did enjoy the erotic moments between Daniel and Rayne. Although I liked the men lovin’ I have to say that I was kinda shocked when Dan had sex with Rayne six days after Jason’s death. I’m not here to judge him but I don’t think it was “appropriate”. And I doubt that I could have done that if I’d’ve been in his shoes. Well, whatever… Further, Daniel cried a bit too much and from time to time he came across as a little bit too shallow for my liking. In fact, it was Rayne who really shined throughout the story.
After a difficult beginning the book took a turn in the right direction. The Salisbury Key is a well-written and thrilling read that will leave you wanting more. So, all’s well that ends well.
Rayne kissed me. It was the gentlest of gestures, only the brush of his lips to my brow. But it held me down, kept me warm, in a time-slip whirlwind threatening to demolish the frail reality I'd constructed since Jason's death. I felt his fingers tugging gently at my hair. "It's all right. Hang on."
Daniel is shell-shocked after his lover of three years, Professor Jason Ross, commits suicide. While dealing with self-doubts and guilt, Dan is determined to find out why Jason took his own life.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Colonel McCade invites Daniel to a meeting. One of the areas of the Salisbury Plain Training Area in which Jason had expressed a huge interest was due for demilitarization. Jason wanted to publish a career-crowning book called The Salisbury Key and that could be Daniel's task now. It's a dangerous endeavor though, because unexploded ordnance remained on the site and that's the reason Daniel needed someone who could dismantle bombs. When Daniel and Lt. Rayne are starting to research the site, they come to realize that things are not as they seem…
First of all I will admit that I made a mistake. Since I like Harper’s work a lot, I checked out her backlist and then I saw the high average rating of The Salisbury Key. I downloaded it without reading the blurb. I know…stupid me. Yeah, I was intrigued by this huge age gap (thirty years) between Jason and Daniel, however, my fascination vanished into thin air pretty quickly. With that said, I was disappointed because I couldn’t imagine why Daniel was so attracted to Jason in the first place. Frankly, Jason was a queer card and I always thought there’s something amiss. Additionally, a story just doesn’t work for me when I can’t feel the chemistry between two guys. Well, my theory is that Dan needed some kind of father figure since he lost his dad when he was a little boy. As it was I believe that he never processed his father’s death since he never grieved for him. This may sound horrible but Jason’s death came as a relief when I was about 14 % in (no spoiler, just read the blurb), otherwise The Salisbury Key would have ended up as another DNF for me. It’s hard to finish a book, after all, when you cannot connect to the main characters. I was annoyed when Jason called Daniel his “beautiful boy” and to me, Daniel felt oddly out of place in Jason’s world. Long story short, The Salisbury Key is Daniel and Rayne’s story and it worked for me.
I did appreciate the author’s descriptive writing of the geographic region where the story took place. The mystic feel of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain was palpable. On the other hand, I felt that her deeply poetic prose that I loved in Scrap Metal was missing here. The suspense part of the plot is well executed though and very compelling, and I really got some serious kick out of it! While I disliked Jason and Daniel’s sexual encounters, I did enjoy the erotic moments between Daniel and Rayne. Although I liked the men lovin’ I have to say that I was kinda shocked when Dan had sex with Rayne six days after Jason’s death. I’m not here to judge him but I don’t think it was “appropriate”. And I doubt that I could have done that if I’d’ve been in his shoes. Well, whatever… Further, Daniel cried a bit too much and from time to time he came across as a little bit too shallow for my liking. In fact, it was Rayne who really shined throughout the story.
After a difficult beginning the book took a turn in the right direction. The Salisbury Key is a well-written and thrilling read that will leave you wanting more. So, all’s well that ends well.
July 29, 2016
Gosh, I loved this book…a lot.
When you read a few books from the same author, you start to become familiar with their style, right? Josh Lanyon will always have the “wait, that’s the end?” ending. Mary Calmes will always have the Jory/Sam remix. And Harper Fox will wax you poetic until you bleed British blood. There’s something comforting to that familiarity.
I have found that I really like Harper Fox books. I don’t always love them, but I’m happy to continue to pick another one up. I am so thankful that I picked up The Salisbury Key. This book was signature-Fox-lovely, but the story itself was just really great. I think this is the top of my list of her works.
There are 2 key relationships in this story and both are handled so…well…poignantly and powerfully and…fascinating.
One is a May-December romance that, as it’s layers are being peeled back and looked at closely, reveals a “father figure” need in the younger man. It’s interesting as he begins to realize how much he relied on the older man…yet in the end, knew without a doubt that he loved him. The other is a GFY-due-to-military relationship and I was less…certain…about the attraction here, but I was more drawn to the 2 MC’s. I am a sucker for loyalty and utter devotion…and these two manage, in a short time, to take care of each other.
I know all of this is a bit cryptic and vague, but I don’t want to give too much away. I will say that I loved Daniel and Rayne. I also loved Jason and even Winter. It was just a really strong group of characters in this book. Pair all of this with a fascinating mystery/suspense storyline and I was enthralled.
So satisfied.
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November 19, 2011
Lovely, lovely, weepy, smexy, teary, more lovely book. Just what I needed.
Also, this book contains an enactment of the biggest, deepest fantasy I have ever personally held . . . a willing admin assistant who sole job, it seems, is to take rough lecture notes and turn them into handouts and a powerpoint. Can someone from academia in the UK tell me, is this true? Does such a delicious creature exist?
Also, this book contains an enactment of the biggest, deepest fantasy I have ever personally held . . . a willing admin assistant who sole job, it seems, is to take rough lecture notes and turn them into handouts and a powerpoint. Can someone from academia in the UK tell me, is this true? Does such a delicious creature exist?
January 28, 2014
OH HARPER FOX, YOU SLAY ME!
Your words, they are so beautiful, they melt my cold, cold heart!
New favorite read of 2014 (even if this was released in 2011, whatever, I'm late, okay?)!
Harper Fox is one of the best writers of our time. She could sell me on goat sex, probably. I'd probably be like, "I dunno...." at first and then by the end of it be like, "WELL GOATS NEED LOVE TOO!"
I can't wrap my head about her writing. I'm a die-hard Fanyon, but Harper Fox might be a closer runner up for that #1 position in my heart.
I can't even fathom writing things like she does, it's so beautiful and drags your heart out through your throat with her pretty words and slow burning situations.
If I write about all the reasons why I love this book, I'll cry.
It's about a dead ex-lover but this book is the most authentic feeling book about a dead ex-lover that I've ever read. It's slow, getting over his death, and it's hurtful, so damn hurtful. But just when you're positive your heart is about to break, Fox writes something hilarious and witty and adorable.
How often do I love all the characters in a book?
I LOVE Dan, the fiery, clever young archeologist with a wild streak and a daddy complex.
I love Jason, the older lover, smart, sophisticated, loving, and so damaged.
I love Rayne, the gorgeous soldier with a rocky side and a soft side, both of which seems to care for Dan.
The sex was so HOT. Natasha loves her some angry sex, OH BOY! And that scene was so unexpected (the first sex scene). I was like "Ohhh nooooo" and the next minute I'm like the Kool-Aid guy being all, "OOOHHH YEAAHHHH!" Seriously, so amazing.
If I could make love to a book, it would be this one me thinks, because it's slow and tentative and holds you so much closer than you'd think any book ever could.
I cried one big, fat crocodile tear during one of the end scenes . How poetic is that shit?
I will be singing the praises of this book for years to come.
Your words, they are so beautiful, they melt my cold, cold heart!
New favorite read of 2014 (even if this was released in 2011, whatever, I'm late, okay?)!
Harper Fox is one of the best writers of our time. She could sell me on goat sex, probably. I'd probably be like, "I dunno...." at first and then by the end of it be like, "WELL GOATS NEED LOVE TOO!"
I can't wrap my head about her writing. I'm a die-hard Fanyon, but Harper Fox might be a closer runner up for that #1 position in my heart.
I can't even fathom writing things like she does, it's so beautiful and drags your heart out through your throat with her pretty words and slow burning situations.
If I write about all the reasons why I love this book, I'll cry.
It's about a dead ex-lover but this book is the most authentic feeling book about a dead ex-lover that I've ever read. It's slow, getting over his death, and it's hurtful, so damn hurtful. But just when you're positive your heart is about to break, Fox writes something hilarious and witty and adorable.
I stared out through the shield. Briefly I forgot that I didn’t care about anything anymore and contemplated a rolling dive out the door and onto the turf.
How often do I love all the characters in a book?
I LOVE Dan, the fiery, clever young archeologist with a wild streak and a daddy complex.
I love Jason, the older lover, smart, sophisticated, loving, and so damaged.
I love Rayne, the gorgeous soldier with a rocky side and a soft side, both of which seems to care for Dan.
The sex was so HOT. Natasha loves her some angry sex, OH BOY! And that scene was so unexpected (the first sex scene). I was like "Ohhh nooooo" and the next minute I'm like the Kool-Aid guy being all, "OOOHHH YEAAHHHH!" Seriously, so amazing.
If I could make love to a book, it would be this one me thinks, because it's slow and tentative and holds you so much closer than you'd think any book ever could.
I cried one big, fat crocodile tear during one of the end scenes . How poetic is that shit?
I will be singing the praises of this book for years to come.
August 23, 2012
I very much enjoyed the story of Daniel and Rayne and their budding friendship and then romance. However, and this is just a personal however... Good grief did I have a time getting through the author's wordiness. It was like reading the Amplified Bible. I'm sure this may be the only time anyone has made this reference in a M/M review. I have a religious background as a southerner and distinctly remember my grandmother having this thing called the Amplified Bible and being fascinated by how many words it would take to say something so simple. Why use ten words when you can use fifty? Obviously others have enjoyed the rich descriptive style used and that's wonderful. I just start thinking, "How could I have phrased that more succinctly?"
In other reviews I have referenced pet peeves. And in this one, Pet Peeve #9. The use of the term of endearment "Love" such as in, "That's it, Love! Fuck me harder." In all my years of being a professional gay, I have never called a boyfriend "Love" nor heard friends call their boyfriends "Love." Yet it happens all the cotton pickin' time in this genre. Is it a regional thing with which I'm not familiar?
And now that I've used "Fuck me harder" and the Amplified Bible in a review, I feel as if my work here is done.
In other reviews I have referenced pet peeves. And in this one, Pet Peeve #9. The use of the term of endearment "Love" such as in, "That's it, Love! Fuck me harder." In all my years of being a professional gay, I have never called a boyfriend "Love" nor heard friends call their boyfriends "Love." Yet it happens all the cotton pickin' time in this genre. Is it a regional thing with which I'm not familiar?
And now that I've used "Fuck me harder" and the Amplified Bible in a review, I feel as if my work here is done.
March 24, 2011
3.5 stars
I think I'd better do the likes/dislikes things again here ...
Likes:
+ I truly enjoy the characters, although I must say that I love Winter (who is only a secondary character) compared to both Daniel and Rayne. Daniel is the more rounded character, for sure. He IS the narrator of the story (it is written in 1st POV), so there is a sense of development in him. From the beginning when he is only a 25-year old man having a crush with a man 30-year his senior, to handling the grief when his partner commits suicide, to dealing with another man in another relationship. Rayne, comes as a bit "mysterious" for me, since I don't get much information from him, except from his interaction with Daniel or Winter (as told by Daniel).
+ The part with Daniel trying to function after Jason's death is pretty engrossing. That is the part I invest the most.
Dislikes:
+ While I think I get into this story slightly quicker than Ms. Fox's first and second book, I still have problems with her writing. Sometimes, her description of a situation/feeling is just too much, it becomes "heavy". IN FACT, I sort of skip all through the "technical" things related to the Salisbury Key mystery itself. I am more prone to reading her dialogs (which I believe are totally wonderful) and those intimate moments between Daniel and Rayne.
+ When I see "Bali", I'm happy (it's part of my country), until near the end Ms. Fox writes it as part of Thailand (from the way I read it). And that annoys me. A WHOLE LOT.
+ I still don't understand why Jason commits suicide. That part is still blurry for me.
I guess I would like to say I like this enough but not as "punching my gut" like her other works.
I think I'd better do the likes/dislikes things again here ...
Likes:
+ I truly enjoy the characters, although I must say that I love Winter (who is only a secondary character) compared to both Daniel and Rayne. Daniel is the more rounded character, for sure. He IS the narrator of the story (it is written in 1st POV), so there is a sense of development in him. From the beginning when he is only a 25-year old man having a crush with a man 30-year his senior, to handling the grief when his partner commits suicide, to dealing with another man in another relationship. Rayne, comes as a bit "mysterious" for me, since I don't get much information from him, except from his interaction with Daniel or Winter (as told by Daniel).
+ The part with Daniel trying to function after Jason's death is pretty engrossing. That is the part I invest the most.
Dislikes:
+ While I think I get into this story slightly quicker than Ms. Fox's first and second book, I still have problems with her writing. Sometimes, her description of a situation/feeling is just too much, it becomes "heavy". IN FACT, I sort of skip all through the "technical" things related to the Salisbury Key mystery itself. I am more prone to reading her dialogs (which I believe are totally wonderful) and those intimate moments between Daniel and Rayne.
+ When I see "Bali", I'm happy (it's part of my country), until near the end Ms. Fox writes it as part of Thailand (from the way I read it). And that annoys me. A WHOLE LOT.
+ I still don't understand why Jason commits suicide. That part is still blurry for me.
I guess I would like to say I like this enough but not as "punching my gut" like her other works.
March 17, 2014
Harper Fox really is a marvel. At the sheer level of craft she is one of the best writers in the genre—brilliant, perfect metaphors seeming to slip off her pen effortlessly, page after page. Her settings are especially extraordinary, drawn with such incredible sense of place that you feel not just that you’ve visited them, but that you know what it would be like to live there.
The Salisbury Key is the third novel of hers I’ve read, and I think I like it best so far. In part I was riveted by its portrait of grief—as the blurb tells you, the main character Dan loses his lover, Jason, to a totally unexpected suicide. The sequence is beyond intense—it feels almost physically grueling at times--and contains many notes that will feel deeply authentic to those who have lost someone close. I know, everyone knows, that suicide would be so very much worse, it’s hard to even speak of what it would be like to survive it without feeling presumptuous. But there wasn’t a false note here in my opinion: her depiction of Dan’s experience was shockingly vivid.
But, of course, that isn’t the whole story. Though I wasn’t at all surprised that the love story that took place after was wonderful, I was very surprised and gratified at how riveting and suspenseful the thriller plot was. Too often I find them disappointing, implausible or clichéd. This wasn’t at all, and the stakes were high without feeling overly pumped up. Also: 100 extra points for the survivalist brother.
Very highly recommend.
The Salisbury Key is the third novel of hers I’ve read, and I think I like it best so far. In part I was riveted by its portrait of grief—as the blurb tells you, the main character Dan loses his lover, Jason, to a totally unexpected suicide. The sequence is beyond intense—it feels almost physically grueling at times--and contains many notes that will feel deeply authentic to those who have lost someone close. I know, everyone knows, that suicide would be so very much worse, it’s hard to even speak of what it would be like to survive it without feeling presumptuous. But there wasn’t a false note here in my opinion: her depiction of Dan’s experience was shockingly vivid.
But, of course, that isn’t the whole story. Though I wasn’t at all surprised that the love story that took place after was wonderful, I was very surprised and gratified at how riveting and suspenseful the thriller plot was. Too often I find them disappointing, implausible or clichéd. This wasn’t at all, and the stakes were high without feeling overly pumped up. Also: 100 extra points for the survivalist brother.
Very highly recommend.
July 12, 2011
This book is what I'm coming to think of as classic Harper Fox: fascinating complex characters, gloriously-phrased descriptions, deeply moving emotions, and a plot that has just a few creaks and holes in it. I'm particularly skeptical of the less-than-24-hours evaluation of biosafety thing. But as ever, the issues I have with the plot won't keep me from treasuring and rereading this lovely book.
April 17, 2013
3.5
I didn't really enjoy the first half of this book. The May/December romance between Daniel and Jason just seemed a hair off and not healthy for either of them and then we get to where that ends in an horrific manner only to then be bogged down in an intense grief laden second half as Daniel deals with the aftermath.
Harper writes so beautifully it was hard to put the book down because I wanted to see where things ended up. The relationship between Rayne and Daniel was what I was looking for in the first half. It's complicated and rich with lots of chemistry and emotion. I'm glad that I stuck around for it but where in time it started off in relation to Jason's passing didn't feel right to me. This book has me conflicted. It's a gorgeously written but I felt uncomfortable with the timing. It's not a book I'll go back to but I'm glad that I read it.
I didn't really enjoy the first half of this book. The May/December romance between Daniel and Jason just seemed a hair off and not healthy for either of them and then we get to where that ends in an horrific manner only to then be bogged down in an intense grief laden second half as Daniel deals with the aftermath.
Harper writes so beautifully it was hard to put the book down because I wanted to see where things ended up. The relationship between Rayne and Daniel was what I was looking for in the first half. It's complicated and rich with lots of chemistry and emotion. I'm glad that I stuck around for it but where in time it started off in relation to Jason's passing didn't feel right to me. This book has me conflicted. It's a gorgeously written but I felt uncomfortable with the timing. It's not a book I'll go back to but I'm glad that I read it.
December 22, 2020
The Salisbury Key by the brilliant Harper Fox is a compelling journey through the heart of a young man first struck by loss and grief and then by the unexpected and unsettling encounter with another love.
Young archaeologist Daniel Logan finds himself alone and confused in a big mausoleum of a house after the shocking suicide of his long-term partner and academic mentor Jason Ross. In the attempt to fulfil Jason's life ambition of conducting archaeological excavations in a military-restricted area on the Salisbury Plain, Dan encounters Rayne, a young Lieutenant who's supposed to map the location of the unexploded devices scattered in the area and to accompany him during his research.
Things, however, are complicated by a secret in Jason's past and by the growing relationship between Daniel and Rayne.
As pointed out by other reviewers on GR, this novel is a deep, truthful and painful study in grief - Dan's life is shattered by Jason's death and the confusion, anger and sense of chaos that his lover's death brings into his life is portrayed by Harper Fox with utmost sensitivity and attention. The attraction and emotional attachment he feels towards Rayne - and Rayne's own surprise in front of his equally unexpected feelings - conjure up the image of two men with a desperate need for support and love.
Their backgrounds and personal stories, however, complicate the blossoming and growth of their relationship in a non-judgemental environment - Dan's circle of acquaintances and Rayne's military world are none too willing to accept and understand their bond and this adds to the guilt and upset that mark the beginning of their love story.
At about the 70% mark, the novel swerves from Dan and Rayne's personal story and refocuses on the mystery hidden underneath the Salisbury Plain and this was where, at least for me, the book partially lost its momentum and strength. The military conspiracy, the appearance of Rayne's unruly brother etc. seemed a bit rushed and not entirely convincing.
It's not the first time I've felt this way with a Harper Fox' novel. Whilst, for instance, I've found Brothers of the Wild North Sea solid and engaging throughout, Half Moon Chambers and Scrap Metal presented some sections that didn't quite work for me (despite generally loving both novels very much). I guess that her more-than-solid storytelling skills and amazing way with words make these little slumps and falls in the novels' narrative tension more visible and jarring than they would be in the hands of a less talented writer.
In any case The Salisbury Key remains a beautiful novel - a wonderful one, in fact, in its most meditative parts - with two rounded and convincing MCs, some beautifully sensual intimate moments and an emotional weight that is alternatively crushing and soaring.
I'd certainly recommend it and as of today (5th May 2018) I've decided to update all my reviews of Harper Fox's novels to 5 stars. They're amazingly written, engaging, with great characters and they bloody deserve full ratings!
Young archaeologist Daniel Logan finds himself alone and confused in a big mausoleum of a house after the shocking suicide of his long-term partner and academic mentor Jason Ross. In the attempt to fulfil Jason's life ambition of conducting archaeological excavations in a military-restricted area on the Salisbury Plain, Dan encounters Rayne, a young Lieutenant who's supposed to map the location of the unexploded devices scattered in the area and to accompany him during his research.
Things, however, are complicated by a secret in Jason's past and by the growing relationship between Daniel and Rayne.
As pointed out by other reviewers on GR, this novel is a deep, truthful and painful study in grief - Dan's life is shattered by Jason's death and the confusion, anger and sense of chaos that his lover's death brings into his life is portrayed by Harper Fox with utmost sensitivity and attention. The attraction and emotional attachment he feels towards Rayne - and Rayne's own surprise in front of his equally unexpected feelings - conjure up the image of two men with a desperate need for support and love.
Their backgrounds and personal stories, however, complicate the blossoming and growth of their relationship in a non-judgemental environment - Dan's circle of acquaintances and Rayne's military world are none too willing to accept and understand their bond and this adds to the guilt and upset that mark the beginning of their love story.
At about the 70% mark, the novel swerves from Dan and Rayne's personal story and refocuses on the mystery hidden underneath the Salisbury Plain and this was where, at least for me, the book partially lost its momentum and strength. The military conspiracy, the appearance of Rayne's unruly brother etc. seemed a bit rushed and not entirely convincing.
It's not the first time I've felt this way with a Harper Fox' novel. Whilst, for instance, I've found Brothers of the Wild North Sea solid and engaging throughout, Half Moon Chambers and Scrap Metal presented some sections that didn't quite work for me (despite generally loving both novels very much). I guess that her more-than-solid storytelling skills and amazing way with words make these little slumps and falls in the novels' narrative tension more visible and jarring than they would be in the hands of a less talented writer.
In any case The Salisbury Key remains a beautiful novel - a wonderful one, in fact, in its most meditative parts - with two rounded and convincing MCs, some beautifully sensual intimate moments and an emotional weight that is alternatively crushing and soaring.
I'd certainly recommend it and as of today (5th May 2018) I've decided to update all my reviews of Harper Fox's novels to 5 stars. They're amazingly written, engaging, with great characters and they bloody deserve full ratings!
August 26, 2013
So. Here we are. And I am in no better condition today to review than I was the other day when I finished reading. There was pain and beauty, suffering and redemption, I can honestly say there was probably a little thing for everyone in this story.
Language-wise I am in awe, and that, my friends, happens only very seldom. All verbs were correct, both in usage and in tense (horrifyingly uncommon, these days), and the descriptor words used were far-reaching, mesmerizing, controlling me, the reader. Fabulous. A lot of precision has gone into the choice of words here, and for me, that is such a bonus. I feel appreciated, as a reader, when my author goes the extra mile to deliver a fine, fine product. So thank you for that, too, Harper Fox. I'll be trawling your list of books soon.
What about this story, then? Well, it was a little bit incredible, then it became more credible, and then it went right back into ( a good kind of) incredible again. I had all the feels when reading, and then it heaped some quite impossible feels on top of the others, and my mind was officially blown about half-way in. And then it kept on GIVING. Good words, fabulous settings, cool and hot sex, angry and sad and happy and snot-sobbing-wailing-sadness... Sorry, yes, I'm in a muddle here, all the feels, as you can see.
The narrative jumps back and forth in the most delicious way, and the action scenes are interspersed by deep thoughts and philosophical yearnings. Quite scholarly, without ever getting pompous. (Well, Jason was probably quite the pompous British university professor, but he's not around much, right?)
This is a study of losing your love, and finding life again. I especially appreciated Daniel's growth as an independent person without the support of Jason. He was quite submissive to Jason, and it grated on me in the beginning, how he couldn't even put down a glass on a table without thinking about whether it would be staining something valuable or not. Jason was a hell of a micro-manager, I think.
So, some excerpts, as per my usual MO:
"Rayne kissed me. It was the gentlest of gestures, only the brush of his lips to my brow. But it held me down, kept me warm, in a time-slip whirlwind threatening to demolish the frail reality I'd constructed..."
See what I mean with wording? It just paints such a vivid picture. Some may say there are too many words here. I say there are *exactly* as many words as it takes.
or how about:
"I burst out laughing, forgetting for whole seconds that my world had crashed and burned."
We've all been there, when sorrow is all you have, and suddenly you realize you are laughing again for the first time. It gets cut short by a wail and a painful blocking of your lungs. And when that happens, after all that introspection, it gets countered with Reyne's down-to-earth:
"Breathe, you fucking pillock."
Yeah, I had to look up that word, too. I love it when that happens.
Brilliant stuff, this.
So, all in all a very pleasurable read. I was taken by the hand and led from A all the way to Z without missing a single beat. That's quite a feat, in my book. Add to that the fact that there is also a backstory that runs all the way without breaking down, and I'd say it's a very good and rounded story. Romance? Thriller? Detective story?
You decide. For me, M/M Romance just seems like a straight-jacket on this one, it is so much more.
I think I'll go with all the above, and then some.
***
I was NOT asked to read this book by anyone, I paid for it with my own money, as I do for all the books I read, all the music I listen to and the movies I watch.
Language-wise I am in awe, and that, my friends, happens only very seldom. All verbs were correct, both in usage and in tense (horrifyingly uncommon, these days), and the descriptor words used were far-reaching, mesmerizing, controlling me, the reader. Fabulous. A lot of precision has gone into the choice of words here, and for me, that is such a bonus. I feel appreciated, as a reader, when my author goes the extra mile to deliver a fine, fine product. So thank you for that, too, Harper Fox. I'll be trawling your list of books soon.
What about this story, then? Well, it was a little bit incredible, then it became more credible, and then it went right back into ( a good kind of) incredible again. I had all the feels when reading, and then it heaped some quite impossible feels on top of the others, and my mind was officially blown about half-way in. And then it kept on GIVING. Good words, fabulous settings, cool and hot sex, angry and sad and happy and snot-sobbing-wailing-sadness... Sorry, yes, I'm in a muddle here, all the feels, as you can see.
The narrative jumps back and forth in the most delicious way, and the action scenes are interspersed by deep thoughts and philosophical yearnings. Quite scholarly, without ever getting pompous. (Well, Jason was probably quite the pompous British university professor, but he's not around much, right?)
This is a study of losing your love, and finding life again. I especially appreciated Daniel's growth as an independent person without the support of Jason. He was quite submissive to Jason, and it grated on me in the beginning, how he couldn't even put down a glass on a table without thinking about whether it would be staining something valuable or not. Jason was a hell of a micro-manager, I think.
So, some excerpts, as per my usual MO:
"Rayne kissed me. It was the gentlest of gestures, only the brush of his lips to my brow. But it held me down, kept me warm, in a time-slip whirlwind threatening to demolish the frail reality I'd constructed..."
See what I mean with wording? It just paints such a vivid picture. Some may say there are too many words here. I say there are *exactly* as many words as it takes.
or how about:
"I burst out laughing, forgetting for whole seconds that my world had crashed and burned."
We've all been there, when sorrow is all you have, and suddenly you realize you are laughing again for the first time. It gets cut short by a wail and a painful blocking of your lungs. And when that happens, after all that introspection, it gets countered with Reyne's down-to-earth:
"Breathe, you fucking pillock."
Yeah, I had to look up that word, too. I love it when that happens.
Brilliant stuff, this.
So, all in all a very pleasurable read. I was taken by the hand and led from A all the way to Z without missing a single beat. That's quite a feat, in my book. Add to that the fact that there is also a backstory that runs all the way without breaking down, and I'd say it's a very good and rounded story. Romance? Thriller? Detective story?
You decide. For me, M/M Romance just seems like a straight-jacket on this one, it is so much more.
I think I'll go with all the above, and then some.
***
I was NOT asked to read this book by anyone, I paid for it with my own money, as I do for all the books I read, all the music I listen to and the movies I watch.
November 4, 2021
Harper Fox: Here's some romance! It comes with suicide, heartbreak, grief, terrible timing, sinister archaeological mystery and a dash of cryptohistory on top!
Normal, sane romance readers: *run screaming*
Me, not normal or sane: *rereading for about the 5th time* I love this book a normal amount.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original review:
Harper Fox is usually at her best when bittersweet, and this was no exception - between the on-page suicide of the previous lover, the aftermath of grief, and the sinister implications of his legacy, which lends the plot for the mystery, there's plenty of bitter here, and that's before the main pairing's sweet but phenomenally ill-timed connection. It's not quite in line with genre rules, I'm sure, but frankly I don't give a crap, because she does it so well. As usual, she also excels at making places come alive and weaving them firmly into the fabric of the story. The setting of Salisbury Plain and its historical and archaeological treasure trove made for a beautiful, haunting backdrop, and though I'm not usually wild about mysteries, I enjoyed this one. And I adored the main romance - apparently wildly inconvenient timing is one of my favourite things?? ok then! - they were both such lovely, flawed characters, their struggles were painful and relatable, and the chemistry was off the charts. I'm docking a star because the resolution to the mystery went some weird places and the plot lost me a bit towards the end. But emotionally, this hit all my buttons, and the writing was beautiful as always.
Normal, sane romance readers: *run screaming*
Me, not normal or sane: *rereading for about the 5th time* I love this book a normal amount.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original review:
Harper Fox is usually at her best when bittersweet, and this was no exception - between the on-page suicide of the previous lover, the aftermath of grief, and the sinister implications of his legacy, which lends the plot for the mystery, there's plenty of bitter here, and that's before the main pairing's sweet but phenomenally ill-timed connection. It's not quite in line with genre rules, I'm sure, but frankly I don't give a crap, because she does it so well. As usual, she also excels at making places come alive and weaving them firmly into the fabric of the story. The setting of Salisbury Plain and its historical and archaeological treasure trove made for a beautiful, haunting backdrop, and though I'm not usually wild about mysteries, I enjoyed this one. And I adored the main romance - apparently wildly inconvenient timing is one of my favourite things?? ok then! - they were both such lovely, flawed characters, their struggles were painful and relatable, and the chemistry was off the charts. I'm docking a star because the resolution to the mystery went some weird places and the plot lost me a bit towards the end. But emotionally, this hit all my buttons, and the writing was beautiful as always.
September 30, 2024
Being brought in at the end of relationship makes it difficult for me to really care much about that relationship, so I never could grieve for Jason. However, Fox captures that grief in Daniel perfectly, so perfectly in fact that it even makes him jumping right into another relationship seem natural. It's not a flaky heartless decision, but one motivated by his grief, and his growing realization that perhaps his relationship with Jason, while loving, hadn't exactly been freeing. Daniel put a lot of restrictions on himself to be with Jason, and now has to struggle with how to regain his life. On top of that is the mystery surrounding Jason's death and a key buried in Salisbury that could unlock it all.
The mystery behind the mystery wasn't too much of a surprise to me, since it was foreshadowed in the prologue, but I enjoyed how it all unraveled and that our guys weren't constantly ten steps behind to drag out the suspense. Once the pieces start falling in place, the story kicks into high gear and stays there, and I had to chuckle grimly at the simplicity of the final solution.
I really liked Rayne. He's a good guy and really the only one who could've understood the grief Daniel was going through, given his own demons he's struggling with. He's a straightforward guy who's not allergic to emotions, which is refreshing.
The mystery behind the mystery wasn't too much of a surprise to me, since it was foreshadowed in the prologue, but I enjoyed how it all unraveled and that our guys weren't constantly ten steps behind to drag out the suspense. Once the pieces start falling in place, the story kicks into high gear and stays there, and I had to chuckle grimly at the simplicity of the final solution.
I really liked Rayne. He's a good guy and really the only one who could've understood the grief Daniel was going through, given his own demons he's struggling with. He's a straightforward guy who's not allergic to emotions, which is refreshing.
September 29, 2018
I have read or listened to more than 1000 books in this genre, so it is pretty rare that books surprise me. But Harper Fox brings so much depth to her books, often a touch of mysticism and she keeps surprising me. Because of that and the recs for this book, I knew I was in good hands and did not read the blurb. I had no idea where the story was going.
In the beginning I was a bit worried as the story seemed to skip key moments in the relationship between the MC and his lover. I connected with the MC, but felt like his lover and the love of his life was still very much a mystery to me. Then something lifechanging happens and it all makes sense. Well, at least why she chose to tell the love story in the way she did.
I felt very connected with the MC, as I as reader was privy to his most private, intimate thoughts, even as he wore a mask for others and was seen in a different light.
The author portrays the characters, their relationships and actions with great depth and a gentle touch. Had I read it from a different perspective, my own prejudices might have lead to an unfair judgement. But I feel like it has just added more depth and complexity and privy to his every thought, I feel like I understand and greatly care for the MC.
The story is a mystery that is the perfect mixture of unexpected twists I never saw coming and clues that allowed me to figure out certain parts and get the 'knew it' feeling. The foreshadowing paid off, but it all comes together in an unexpected way and the road there is full of mystery, adventure and sexual tension. The writing is beautiful, full of loving details, and the characters are complex and very interesting. I felt like I was inside the MCs head, felt his emotions, heard his thoughts and was right in the middle of the action. This book is a must-read and the audiobook is wonderful!
In the beginning I was a bit worried as the story seemed to skip key moments in the relationship between the MC and his lover. I connected with the MC, but felt like his lover and the love of his life was still very much a mystery to me. Then something lifechanging happens and it all makes sense. Well, at least why she chose to tell the love story in the way she did.
I felt very connected with the MC, as I as reader was privy to his most private, intimate thoughts, even as he wore a mask for others and was seen in a different light.
The author portrays the characters, their relationships and actions with great depth and a gentle touch. Had I read it from a different perspective, my own prejudices might have lead to an unfair judgement. But I feel like it has just added more depth and complexity and privy to his every thought, I feel like I understand and greatly care for the MC.
The story is a mystery that is the perfect mixture of unexpected twists I never saw coming and clues that allowed me to figure out certain parts and get the 'knew it' feeling. The foreshadowing paid off, but it all comes together in an unexpected way and the road there is full of mystery, adventure and sexual tension. The writing is beautiful, full of loving details, and the characters are complex and very interesting. I felt like I was inside the MCs head, felt his emotions, heard his thoughts and was right in the middle of the action. This book is a must-read and the audiobook is wonderful!
September 27, 2023
Listened to the audio and it was lovely. The writing is beautiful as always and the story and characters compelling and moving. I am realizing that Harper Fox stories may have a plot point that doesn't 100% land for me or a mystical element that goes a shade too far, but I enjoy the books so much I just don't care. The writing is so skilled and story so gripping that usually my quibble is that that additional element just wasn't needed. But anyway, 5 stars and looking forward to my next Harper Fox book.
October 6, 2011
The first 2/3 of this book gave me one of the best reads I've had in a while, a wondeful study in loss and love, seriously pointing a light at the idea losing your partner and falling for someone else much to quickly. The last 1/3... eh. I dunno what happened. Maybe it was the involvement of Winter Rayne, maybe it was the cliched villain, but it knocked it down a bit for me. And the nickname "Sunbeam" made me want to punch a puppy. Recommended overall.
October 21, 2014
4.5 stars
This is such an intense, bittersweet story because much of it is shaped around loss and grieving. Daniel has lost the love of his life, Jason, a man thirty years older than he who helped shape and define him in that life and in their shared careers.
The author pieces Daniel’s story together with wonderful, expressive prose, crafting it from the prologue that sets up the beginning of Daniel and Jason’s relationship to Jason’s suicide three years later, and the beginning of a gripping mystery.
At the beginning all seemed to be going so well. But the author gives tells, little clues of a brooding darkness underneath it all… the ever-present feeling of too much and too perfect. Two perfect, beautiful, smart, successful men leading the good life, living in the perfectly beautiful home. There is a suspicion that Daniel, in his mid-twenties, is seeking out a father figure in Jason… Dan’s occasional wandering eye to other beautiful young men is mentioned often. He is deeply faithful, loyal to Jason to a fault, but these distractions are a sharp guilty poke to him. On that day in the prologue, when he and Jason first make love in the fields near Stonehenge, he even manages to catch the eye of, and then cavorts shamelessly, in front of the beautiful Rayne, a young army soldier who will have a big part later in the story.
The story is framed by the archeological work that Jason and Daniel are devoted to; they are both profs at a university near the Stonehenge monument. The story is ambitious with the addition of another big plot point involving all the key players. It also involves ‘danger to the world’ villainy that becomes a bit too much. To say more would be giving away too many spoilers, however…
The mystery of Jason’s suicide is tied to a ‘key’ that he’s searching for near the Stonehenge monument. It’s this mystery that floats the story, uncovering treachery and betrayal. But, for me, it’s Daniel’s grieving and eventual renewal that are so worth witnessing.
I’ve had this book for a while, it took me a while to get around to it. While I’ve always enjoyed this author’s stuff, I knew this would be a heavy one, but I’m so glad I finally read it. Bittersweet, yes, but also deeply romantic with a very well done adventure story.
January 4, 2022
May I pleasepleaseplease be allowed to stumble upon my own personal version of Summer Rayne, and soon too, as time is ticking by?
I have expressed enthusiasm for Harper Fox’s version of the Arthur legend; after this tale of archeology and intrigue on the Salisbury Plain, I see myself devouring her books like I eat almond butter with dark chocolate mixed in: with a teaspoon from the jar.
Of course (spoiler alert ...) I read it for the romance and even the sex scenes. But her writing is not all empty calories: the narrator lives through some hectic emotions, telescoped in an alarmingly short period of time. And it is this telescoping that makes the story simultaneously improbable and plausible, and therefore compelling ánd enjoyable, and leaves this reader breathless and with the wish that opens this snippet of public adoration. Brava!
Harper Fox neem haar lesers deur die oë van haar verteller op ’n intense tuimeltreinrit van emosie, intrige en ontdekkings wat jou ademloos laat: enersyds weens die genot van die romanse en opwinding (en ja, die sekstonele ...); andersyds weens jou bewondering vir haar skryfwerk en verbeelding. Daar gaan nog veel Harper Fox-titels op my leeslys verskyn, wat die herlees van o.m. haar Arthur-reeks sal insluit.
I have expressed enthusiasm for Harper Fox’s version of the Arthur legend; after this tale of archeology and intrigue on the Salisbury Plain, I see myself devouring her books like I eat almond butter with dark chocolate mixed in: with a teaspoon from the jar.
Of course (spoiler alert ...) I read it for the romance and even the sex scenes. But her writing is not all empty calories: the narrator lives through some hectic emotions, telescoped in an alarmingly short period of time. And it is this telescoping that makes the story simultaneously improbable and plausible, and therefore compelling ánd enjoyable, and leaves this reader breathless and with the wish that opens this snippet of public adoration. Brava!
Harper Fox neem haar lesers deur die oë van haar verteller op ’n intense tuimeltreinrit van emosie, intrige en ontdekkings wat jou ademloos laat: enersyds weens die genot van die romanse en opwinding (en ja, die sekstonele ...); andersyds weens jou bewondering vir haar skryfwerk en verbeelding. Daar gaan nog veel Harper Fox-titels op my leeslys verskyn, wat die herlees van o.m. haar Arthur-reeks sal insluit.
June 4, 2016
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPbeEt...
Beautifully written m/m romance by British author Harper Fox set in Salisbury, England. Told in the first person from Daniel's pov. 25 year old Archaeology Graduate Daniel falls in love with his tutor 55 year old academic Jason. They stay together for 3 years before tragedy strikes..
My only complaint is the cover, the guy on the left does not strike me as an intellectual!!
'If Jason had lived, I wouldn't have stayed his beautiful boy forever, would I? I'd have grown up. Though I might have torn off my own wings to try and stop it, one day I would have understood and broken from my cage.'
Beautifully written m/m romance by British author Harper Fox set in Salisbury, England. Told in the first person from Daniel's pov. 25 year old Archaeology Graduate Daniel falls in love with his tutor 55 year old academic Jason. They stay together for 3 years before tragedy strikes..
My only complaint is the cover, the guy on the left does not strike me as an intellectual!!
'If Jason had lived, I wouldn't have stayed his beautiful boy forever, would I? I'd have grown up. Though I might have torn off my own wings to try and stop it, one day I would have understood and broken from my cage.'
April 23, 2023
I liked the romance very much, and the thriller/mystery plot, which I didn't quite buy or care about, much less. So my interest waned considerably in the second half.
That said, Fox is an amazing writer. Re-reading this I was reminded how high she set the m/m bar when I first started reading this genre. Definitely intend a second pass-through of her work.
That said, Fox is an amazing writer. Re-reading this I was reminded how high she set the m/m bar when I first started reading this genre. Definitely intend a second pass-through of her work.
January 9, 2024
Not very emotional or romantic, but a captivating story. Very nice narration, too. I go looking for another Harper Fox novel.
September 13, 2012
When I read the plot summary for The Salisbury Key, I envisioned something along the lines of the following: Daniel and Jason are two archaeologists who meet and are on the verge of falling in love when Jason suddenly dies of an apparent suicide. I further hypothesized that perhaps there was evidence of foul play, which compelled Daniel to solve the mystery of the Salisbury key in an effort to obtain justice for his fallen lover. I figured that during this quest, Daniel would meet his true soul-mate, Rayne; they’d fall in love, solve the mystery of Jason’s death, and live HEA.
Okay … not ... really.
The Salisbury Key is a not a light romantic tromp through the English countryside. This is a moving novel about love and loss; grief and guilt; hope and healing. It's a story about trust, betrayal, and suicide; it is not what I would consider a “light” read but it was immensely satisfying.
Jason and Daniel’s love affair could have been a novel in and of itself. I loved their May-December romance. Their relationship was so real and their commitment absolute. I simply couldn’t see how Harper Fox could successfully weave a story of true love between Daniel and anyone else following Jason’s death. But she did.
***CAUTION: SPOILERS***
Daniel’s attraction to Rayne sparked a relationship which began in a heated moment. Neither wanted it and they, at first, agreed to a friends-with-benefits type of arrangement. The relationship, however, quickly blossomed into something more than either of them had bargained or were ready for. I thought that Daniel’s attraction to and tryst with Rayne so soon after Jason’s death would turn me off … to the both of them. But, surprisingly, it didn’t. Daniel clearly struggled with his guilt and you could just feel his turmoil over his conflicting feelings. His character was so real, so honest, and so human that I couldn’t help but love him. Rayne was a gruff soldier who was an a**hole at first. But you eventually get past that outer layer and discover that he’s patient, kind, and understanding. He's protective of Daniel and his respect for Jason’s memory helped endear him to me too.
The mystery behind the Salisbury key was enticing and kept me turning the pages for most of the book but ultimately its resolution was a little hinky IMHO. Regardless, this was a great read and I recommend it to any fan of the genre!
Okay … not ... really.
The Salisbury Key is a not a light romantic tromp through the English countryside. This is a moving novel about love and loss; grief and guilt; hope and healing. It's a story about trust, betrayal, and suicide; it is not what I would consider a “light” read but it was immensely satisfying.
Jason and Daniel’s love affair could have been a novel in and of itself. I loved their May-December romance. Their relationship was so real and their commitment absolute. I simply couldn’t see how Harper Fox could successfully weave a story of true love between Daniel and anyone else following Jason’s death. But she did.
***CAUTION: SPOILERS***
Daniel’s attraction to Rayne sparked a relationship which began in a heated moment. Neither wanted it and they, at first, agreed to a friends-with-benefits type of arrangement. The relationship, however, quickly blossomed into something more than either of them had bargained or were ready for. I thought that Daniel’s attraction to and tryst with Rayne so soon after Jason’s death would turn me off … to the both of them. But, surprisingly, it didn’t. Daniel clearly struggled with his guilt and you could just feel his turmoil over his conflicting feelings. His character was so real, so honest, and so human that I couldn’t help but love him. Rayne was a gruff soldier who was an a**hole at first. But you eventually get past that outer layer and discover that he’s patient, kind, and understanding. He's protective of Daniel and his respect for Jason’s memory helped endear him to me too.
The mystery behind the Salisbury key was enticing and kept me turning the pages for most of the book but ultimately its resolution was a little hinky IMHO. Regardless, this was a great read and I recommend it to any fan of the genre!
September 13, 2012
Initial Thoughts:
I felt involved and engaged in this story and very much enjoyed the experience being in Daniel’s head. Not because I loved his personality—because in truth, I only liked it—but because for the character he was, he rang true. He had thoughts and feelings and made decisions that made sense for him and his world.
Issues I Had:
I had some personal issues with the pacing of the relationship. Daniel’s lover commits suicide and within two weeks he’s fallen in love with Rayne—even ditching a part of his dead lover’s funeral to be with him. It was a little off-putting for me and knocked down the enjoyment of the story a little, but this won’t be an issue for everyone, and the emotions that went with it at least acknowledged Daniel’s thoughts regarding this. I think it’s a tricky love story to write, but on the whole, has been well written.
Writing Style/Tone:
Like all Harper Fox’s books, the story was emotional and rich with description that for the most part captivated me. I did feel, however, the story was a touch uneven in places. The first part of the book showing Dan’s life with Jason before he dies went on longer than I expected, considering we know from the blurb he commits suicide. And the last third of the book seemed to switch almost into a thriller and didn’t quite match the first two-thirds, setting quite a different tone. That being said, I found the last third perhaps the most fun. The tension and suspense drove me to the next page and the next.
Characters:
• Rayne was a wonderful character. I liked him immediately, and the side story with his brother added sweet variety to the story, even if most of this sub-plot happens in the last third of the book.
• Daniel’s plot arc was nicely done, and, as I said earlier, his character rang true.
• Dean Anderson I thought was an interesting character in the middle part of the book, but his story seemed to stop too abruptly that in the end, I wasn’t quite sure what he added.
Overall:
A solid read. Recommend.
November 5, 2022
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
This is good. I mean it hits melodrama at a sprint and keeps spiraling, but it's still good.
Taken separately the different aspects of this shouldn't work yet the writing is powerful enough to make it.
Dan's relationship with Jason may not have been ideal; well to do mentor, 30yr age gap. Yet it was clearly what he needed at the time. There's no doubting the love. I liked the tone of it at the end.
The grief is viseral. While the process is quick it's vividly real. Incredibly well written. It doesn't fully go away despite the seeming moving on.
Then there's the new romance. Incredibly quick yet somehow the timing didn't feel disrespectful. It should have. But it was also part of Dan's grieving process, the out of control emotions ripping through him.
Rayne is a stoic foil to Dan, yet I think we see enough of him. An intelligent man with wry humour, his early interactions with Dan show his understanding and capability, though with a hint of an edge. The little we learn of him shows where he stands. With everything going on he didn't need to bring further drama.
The plot is fascinating, then turns action thriller with far fetched motives, then a further suggestion to cover all possible basis. I guess I like daft action films though. Handy to have convenient friends with convenient skill sets in an emergency.
Winter is a great side character, I'd have liked longer with him. Their names amuse me.
This is good. I mean it hits melodrama at a sprint and keeps spiraling, but it's still good.
Taken separately the different aspects of this shouldn't work yet the writing is powerful enough to make it.
Dan's relationship with Jason may not have been ideal; well to do mentor, 30yr age gap. Yet it was clearly what he needed at the time. There's no doubting the love. I liked the tone of it at the end.
The grief is viseral. While the process is quick it's vividly real. Incredibly well written. It doesn't fully go away despite the seeming moving on.
Then there's the new romance. Incredibly quick yet somehow the timing didn't feel disrespectful. It should have. But it was also part of Dan's grieving process, the out of control emotions ripping through him.
Rayne is a stoic foil to Dan, yet I think we see enough of him. An intelligent man with wry humour, his early interactions with Dan show his understanding and capability, though with a hint of an edge. The little we learn of him shows where he stands. With everything going on he didn't need to bring further drama.
The plot is fascinating, then turns action thriller with far fetched motives, then a further suggestion to cover all possible basis. I guess I like daft action films though. Handy to have convenient friends with convenient skill sets in an emergency.
Winter is a great side character, I'd have liked longer with him. Their names amuse me.
January 9, 2012
After reading Fox's contribution to the "Men Under The Mistletoe" anthology from Carina Press, I decided to re-visit her work and I'm very glad I did. This was a very enjoyable story about an archaeologist whose partner commits suicide. He gets the chance to do some research in an area that his partner had been trying to get access to for years, and he feels like he needs to do it in order to fulfill his partner's "last wish." Of course, mayhem ensues as he discovers things about his partner he never knew, and that perhaps the people he had trusted maybe aren't so trustworthy. (And of course, there is a romance involved. Pitch-perfect, in my opinion; not too much and not too little. It worked well with the rest of the story.)
The thing I like about Harper Fox is that she is a writer. There are a handful of authors in this genre who are great storytellers, and who, more importantly for me, can draw great characters. Write characters that I want to spend time with and chemistry that I can feel, and that's all I really ask for from an m/m romance. But Harper kicks it up a notch - she uses words like a paint brush. She is incredibly smart and incredibly talented. She is, quite simply, a good writer, which unfortunately is not easily found in this genre. She could be writing anything, and she chooses m/m which I think is a win for us.
The thing I like about Harper Fox is that she is a writer. There are a handful of authors in this genre who are great storytellers, and who, more importantly for me, can draw great characters. Write characters that I want to spend time with and chemistry that I can feel, and that's all I really ask for from an m/m romance. But Harper kicks it up a notch - she uses words like a paint brush. She is incredibly smart and incredibly talented. She is, quite simply, a good writer, which unfortunately is not easily found in this genre. She could be writing anything, and she chooses m/m which I think is a win for us.
May 7, 2013
This was not one of my favorite Harper Fox books. There was something about the characters, and the plot that I found hard to connect to, and I felt like I never became invested in the story. It wasn't bad, but it felt like a bit too much of a summer blockbuster style plot with the military experiments, and such. I also had a hard time understanding Daniel's relationship with Jason. Jason didn't seem like a bad person, but a bit controlling, and overbearing. It almost seems like Daniel was swallowed up a bit. I don't think it was malicious just a little too paternal for my tastes. I like Rayne, but it seems like their relationship moved a bit quickly. The ending seemed a bit abrupt to me as well. Overall not bad, but nothing I really enjoyed either.
April 12, 2011
Excellent m/m romantic suspense about an archeologist who abruptly loses his partner without warning or explanation and isn't doing so well. I spent a bit of the first half of the book sniffling and blotting my eyes and wondering how this could possibly be romantic suspense!
December 30, 2014
Beautiful. Overwhelmingly sad. The kind of story that makes breathing difficult because the pain of the character(s) is so strong. I loved it.
May 10, 2024
I’m a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this story given the time between the death of Daniel’s lover, Jason, and the start of his relationship with Rayne is so brief. Plus, the relationship between Daniel and Rayne is instalove which I generally dislike. But Fox manages to pull it off. The characters and relationships are messy and I kind of loved it. Life and love can be messy and even messy romance stories are often shaded with rose colored glasses. I appreciated and enjoyed that the relationships in The Salisbury Key were less rosy than typical.
I read the ebook but have the audiobook as well. Not sure I’ll ever listen to it, though I like the sound of the narration, because the story is hard and a bit brutal. I’m not sure I’ll ever have the emotional energy to revisit it. That said, if I do revisit it, there’s a part of me that thinks I won’t rate it as high as I am now. Between the aforementioned relationship messiness and some hesitations I had with the mystery/plot, I can see Future Kat side eyeing Today Kat and thinking, 4 stars?!? Really? 🤷🏻♀️
I read the ebook but have the audiobook as well. Not sure I’ll ever listen to it, though I like the sound of the narration, because the story is hard and a bit brutal. I’m not sure I’ll ever have the emotional energy to revisit it. That said, if I do revisit it, there’s a part of me that thinks I won’t rate it as high as I am now. Between the aforementioned relationship messiness and some hesitations I had with the mystery/plot, I can see Future Kat side eyeing Today Kat and thinking, 4 stars?!? Really? 🤷🏻♀️
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