Hither Page

This story, set in the years after WWII, is quieter than Sebastian’s Regency romances, bleaker, yet there’s an undercurrent of emotion in it that hit me just right.

James Sommers was a doctor in the military in WWII, and after leaving the service, he’s still haunted by all he saw and did. He retreated to the tiny village where he spent his happiest childhood moments, to become a country doctor. He battles what we would now call PTSD, emotional resonances that can hit unexpectedly and make even simple things difficult.

He’s gay, with no illusions about himself, but in this place and time that’s something he’s buried pretty deeply. He’s surviving, getting on day to day, sometimes ministering to those who came out of the war in even worse shape, like a man renting a cottage down the way. But when a local housekeeper with a history of snooping in everyone’s affairs is found murdered, he worries about the folk he’s come to care about in the village.

Leo Page was recruited into a black-ops type of service in his teens, before the war, and all he has ever known is intrigue, spycraft, assassination, and war. The murdered housekeeper worked for a man who is a person of interest to Leo’s boss, and he’s sent to investigate what was going on, and to make the problem go away, so it doesn’t impact his boss’s case.

Leo has been many men, many names, over the years. But he hasn’t spent much time in Britain, where rule of law ought to be in force, and where he’s using his real name for a change. He’s never really had a place he belongs. Meeting a good man like Sommers, and the elderly ladies and village children he cares about, shakes something loose in Leo. His boss’s instructions didn’t stop with justice, and didn’t shy away from assassination if expedient. But can he do his job, and not lose the fragile sense of belonging that he’s starting to feel?

The mystery is fun and plausible (beyond one obvious clue that was missed.) The characters are unique, but not caricatures. There’s a strong sense of time and place, from rationing and train travel to not having good antibiotics to treat strep throat that felt authentic to me (as an American reader, anyway). The romance is slow burn and realistic to the two men, and the time they live in. I felt steeped in this book, in its grey early-winter feel that matched the two men’s hearts, and the slow build of warmth and hope. I stayed up far too late to finish it and I really look forward to the next one.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I’m not usually a historicals person but when I read the blurb I was intrigued and as I found it as a result of searching Joel Leslie’s narrations I figured I’d give it a try. I bought the book and the audio (got to love whispersync!) and am so glad it did.

I found the MCs, Leo and James, to be characters I wanted to know more about and that I could empathize with. The village and its cast of characters could have come straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. In fact, the story had that nice familiar Christie ring to it. The set up of the Murders was meticulous, the clue dropping sublime and the red herring scattering clever. I particularly enjoyed Wendy and hope to see much more of her.

The denouement is clever and morally satisfying and the ending is sweet. I look forward to more books starring this pair.

Audiobook review:
Overall 5
Performance 5
Story 5

Engaging story, great performance by Joel Leslie

Joel Leslie is one of my favorite audiobook performers. In fact, he is pretty much responsible for getting me hooked on audiobooks (along with author Victoria Sue). When he had a code giveaway recently, I was lucky enough to win one for Hither Page.

I found the story to be fun to listen to and I loved Leo and James. I thought the writing was very good. I was in awe of the many voices and accents that Joel Leslie had to do for this story; he is excellent at both male and female voices.

I will certainly be listening to more books by Cat Sebastian and audiobooks performed by Joel Leslie.

I loved every minute of Hither, Page and didn’t want it to end. The only reason I’m not inconsolable is because it’s Book 1, therefor there will be more. There’d better be. As a fan of Christie and Doyle, I could spot the little nods here and there and it made the mystery all the more enjoyable. The secondary characters were endearing while flawed and quirky, much as you’d expect in a period detective mystery. The mystery itself was intelligently plotted and deftly revealed in a way that keeps the reader engaged and challenged. Oh, but James and Leo. James’ PTSD is raw and painful but handled tenderly. He’s tragic and brave but also warm and fragile, once he opens up to Leo. And I loved watching Leo’s realization that he missed out on and craved things like Christmas crackers and friendship. His inability to resist James or stay away despite his better intentions made me melt and I audibly sighed when they finally got on with the thing. They’re brilliant together and I would happily read about Leo and James grumpily solving murder mysteries in the British countryside for an eternity and can’t wait for the next installment.

Great post-WWII mystery in the style of Agatha Christie set in the English countryside. Two MCs who are dealing with issues post-war who find each other while catching a killer and find their HEA. Slow-burn romance with just a tiny dash of heat. Very well written! Love all Cat’s books and this one is no exception.

It’s December 1946, the war is over but still very much present in the everyday life of the residents of the English village of Wychcomb St. Mary. The men came back from the war bearing the scars of what they’d seen and done, and Dr. James Sommers is one of them. He had hoped to find peace and quiet, but it didn’t last very long. One suspicious death then an obvious murder rattle James’ peaceful existence, but not nearly as much as the appearance of the mysterious Leo Page…

Dame Agatha Christie, wherever she is, must be smiling. Cat Sebastian is one of my favourite historical authors, and with HITHER, PAGE she leaves Regency England for the twentieth century and cozy mysteries, and it is a literary triumph! It is like having a brand new Agatha Christie novel with a dash of queer romance; Cat Sebastian was born to write this type of story. Ms. Sebastian captures the very essence of the genre, has the vernacular down pat, a perfect grasp of the era; the execution is absolutely flawless. You have a vicarage, a gameskeeper, a nosy housekeeper, a country doctor, two marvellous spinsters – the delightful Misses Pickering and Delacourt – and many wonderful characters, some who naturally have a few secrets. Leo is a cynical covert operative, he’s also quite flirtatious, while James is affable and sweet, but very much affected by his war experience. Leo and the good doctor see what they are quickly – that they both like men – but the times being what they are, they must be careful and discreet. The romance is a glorious slow burn, as both Leo and James have work to do, mysteries to solve, and a mutual attraction to deal with.

HITHER, PAGE is so very English, feels so genuine, it’s a tribute to Agatha Christie’s oeuvre without being a pastiche or a copy; there’s even a tiny wink to the illustrious Mrs. Christie. I find it hard to believe, but I think this is Ms. Sebastian’s best writing ever. There was just a tiny little thing I bothered me: early on, when our two heroes are referred to as James and Page. I can’t explain why it confused me, but it did. I would have preferred James-Leo and Sommers-Page. And literally that is the only microscopic flaw I could find in this outstanding book. The prose is literate, sophisticated, and the tone and vocabulary astonishingly accurate, as is every period detail. HITHER, PAGE is a quick read that left me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I can’t wait for the future installments because Page & Summers promises to be fabulous!