Narrated by Joel Froomkin
Note: Although this is a standalone novel, it is linked to the Magic in Manhattan series; and as there are references to events that occurred in those books, there are likely to be spoilers for the series in this review.
When Allie Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series came to an end last year, I was pleased to learn that she would be writing a spin-off novel that would follow two different protagonists who had previously appeared as secondary characters in the main series. Proper Scoundrels is that spin-off, and I have to admit that much as I came to enjoy the series that spawned it, it is – so far – my favourite of the author’s novels. Plus – and this is a BIG plus – this book benefits enormously in audio from having the always excellent Joel Froomkin as narrator; the earlier series was (unfortunately) performed by a relatively inexperienced narrator who didn’t do it justice.
The action in Proper Scoundrels shifts from New York in 1925 to England later the same year, where we catch up with Wesley Collins, Viscount Fine, who is as prickly, cynical and irritable as ever. Even though he had a fairly large role to play in the events of Wonderstruck, Arthur, Rory and the gang were able to keep him in ignorance of the existence of magic – although unbeknownst to him, his Kensington home is now protected by a magical painting by the paranormal artist Isabella de Leon, which prevents other paranormals from properly seeing the house. As an extra precaution, her brother Sebastian – who has hidden himself away in London to lick his wounds after having been magically enslaved by the evil Baron Keppler – wanders past the place every so often, just to keep an eye out and make sure that Lord Fine is in no danger as a result of his connection to Arthur Kenzie and Rory Brodigan.
Sebastian, who is weighed down by guilt over the things he was forced to do while under the control of the baron’s blood magic, has deliberately distanced himself from his friends and family because he believes what he did has put him beyond the pale. So he’s surprised to receive a note from Jade Robins containing a list of dates and locations of three recent unexplained murders, and asking him to meet with her and her partner, Zhang. Sebastian grasps the implication immediately – whoever committed these murders is a paranormal. But that’s not all. Jade and Zhang suspect the murderer may be the same person responsible for the theft of a number of dangerous magical artefacts from the de Leon family, the Earl of Blanshard. And worse – one of the guests at the last party held at Blanshard’s Yorkshire home was Wesley, Viscount Fine. Jade is certain Lord Fine knows nothing of magic, but there’s something more than coincidence at work here; could he be the paranormal murderer’s next target?
Wesley, Viscount Fine is… not fine. He’s bored, everything irritates him, he dislikes everyone and, like Sebastian feels like an outsider, his wartime experiences putting him out of step with almost everyone around him. He’s surprised to hear from Jade Robbins, but is pleased to take her to dinner,where she asks him about Lord Blanshard – whom Wesley dislikes intensely – and suggests some of the artefacts he keeps at his Yorkshire home may be stolen property. She asks if Wesley will meet with a friend who knows more – but when Wesley recognises Sebastian as one of the men who kidnapped Rory in New York, he’s immediately on the defensive and storms off after a brief altercation, wanting nothing more to do with him or any more crazy stories. But when, the next night he’s the victim of a paranormal attack, it’s Sebastian who saves him – and it’s impossible to keep Wesley in ignorance any longer.
Proper Scoundrels is tightly plotted and superbly paced and the two leads are engaging and as compelling as individuals as they are as a couple. Best of all, the slow-burn romance is given enough time to breathe and the chemistry between Sebastian and Wesley leaps off the page, right from their first meeting. I liked them both very much, although Wesley’s brand of snark coupled with his very distinctive narrative voice rather stole the show for me. He’s jaded, sarcastic and struggling to find his place in life; he’s very self-aware in some ways and clueless about himself in others, taking care to present himself to the world as a rude, arrogant arsehole who doesn’t give a damn and doesn’t have a heart. Deep down – although he’d never admit it – is a brave, witty, open-minded man capable of great generosity towards those few he genuinely cares about, and I loved listening to him coming around to the idea that maybe letting himself love someone – and allowing them to love him – might just be worth it.
Sebastian is suffering from PTSD as a result of being effectively imprisoned and tortured and forced to do some truly awful things against his will, but even though he knows he had no choice he’s not prepared to cut himself any slack. He’s kind, thoughtful and considerate (Jade terms him a “dangerous marshmallow”) and will fight to the death to protect the non-magical, something his family has done for hundreds of years. Sebastian’s sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to Wesley’s sharp-tongued cantankerousness, and listening to these two lonely, damaged men slowly growing closer and letting one another see and know them as nobody else ever has is an absolute delight.
I may have – in my head, at least – jumped for joy when I learned Joel Froomkin (Leslie) would be narrating Proper Scoundrels. His facility with a wide variety of accents makes him the ideal choice for a story featuring characters from both sides of the Pond, and he switches seamlessly between Wesley’s upper-class English accent, Jade’s and Zhang’s American ones and Sebastian’s Spanish-accented English. Anyone who’s listened to Mr. Froomkin before already knows how good he is; not only when it comes to accents, differentiation and pacing, but in getting to the heart of the characters and what makes them tick. The development of the emotional connection between the leads is skilfully conveyed, their attraction coming across very strongly. His portrayal of Wesley is spot on, all devil-may-care arrogance and posh, perfectly timed snark that is slowly tempered as he begins to fall for Sebastian and a warmer note creeps into his voice. There’s an underlying gentleness and reticence in Sebastian’s manner, and the accent Mr. Froomkin employs for him is appropriate and consistent. I can level only one or two small criticisms; I spotted a handful of mispronunciations (and was surprised at the pronunciation of Brodigan as “Br-OH-digan”) and in places felt that maybe Sebastian’s accent was a little exaggerated.
Proper Scoundrels is a superb listen all round – an engrossing combination of magic, mystery and slow-burn romance all wrapped up in a terrific performance by the perfect narrator for the job.
Caz
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I agree with everything! I loved this book and narration. I actually didn’t finish the Magic in Manhattan series, but had no problems picking up with this one. I do think having some exposure to the world and the characters is important, though, so I’m glad I read the first in that series. I enjoyed SPELLBOUND (in print), but for some reason didn’t feel compelled to continue the series like I thought I would. I prefer this story and characters to SPELLBOUND. Of course, if the Magic in Manhattan series had been narrated by Joel, I’d have already listened to all of them!
I think the series got better as it went on; one of the biggest problems I had in the first book in particular was with the romance, which didn’t really start working for me until book three. I think the rest of the series IS worth reading (not audio – the narration is meh) but this is the best of the lot, IMO.